Banks Utilize Direct Mail In Financial Unrest

An interesting article by Aaron Baar of "Marketing Daily" (11/28/08).
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Banks Fight Poor Image With Direct Mail Pieces
by Aaron Baar, Friday, November 28, 2008, 12:52 PM

Banks are fighting bad news headlines with messages of their own in the form of direct marketing.
According to Mintel Comperemedia, the country's banks sent 42% more direct mail solicitations in the third quarter of the year than they did during the second quarter. Moreover, the 53 million offers sent during the third quarter of 2008 was nearly twice the number sent during the same period in 2007.
Much of the increase is from banks looking to assure customers that their money is safe, particularly as ownership of many banks and financial services companies is changing rapidly. "There's an increase in assurance going out to 'current' customers," Pamela McHugh, president of Comperemedia, tells Marketing Daily. "When we're looking at all the mergers and acquisitions taking place, there are new players, and the communication tends to be reassurance to old customers and reassurance to [newly acquired] ones."
Along those lines, the banks have switched their direct-mail messaging from mortgages and loans to more savings-oriented products like CDs and deposit accounts, McHugh said. According to Mintel, banks sent more than 300 times more savings-related direct mail pieces to current customers in the third quarter of the year than the second. Direct mail solicitations for checking accounts were up 90% during the same period.
Although the banks were focusing their efforts on reassuring current customers, they also used the unrest to increase communications to fuel customer acquisition. According to Mintel, new customer direct mailings were up 8% over the previous quarter.
"It's not as significant as the customer communications mail. But banks are trying to take advantage of the uncertainty in the marketplace," McHugh says.
As the turmoil in the bank industry is expected to continue, so will the continued use of direct mail, according to Mintel. "With banking, direct mail is so easy," McHugh says. "I think they'll continue with direct marketing, particularly for retention, but for acquisition as well."

A Storm Is Ahead: Fight the Storm or Turn Back?

There’s no hiding the overt: the national unemployment rate is above 6%, credit is frozen, the Dow is…well…down, and Uncle Sam’s talking about borrowing a few more $100 billion to save other crumbling cornerstones of our country’s economy. The overt is that we’re in a down market.

And while the talking heads are telling us that tomorrow is the end of the world (anyone else getting tired of the doom and gloom?), I’m searching for some much needed optimism. The optimistic truth is that the pillars of our country’s economy are our hard-working citizens. Yes, we’re in a recession. And yes, the media is telling us that there is chaos and strife ahead. But chaos is the catalyst for discovery and creation.

I pulled a section from a great article I read: “Marketers should draw lessons from such examples of charging ahead despite recession, says Ed Rensi, former CEO of McDonald's USA through the early 1990s recession. Unfortunately, he says, companies usually do just the opposite. They cut staff, which he says leaves those left behind overworked and risk-averse. And they cut marketing, which props up profits short term but erodes market share down the road (“Recessions Are Great Times To Be In Marketing”, Thom Forbes, Ad Age).”

We are going to face hard times ahead that will put a strain on our businesses and our consumers, but in the end, the pillars of our nation’s economy (our people, our traditions, and our ethics) will still stand strong. If you position your marketing efforts to “fight the storm”, instead of yielding, you will come out the successor.

What Does GRACoL Mean For Your Print Projects

What is GRACoL? (Hint: regardless of the type of commercial print work you produce, it can have an effect upon your work)

Well, if you’re a graphic designer, to you it may only be a profile that you choose for your profiles. However, the significance behind “GRACoL compliance” is very crucial to how your project is printed. So what is GRACoL compliance?

Well, it’s a continuous improvement process for printers to align their proofers and presses aim towards a specific performance target called grey-balance. Grey-balance is the combination of a specified density of CMYK to create a perfect neutral grey. If a commercial printer is printing in perfect grey-balance, it would mean that regardless of the press and paper, they would achieve the neutral grey if they printed the specified densities of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This would mean that a printer would have to continually test different paper stocks on different presses to finally achieve grey-balance (and of course paper and press performances are continually evolving).

Think of grey-balance as baking a cake. Regardless of the oven it’s baked in and the types of flour, sugar, milk, etc, the cake would always taste the same, because you had tested all of the types of ingredients and ovens and knew how they would all factor into the final outcome of the cake.

But it’s much more quantitative in the printing world. To test, we continually scan test-sheets and review the variation of expected densities and actual densities of CMYK across the entire sheet. We then tell our plate makers what plate curves will need to made to accommodate for the variation. Our proofers then output a proof that takes into consideration the stock and press it will be printing on.

What does this mean for your project?

It means that the beginning point for accurate color will be easily attained. It means that FAR less compromising on color will have to be made. It means that there is a much finer target that takes into consideration many crucial factors, so that there is a very clear understanding to predicting color accuracy. It means that as long as a file is proofed with our GRACoL profile, then we can match color more accurately.

Acme Printing continues to be one of a select group of GRACoL certified printers in the northeast (we are certified in both sheet-fed and web). Additionally, we employ a GRACoL certified expert on-site to continually test and improve the performance of our presses.

For you, the most important thing, is that GRACoL is another “piece of mind”, knowing that Acme is in the small percentage of premium-quality printers adhering to these color and quality measures.

Understanding Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

So unless you’ve been under a rock for the past four years, you’re familiar with the term Forest Stewardship Council or FSC Certification. The nickel definition of the FSC employs a few key points:

1.) That the logging, milling, manufacturing, and handling of paper is done so to protect the sustainability of the forest, the waterways, wildlife, and indigenous peoples of the surrounding area, and

2.) That every party that handles FSC certified stock does so to comply with very rigorous handling requirements. The SFI or Sustainable Forestry Initiative follows nearly identical compliance requirements.

Well then, what makes the two different? To start it should be known that some of the key differences are that:

1.) The FSC carries more brand recognition because of their successful global-marketing efforts. Though, I’ve been seeing SFI billboards on the highway lately.

2.) The SFI carries has significantly more options in both premium and low-grade sheets. This is because many of our North American paper forests are owned by small private forest owners, and simply, it costs far less to carry the SFI certification for these private owners.

As Acme is both FSC and SFI certified, I have no partisanship in either. To dig further into this, I was directed to International Paper’s, "Sustainability Update" (June 2007), which provided me with the graphic below (click on picture for a full-sized image):

As I always, I invite any further questions that you have about this topic. It’s certainly a big topic that I’ve tried to compress into a few short paragraphs.

Catalog and Direct-Mail Challenges in 2008: “Overstuffed Mailboxes? Take the JUNK Out of Junk-Mail!”

A Direct Marketing Association surveyed found that consumers responded to direct marketing every 16.4 days. Eight of 10 consumers have made a purchase in the previous 12 months in response to direct marketing (i.e. catalog, direct mail, Internet search, newspapers). Of those surveyed, 28% said that they made purchases based upon direct mail efforts.*


Additionally, 73% of respondents prefer receiving new-product announcements via mail from companies they're already in contact with, versus just 18% for email. And 70% prefer mail for unsolicited information and offers telling them about products and services from companies that they don't engage with.**


The survey also found that 31 percent of consumers are less likely to discard unopened mail, including new product brochures, catalogs or other advertising materials, while 53.2 percent are likely to discard unsolicited e-mails about new products. ** In the same survey, customers made direct marketing purchases based upon:

1.) Attractive Price 35%,

2.) Customer Loyalty 16.3%,

3.) Uniqueness 11.1%,

4.) Special Offers 10.4% .*



The Goal
There are three words to live and die by in the direct-marketing world: CALL...TO...ACTION. There are many who would argue that they utilize direct-marketing efforts for branding purposes only, but the truth of the matter is that this can be accomplished WHILE including a call-to-action.


For those of you unfamiliar with a call-to-action, it refers to the message that relates what you want the consumer to do after reviewing your direct-mailer. For example, a retailer that wants to improve in-store sales may create a call-to-action that drives customers to the stores by offering a 20% in-store discount. Many B2C direct-mailers request consumers to register their information on websites, which are essentially for loyalty programs.


Regardless of the copy, the design, the production, or anything else you read in the following paragraphs, if you don't have a call-to-action, then you don't have an end result.


Effective Design
As you send the direct mail job to your designer, make sure that the creative team knows direct mail. For example, creating and designing a catalog is completely different than designing a direct-mail piece. A catalog is a merchandising tool that is typically solicited by the respondent; whereas a direct-mailer is a "catch your eye and sell the call-to-action in 3.5 seconds" tool. Essentially, the copy of a direct-mailer has to be effective enough to sell the call-to-action in the time it takes to go from the consumer's hand to the trash.


Determining the Specs of the Piece
Now that you know the call-to-action and essential concept of the piece, you will need to determine the hard specs of the job. Typically, this is where we (the printer) are able to offer recommendations to reduce costs and increase overall effectiveness. The first things we'd consider are:
1.) How many can we gang up on the same sheet to reduce waste?
2.) How does the size and weight affect postage? Will we need to seal the piece for postage regulations?
3.) What is the minimum buy on the proposed paper?
4.) Do we have other papers that may generate a better response without adversely affecting the brand integrity?
5.) Do we need to consider varnish or aqueous dropouts for ink-jetting?
6.) If there are die-cuts, unique folds, and/or gluing, will the piece function as planned?
7.) What is the rough proposed cost of this job?


From here, you can determine whether or not the value of the response rate will be higher than the cost of the job.


Some Printing Ideas to Generate Higher Response
Do you ever feel like you depend too heavily upon copy and or overall design, far too often? The printing industry changes on what seems like a daily basis. With that being said, you can utilize paper, printing, or finishing processes to improve the response of your direct-mail job. Here are some ideas to help push the "pop" of your project.
1.) Unique paper stocks - Choose a paper stock that identifies with the message of the direct-mail project. A project printed on an uncoated sheet can emphasize a message of value, quality, or overall warmth. On the other side, there are a number of cover stocks that simply draw attention with unique textures and colors like: Domtar's Feltweave, Mohawk's Via, Neenah's Classic Laid, and Reich Shine (which is a pearlescent stock).
2.) Unusual sizes - Try moving away from the typical 4" X 6" or 5" X 7" postcard. Utilizing a slightly different size will stand out much more than the typical direct mailer. Additionally, a different sized direct-mail piece may fit more cost effectively on a standard sheet size.
3.) Unusual shapes - By testing different shapes you may be able to draw different responses than the typical rectangle. Consider what the message of your direct-mail is, and utilize different shapes to not only grab the consumer's response, but to also reinforce the message. You can use die-cutting to produce unusual shapes or folding and gluing to produce boxes or pockets.
4.) Mounted paper - Mounted paper is the process of gluing two press sheets (the front and the back of a direct mailer) together after printing. Essentially, this produces a thick, board-like direct mail piece, as both sheets are typically cover stocks. This mounted sheet signifies quality and strength and really stands out when a consumer receives this in the mail.
5.) Spot UV varnishing - UV varnishing creates an almost blinding sheen, and utilizing it to contrast with a non-varnished area can really draw some attention to the direct mailer. This is especially the case since I very rarely see UV varnished direct-mail.
6.) Contrast-varnishing - Try printing a gloss varnish with a dull varnish. The effects of contrast-varnishing are similar to the effect mentioned in the UV varnishing section above. Simply put, it completely mutes the sheen in the dull varnished area and enhances the sheen in the gloss varnished area and gives the piece a unique look.
7.) Unique die-cuts - In addition to unique shaped-direct mail pieces, die-cutting can also be a functional tool AND a creative way to catch attention. For example, Acme printed a direct-mail project in which when the piece opened, two simple die-cuts allowed a business card to pop up.
8.) Metallic inks - Metallic inks speak for themselves. Try utilizing metallic ink overprints, in which a mid-tone of metallic inks print over a process-color image. This is a fairly sensitive printing procedure, but when pulled off correctly (which Acme does!), the results are sheer brilliance.
9.) Double PMS hits - Double hits, or printing the same PMS image twice in the same pass creates a very deep and "turn-your-head" noticeable color. Again, so much so, that it draws attention.
10.) Tip-on - A tip-on can be any sort of printed piece that is glued to another piece. You often see this with credit-card mailers or post-it notes on direct mail pieces. There are a number of varying tip-on applications, but ultimately, a tip-on looks and feels different when you receive it in the mail. Additionally, our Pawtucket, RI facility just added tip-on capabilities in their plant.
11.) Gang-runs - A gang-run (in this direct-mail discussion) is the process of running multiple different direct-mail pieces on the same sheet. This can be utilized to create semi-variable direct-mail projects by printing a number of different direct-mail pieces on the same sheet.
Ultimately, all of these ideas may increase the budget of your project, but by no means, break the bank. Remember that it's a number game and if you spend a little more, but cost-justify this with an increased response rate, then you have succeeded!
*This source is from - "Consumers' Response to Direct Marketing: An 8 Part Series"
**This source is from - "Study: Consumers Responsive to Junk Mail" (Sass, 2007)

Catalog and Direct-Mail Challenges in 2008: “Postage Increases – Working With USPS’ Initiatives”

In addition to paper and freight cost increases, direct-marketers have also been hit with the most substantial cost yet: postage increases. The most recent postage increases are intended to have their customers automate their mail as much as possible or pay the cost for them to handle less-automated mail.

One of their proposed solutions is a “letter class rate”, which is a lower postage rate for mail that is essentially “machine-ready” mail. The basic requirements for letter class rate are:
1.) is not larger than a final size of 6-1/8” X 11-1/2” and not smaller than 3-1/2” X 5”.
2.) must have an outer stock (i.e. the cover) no lighter than 50# text.
3.) must have the address running along the longest side (i.e. along the 11-1/2”).
4.) must have two tab closures.
5.) cannot weigh more than 3.0 ounces.

Anything weighing between 3.0 and 3.3 ounces, but meets the other letter-class specifications will receive a non-automated letter-class postage, which will be slightly higher than letter-class, but lower than flat-class. For anyone who doesn’t want to compromise the specifications of their catalog, there is another solution: co-mailing.

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past five years, in some shape or form, you’ve heard the terms “co-mailing” or “co-mingling”. Co-mailing or co-mingling is the combination of multiple catalogs/magazines with other “titles” in a single process, that are ink-jetted, sorted, and bundled together to achieve a significant pre-sort postage discount.

In addition to a huge postage discount, co-mailing also insures a higher quality and timelier in-home delivery. And while a few major long-run printers used to be the only providers who could provide this service, this service can be achieved via “off-line” co-mailing.

When analyzing a mailing, take into consideration all of the costs associated to the job, as all costs play a major factor in choosing the most optimal printing/mailing solution for you. Such relevant costs are:

1.) Pre-press, printing, and production,

2.) Any necessary freight to outside vendors or your location,

3.) All mail prep costs,

4.) Approximate postage,

5.) Any in-bound freight charges.

Looking at the full-picture is truly the best way to manage your costs.

Catalog and Direct-Mail Challenges in 2008: “Sustainable Printing – Hindrance to Some; Revenue Center to Others”

If you’re anything like me, you too feel the concerns over being more environmentally aware. We recycle everything we can: paper, plastic bags, bottles and containers; we try to manage and improve our resources (e.g. $4-a-gallon gas, our food supply, the air we breathe, the protection of our ozone, etc.); what we can’t recycle, we dispose of properly to keep our environment as unaffected as possible. Though I (just like everyone) could be better; but we do the best we can.

Groups like Forest Ethics try to manage the consumption of endangered forests by first kindly asking, and then second, if need be, forcing via public humiliation (which for some large catalogers turned ugly very quickly). Though, many catalogers and direct-marketers look at the growing concern not as a hindrance, but as an opportunity to capitalize on their market. An article entitled “How Green Are Your Consumers” by Laurie Banks (The Portland Press Herald, Friday, April 27, 2007), defines three segments of eco-concerned consumers as:
1.) “9 percent are True Blue Greens - defined as most interested and typically an influencer of others; highly educated with higher incomes.”
2.) “6 percent are Greenback Greens - these people vote with their pocketbook. They are interested in environmental issues but not always willing to spend that extra cash. They are unwilling to sacrifice comfort and convenience.”
3.) “31 percent are Sprouts - a marketer's dream, these environmental fence-sitters are undecided consumers. They evaluate environmental issues one at a time and are willing to listen and compare each purchase to their personal benefits or costs.”

So not only does sustainable printing help you sleep easier at night, but it also has marketability! So with that being said, here are a handful of goals that will help make your project more environmentally sustainable.
1.) Forest Stewardship Council or FSC certification: this initiative is a chain-of-custody certification in which a paper is logged, milled, and manufactured to insure total protection of the wildlife habitats and forests. This certification is highly recognized and regarded by the Rainforest Alliance and the World Wildlife Fund.
2.) Sustainable Forestry Initiative or SFI certification: this initiative is a chain-of-custody certification that protects the best interest of sustaining the forests and wildlife, while also maintaining the best interest of the forest land-owners and loggers.
3.) Green energy or Green-E: The paper is manufactured utilizing a number of sustainable energy methods (e.g. wind-power).
4.) Bleaching: “ECF” or “Elemental Chlorine Free Bleaching” uses a chlorine compound, most often chlorine dioxide that significantly reduces dioxins but does not eliminate them. ECF bleaching is considered middle ground for environmental bleaching. “PCF” or “Process Chlorine Free Bleaching” uses totally chlorine free processing and includes recycled content and is considered the “greenest” method of bleaching.
5.) Paper recycled content: The recycled content refers to the percentage of the paper that contains recycled fibers. Additionally, many paper stocks contain post-consumer waste (PCW). This waste is paper that is recycled by consumers. So, for example, if a paper contains 60% recycled content and 40% PCW, this means that 20% of the paper is pre-consumer waste (any paper that does not reach the consumer) and 40% is post-consumer waste.
6.) Soy-based inks: These inks are manufactured with a soy-base and not a petroleum base. The benefit of soy-based inks is that their VOC, or volatile organic compound, content is very low. VOC content has become a very important discussion point, as the concern is that something that biodegrades releases VOCs into our soils and waterways and can potentially poison our generations to come.

If your printing rep’s concern aligns with environmental sustainability, they will be able to provide economically feasible solutions. Many of these initiatives may be accomplished with out additional cost to the job! So align yourself with a rep who can provide you with these types of solutions (**ahem…over here…cough, cough…yes, this is an expertise of mine**)

Catalog and Direct-Mail Challenges in 2008: “Do Not Mail Legislation – Fight or Flight”

It’s August; it’s time to begin preparing for the holiday season. If you’re a cataloger or direct-mailer, you have the same concerns this year as we do. In the next few blogs, I plan to address these concerns facing you and how to turn them into successful profit-centers for your business.

Catalog and Direct-Mail Challenges in 2008: “Do Not Mail Legislation – Fight or Flight”

Every time I pick up a new printing or marketing magazine, there’s at least a small mention of “Do Not Mail Legislation” which essentially will establish a “Do Not Mail” registry that consumers can add their mailing information into. And as it is believed, this proposed legislation will produce another major hindrance to the success of direct marketers.

Direct marketers are worried that prospective customer volumes will drop-off. Likewise, list-service providers, printers, and mailers believe that their business will be directly correlated to this. It’s time for a “Plan B”.

Plan B should begin by re-evaluating your marketing strategy. For many up to this point, you’ve been utilizing the “spray-and-pray” marketing strategy (meaning, “send a ton of direct mail/catalogs out and hope that you can turn a 3% response rate”). Now while direct-mail continues to be the most effective catalyst to the sales cycle, let’s take a more tactical approach to attracting high-quality prospective-customers.

Consider spending more of your marketing budget on your best prospective customers. Most likely, your best prospective customers are divided into two major groups:
1.) Those customers that currently purchase your products, and
2.) Those customers who don’t currently purchase from you, but demographically are the most likely to.
Focus on producing higher quality print and mail communications for these customers.

Some ideas to begin your thought process:
1.) Don’t send your customers “throw-aways” send them “coffe-table mail”. Meaning, mail your customers pieces that aren’t perceived as marketing tools…or “junk mail”; mail them print pieces that will have a long-shelf life, and a high-quality perception! Be creative; have you ever received a direct-mailer that you showed to co-workers, friends, and family. I have! FYI – The level of quality in a piece of print sub-consciously triggers a perception about the quality of the products/services that are being marketed and the company being represented.
2.) Drive your customers with print promotions. Coupons, freebies, rewards-programs, rebates…regardless of its name, promotions can drive your best customers into your “customer community”. This produces long-term customer loyalty.
3.) Harness the available technology and your data. Have you considered using the data you have on your customers and available data on prospective customers to its fullest extent? Personalized communications and variable data (whether it is as simple as ink-jetting codes or as complex as personalized 4-color graphics and messages) are a way to drive response rates. You have mere seconds to capture a new customer’s attention, so you’d better hit them with something good while you’ve got their eye.
4.) Shock the end recipients’ expectations by changing the look and feel of your piece. Got the “5 X 7 direct-mailer blues”? How about the “8-1/2 X 10-7/8 catalog blues”? Change the size, throw in some die-cutting, use a new stock or coating, try some varnishing techniques…whatever floats your boat! Try something…ANYTHING…new to increase the mere seconds you have capture the recipient’s attention.

I will speak to this further in a future blog called “Overstuffed Mailboxes? Take the JUNK Out of Junk-Mail!” It’s really up to you to begin changing your thought-process with the evolving times. Focus more upon your highest quality customers and your ROI will benefit.

Paper or plastic bags?

Hello respected friends and colleagues,

I was forwarded this link by a client and I thought that I'd pass it along as it really struck me.

http://tinyurl.com/6ghx85

You used to hear it all the time when you went grocery shopping: "paper or plastic bags"? This decision USED TO BE one of the most meaningless decisions you made all day.

Now, it has a particular poignance. Now, it drastically affects our global environment, our quality of life, and our economy.

Please take a look at the quick slideshow to understand why this decision has become so important.

Yours Truly,

Adam Trull

--Big changes are made up of small decisions.

Is Print An Economically Viable Marketing Media?

Well, naturally, I’m a little biased on this. As businesses begin to tighten their purse-strings, marketing is one of the foremost areas that companies look to reduce overhead. Oddly, I’ve recently been reading more statistical evidence and having more discussions about the dire importance that print continues to play in the marketing-media-mix.

An article titled "The Future of Print In Marketing Communications", written by PressTek’s Director of Marketing and Communications discusses exactly the role that print has played and will continue to play in the media-mix. Simply put, "print is the igniter for the other media in the integrated marketing campaign". Why do you ask, is this the case, well because:

1.) Print is more sensory that TV, radio, Internet, word-of-mouth, etc.,
2.) Print is there when the consumer needs it…and when it’s there when the consumer doesn’t need it, it is tucked away…or hung on the fridge….or kept on your desk…etc.,
3.) Print is easier for the consumer to be communicated to…consumers receive marketing communications at completely different pace…I may review print (or any marketing communications), at a different pace than someone 50 years my senior.
4.) Print is trust worthy. Internet communications could be coming from any fly-by-night company…or for that matter, some creep looking to swipe your credit-card number.

Here’s a couple of cool facts for you:
-"According to Mintel Comperemedia, a media monitoring service, direct mail offers sent in 2007 to companies' current customers increased 17 percent from 2006." --www.printinthemix.rit.edu
-"A recent Pitney Bowes/International Communications Research study found that 73 percent of consumers prefer to receive product announcements and offers via US mail from companies they do business with." The Future of Print In Marketing Communications
-"Among the various advertising media in 2006, direct mail was the top choice of advertisers followed by newspapers and television." United States Postal Service (2006). Household Diary Study. www.printinthemix.rit.edu

Hey marketers, check out "The Future of Print In Marketing Communications" on www.whattheythink.com.

Files du Jour…Proofs a la Carte – How to Manage the Costs and Time of Your Pre-Press

How important is it really, to know how files are arriving and what types of proofs to utilize during estimating and production? Actually, it's extremely important. File type/delivery and proofing is a major factor in determining cost and time necessary for pre-press (especially on high-page count projects). So when determining an estimated cost and schedule for a project it’s crucial for us to know these factors.

Files
The most typical ways for files to arrive are:

1. CTP or high-resolution print-ready PDFs (least amount of pre-press time needed). An important note, when providing CTP files, it’s always of benefit to provide a source file JUST IN CASE, a last minute change needs to be made to the file.
2. Images are high-res and in position.
3. Images are not in position, and page assembly is required (most amount of pre-press time needed).

Proofs
Your proofs are determined by your needs. The following are typical proofs:
1. Iris…or digital dylux...or dummy proof. These proofs are intended to show only how the pages will be collated, how the project will be finished, and is utilized to check copy. We produce a digital dylux on every project as a QA measure.
2. PDF Proof and/or “Dialogue” remote proofing. Before I begin, at a bare minimum on a job that has more than one-color, I absolutely recommend at least producing a set of Epson proofs so that we have something to match on press. With my disclaimer out of the way, PDF proofs are just as they sound: a high-res PDF that is really only intended to show that we made something like a type-change, added an image, etc. Taking that a step further, we offer a service called Dialogue, which allows for online collaborative proofing. The interface, which is similar to Photoshop, allows remote users to log in and do such tasks as check color builds of an image and review other user’s comments and leave your own. This is immensely valuable for clients (for example) who have many team-members involved, but are not within the same geographic proximity. Ask for a “test-drive” of this value-added service if you are interested.
3. Epson approval proof. Epson proofs are also utilized for approving color, but are faster to produce and significantly less in cost. I recommend Epson proofs for projects that are going to be produced on a gloss sheet, are not absolutely color critical (though you may not be able to tell the difference between an Epson and a Kodak), and/or a very high page-count project.
OR…
4. Kodak approval...or job-stock proof. These proofs are intended to show 100% accurate color on job-stock. These proofs typically cost the most and are the slowest, but are necessary for projects that do not require a gloss coated #3 domestic stock. This is because our Epson proofs are proofed on a stock similar to a gloss coated #3 domestic sheet.

As always, pre-press and proofing can be a huge time and cost expenditure. Be as explicit as possible so that we can help supply you with an accurate estimate and schedule.

Who Is The MATLET Group, Acme's Parent Company?

So, you may know A LOT about Acme Printing, but how much do you know about the other sister plants that we can cross sell into? Check out more at: http://www.thematletgroup.com/.

Central Florida Press
Capabilities
· Three six color-40” Sheetfed presses
· Two Web presses with 24.8 and 23.526 cutoffs
· Full in-house bindery
· Mailing label ink jetting
· Pick and Pack Fulfillment
· Custom Data Solutions
· Production Automation

NOVA Marketing Services
Assembly Services
· Kit and folder assembly
· Shrink-wrapping
· Collating, inserting, packing
Pick and Pack/Inventory Management
Real time, web order processing and inventory management
Direct Mail
· Three-dimensional, highly personalized packaging and mailing services
· Data and mail preparation, laser printing and ink jetting services
Organization
· In fulfillment business for 24 years
· 98,000 sq ft production facility with 100,000 sq ft bulk storage facility
· 2-Shift operation
· On-premise temporary agency to support large production requirements of up to 150 temps per day

Packaging Graphics
Printed Packaging Products
· Blister Cards, Insert Cards, Stretch Pak Cards, Folding Cartons w/ window
Thermoforming Products
· Blisters, Clamshells, Trays,Tri-folds, Multiple substrates
· both virgin and recycled films
· ranging from 7.5 – 62.5 gauge.
· Other In house Process Capabilities
· Full in house pre-press department
· Consigned raw material program
· Various equipment capabilities

The MATLET Group’s Strengths
1. Diverse manufacturing platform
Products and services that encompasses the whole print supply chain -- from prepress through fulfillment and distribution
2. Broad geographic scope with four plants in the U.S.
With multiple locations in the United States, we are able to provide printing and distribution services in more than one region
3. Recapitalization to expand technological infrastructure
The MATLET Group believes in investing in state-of-the-art equipment and technology that’s continually updated to offer the latest industry advancements
4. Long-standing customers
We are trusted by some of the nation’s largest companies
5. Nation’s largest minority-owned printer
We can help your company reach its supplier diversity goals, while working with a supplier that has a track record of success in meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The MATLET Group is a Corporate Plus® member of the NMSDC.
6. Stewards of the Environment
The MATLET Group holds FSC, SFI and ISO 14001 certifications

How I Can Increase Your Direct Marketing Respone By 35%

...a long one, but worth the read...trust me

And while I naturally have questioned the place of digital printing (toner-based) on this very blog, I provide you now with some interesting news. Acme Printing has formed an official partnership with a large New England based digital printer. And while we can directly manage an entire digital print project, our intentions are somewhat more complex.

BUT FIRST, 1:1 or 1-to-1 print marketing is the process in which a printed communication is printed and marketed specifically to the end-recipient. This data-driven process can only be accomplished through extensive up-front programming and prepress, and with the proper digital printing technology (e.g. Xerox iGen, HP Indigo, etc.). A 1:1 piece contains any combination of static graphics/text and:

1. Semi-variable (which refers to a pre-set group of variable images/messages – like a picture of a dog and a message "You like dogs").
2. Completely variable (which contains a message that is completely specific to the recipient – like "John Doe, you like dogs"),
3. And there’s a mix (like a picture of a dog pulled from a pre-set group of pictures and a message like "John Doe, you like dogs").

According to the "Personlized & Database Printing: The Complete Guide" by David Brody and Frank Romano, there is a 34% increase in response and a 35% increase in response time over a typical print marketing piece. For our clients, whether it be a catalog, a sales kit, or a direct-mailer, we are now capable to manage the entire project of marrying digital and traditional offset projects. The benefit of marrying the two is that both the response effectiveness of digital 1:1 and the cost-effectiveness of offset are achieved (for example, marrying a 1:1 digital cover and a 32-page offset text). This is something I coined the term mix-media-printing for.

The Future of Direct Marketing (Part 3)

This post is nearly an EXACT parallel to the Bourne Ultimatum - a third sequel that is more action-packed, has better dialogue, and overall, is more exciting (and both of the main characters have rapidly receding hairlines). So, now that you've decided that direct mail is the most effective way to market to your customers AND how you're going to measure the effectiveness, it's time to determine what service provider is best for your needs (click the picture and you'll get a full-sized view). And certainly I try to be unbiased with my opinions, but COME ON...Acme Printing is able to achieve all of the top requirements! Well, I can't promise there will be a "Part 4", but if George Lucas can do it, then so can I.

The Future of Direct Marketing (Part 2)

Let's face it: sequels stink. I'm here to change that stereotype with next part of "The Future of Direct Marketing" (that's a big claim...this better be good).

In the last post, I discussed that the most preferred means of communication to your customers (BY FAR), is direct-mail. So now that we know direct-mail is the best way to reach your customers, you have to know how to measure Return On Investment.

Check it out in the graph, respondents were asked what they used to track the ROI on direct-mail programs.

I should also mention that respondents said a good response rate is a whopping 12.6% and a poor response rate as 8.3%. This is a huge jump from the average 2% response rate of recent past.

You know where I got this stuff, but I've got to say it anyway: The PERF Report - http://www.psda.org/education/perf.aspx.

The Future of Direct Marketing (Part I)

In the next upcoming blogs, I will discuss the future of direct marketing as was reported by a significant marketing research source the "Print Services and Distribution Association" by the Print Education and Research Foundation's annual research report, otherwise known as "The PERF Report".

In the most recent 2007 PERF Report, it was reported in a survey of over 850 consumers and 450 document owners, that paper-based communications and marketing OR direct-mail (e.g. catalogs, postcards, brochures, etc.). In fact, it was reported that direct-mail was the highest preferred means of communication (with 61%) and then in a far second, e-mail (with 21%).

All information taken from The PERF Report - http://www.psda.org/education/perf.aspx.