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.