Is Your Brand Being Conveyed Appropriately?

After having two discussions about “branding” today, I thought that this blog-entry truly revealed itself to me. “Branding” is the process of establishing a “brand identity”. A “brand identity” is a personality comprised of traits and characteristics that is given to an inanimate object. Typically, one of marketers’ key goals is to establish a brand’s identity through marketing communications. For example, Timberland, an internationally iconic brand, carries a brand that signifies durable, high-quality boots and clothing. Timberland’s brand is also synonymous with social-responsibility and giving back to the community.

Ultimately, whether conscious of it or not, we convey brand identities as well. Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jackson used to convey a brand-identity of a brilliant pop singer and choreographer, a fashion trend-setter, and ultimately, a legendary pop-icon. Nowadays, his brand-identity has strayed significantly. And it is safe to assume that because of the potency of Michael Jackson’s negative-branding, he will never be able to sway his brand to benefit his music career, ever again. This isn't how we remember The King of Pop, is it?
Of course, in every communication that a person or a company makes, they can align or stray from their brand-identity, which after time can cause a broad deviation between intended and actual brand identity.

But does your printer understand your brand identity? Let’s face it, commercial print is a key component of your marketing-mix, and if you are not partnering with a printer who understands your brand identity, then the layout, screening-type, trim-size, paper stock, ink, finishing, and binding decisions, which covers an immense breadth and depth of printing decisions, can significantly affect your brand identity. If you are a publisher, you’re affected even more; print decisions directly affect your final product! Still don’t have a clue what I’m talking about? Here is an example:

“You’re a long-term health and life insurance provider, known for “going the extra mile” for your customers through value-added services. To capture the Baby-Boomer market, a vast generation moving towards retirement, you’d like to send an 8-page brochure outlining value-added services like acupuncture, massage therapy, and fitness education that will enhance your customers’ quality of life.

You decide to print heavy ink coverage on a high-end uncoated sheet that contains significant PCW recycled content (with FSC certification), and you print an overall satin aqueous to protect the ink coverage, while preserving the texture and aesthetic appeal of a premium uncoated stock. The stock suggests a soft, value-focused message; the eco-sustainability of the sheet suggests a concern for environmental and social responsibility; the satin aqueous, although used primarily as a tool in this example, adds a soft-touch to the piece.”

Branding is absolutely crucial to the success of your company, whether you are a marketer or a publisher. If you are not working with a printer who understands your branding decisions, than you may be missing out on print decisions that are in the best interest of your brand identity.

How Does GRACoL 7 Solve Some of Your Problems?

Do you buy commercial printing? Do you need more time and money? Read on...

In case you are unfamiliar, GRACoL 7 is a set of very rigorous color standards that premium commercial printers uphold. Essentially, GRACoL 7 lays out specification targets for cyan, magenta, yellow, and a handful of color combinations. In layman terms, for example, “is a 40% cyan density proofing and printing like a 40% cyan density?”

GRACoL 7 standards means that we scan and track the proofers and presses to see where a deviation may be occurring. Over time, we monitor and correct long-term deviations. Of course, there may be select circumstances where a client is on press and they decide, for example, that they want to run magenta high, which will cause an unusual skew in our GRACoL measurements.

But with proper testing, we can capture proofer calibration or press-performance issues, with minimum impact on clients’ projects. This allows us to provide proofs and press-sheets that are much more fine-tuned than most commercial printers in the industry.

More importantly, how does this impact your job? If you review your proofs, this can save you a lot of time and money, and can insure that you exceed your quality expectations. If you’re already far too busy and don’t have the time or the budget to travel to each and every press-check, our G7 Master status (meaning our adherence to GRACoL 7 continuous improvement standards) allows you the piece of mind to know that there is no one in the commercial print industry that can produce more accurate color.

If you would like to learn more about this, I encourage you to contact my team and I, so that you can meet my prepress group and see first-hand what we do to continuously improve the performance of our projects.

Thinking About Perfect Binding???

If you are anything like me, you truly admire the look and feel of a perfect bound book. However, there are some things that you may want to think about before you send your files out, for a perfect bound book…

Cross-overs: Cross-overs are any images that are split between two pages. This can be as simple as a single tone, or as complex as a circular face! Remember with any cross-over that the two pages won’t be side by side on the form AND that we have to account for the image being pulled into the gutter (a.k.a: into the spine). This is because when a reader opens up to a page with a cross-over, they don’t mash open the book so far that you can see the spine.

Ultimately, a good pre-press team will account for this, and create slivers of mirror images in the form-layout that are only intended to act as assurances in case a cross-over opens a little further than expected.

It’s also good to know that some cross-over images are more susceptible to error, so that you can minimize their use. Cross-overs that are diagonal or circular images may open up a bit differently depending upon where they are located in a book. Additionally, any slight misfolding will miscue the cross-over.

Cross-overs have a huge significance in the press-room as well. A quality-focused production team will make accurate notation of cross-overs on page-layouts so that press-operators accurately match color. As managing cross-overs is not an exact science, there can be some slight shifting during folding as well. This can make the cross-over image on one page slightly higher than the image on the other.

Managing Spine Strength: The most common means of measuring spine-glue strength is by utilizing a page-pull test. A page-pull test is performed by a machine that essentially locks the front half of a book with one anchor and the back of the book with another anchor, and then grips onto a center page (similar to opening the book like a banana). The machine pulls on the page until it releases or tears from the spine. The industry standard is a 2.5 result, or 2.5 pounds per linear inch. Because upright and oblong books have different glue-areas/spine-lengths, oblong books tend to open flatter and sometimes, can be weaker.

The glue-type is normally dependant upon the use of the book. For casual reading, the most standard glue type, EVA, or ethylene vinyl acetate, will work fine. For very rigorous use, PUR, or polyurethane reactive glue is the best option. However, PUR glue is typically a higher material and manufacturing cost and requires a minimum 24-hour dry time.

There are numerous other concerns that printers must take into considerations to improve spine strength, like better notching standards; but for most projects, you can determine between the two most commonly utilized glue types. Additionally, as a best-practice, we knock-out ink and varnishes in the glue area to encourage better gripping of the paper fibers.

Grain Direction and Fiber Growth: There are a couple of unique considerations to remember about the paper in your book if you have printed the text on a web-press. First, you will very likely experience web-growth, which is an uneven, but approximately 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch, growth of the text beyond the face of the cover. This is naturally caused by moisture that returns to fibers after web-dryers remove it during a press-run.

If the grain direction runs parallel to the spine, this will cause waffling, which are slightly wavy pages and spine. As the fibers re-gain moisture and try to grow, the fibers put an immense strain on the fibers that are bound to the spine, causing a slight waving.

What Can Be Perfect Bound?:
1.) Two-Page Signatures: Different than saddle-stitching (where the minimum signature page count is four-pages), we can bind in two-page signatures. This allows you to produce the most optimal page count for your needs. This also allows…

2.) Inserts: One of the many benefits of perfect binding is that you can bind-in nearly anything! This opens the door to be able to bind-in 2-page inserts of a variety of substrates. Sticker-pages, posters and other fold-outs, varying stocks, two-page BRCs, tear-away envelopes, magna-strip tip-ons; the options are nearly limitless. Of course, we consult with our bindery manager and production team well in advance to discuss the feasibility of an insert. But the options are significantly greater with perfect binding.

3.) Fold-Outs: Fold-outs are text or cover pages that fold-out beyond the trim of the book. When a fold-out is folded in, I would advise to plan the fold-out to be slightly smaller (1/8”) than the final trim. This allows for the perfect binder to accomplish binding in a single pass, without three-knife trimming off the fold.

4.) Tip-Ons: We accommodate tip-ons the same for perfect binding as for saddle stitching. Essentially, tip-ons are tipped on to flat-sheets prior to folding.

The World In 2010 (a digression for the moment)

This is a heavy one. Pardon me while I digress for the moment and not discuss commercial printing/business/marketing, but instead, something that undoubtedly effects us all...

I was inspired to blog, after recently reading an article on “sustainability”. Sustainability, as most first-world societies think of it, refers to preserving our environment and natural resources so that we don’t irreversibly destroy the Earth in which we live upon. As an advocate for living an eco-sustainable life-style, I truly appreciate discussing and voicing my opinion on this topic.

Eight years ago, I introduced myself to eco-sustainability during my studies in college. I entered an introductory environmental conservation class as an elective, thinking that it would be a gravy-train to an easy “A”. Raised in a suburban, middle-class, conservative right-wing house-hold, I had never truly encountered the macro-appreciation of our planet’s resources. During this class, we had many open-discussion forums, in which the class quickly realized that I was a right-wing “wolf in sheep-skin”.

During this time, the Kyoto Protocol had become a key environmental conservation issue. The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty proposed by the United Nations that asked major economically developed countries to reduce their carbon emissions, to regulate climate change (i.e. Global Warming). As a business and marketing student, I adamantly argued to the class that although I was in favor of reducing emissions, this would cripple our economy; an argument that many U.S. political leaders still support. While my studies in this course didn’t make me an environmental-steward overnight, they left a lasting impression that has given me a unique perspective on what it truly means to me to live and hopefully encourage others to live, a conservative life.

Eight years later, I find that sustainability caries an even greater poignancy in our society. With some of the world’s largest companies at their knees, with a real-estate and mortgage industry crippled, with an auto-industry that is beyond repair, and with financial markets, currencies, and a world-economy that is nearing The Breaking Point, sustainability seems to be a valuable principle in the business world. Let’s face it, the web of domestic industries and international markets are so tightly intertwined, that if one of the “pillars” of our economy begins to crumble, the entire “roof” can cave in; as was the cause of our current economic climate: the mortgage industry.

We (society) mindlessly over-consumed. We over-sold mortgages to borrowers who couldn’t pay them back; we over-compensated executives who were required to beat performance goals, regardless of how they accomplished it; we promised share-holders to beat profits and grow our companies, regardless of the cause-and-effect; we over-produced, growing our manufacturing capacity to meet the peaks of demand (peaks that will very likely, never be met again); and now, we have over-extended our credit, writing trillion-dollar stimulus bills backed by overseas bonds and by printing currency backed by nothing, which will in turn lead to SERIOUS inflation (in 8 to 12 months, when our income remains the same, and inflation causes the market prices to grow by 20 to 40 percent, we won’t be able to purchase what we used to with our dollar).

Sustainability, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is, “relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged”. We, economically developed societies, now have dual responsibilities: make business and personal decisions that encourage economic AND environmental sustainability. If we do not, we will eternally punish ourselves, the millions of plant and animal species who lived peacefully for millions of years prior to human-kind, and our generations to come, by irreparably destroying our most important resources: our Constitution, our values and our principles that America's forefathers founded our country upon, our free-market economy, and our entire planet’s fragile eco-system.

Marketing Execs: The Proof Is In the Numbers!

I just read a great article on the challenges marketing executives face in this recession. The article was based upon the theory that when corporations are looking at ways to downsize upper-management/C-level marketing executives, they primarily look to apportion value of an employee by the quantifiable results that they have established. For COO’s this may be something like: “I introduced lean-manufacturing techniques which resulted in a labor cost reduction of 5%”. For marketing execs, addressing how revenues are a direct correlation to their marketing efforts is a bit more difficult. And let’s face it, although radio, television, and out-of-home advertising are key components of the marketing-mix, the lack of trackability is a hindrance. Additionally, these marketing-mediums leave little room to further target a market.

Again, I’m not disparaging the other mediums; advertising experts claim that a multi-channel marketing effort, or the combination of numerous marketing mediums, is the most effective approach. However, when given the opportunity, commercial print can be a crucial way to track ROI and drive a more targeted message to your customers. Wanna’ know how?

Here are a few ways…

Campaign Type: Version direct-mail to broad demographics
Definition: Gang-run versions of your direct-mail to communicate messages that are relevant to broad demographics (e.g. geography, gender, age-generation, etc).
For Example: Consumers in the northeast make purchase-decisions far differently than those in the southwest, at a bare-minimum, is your direct-mail message relevant to that need?
How To Do It: Sort your target mail list by broad demographic. Print different versions on the same sheet or if necessary, make plate changes.
Trackability: Can track response rates of particular demographics.

Campaign Type: Version direct-mail with project-specific call-to-action response mediums
Definition: Utilize project-specific phone-numbers, URLs, promo codes, etc., to track specific direct-mail pieces.
For Example: You’re excited about a direct-mail concept that your team developed, that you feel is going to drive a 12% response rate. Track it with a phone-number or URL specific to this direct-mailer. Or track various versions of a direct-mail piece with a handful of different phone-numbers.
How To Do It: Create specific mediums that you want to drive responses to. For a variety of mediums (e.g. phone-numbers), utilize black plate changes to maintain low cost.
Trackability: Can track specific direct-mail pieces / designs / versions / etc.

Campaign Type: Targeted inserts
Definition: Magazine or newspaper inserts that are versioned specific to the demographics of the particular newspaper or magazine.
For Example: You’re a women’s bath and body retailer and you’d like to pursue your broad target demographic, which is: women ages 30 – 55. This market is then further divided into smaller key demos: 1.) Women who are stay-at-home moms, 2.) Women who are “white-collar” employees, 3.) Women who are “blue-collar” employees. You version your inserts specific to publications that key to these demographics.
How To Do It: Choose publications that fulfill your key markets. Apportion your versioning requirements to circulation volumes. Use this ratio to gang-run on the same sheet.
Trackability: Can track specific demographics, based upon publications’ proven demographics.

Campaign Type: 1-to-1, four-color versioning (catalogs)
Definition: Utilize consumer-specific information to drive higher response-rates through individualized call-to action. 1-to-1 variable 4-color has shown to create 10 times a higher response than normal response rates!
For Example: You’re a odd-gifts cataloger and you know that Joe Schmoe frequently buys products in “Category G” which is sports memorabilia. On the cover of the catalog, in full-color, it says, “HEY JOE SCHMOE, WE JUST ADDED NEW SPORTS MEMORABILIA ON PAGE 22”.
How To Do It: Work the data in your mail-list to include variables that can be used to call each customer to action and groom the mail list extensively. With some experience pre-press work, the cover is printed via 4-color digital and married to offset printed text. This combination produces most efficient print-cost.
Trackability: Can track increase in ROI and repeat purchases.

Would you like more ideas or specifics on how to accomplish similar concepts? Ask me to consult with you during the concept stages of your next marketing campaign! In this day in age, a good print-partner combines an expertise in marketing and branding and how to excute marketing concepts with an extensive knowledge in print technology and print-production.

Driving the Most ROI, Value, and Shelf-Life Out of Your Marketing

If you’re like me, you watch Fox News every morning with the same anticipation as preparing for the "big scare" in an M Night Shyamalan film. With multi-national corporations’ stock prices at all-time lows, there’s no question that everyone has been affected by this economy in some way. For consumers and businesses alike, the ultimate goal has been to drive the most value out of their budget. For businesses, that means driving the most ROI from their marketing spend. And while I am an advocate for a multi-channel approach to marketing, there can't be enough said for the ROI (and stability) of print. Here are some DMA study results from www.PrintInTheMix.rit.edu, that will help address your concerns.

-Close to 40% of consumers surveyed have tried a new business for the first time because of information received via direct mail.

-Nearly 70% report renewing a relationship with a business after a period of time because they received a direct mailing or promotional item.

-Here are average ROI figures; for every $1 spent, the dollars in ROI are.
Direct Mail (Non-Catalog)
2003 - $15.50
2007 - $15.58
2008 - $15.55
2009 (projected) - $15.50
2013 (projected) - $15.66

Direct Mail (Catalog)
2003 - $7.12
2007 - $7.23
2008 - $7.28
2009 (projected) - $7.25
2013 (projected) - $7.29

AM versus FM Screening

After having a recent in-depth discussion on screening, I thought that I’d share the two types of Acme’s screening capabilities:

AM Screening

-Definition: AM screening, or Amplitude Modulation screening, is the conventional screening seen most often in commercial offset printing. In AM screening, the dot pattern is a repeating floret pattern. Tone-density change is seen by amplifying or reducing the size of the dot. Standard AM screening at Acme is 175 LPI (or lines per inch).

-Some of the major benefits are:
1.) Easiest screening type to make color moves on press.
2.) Smoother tones than FM screening.

-Some of the major disadvantages are:
1.) Unwanted patterns and effects (e.g. moiré patterns) are more likely.
2.) Difficulty truly representing very low densities (it will look flat).

-Some of the uses:
1.) Projects that require control of color on press (i.e. typically any product-focused or corporate-focused projects)

FM Screening

-Definition: FM screening, or Frequency Modulation screening, is also referred to as stochastic screening. This screening utilizes one very small dot size (20 microns), in a randomized pattern, with frequency of the dot to create tone-density change (i.e.: the less number of dots, the lighter the density). At Acme, we utilize staccato screening, which uses two a 20 micron dot in the low and high densities and a 25 micron dot in the mid densities, thus allowing for a much smoother mid density range.

-Some of the major benefits are:
1.) Able to capture much greater details.
2.) Very vibrant color.
3.) Reduced moiré dot patterns.
4.) Dot patterning is more similar to Epson proofs than AM Screening (though, the dot shape differs)

-Some of the major disadvantages are:
1.) Get ready…this is THE biggest reason why you might not want to consider FM screening: it is very difficult to make color moves on press.
2.) Clustering due to randomization of dots.

-Some of the uses:
1.) Projects requiring vibrant colors (e.g. outdoor photography, etc.)
2.) Projects with very fine detail.
3.) Projects with objects that have a tendency to moiré.
4.) Projects with objects that have very low densities (e.g. glass/crystal-ware, etc.)

Every project has different requirements, so it’s best to have your favorite print rep (me....if I’m not your favorite, I’ll still help you out!), consult with you prior, to understand the benefits and disadvantages that it will have on your project!

Printing Is A Commodity?...Not My Offering.

I recently read an interesting quote regarding printing being a commodity, that I assume was intended to encapsulate the entire industry. While I agree that there are a great deal of commodity printers (a majority of the industry) who compete solely upon how they can operate as efficiently as possible (often making sacrifices that adversely affect their clients' work), in many cases, I disagree with this claim.

In fact, the most vital trait of the printing industry is by no means a commodity: intellectual property. And what differentiates "Printer A" from "Printer B" is the amount of intellectual property that they have in each operational-field (e.g. sales, estimating, customer-service, pre-press, scheduling, press, bindery, etc.).

Intellectual property is the reason why a client flies or drives by tens…hundreds…perhaps thousands of commercial printers to attend a press-check; intellectual property is the piece-of-mind that a client experiences in not having to attend a press-check, while expecting (and receiving), the color and quality that they anticipate; intellectual property is a production team who’s primary concern is making a client’s project work, regardless of the after-hours they have to put in; intellectual property is the fine-tooth comb that production and pre-press use to groom a project before it goes to press, so that at completion, the project exceeds a client’s expectations.

Surprisingly, I often meet people in the graphic arts community who ask and expect that I offer in-house die-cutting, foil-stamping, embossing, and other trade finishing/bindery functions. It doesn’t surprise me that they expect that; it surprises me that there are other print-reps whose elevator pitch revolves around a piece of equipment that their competitor doesn’t have. And while other printers make small capital investments in equipment, I believe that the most important trait of a printing organization is the tradition, reputation, expertise, and…well…intellectual property that they bring to their clients.

So while some may choose to consider printing a commodity; I do not. Instead I expect that I, and my organization, continue to deliver upon the utmost premium intellectual property.