Category Archives: Marketing

Marketing Mix Up: Good for business

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The Print Council recently released several very interesting pages on print-related topics such as Mobile Marketing, Integrated Print and Social Media (with more to come). What I found very useful (and a great reminder) about the latest releases is many of us tend to view “marketing” in different and separate ways: e-mail, print, TV, events, etc. But what we may overlook, or not realize the importance of, is how interconnected these really are.

From the Print Council’s Yes Print! series, it states “nearly one-third of consumers say they rely on three or more different channels (online, in-store, print catalogs, mobile devices, customer service reps) from the time they start researching products and services to when they complete their purchase.” [Amercian Business Media]
When I read this, I couldn’t agree more–personally, I use all of these channels to decide when, what and where I will purchase something, especially a big ticket item or service. Gone are the days of the one-hit wonder ads, and today’s customers are savvier than ever, requiring multiple avenues of communication and marketing. Think integrated. Think mixed.

So get out there and reach your customers, by every channel possible. Make each one work together, not just stand alone. It is what your customers want from you.

Planting 1,000 Seeds with Word of Mouth Marketing

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I just returned from attending Gaspedal’s Word of Mouth Supergenius in Chicago and my head is swimming with creative ideas for improving our viral marketing. The conference providing some simple, hand-on tips for developing and implementing a Word of Mouth marketing strategy in any organization. In the opening session, WOM marketing guru Andy Sernovitz broke it down into five easy steps – he called it the 5 T’s of Word of Mouth Marketing:

1)      Talkers – find people who will talk about you (ex: fans, volunteers, customers, bloggers, influencers). Hint: these aren’t always your best customers.

2)      Topics – give people a reason to talk (ex: special offer, great service, cool product, silliness, neat ad, new feature). Make sure to create something that is portable, repeatable, and emotional.

3)      Tools – help the message spread faster and farther (ex: tell-a-friend form, viral email, blogs, handouts, samples, message boards, online communities).

4)      Taking Part – join the conversation by letting your staff surf and reply to comments, post on blogs, join discussions, answer emails, and offer personal service.

5)      Tracking – measure and understand what people are saying by searching blogs, reading message boards, listening to feedback, and using advanced measurement tools.

WOM marketing really is about wowing your prospects and customers with something totally fresh and unexpected, something so remarkable that they just can’t help but tell others.

One of the most famous viral marketing campaigns ever is the BlendTec ‘Will it Blend’ marketing campaign where they created a series of videos showcasing the company blending a variety of unusual things – rakes, golf balls, phones, iPods, laser pointers, and really anything else you could think of. The campaign highlighted the power and durability of their blenders, while simultaneously entertaining its viewers. Talk about remarkable.  

So, what is unique about your company? How can you create something worth spreading, and what tools will you use to help it spread. Remember, you don’t have to nail it on your first try. Nobody knows what will work. Andy Sernovitz recommends planting 1,000 seeds – he says one of them is bound to bloom. Learn more

Make a Referral, Make a Difference

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As markets tumble out of control you may be wondering, what can I do to turn the tide?

If my experience in customer service here at PrintingForLess.com has taught me anything it is that referrals are the life-blood of small to medium businesses.  As much as 40% of our own new customers are a product of a referral.  This is the way to success for small to medium businesses and a step toward climbing out of the economic downturn.

John Jantsch, of Duct Tape Marketing, has come up with an immense idea that will allow individuals and small business owners around the country to take the matter of economic stimulus into their own hands.

The idea is Make a Referral Week: A Small Business Stimulus Program.  It is a simple yet brilliant idea focused on driving referrals to small businesses around the country.  This event will take place March 9-13, 2009 and has a goal of 1000 referred leads to 1000 small businesses.  This virtual event will also feature daily education programs provided by a variety of marketing experts.  Individuals are encouraged to make at least one referral during the week and then record the details of the referral on http://www.makeareferralweek.com/.

You can click on the image below to find out more about referral week and to make your pledge to participate.

 

I am excited to participate in this event and thrilled about a week devoted to supporting the back-bone of the American economy, small-businesses.  We can make a difference.

Blown Away….By Tissue?

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I am sure we have all heard that print marketing is going the way of the dinosaur and that email and web marketing is the wave of the future. I recently had an experience that led me to believe that this couldn’t be further from the truth. The impact of print marketing and advertising has the ability to affect the viewer in a more real and tangible way than dancing babies or fancy flash programs ever could.

I, like many moms, receive a varied collection of parenting magazines each month. Each of these magazines has the usual articles mingled lightly among the boundless print ads. As I am sure is the case with many magazine readers, I have become somewhat immune to these ads, and, with few exceptions, my brain passes over them without a thought. But in a recent magazine one marketing insert made a lasting impact on me.

It was for a simple product, tissue. The full four page insert was similar to other magazine inserts at first (although the paper quality was outstanding). But when I opened it up, the ad showed a picture of a full size tissue box with a hole in the top and a sample of the tissue popping out. The sample, also printed, invited me to feel the softness of the product. I was able to pull out the piece and make use of the product immediately. I got to sample their product without even asking. Now, almost a week later, I remember the name of the product. I know what the packaging looks like. I know that the tissue is soft and has a touch of lotion. I know that this is a product I would buy when I need tissue.

This was an effective print ad. A real, tangible, memorable marketing piece that did exactly what print media does best. It drew me in with multiple senses, sight, touch, smell, and made the piece more real and more important to me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, email and web marketing are tremendously effective and creating a marketing piece with the kind of impact described above is a challenge. I am not a marketing expert by any means and I may have a greater appreciation for an ad like this because I know what it takes to create it. But I am reminded that with a creative approach the power of print goes unmatched as a marketing tool.

Adding Pizzazz to your Printing Part 1: Die Cuts, Foil Stamping, and Embossing

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These days everyone is looking for a way to make their marketing pieces stand out from the crowd. Adding custom elements to your next printed piece can give you the “wow factor” that will help to get your customers attention and distinguish you from your competitors. In my first few posts I’ll cover some of the more common custom printing techniques that you can use to add pizzazz to your next marketing piece.

  • Die-Cuts- Using a die-cut is a great way to add interest to your piece and the possibilities are limitless. Think of a die-cut as cookie cutter that cuts your printed piece into a specific shape. Each die is made and ordered to your specifications so you can create a die to represent almost anything. Die-cuts are generally used for simple to semi-complex outlines and pieces with fine detail may require a different process such as laser cutting. Pricing varies based on the overall size of the die and your printer should assist you in creating a file to accurately represent the die cut shape.
  • Foil Stamping- Adding foil to your design can help to draw attention to certain areas of your piece. Foils come in a myriad of colors and styles, but the most popular foils are the metallic colors which cover every shade from gold to green. There are also standard matte and gloss foils, and specialty foils that include options such as glitter and prismatic patterns. Again, the cost will vary based on the overall size of the piece and number of foil colors used.
  • Embossing/Debossing- Using embossing or debossing to emphasize an area of your piece is a subtle and sophisticated way to add drama to a specific element. This technique is commonly used to emphasize a logo, company emblem, or important text. Embossing creates an imprint of a design into the paper itself and can be done alone or in combination with printed elements. Embossing impresses the design toward the viewer so that the element appears to rise from the paper. In contrast, debossing, impresses the design element into the paper so that the element appears to sink into the piece. The cost will vary based on the overall size of the embossed area and your printer will assist you in creating a file.

These are just a few of the custom elements that you can use to give your marketing materials a bigger impact. And don’t be afraid that you won’t be able to afford the extras. In many cases the additional cost is less than you might think.

Make sure you consult with your printer as you begin to design your piece so you can receive any set-up instructions as well as an accurate quote. Your printer should also be able to consult with you on which design elements may work best for your end use. See some samples of die-cutting, foil stamping, and embossing work here.

Next time I’ll cover several more custom printing elements that provide interest to any marketing piece.

Theatre company wins contest

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A couple of weeks ago I talked about the economic crisis and announced PFL’s Economic Stimulus Contest. I don’t know why I was surprised, after all our customers are assertive go-getters, but we had almost 200 entries from customers across the country telling us their crisis-busting stories of how they are creatively marketing their businesses in these tough economic times. The winner of the contest for the month of October was a community theatre called the Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Their winning entry earned them $1000 in free printing from PrintingForLess.com. Following is their story:

As a community theatre, our organization tries to be as creative as possible when it comes to enticing new folks to purchase tickets to our productions. In a rough economy, being creative-at-a-bargain-price is even more essential. Our strategy is to wed our promotional tactics to the specific product (ie. play) we are selling. 

Here’s one recent example. This summer we produced a play called Harvey, a 1945 Pulitzer Prize winning drama that was made famous by Jimmy Stewart in a 1950 film by the same name. In the story, the lead character has an imaginary friend Harvey, who is a 6’1″ invisible rabbit. Harvey and his pal Elwood hop around the town, visiting local bars and businesses and making friends wherever they go. During much of the play, the rest of the characters are busy asking “Have you seen Harvey?” To market our show, we constructed three free-standing, wooden rabbit silhouettes (and affixed a play poster to each rabbit’s belly). We then sent an e-mail ad out to the local chamber of commerce members. The “Tall Rabbit Seeking Temporary Home” ad invited businesses to partner with us and display one of our 6’1″ Harvey silhouettes at their location for a couple of days. We went on to explain that we were expanding the drama of the play beyond our building and into the streets of our town. So, just like in the play, Harvey was spotted all over town, at banks, bakeries, video stores, bars, and even a local veterinarian’s office, never lingering in one place for more than 48 hours. We ran this promotion for three weeks, and we ended up having to turn down prospective business hosts, as we had such an overwhelming response to our simple e-mail invitation. When we picked up Harvey to move him to his next spot around town, he left behind a small bag of chocolate carrots as a thank-you present. . . . 

What was the result of all this? First of all, everyone in town had fun asking each other “Have you seen Harvey?” Secondly, we made a lot of new friends in the local business community. And thirdly, and most importantly, our production sold out! 

So our strategy for growing our business during a rough economy is to get creative and have fun! 

We were so excited about the stories and strategies used by our customers that PrintingForLess.com has decided to continue the contest in November and December. Enter the contest for your chance to win $1000 in free printing.

Back to basics

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Given recent developments, I would remiss if I didn’t lay down my thoughts on the current state of the economy. There is enough blame to go around, no matter where you fall within the political spectrum. The very real credit market connection between Wall Street and Main Street will affect Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). But the things we need to concentrate on, as owners of businesses and members of the middle class, are what we can control–not on rending our garments and gnashing our teeth about the things we cannot.

There are  very real factors that can weigh in on what we can and cannot control–most of which are subjects for other posts on other blogs. Socioeconomic, education, and social-justice issues are just a few. However, when we go back to basics and follow simple principles they usually don’t let us down.

Keep costs down. Renegotiate with your vendors. They might be going through tough times too, but one thing you can count on is that they don’t want to lose your business. Save when you can: Having cash on hand during a credit crisis for home or business will make it easier to pay for the things you need going forward.

Invest in your employees. Numerous studies have proven that it is always more expensive to hire a replacement for an employee than it is to invest in the good ones you have. In the end, the ROI will be increased productivity, increased loyalty, and happier customers. Do right by your customers. We’re all feeling the squeeze, but I would wager that even the squeezed-iest among us would still rather pay a little more for a great product at a fair price that comes with great service than a mediocre product at a cheap price that comes with terrible service. Any joker can lower his price; don’t fall into that trap.

Invest wisely in a marketing plan that has a proven track record for you. Maybe that means going after loyal customers with a call to action that will encourage them to spend more or seeking out new customers that you can wow and retain for the long haul. 

When it comes to facing down the downturn, getting back to basics is all about what you can control.

How are you handling the economic crisis? Or, in the words of the new contest that PFL recently announced, “What recession-busting marketing tactics will you use to ensure your business comes out on top?” Share your ideas in comments, or enter the contest.