Self-promotion — You Are What You Print

THERE’S AN 800-lb. gorilla in the room...And some printers are embracing it.

In an industry where competition is stiff, quality is a given (all must provide it), and turnaround and price are often comparable, how does a printer differentiate itself from all the other printers that also promise quality, fast turnaround and low prices?

A creative, innovative company can take the great ape problem—that of being “one of a million” printers—and, with a good dose of ingenuity and determination, transform itself into “one in a million.”

If you can’t see the forest for the trees—because there’s too much competition standing in the way—then it’s time to cut down the brush, cut through the crowd and stop monkeying around. Because, in the wildly competitive world of commercial printing, literally, you are what you print—and it’s up to you to pound on your own chest and demand: “Look at me!”

A good example of this can be found in Waterford, CT, where Merritt Graphics has pulled out all the stops with a concept-turned-reality in its “Bright Ideas Gallery,” where more than 150 graphic images produced by Merritt Graphics cover the ceiling, walls and floor. The unique, colorful exhibition—consisting of mountain scenes with gondolas, printed window shades, wall and vehicle graphics, pole banners, trade show booths, motion graphics displays, a Popeye silhouette and even a Van Gogh Adirondack chair—depicts the many ways Merritt markets its wares to customers, while showcasing its commercial and digital printing technologies.

“This was a big decision for Merritt Graphics,” says Ed Perry, president and CEO, “as we’re celebrating our 100th anniversary next year. Future expansion of the company will be based upon this new store concept, as we aggressively compete with other marketing and graphics companies that are holding onto outdated technologies.”

The “Wow!” Factor

Merritt Graphics incorporated the new storefront idea into its relocation plan when it moved from an industrial complex in New London to a new facility in a strip mall of a popular retail/shopping area. Perry decided when it was time to move, that it was time to let the world know about Merritt Graphics’ growing capabilities. “I wanted something that would make them say, ‘Wow! I didn’t know you did all those things!’ So, we hired a store interior designer and a graphics designer to create the gallery. I gave them one assignment: Create a ‘Wow!’ factor that covers all of our product offerings.”

Those offerings include print-on-demand digital and large-format printing. Merritt is a completely digital shop that runs a Xerox iGen3 digital press, HP Jeti 3150 UV flatbed printer, Scitex Vision XL Jet printer and several Mimaki presses. These technologies are the stars behind the scenes of the Bright Ideas Gallery, which has been getting more than its share of attention since it opened in May.

“Mission accomplished!” exclaims Perry. “We’ve had a lot of foot traffic due to the ‘Wow!’ factor, and it’s been great for business—both with new customers, who didn’t know who we were, and from existing clients, who didn’t realize we had other printing capabilities. The cross-sell has been very good for business.”

There’s a printer on the opposite side of the country—and opposite side of the self-promo spectrum—that prefers to keep its two-story, open-air lobby nearly bare. That’s what the owners of Carlsbad, CA-based Modern Postcard had in mind for the design of their ultra-modern facility.

The lobby, like the rest of the interior of the building, has an industrial, black and stainless steel decor, and consists of a glass entrance, a receptionist desk, and a massive spiral staircase leading to the offices upstairs. There are no decorations, no artwork, no product displays. It’s spacious and airy, and empty.

Modern in look (the architecture of the building), modern in concept (direct mail advertising via postcards) and modern in marketing strategy (the company helps customers develop their own advertising plans/marketing messages, compiles mailing lists and tracks the effectiveness of the campaign).

But Modern Postcard does more to promote itself than “sell” its modern image, products and services. The marketer/printer began hosting its Modern Marketing Days (MMD) in 2006, and the four-day conference was so successful it has become an annual event. Held in February each year, MMD features marketing insights, keynote speakers and networking opportunites. Nearly 30 top industry experts are on hand to educate businesses on topics such as creative design, data analysis, postcard campaigns, variable data printing, generational marketing and database development. The 2007 event drew 200 attendees.

Aqua Advertising’s Jerry Donadio, who attended this year’s affair, was very impressed. “Since Modern Marketing Days offers multiple perspectives, I was able to learn from industry experts, direct mail users, as well as Modern Postcard clients. Being a direct mail neophyte, the knowledge I gained was easily understandable and, therefore, easily applicable. Modern Postcard helped jumpstart my knowledge of the business.”

Across the nation, more commercial printers and other graphic arts solutions providers are sponsoring conferences, seminars and open house events as a means of self-promotion. For example, Carlstadt, NJ-based Pictorial Offset hosted a pressroom seminar for ad agency production and studio personnel called, “The Pursuit of Quality: How to Read a Press Sheet.”

Courses during the day-long forum included “How to Troubleshoot On-press,” “How to Read Color Bars for Consistency” and “Color Theory and Color Standards.” According to Pictorial execs, both attendees and industry experts described the pressroom seminar as “an overwhelming success.”

Similar events include a “State of Perfection” demonstration at Dallas-based Buchanan Visual Communications, co-sponsored by Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses, at which 75 guests gathered to see the firepower behind Buchanan’s (then) newly installed 12-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Double Diamond 3000R convertible perfector with dual coaters.

Philadelphia-based Innovation Printing & Communications wanted to showcase the latest trends in traditional and variable data digital printing by hosting a full day of seminars—billed as “The Masters of Printing and Variable Data.” It invited several leading industry experts to discuss various topics, including the benefits of VDP and direct marketing.

In El Cajon, CA, Ad Mail Direct wanted to promote its new VDP capabilities, and it, too, held an open house to showcase the new technology. (Both Innovation Printing and Ad Mail Direct purchased new Xerox iGen3 digital presses.)

Getting Into the Act

Even quick printers are getting into the act. The owners of Sir Speedy, Naperville, IL, were faced with the decision whether to renew their contract for the franchise. Kent and Julie Phillips decided to stick with the business, but wanted to “re-launch” it. So, they moved to a new, larger, more conveniently located center, and upgraded the print shop’s capabilities. A Presstek 5334 DI was installed and an open house planned.

The Phillips family invited members of the chamber of commerce and the Mayor of Naperville. Then, they invited the local newspapers, television and radio stations, all of whom turned up. The local radio station broadcast live from the event all day and also aired the printer’s ad throughout the day on the radio. Gifts were raffled off, which drew in even more traffic.

It’s not uncommon for printers to hold open houses and educational seminars, especially when they’ve invested in new equipment and want to show it off. However, not all seminars and open houses are focused on new technology or extended capabilities. Some are held for other reasons altogether.

A few printers are gearing their self-promotion efforts to tie in with the sustainability movement. Sandy Alexander, of Clifton, NJ, co-sponsored (along with the New York Chapter of the AIGA ) a full-day symposium called “Grow: Design for Sustainability,” highlighting the integration of the graphic arts industry with the global business shift toward sustainable practices. The symposium sold out.

LAgraphico, of Burbank, CA, hosted an open house, “Thinking Green,” to bring attention to its ongoing eco-friendly initiatives. Tours were given of the facility, where clients and guests stopped at different stations to learn about LAgraphico’s “green” accomplishments, such as how the company lowered its VOC emissions by 89 percent. LAgraphico partnered with Trees for Life and made a donation to the non-profit organization for every person who attended the “Thinking Green” event.

Enterprising print service providers are also using their own technology in creative ways to get their message out. For example, a winning entry submitted by Seattle-based Revolution Inc. in the DICE Awards competition was a board game called “Get Revolution.” The game is customized for each customer and includes the customer’s specific business challenges, represented both in the game and game pieces, which often represent the client’s key competitors. The game is packaged in a box that looks as though it could have come from Parker Brothers or Hasbro, and includes images of the sales rep and the target customer’s logo.

Printers like those highlighted in this article have embraced the 800-lb. gorilla in the room. They’ve stopped monkeying around and are successfully promoting their businesses. They understand that in printing, literally, they are what they print. And, if you listen hard enough, you can hear those printers pounding on their own chests, demanding: “Look at me!” PI