Why Print Matters and How it Can Impact Your Business, Today | PrintFirm.com

Written by Bill Michael
eMarketing Manager, Xerox Corporation

Indulge in Digital Bliss Lately?

Think about the past 24 hours. How many times can you recall pulling out a device and indulging in digital bliss? Maybe you were checking your Twitter feed while in the elevator, or browsing your Facebook newsfeed while at a restaurant (much to the displeasure of your better half!), or even scanning Google reviews for the best pizza joints right from your phone? We’re all guilty of it! It’s as if we have a never-ending craving for digital experiences, and no matter how many different ways we feed it, the appetite is never satisfied.

It’s difficult to say with any degree of certainty that today’s online-everything world isn’t having an effect on us. In 2000, our average attention span was 12 seconds. In 2012, that number shrunk to 8 seconds. Your pet goldfish, Bubbles, has an attention span of 9 seconds – and unfortunately I’m not joking.

Consider the following:

This year, Internet use on mobile devices is expected to overtake that of personal computers.
Each second, the world sees the birth of approximately 4 babies as well as a new member joining LinkedIn.
The 2013 American spends an average of 2.7 hours a day socializing on their mobile device, or 2x the time spent eating, and 1/3 the amount of time spent sleeping.
If Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s 3rd largest, with over 1 billion current users.

Need to Reach your Consumers? Don’t Forget About Print!

Our society today is more dynamically-digital than ever before. Reaching consumers has become even more of a challenge because of the increasingly fragmented mediums. Whether you’re a graphic designer working on a client project, an educational institute trying to recruit incoming freshman, or a local automotive dealer needing to promote your latest inventory…print may be one of the last mediums you think to explore – but I’m here to tell you why it should be one of the first.

So you may be asking yourself – with everything turning digital, exactly what future does print have and why should it matter to me, my business, and my customers? The answer is simple: print is a proven communication vehicle that captures the attention of your recipient, leaving a lasting impression that can have a real impact on your business. Today.

Put Yourself in your Customers’ Shoes

When you get home from a long day of work, which pile is bigger: the unread emails in your personal inbox or the stack of physical mail brought in from the mailbox? How quickly do you click ‘delete’ on those annoying email updates from that restaurant chain downtown? Do you even bother to open them or do you just look at the subject and trash it?

Now think about thumbing through the mail on your kitchen table and coming across an oversized postcard from that same restaurant, printed on heavy-weight card stock and featuring a mouth-watering entrée with an appealing coupon. Which communication type are you more likely to spend time with before engaging in a behavior, good or bad?

Quantifying the Impact of Print

If you have a message that you need to get in front of a prospect to spur a response, it’s important to know the facts. Email communications have an average response rate of 0.12%. A printed direct mail piece has an average response rate of 4.4%. That’s more than 36 times more effective! Sure, the cost is greater and the reach may be a bit more limited, but the results are proven and can impact your business today.

Despite the widespread adoption of digital technologies, print still holds a firm grasp within the Graphic Design community. Graphic Design USA Magazine performed its annual survey (its 50th year doing so) and found that 92% of professional designers still design for print as part of their work, with 72% of their time being allocated towards print projects. They cited print as helping to communicate brands, messaging, and feelings through its permanence and implied value.

So how do I make Print work for me?

Print surely is not the end-all-be-all. It is not the deciding factor to success, but it can be a key ingredient in the recipe. Is print the same today as it was twenty years ago? Of course not! Despite an uncanny level of effectiveness, the future of print goes beyond ink and toner on paper. It’s about leveraging its unique benefits (think tangibility) in combination with the benefits of the online technologies of today (think reach, virality).

Print can act as the thread running through your various communication touch-points (email, mobile, web, social media), strengthening them and providing a sense of continuity and importance. Partnering with the right print provider can help to make this an incredibly enjoyable, and successful, experience for you and your business!

From talking business cards using Augmented Reality to personalized direct mail campaigns leveraging specific customer data, or even brochures with QR codes driving traffic to company web sites and social media channels – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

The real question is: what will you do with print today to take your business to the next level?

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About The Author
Bill Michael is an eMarketing Manager for Xerox Corporation. He received his Bachelors of Science in New Media Publishing from the School of Print Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is currently pursuing his Masters of Science from RIT. When he isn’t at work or school, Bill enjoys running, basketball, football, table tennis, spending time with his fiancée and his energetic dog. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.

Rod’s Day Cancer Research Fundraiser

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of our non-profit printing sponsorship program, the California Oncology Research Institute! CORI provides early diagnostics as well as lifesaving cancer treatments to patients afflicted with diseases of the colon, liver, pancreas, stomach, and skin. In addition, CORI performs clinic research into surgical technology along with tumors at the molecular level. CORI also partners with other community organizations, such as the NAACP, to increase public awareness and educate low income Los Angeles residents about cancer prevention.

Rod’s Day Annual Cancer Fundraiser

Click here to join the Rod’s Day event on Facebook!

CORI contacted us about a very special event known as Rod’s Day, which takes place July 20th at 3:45pm at Mo’s Place in Playa Del Rey. 2013 marks the 21st year for this exciting fundraiser hosted by Dennis Fasone, in honor of his son, Rod Fasone, who lost his battle against colon cancer in 1992. Rod learned of his condition during his Junior year of college in 1990. Although initially given only 60 days to live, Rod fought the disease for 2 years; his courage inspired his family to get involved and help others in similar situations. For our part, we printed flyers, invitations, and 2 vinyl banners to promote the fundraiser. We’re proud to preserve Rod’s legacy through our custom printing services.

Event Details

Mo’s Place is located at 203 Culver Blvd. Playa Del Rey, CA 90293. Please RSVP on Facebook, and be sure to let the organizers know PrintFirm sent you! The free event features a fun Hawaiian theme, so get in the spirit with sporty summer gear. The festivities will start behind Mo’s with a 5 person skydiving performance led by Jumpin’ Bill. Afterwards, guests are invited to stay for a complementary dinner buffet provided by Mo’s during a raffle and silent auction. You won’t want to miss these great prizes, including, exclusive Lakers, Dodgers, and Clippers memorabilia, game tickets, restaurant gift certificates, a free stay at the Inn at Playa Del Ray, PacSun gift cards, and more! Best of all, 100% of the proceeds go to support CORI’s own Dr. Anton Bilchik! Special thanks go to Joyce Einseberg-Keefer, who generously offered to match $1.5 million in donations!

How to Donate

If you can’t make the event, but still want to participate, you may donate a raffle prize, or make a financial contribution to CORI directly through their website. For more information about Rod’s Day, please visit the Facebook page, or contact Angela De Joseph at 310-883-0096.

The Declaration of Independence: A Piece of Print History

July the 4th marks America’s birthday, so we thought we’d take a closer look at one of the principle founding documents, the Declaration of Independence. Written primarily by President Thomas Jefferson, the DOI includes language woven into the fabric of American political mythology despite the fact that the text holds no legal weight whatsoever. For instance, the phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” appears in the Declaration, not the Constitution of 1789. This common misconception illustrates the power of the printed word; that simple phrase still resonates in modern society because it captures the essence of American ideals.

The First Printing of the Declaration

History classes naturally focus on the tumultuous events surrounding the Declaration’s publication, but the lessons usually overlook the importance of printing during the Revolutionary War era. Jefferson finalized his Composition Draft of the infamous letter to King George on July 2nd, 1776, but the Second Continental Congress didn’t approve it until the 4th of July. The actual signing took place approximately 1 month later. After ratification, the delegates’ first priority was distribution.

In the late 18th century, printing served as the main vehicle for mass communication. In that respect, John Dunplap, a Philadelphia printer, stands as an unsung hero of our nation’s Independence. Dunplap printed fast reproductions known as the “Dunlap broadsides.” Broadsides are large sheets of paper printed on only 1 side. Broadsides often featured advertisements, wanted posters, event announcements, and proclamations. They were designed to be temporary, throw away items. Dunlap reportedly produced 200 copies of the Declaration overnight on July 4th under the watchful eye of Benjamin Franklin, a man hailed as the greatest printer of his time. Dunlap undoubtedly felt considerable pressure as his actions constituted sedition, a high crime similar to treason. They wrapped up the project by morning, and the broadsides made their way through the rest of the colonies over the course of two days. Upon arrival, printers in the other states immediately hit the presses to publish more broadsides and newspaper articles. One broadside copy fell into the hands of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army; Washington insisted on reading the document to his troops. According to legend, the crowd cheered with Revolutionary zeal before toppling a statue of King George III.

The Second Signed Print

Dunlap’s broadsides were printed on ordinary paper, but the infamous signed copy of the Declaration in the National Archives was engrossed on parchment. At that time, legal documents appeared on parchment or animal skin for preservation purposes. By 1820, the original ink faded considerably. President John Quincy Adams called on professional printer William Stone to engrave the engrossed document through copperplate and wet ink transfer. Stone’s engraving survived the rest of the 19th century in better shape than the original, and most contemporary reproductions come from his work. The original print still exists, although it was re-encased in 2001 using titanium, aluminum, and inert argon.

Company Announcement: PrintFirm Partners with Two Sides US!

Here at PrintFirm we’re passionate about print marketing and design, but neither of these creative outlets would exist without old fashioned paper. So when our friends at the PrintMediaCenter started tweeting about yet another anti-paper propaganda campaign, we wanted to get involved. Through PMC, we discovered an advocacy organization close to hearts. Today we’re proud to announce or membership with Two Sides US, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainability within our industry.

The Fight Against Green Washing

We consider ourselves green printers, and we’re ready to stand up for the facts about paper production. Two Sides created a beautiful booklet that debunks many common myths about paper and its ecological impact. For instance, did you know that paper is a leading renewable energy source? Paper is recyclable, so its entire life cycle needs to be taken into account when calculating its carbon footprint. According to the US Forest Service, the United States actually grows more trees than manufacturer’s harvest! Another interesting point to ponder: reading the digital version of a newspaper for 30 minutes produces about the same environmental impact as a printed newspaper.

Unfortunately, these facts often get swept under the rug because they don’t support the popular perception of paper. You’ve probably seen a lot of big companies pushing an agenda against paper or urging your office to “go paperless” without bothering to explain the consequences of trading one type of technology for another. The truth is that electronic communications emit greenhouse gases, but there’s no way to offset this through recycling. Instead of trying to eliminate paper in your company, we suggest finding smarter ways to work with this valuable resource.

6 Ways to Go Green for your Business

Here are 6 simple things you can do right away to help the cause:

• Reuse printer paper by printing on both sides
• Work with green commercial printing companies
• Collect paper waste for recycling
• Purchase recycled paper for your office equipment
• Recycle your ink and toner cartridges
• Encourage employees to bike, walk, carpool, or use public transportation

Community Soundoff

Are you a member of Two Sides US or another print-friendly environmental group? Have you seen an appalling example of green washing? Tell us in the comments below!

Go Skateboarding Day Custom Bulk Poster Printing Giveaway | PrintFirm.com

Free Short Run Posters Contest from PrintFirm

We’re celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Go Skateboarding Day with a gnarly bulk poster printing giveaway! The prize isn’t just for skaters, although shredders are welcome to participate; we’d love to print awesome posters of insane tricks in action. Our short run posters are perfect for photographers, artists, graphic designers, local businesses, corporate branding, and churches. Promotional posters are also ideal for trade show marketing or in store displays. Another idea would be to use posters as a free gift to customers when they make a purchase or just as a thank you to your loyal client base. Non-profit organizations often include posters as an incentive to increase donations. Faith communities as well as sports teams get great results when they create poster campaigns as part of their outreach and recruitment strategies. Whether you’re trying to boost your summer sales or want to show off your personal photos in style, you can’t go wrong with killer full color custom posters.

How to Enter the PrintFirm Bulk Poster Giveaway

Make your own poster design, and enter today! Here’s everything you need to rock & roll:

PrintFirm 50 Short Run Posters Giveaway

Contest Starts on Friday, June 21st, 2013 and Ends on Friday, July 5th!

1 Lucky WINNER Will be Randomly Chosen by Random.org at 12pm on 7/5/13

Prize Details

Free 50 Custom Bulk Poster Prints

Size: 12″ x 18″

Paper Type: 100 lb. Glossy Paper

Printing On Front Only

6 Business Days Turnaround

Complementary Shipping

Up to $100 Value

Limit 1 Per Entry Per Person

Winner Must Provide 1 Piece of Print Ready Artwork or Photographs! For more information on printing specs, please see our helpful printing graphics guide. If Artwork is not Available, PrintFirm Will Create a Custom Design for Only $25 (50% Regular Custom Poster Design Price).

Please note: Winner Must Respond to Notification Email Within 48 Hours Or Another Winner Will Be Selected!

Best of Luck and May the Best Graphics Win!

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Contest featured on ContestHeat.

National Small Business Week 2013 | Small Biz Marketing | PrintFirm.com

Great news for brick and mortar business owners—it’s National Small Business Week! This event is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, a government agency dedicated to helping independent businesses thrive. The SBA offers financial assistance as well as tons of valuable resources on important topics ranging from taxes to labor laws and healthcare costs. The 2013 Small Business Week schedule features discussion panels in 5 major cities where you can get free expert advice on the things that matter most to your company. The live stream panels will cover certifications, patent laws, crowdsourcing, and social media marketing. Additionally, there will be several Google Plus hangouts for you to attend with appearances by well-known small biz advocates, such as Kristy Campbell of Manta.com. The organization also takes this time to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs in all 50 states with special awards. Don’t miss the final week wrap-up in Washington D.C. on Friday, June 21st (otherwise known as Go Skateboarding Day).

But don’t think that this will be a one way conversation; President Obama’s address on Small Biz Week notes that this event is really a two-way conversation about evaluating the SBA’s efforts in your community. You can use this as an opportunity to share your experiences online and with your local SBA chapter. If you’re not already involved in your hometown branch, now’s the time to get active because your feedback will make a difference in the SBA’s plan for the coming year.

PrintFirm’s Small Business Week Celebration Sale

We are proud to say that many of our clients are small business owners and independent service providers i.e. freelance graphic designers. We know you’re working very hard to keep your business running during the recession recovery, so we decided to run a week long sale on several items you guys need the most. Check your email account for the exclusive coupons!

Small Biz Direct Mail Program

In case you missed our Father’s Day press release, we put together a presentation that shows you how to launch a successful direct mail ad campaign. Our playbook focuses on a specific holiday, but you can use these tips for any season. We highly recommend mailers as lead generation tools for restaurants, real estate agents, heating and air conditioning repair services, and anyone else who wants to reach out to a certain geographic area. Check out the presentation below, and let us know how we can help you increase your summer sales through the power of print.

Father’s Day Direct Mail Marketing Playbook from Katherine Tattersfield

No Printer Is An Island : Social Networking in the Printing Industry | PrintFirm.com

Today I wanted to share a big milestone for us as a company, and for me as a writer. It all started with a little website called LinkedIn.

I’ve been hounding our CEO about getting involved on LinkedIn since I started here, and to his credit he’s made a solid effort to use the site on the regular. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow he connected with Xerox eMarketing Manager Bill Michael on LinkedIn. He mentioned Bill to me, and wanted us to touch base because we’re both involved in online marketing. Fast forward a few months; Bill and I are now contributing to each others blogs all thanks to, you guessed it, SOCIAL MEDIA!

If you’re a business owner or a marketer, you may be asking yourself how you can build these types of online partnerships. The answer is pretty simple, but you have to open yourself up for these opportunities. As my friend Rob said, business doesn’t occur on an island. In other words, you have to take the initiative and toss some bait into the water. I covered this topic in my guest post on Bill’s Digital Printing Blog, so I’m not going to repeat myself. Get the full list story hot off the digital presses below:

6 Reasons To Engage with Other Print Providers Online

Father’s Day 2013 Custom Canvas Print Giveaway | PrintFirm.com

Free Father’s Day 2013 Giveaway

PrintFirm salutes all the great dads in the community with a special canvas photo contest! Canvas prints make excellent Father’s Day gifts because they come from the heart. Show your dad how much you love him by putting a favorite family portrait on beautiful artist canvas. Kids can make their own presents by getting a handmade drawing, card, or school project printed on canvas. Moms may want to pick a wedding photo or anniversary picture for their husbands to show off at the office. If your father already passed away, honor his memory with a high quality mounted canvas you can display on the wall.

Our mounted canvas prints are available in the following manly sizes:

12″ x 12″ Print
12″ x 18″ Print
12″ x 24″ Print

18″ x 18″ Print
18″ x 24″ Print
24″ x 24″ Print

How To Enter the PrintFirm Father’s Day 2013 Giveaway

Grab pictures of dad and enter today! Here are the official contest details:

Father’s Day Mounted Canvas Print Giveaway

Contest Starts on June 3rd, 2013 and Ends on June 16th, 2013

1 Lucky WINNER Will be Randomly Chosen by Random.org at 12pm on 3/07/13

Prize Details

Free Mounted Canvas Print

Size: Winner’s Choice

17 mil. Artist Canvas With Professional 4 mil. Corrugated Plastic

7 Business Days Turnaround

Complementary Shipping

Up to $135 Value

Limit 1 Per Entry Per Person

Sorry, no image customizations beyond file resizing.

Winner Will Be Notified Via Email and Must Respond within 48 Hours or Another Winner Will Be Selected.

Good luck, everyone and may the best dad win!

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Contest Featured on ContestHeat.com

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Originality in Marketing : Business Leadership Lessons from Cypress Hill

Marketers draw inspiration from the things we encounter in our daily lives. From hobbies to loved ones, we often find our motivation in the most personal of places. I’ve always felt a strong connection to my favorite writers and musicians. I feed off their energy and channel the passion into my own campaigns. I’ve been a hard rock/punk fanatic since my teen years, but I get most of my business ideas from classic hip hop artists (C.R.E.A.M.). I realize that most folks over 40 will balk at the phrase, “classic hip hop artists,” but I use this term as a way of differentiating legit lyricists from the top 40 garbage in the radio rotation. There are still some bright lights in the contemporary hip hop scene, such as Lupe Fiasco; sadly most of the popular acts all sound as though they’re imitating each other’s superficial style.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which is fine as long as your brand is the one the other guys emulate. If you’re just leaching off your competitors, then your brand’s got more problems than a lack of creativity. Let me be very clear: just as it’s cool to sample songs, it’s ok to incorporate parts of competitor’s strategies into your own marketing plan. But if your Plan A involves straight up copying others, how do you ever expect to emerge as a market leader? You won’t because leaders have the courage to cast shadows. They step into the light, put themselves out on a limb, and watch everyone else fall in line.

Not every company can shake up an entire industry. To conquer your niche, you need a clear vision coupled with a relentless drive. And I can’t think of anyone who embodies this principle more than the legendary hip hop artists Cypress Hill. Just a few days ago, I was bumping the Hill while I got ready for work. My husband walked in and asked, “Is that Cypress Hill?” When I nodded yes, he added, “Yeah, I knew it. No one sounds like them.”

Can you honestly say that no one else sounds or looks like your brand? No? Then it’s time to step it up or get out of the game.

Authenticity and Branding

B Real and Sen Dog came up on the streets of South Gate in southeast Los Angeles. They spent their younger days living the hardcore gangster lifestyle, until B Real got shot in the lung in 1988. Instead of resigning themselves to an impoverished existence, B Real and Sen Dog decided to tell their stories through music. Cypress Hill’s debut album blew critics away with gritty rhymes and a distinct sound that paid homage to their Latin roots. The top tracks were controversial (How I Could Just Kill a Man), and the song Latin Lingo mixed English and Spanish. Their second album entitled Black Sunday debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and ended up going triple platinum. 20 years later the Hill are still at the top of the rap game because they’ve ignored the stupid trends and never lost sight of their original message.

Marketing Takeaways – Find Your Unique Voice/Angle. Tell Your Story Using Language that Speaks to Your Audience. Be Consistent in Your Messaging.

Branching Out

Consistency probably sounds self-explanatory, yet Cypress Hill manages to stay true even when they’re experimenting. That’s another way the Hill changed the whole industry, not merely one musical genre. From the early days, Cypress Hill dared to collaborate with respected hip hop artists as well as cross over into hard rock and punk. The results are pretty much hit or miss. Over the years they’ve released some questionable material (the reggae stuff comes to mind) along with several unforgettable anthems i.e. “Rock Super Star“. Through all the years they kept a close watch on their fans’ reactions and abandoned efforts that weren’t resonating with the faithful. They’ve also remained relevant through political activism and participating in important events. In fact, they’ve created their own successful events by connecting with likeminded performers.

Marketing Takeaways Test, Measure, Refine, Repeat. Don’t be Afraid of Your Peers, Collaborate With Outside Talent. Get Involved in Relevant Causes.

Marketers Sound Off

Are you struggling to define your brand’s identity? Have you ever copied your competitors or noticed others coping you? Share your reflections in the comments below!