1. Print management firms serve as a one-stop source for much of your marketing needs. Like most businesses, your company probably wants to increase efficiencies by cutting down on unnecessary costs. That’s where a print management firm can help.  They can help you streamline your procurement process by handling many aspects of your marketing efforts eventually resulting in savings to the customer and higher return on investment.
 
2. Print management firms provide services, not just products. They specialize in inventory management—making sure you have what you need when you need it. They can offer up-to-date inventory reports, pick and pack services, distribution to multiple locations and fulfillment. But inventory management is just one facet of a print management firms service offering. They can help you manage mailing lists, design a point-of-purchase display, suggest a theme for an advertising campaign or help you implement a bar coded inventory system.
 
3. A print management firm stay’s abreast of technological developments. In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s essential that your business stay’s ahead of the technology curve. Print management firms are highly trained professionals who make it their job to stay up-to-date on variable imaging, data capture, e-commerce, bar coding and other technologies so you don’t have to.
 
4. Print management firms offer custom solutions to your problems. They are not interested merely in selling a product to add to their bottom line. They prefer to sell solutions that will enhance your bottom line. Understanding your business is at the core of their business. They are consultants who can help make your internal processes more efficient, saving your company time and money. These problem-solvers know how to eliminate obsolete documents, combine documents for improved efficiency or convert documents to electronic forms when it makes sense. They also can analyze business processes to help you weigh the pros and cons of different technology solutions.
 
5. Print management firms can get the best product/price/delivery combination to meet your needs. Print management firms are not bound by the policies, product lines or production limitations of any single source of supply. By working with a wide array of manufacturers and business partners, they can deliver what you are looking for eventually saving money. And, they can reduce freight costs by picking a manufacturer near your delivery site.
 
6. Print management firms sell the majority of products in the marketplace today. A recent research study showed that print management firms control 54 percent of business printing.
 
7. Print management firms off topnotch customer service. Good customer service isn’t just lip service for independent business products professionals. Management firms pride themselves by going above and beyond to do business exactly the way your company wants to do business. That means providing customized inventory reports and invoices designed the way you like to read them, meeting with you when—and as often as—you want to, and shipping and packaging items the way you want to simplify processing at your company.
 
8. Print management firms specialize in helping businesses of all sizes. They have experience working with local businesses that are just getting off the ground as well as national corporations with multiple locations. Because they serve clients in a variety of industries, they can use expertise gained in one industry to solve problems within your company.
 
9. Print management firms can help out in a crisis. They help their clients avoid inventory shortages and other emergency situations. If, however, a situation occurs beyond anyone’s control, management firms can assist you with rush orders, emergency consultations and trouble-shooting.
 
10. Print management firms are local businesspeople. Doing business with them strengthens the local economy. They employ local people and support community causes right in your area. And local management means decision-makers who can get what you need are easily accessible.

If you or your company is looking for a print management firm to help you streamline your print procurement process, please contact East Coast Graphics we are always happy to help.

Thomas D. Glenn
East Coast Graphics, Inc.
p. 631.231.9300 xt.11  |  f. 631.231.5159

Efficiency = Savings = Success

Running a successful business on Long Island, New York becomes more difficult every year.  However, some companies have become more efficient by streamlining their marketing dollars.   

New forms of media are constantly becoming available.  Trying to keep up with newer and better technology is nearly impossible.  Where can business owners and/or marketing professionals go to obtain the most professional and efficient advertising?  One company to consider is East Coast Graphics, Inc. (www.ECoastGraphics.com), a full service Marketing and Print Procurement firm located in Hauppauge, New York. 

We took the time to interview Thomas Glenn, Vice President of New Business Development for East Coast Graphics, Inc.  We asked him a few questions on how his organization is helping their clients efficiently streamline their marketing efforts.

Q:  How long has East Coast Graphics, Inc. been in business?
A:  We have been in business since 1972.  Obviously a lot has changed since then, but we still believe in our old values of offering great customer service and delivering a quality product on time at a competitive price.  Staying ahead of the technology curve has allowed us to transform into who we are today.

Q:  What do you feel a company’s biggest concerns are regarding their marketing dollars? 
A:  I think that companies and business owners are very nervous about spending money right now on print and others forms of media in this current economic situation.   When they choose to spend on marketing, they are really not sure on which media channel to focus.  

Q:  If there was one piece of advice that you could share with companies and business owners regarding printing, what would it be?
A:  The best advice that I can give to anyone would be don’t let price be your ultimate decision maker for every job.  While each company wants to make a profit, partnering with a print management firm can streamline your printing procurement process.  In addition, a print management firm can leverage it’s expertise to help it’s clients purchase more efficiently, which eventually results in large savings to the customer.  Efficiency = Savings = Success

Q:  What do you feel your organization brings to customers that others don’t?
A:  I want to first point out that there are many reputable and reliable firms in our industry that would be a great asset to any company.  What I feel East Coast Graphics brings to the table is expertise in the print procurement supply chain.  Being in business for almost 40 years, we believe that we know what we are doing.  We strive to educate our customers on how they can purchase more efficiently and how they can streamline their overall procurement process.  The long lasting relationships we have established with many of our clients is a result of continually meeting and exceeding our clients demands and expectations with the highest level of professionalism.

If you or your company would like to discuss your print procurement process or efficient print buying techniques, please call East Coast Graphics, Inc. for a free consultation.

East Coast Graphics, Inc.
Thomas D. Glenn
Vice President of New Business Development
631.231.9300 xt.11
tom@ecoastgraphics.com
www.EcoastGraphics.com

As 2010 is upon us, many companies are trying to slim down on their direct mail and/or printing budgets.  Companies often end long relationships with their current vendors over a few dollars.   During tough economic times, everyone is trying to save money.  However, is it really cost effective to make your decision strictly on price?

The title of this article is “Lowering Printing Expenses Efficiently”.  Efficiently is the key word!  Being efficient with your printed material and promotional items does not necessarily mean making a purchase based strictly on the lowest price.  As we are all in business to make the most money possible, sometimes the overall picture of what we are trying to accomplish is lost.  If a company wanted to get a printed piece done for the cheapest price, it could probably achieve its goal every time.  Is this really our goal?  Are we really being cost effective by taking this approach?  We absolutely are not being cost effective by taking this approach.
 
So how do we lower our print expenses efficiently? 

While some printing companies are not interested in educating clients on purchasing efficiently, other firms are.  Whether an organization is local, national or global, the process of managing commercial printing, promotional products and fulfillment in a centralized location has proven to be successful on many fronts.  Dealing with a print management firm to centralize your printing and promotional procurement process instead of using a job-by-job mentality will ultimately lower costs, increase savings, improve accounting, service, quality and your overall brand.

Partnering with a Print Management Firm to streamline your printing procurement process and leverage their expertise to help you purchase more efficiently eventually results in large savings to the customer.  Here are a few reasons why a Print Management Firm could be a great asset to your company or marketing department.

• Leverage the print management firm’s buying power
• Utilize the print management firm’s expertise to rationalize specifications on certain projects, creating production efficiencies
• Implement the print management firm’s vendor network and pay only one invoice, reducing accounting expenses

If you or your company would like to learn how we can help you streamline your printing procurement process more efficiently please contact us.  We are always happy to help!

East Coast Graphics, Inc.
Thomas Glenn
631.231.9300 xt.11
info@EcoastGraphics.com
www.EcoastGraphics.com

East Coast Graphics serves the commercial printing needs of organizations of every size, from small family-run businesses to large corporations. From one-color letterheads to eight-color consumer catalogs with die-cutting, perfect binding and UV laminating, East Coast Graphics’ committed professionals deliver on every job. Contact us for a FREE QUOTE TODAY!

What We Provide:

Fast Turn Around Time and Shipping
Eco-Friendly Printing
High Quality Results
Sheet-Fed Printing up to Eight Colors
Web Capabilities up to Ten Colors
8 Color Label Printing with UV Finishes
Friendly and Helpful Staff with Years of Experience

We understand the dynamics of managing a successful print program and provide the quality, consistency and rapid turn-around times necessary to ensure that your objectives are met. Whether your needs include catalogs, brochures, annual reports, product packaging, business forms, or labels, East Coast Graphics is the company that will make you look good on paper.

Our Commercial Printing Services:

Consumer Catalogs

Brochures

Newsletters

Presentation Folders

Marketing and Sales Collateral

Labels

Annual Reports

Stationery

Business Forms Printing

Mounted and Laminated Posters

Digital Printing on Demand

Variable Data Application

Additional Features:

Varnish, Aqueous and UV Coatings, Embossing, Die-Cutting, Foil, Stamping and Numbering

Business Forms Printing:

Laser Forms (Cut Sheets and Continuous), Snapsets, Checks, Pressure Seal, Mailers up to 8 Colors

Bindery Services:

Collating, Stitching, Folding, Cutting, Binding, Padding and Laminating

Green Printing:

East Coast Graphics is working to protect our environment through sustainable business practices that are protecting our world for present and future generations. By working with FSC-certified vendors, using recycled papers and vegetable based inks, and implementing environmentally responsible practices in our printing operations, we are bettering our world today for a healthier tomorrow.

To find out more about our products and services,

CONTACT OUR COMMERCIAL PRINTERS AT EAST COAST GRAPHICS TODAY

631.231.9300

In many of today’s corporations, marketing channels such as e-mail, direct mail and other traditional media often exist in separate silos with each channel operating independently, sometimes even in conflict with the others. Some organizations do manage to maintain a consistent message across channels, but the individual channels often do little to support common goals.

1. Give prospects something to look forward to. A personalized e-mail sent before your drop creates anticipation by alerting your target audience to a direct mail offer on the way. Your prospects know to look for your piece and are more likely to recognize it when it arrives.

2. Provide another look, another chance and another response channel. With limited time offers, an e-mail sent after your drop can provide a brief reminder about your direct mail offer and the deadline, as well as give prospects a fast, easy way to respond.

3. Put personalized power into response rates. A recent Direct Marketing Association (DMA) study revealed that 42 percent of direct mail recipients prefer to respond online. Instead of a one-size-fits-all mail piece and business reply card, use customized direct mail to invite prospects to visit a personal URL, or PURL, such as www.johndoe.greatvendor.com. PURLs provide a personalized introduction to your company and a unique marketing message for each prospect.

4. Gather PURLs of wisdom. While visiting “their” PURL site, prospects can also be encouraged to complete a survey revealing their individual preferences, wants and needs or to opt-in for e-mail communications. This data allows marketers to craft the more precisely targeted offers and personalized communications that can lift your response rates in both traditional direct mail and e-mail marketing.

Then use e-mail to optimise your direct mail budget

A coordinated effort using direct mail and e-mail could help trim mailing budgets. Send an inexpensive postcard to alert clients or prospects that personalized offers and information are available and can be accessed electronically. Clients can then log in to a secure personal URL (PURL) to retrieve information or elect to receive the message by secure e-mail. Most will appreciate being given the choice too, knowing its a “greener” option.

CONTACT EAST COAST GRAPHICS TODAY TO GET STARTED

This is your destination for printing, document services and much more. Take advantage of our products and services to meet your personal and business marketing needs.

Our commitment to excellence ensures we are always up-to-date and readily capable of meeting our clients’ requirements whether it’s short run printing or a very tight deadline.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE TODAY!

Our Printing Services:

Commercial Printing

Forms Printing

Digital Printing

Label Printing

Print Management

Stationary Printing for Business, Social and Commercial Uses

Eco-Friendly Printing

We understand the dynamics of managing a successful print program and provide the quality, consistency and rapid turn-around times necessary to ensure that your objectives are met. Whether your needs include catalogs, brochures, annual reports, product packaging, business forms or labels, East Coast Graphics is the company that can make you look good on paper.

What We Provide:

Fast Turn Around Time and Shipping
Eco-Friendly Printing
High Quality Results
Sheet-Fed Printing up to 8 Colors
Web Capabilities up to 10 Colors
8 Color Label Printing with UV Finishes
Friendly and Helpful Staff with Years Of Experience

Additional Features:

Varnish, Aqueous and UV Coatings, Embossing, Die-Cutting, Foil, Stamping and Numbering

Business Forms Printing:

Laser Forms (Cut Sheets and Continuous), Snapsets, Checks, Pressure Seal, Mailers up to 8 Colors

Bindery Service:

Collating, Stitching, Folding, Cutting, Binding, Padding and Laminating

Green Printing:

East Coast Graphics is working to protect our environment through sustainable business practices that are protecting our world for present and future generations. By working with FSC-certified vendors, using recycled papers and vegetable based inks, and implementing environmentally responsible practices in our printing operations, we are bettering our world today for a healthier tomorrow.

CONTACT OUR PRINT COMPANY TODAY

Online underwear merchant Bare Necessities in the US, renown for running successful, highly segmented and targeted email campaigns, tried coordinating a personalized full colour, hard copy postcard campaign with their e-mail, to a segment of its customer file.

The result? A huge increase in sales from those who received both marketing messages.

According to David Wauters, director of marketing for Bare Necessities, the company saw a 15% lift in revenue (that’s not the response improvement, but bottom-line sales boost), from customers who received the direct mail postcard AND the e-mail, compared to the control group who received only the e-mail.

Wauters has apparently stumbled on something that a lot of marketers talk about, but seldom do. He coordinates their email and print marketing efforts together.

He said his company consistently sees lifts of between 15% and 25% when they send coordinated print and e-mail campaigns. To us it’s no magic formula, simply common sense.

Like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the e-mail and direct mail channels can make beautiful footwork solo. But when you pair them up for the right number, the result is electric-higher response rates, higher average order value and higher lifetime value. And in a tight economy, what company doesn’t want its marketing dollars to stretch farther?

East Coast Graphics can help you and your company develop a multi channel marketing campaign that will work and increase your ROI.

Contact us today info@ecoastgraphics.com or 631.231.9300

East Coast Graphics, Inc.

According to a recent InfoTrends Study (The Future of Direct Mail, since 2006), direct marketing is currently at a 4.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and is projected to continue this level of growth during the next 10 years. Coincident with the rise in direct marketing is the increase in both print-on-demand and variable printing; together they are slated to account for more than 170 billion color and black-and-white impressions.The question marketers and advertising agencies continue to ask is: What is fueling the steady rise in creation and implementation of one-to-one marketing programs? The answer is: We are. The same InfoTrends study showed that consumers prefer-by twice as much-highly personal messages over mailings with only a name and address. Non-personalized messages were preferred by less than 18 percent of respondents.

Evoking Action

Clearly there is great interest in using personalized communications with relevant text, images, and graphics to gain attention, increase readership, and, most importantly, evoke action. With the emergence of powerful Web-enabled marketing programs and integrated cross-media communications, the worlds of print and electronic media are coming together to generate significant improvement in achieving business objectives.

How do marketers get started, and what are the strategies that must be employed to realize these gains?

The first step in creating and implementing a one-to-one marketing campaign is to realize there are steps. There are many different types of marketing materials and programs that can be deployed, and understanding the context and complexity of these can dramatically improve your chances of success.

Let’s start at the beginning, or what could more accurately be referred to as “E-Z personalization.” Many personalized print programs involve materials as simple as two-sided, full-color postcards. They can be as “one-to-one” as any other collateral, are economical, and often break through marketing clutter with clever imagery immediately seen by the recipient, in contrast to pieces where envelopes are hiding your messages.

In addition to postcards, there are numerous applications that use personalized content, including calendars, newsletters, and even sales and marketing materials. Interestingly, although “versioned” marketing materials are usually not thought of as one-to-one, these programs often lead to more advanced variable programs. Starting with versioning is a great place to experiment with what one-to-one marketing has to offer.

An emerging category of one-to-one marketing can be called “image-intensive communications” and includes applications that use more advanced databases, oftentimes relational, and rich VI content. These campaigns have images that change for either small groups of recipients, or for one recipient at a time. They can also incorporate special capabilities, such as image personalization and data-driven graphics.

Over two thousand years ago, a Chinese General named Sun-Tzu outlined his strategies and principles for warfare. If you believe as I do, that all marketing is like warfare, then his theories of war are still valid today, even more so.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace it’s not good enough to just get a new account; you’ve got to make sure that your competition doesn’t! I know, that sounds mean and vicious and goes against the precept of “Live and Let Live,” but in reality, someone has to lose and better your competitors than you. To quote Sun-Tzu, “Generally, in battle, use the common to engage the enemy and the uncommon to gain victory!”

Here’s where the true power of 1:1 marketing and variable data digital printing gives you a valuable “uncommon” edge against your competition. Today, all businesses are facing the same challenges:

1. Acquiring new customers in a cost-effective manner
2. Keeping the customers they have
3. Increasing the amount of services or products the customer buys
4. Making a profit

Let’s use as an example two Japanese restaurants in the same marketing area as our armies and their territories as the battlefield. Restaurant A places an ad in the local newspaper for $300 and generates 5 customers ($60 per new customer) same with Restaurant B. Each customer brings 2 people with them to eat and the cost of the meal averages $60 for 3 people, breaking even on the cost of running the B&W ad in the paper, but still losing money on the cost of the meal. This becomes a loss leader. Restaurant A thanks the customer and the customer goes their way. Restaurant B asks the customer to fill out a Special Event Club card listing all birthdays and anniversary dates where they will receive a gift in the mail (in this case 15% off the entire bill, in other cases a free special appetizer or dessert). Every month for a year, both restaurants run the same ad and receive the same response, but after the first year, Restaurant B has compiled a database of over 4,000 names.

In year 2, Restaurant A is still running a newspaper ad every month for $300 and losing money on loss leader meals. Restaurant B, however, has tapped into its database and sends out about 350 full color personalized postcards a month listing the patron’s name, birthday or anniversary with a special 15% discount off the entire bill if used within 5 days of their birthday. Cost of the personalized postcard is only $1.37 each with postage. Response rate is averaging 20% and with the dinner charges pretty much the same, over $4,200 in business is generated from this tactic alone every month. Restaurant B no longer needs to run an ad in the paper and it has increased its overall marketing costs by a mere 17%. It has also generated over 10 times the business, and best of all, the profitability.

Imagine each year, they are adding another 4,000 names to the list. Hmmm. Sun-Tzu was right! Every restaurant (and business) in America should be compiling a database of their customers in order to approach them in the most cost effective manner, but do they? Now, here’s the real kicker. I receive almost 200 pounds of mail a month. Each piece pretty much has my name either on a sticker or in 10pt black dot matrix ink, telling me right on the front of the piece that this is not a special offer. Most of these get tossed during triage, but occasionally a mailer does come to me that stands out, has my name in a nice font and in color and in some cases, actually contains data which interests me. This means companies are spending millions of dollars every year trying to get my attention (and decision makers like me) but fail. In fact, the average response rate is just about .005%. If the average cost is around a dollar, the cost of just converting a “suspect” to a “prospect” can be well over $200 based on a 10K print run.

Try sending them a birthday card for $5 followed by a telephone call. I bet they get on the phone with you and with the $195 you saved, you both can enjoy a nice Japanese dinner (at Restaurant B of course).

Want to improve your response rate? Here’s what the experts know:

• The most important part of the mailer is where the name of the receiver is (duh). It should be attention-getting (in color) and it should have something on it that teases the receiver (me) into wanting to open it. It should also be personalized with the prospect’s name larger than 14pt. type.
• Black type on yellow is the most attention getting color combo, but keep testing unusual colors (I have had interesting success with lavender and turquoise when sent to certain market segments).
• Lumpy mail gets more attention than flat mail (generally), so packaging is very important, if you can send a well decorated box, with a premium or pop-up, do it. If you can personalize the pop-up with the prospect’s name on it they will show it around and keep it forever.
• Pop-ups work by engaging the receiver (like a toy) and if they are done well, they can effect a smile (and even a pass-along rate), but most can’t be personalized. My favorite is the personalized hand-folded origami fish mailers. I use them for very special events and clients who need to get results fast.
• After all of the above, the most important element is the offer! It should be easy to understand, be the best offer (take the worst case scenario – 16 of your competitors are mailing to the same person, your offer must be the best), have some sense of urgency (a deadline for the offer) and, a guarantee of satisfaction!
• Next, it should have an easy to find response mechanism; a BRC (postage paid business reply card) an 800 number (free call), or a website address.
• Finally, it should incorporate a tracking element so you can determine if this or that database, list or offer is working for you.
• In creating your pitch, “sell the sizzle not the steak,” describe the benefits of your product or service, not the service.

The beauty of using variable data, full color on-demand digital printing is that you can test offers, price points, just about anything, in lots as small as one. This process helps you develop the most effective “sales cycle starter” quickly, inexpensively and most importantly, profitably. Digital on-demand printing offers you the elegance of change at the touch of a button, making regular offset “one size fits all” offers, virtually obsolete.

What I have also discovered in over 25 years of direct marketing is this: most clients have no idea how much it costs them to convert a suspect to a prospect, then to an appointment, then to a sale.

When you put it all together, if you sent a box of fancy pastries with a personal note to a prospect, and had it delivered at 9am, odds are by 10am they will take your call and thank you. Cost, about $35.00 (with delivery), response…priceless. Now, that you’ve got your prospect on the phone, the fun really begins.

Bonzai!

In this country, commercial printing products are all around us. We have newspapers delivered daily, our mail is jammed with glossy brochures and catalogs, and billboards line our city streets. Like baseball and apple pie, it’s a part of our culture. But what many people might not know is that the traditional commercial printing process is very taxing on the environment. It uses tons of paper, energy, and-perhaps worst of all-the ink and solvents used in printing presses produce large amounts of volatile organic compounds, also known as VOC’s, which are pollutants that can contaminate air, soil and groundwater.

Luckily, many in the printing industry have sought and developed greener, earth friendly solutions to the pollution problem. One of the biggest advances has been the introduction of soy based inks into the commercial printing process.

Besides giving off high levels of VOC’s, traditional inks used for printing are petroleum-based. Soy based ink products, however, are derived from a mixture of soybean oil, pigments, resin and waxes. The VOC levels are greatly reduced, and because the oil comes from soybeans grown in the United States, using soy based ink boosts our economy while decreasing the need for a foreign product such as petroleum. Also, because soybean oil is clearer than petroleum distillates, less pigment is needed to produce the same effect, reducing the overall cost of the ink.

The recycling process is also helped by soy based inks because it can be removed more easily during de-inking than petroleum based products.

Although the environmental and economical benefits of soy based ink printing are reason enough to use them, there are aesthetic benefits as well: soy based inks actually produce brighter, richer colors than traditional inks, which is why they are used in over 90% of US daily newspapers. So while it’s true that traditional commercial printing has been harsh on the environment, the good news is that greener alternatives are making their way into the industry, with soy based ink printing leading the pack.