Things to Consider in Design

With all printed products, the design and creation phase is critical. Some things to consider when you either ask to have something designed by your print partner or bring to them:

• The program it is originated in
• File sizes
• Appropriate notes and instructions
• Time

"Each of these are important considerations," Jennifer Beaty said. "If you can't provide most of these either quality, schedule or budget will be compromised," she said.

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, one of North Texas' premier print and direct-mail companies.

The program the design was originated in is important because that tells the print house what the output will look like. Most designers or printers us one of the following programs in either Mac or PC:

• Acrobat
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• Quark
• Illustrator

File size is important, given that you will most likely have to pass the file along over the internet (electronically). Consult with your IT provider to see if there are file size limits for outbound files; check with your print partner to see if they have limitations on inbound file sizes.

Always include notes and instructions with your files to make sure that the people on the receiving end understand things like finished size, output color and paper stock.

Time is probably the most critical: give your partner time to produce the piece if you have a deadline. That doesn't mean that if you have a Tuesday deadline that they get it Monday night!

A little planning and a lot of consideration go a long way toward a successful finished product.

The Executive Pressman

Making Premiums Work for You

There are any number of ways to get visibility for your company. One of the most direct is using premiums or branded giveaways.

But simple it is not.

"We work with a number of premium suppliers here in the North Texas area," Jennifer Beaty said. Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a marketing and printing company based in Richardson, Texas. "They all tell us the same thing: you get remembered by being in front of people each and every day."

Premiums include the typical pens, shirts and hats. But they can be more than that.

"We provided reflective stickers for breaker boxes," Whitey Thomas of WT Promotions said. "That way when the lights go out, the customer knows who to call."

Even in the usual places your items need to be branded.

"I want my customer's names in front of their clients every day," Judy Smith of Promo Pizazz said. "It's all about repetition."

Key things to look for in promotional items:

• Are they useful to the client?
• Is the brand name prominent?
• Is it durable and lasting?
• Will the client comment on it?
• Is it integrated into a larger program? That is, does it fit a theme or is it tied to your company somehow?
  

"The best promo items are the ones your client thanks you for later," Jennifer continued. "Whether it is a useful or fun item, it has to be memorable."

For more ideas or to reach Jennifer or one of her North Dallas Chamber (NDCC) colleagues, call 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman

The Importance of Business Cards

They are the first line of defense of the networker: a business card.

It is amazing how this thin sliver of heavy weight paper with your name on it can be so important. But consider this as you go out and meet clients and new prospects and suspects that each card has:

• Introduces you by name and brand
• Your contact information
• A life after you leave

And if you design it right, has blank space on the back for notes and can be read by most scanners.

"In my seminars I tell my students to "always carry business cards. Always," Paul E. Maynard said. Known as the Relentless Networker, Maynard knows. "I've traded business cards with people in cabs in Mexico, in airport terminal everywhere and through the mail for almost 30 years."

A good card design features:

• A clear typeface and a simple design
• A quality paper stock to reflect your professionalism
• A blank back for notes
• A logo or other identifying mark

And be sure and buy them in enough quantity to last. Also consider your letterhead, envelopes and other stationery to be consistent with your brand.

The Executive Pressman

The US Post Office and Direct Mail

While they are in the mailing business, the US Postal Service has done a great job of promoting and marketing direct-mail marketing. On a visit to their website the other day I found a whole collection of information that is a good resource for you if you are considering integrating direct mail into your marketing program.

The USPS cited a number of advantages of DMM on their website. Direct mail is:

• Targeted
• Personal
• Flexible
• Tangible
• Measurable
  
• Easy to start and run

Now, if the guys who deliver the mail say all of these things, than it must be true, right? Well the DMA (Direct Marketing Association) backs them up on their website and most professionals in the field, including ourselves, say the same things.

But remember, too, that direct mail is most effective when it is part of a concerted, coordinated, branded program. And you have to give your targets the option to "opt out." Courtesy is still important.

The Executive Pressman

www.executivepress.com

Direct-Mail is Not Dead

Direct-mail marketing is not passe--not even close.

The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) reports that in 2009, marketers--commercial and non-profit--spent $149 billion on direct marketing which was over 50% of all advertising expenditures for the year.

A big part of this effort was direct mail.

Direct-mail marketing is popular and results in a high return because:

• It is targeted to a specific prospect by name.
• The content is customized.
• The return and results are measurable.

For more information on how you can make direct-mail marketing work for you, please call Jennifer Beaty at 214-217-7000 or visit our website at www.executivepress.com.

The Executive Pressman

Invitations

Courtesy, kindness and protocol die hard.

While it is popular (and sometimes, accepted) to issue and respond to invitations electronically, the days of printed and mailed invitations and thank-you notes are far from numbered.

Invitations to important life events still are popular and alive. The kinds of events that still rely on printed invitations include:

• Weddings
• Bachelor and bachelorette parties
• Baby showers
• Super Bowl parties

Step back, Evite, you aren't the end-all-be-all.

As for other printed cards, consider that hand-written notes still have a significant impact with those who receive them. For example:

• A new business associate remembers a hand-written thank-you note longer than an email thank you.
• Newly married couples still follow the protocol of sending hand-written thank-yous to their wedding guests and gift-givers.
• A potential or new employer not only remembers a hand-written note, they appreciate the gesture.

Printed invitations and notes live on because personal interaction is still very important.

For more information about how to design, print and distribute these important printed items, please call Jennifer at Executive Press at 214-217-7000.
The Executive Pressman

Coupons and Offers

Quite often a story appears in the media about people who buy their groceries with coupons and little or no cash. But coupons and offers aren't just for groceries.

"We've been experimenting with text offers and Q codes," Jennifer Beaty said. "We've had a good response, too."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press. They found that using these new age "coupons" was a natural extension of their direct-mail and other marketing offerings they provide for their clients.

"We first have tried it for ourselves to see how it would work to build our business," Jennifer said. "Our first text offer came at the recent North Dallas Chamber of Commerce's Building Business Expo."

Executive Press started with a sign in their Expo booth with an offer to text to a number for either dollars off your next order or a free digital print.

"The response was more than we expected, quite frankly," Jennifer said. "It shows that people are far more digitally oriented than we imagined in a business-to-business environment," Jennifer said.

Q codes are another option. The simple barcode variation allows customers to scan them and be taken to a specific website or custom URL.

For more information about direct text marketing and Q codes, visit www.executivepress.com or call Jennifer at 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman