Print Lives, But My Industry is Killin’ Me. A Response to the Response to President Obama.

Those of you who know me personally know that when it comes to politics, controversy and even food, I am pretty much like Switzerland. I try not to offend, and not be easily offended. I typically remain neutral. Industry communications over the past week, however, have caused me to become a little more outspoken. 

In one instance, one of our trade associations issued a video response to cost cutting efforts by President Obama in his attempt to eliminate wasteful printing.

In another episode of outrageousness, our industry produced, and in my opinion, regrettably shared, a video titled “The Sexy Side of Print.”

I realize our industry has struggled, but there seem to be better ways to promote our efforts than these two examples.

Below is my video response to the first action that brought me out of neutrality.

Here is the video reply to the President’s message that prompted my response:

Here is the link to President Obama’s video. For some reason, I was unable to embed it properly here.

I am still too disturbed by what I saw on the “sexy print” video to have formulated a response to that!

Good Grief! Another On-Line Relationship Exposed!

It started innocently enough, as do most on-line, long distance relationships.  One evening after hours, I was alone in my office surfing the internet, and came across this website that was truly engaging.  It seemed to offer something that I had been missing.

So I explored further, digging deeper into the background. I reacted to what I saw.  Making sure it was a match I felt comfortable with, I shared some information, and inquired further. Then there was reaction on the other end. Some emails quickly followed; some even contained very interesting attachments. All very good stuff. Then along came Twitter and the relationship blossomed.  The messages were delivered timely, and all seemed to be speaking personally to me. As the inquiries intensified, so did the responses to them.  Email, direct mail, text messages, and yes, even that first, somewhat nervous “live” phone chat.

Our much anticipated face-to-face meeting came during a conference, in a restaurant near Chicago’s Midway airport.  As expected it was slightly awkward at first.  But then, because we had developed this relationship on-line, meeting in real life only confirmed the fact that this was bound to happen, sooner or later:

I invite you to join my friend John Foley (@johnfoleyjr) for our next Lunch & Learn series on Thursday, June 23rd from 11:30 – 1:00.  This exciting session will introduce to you the best methods of a multi-channel marketing approach to increase your marketing effectiveness.  Register here.

In the meantime, since John will be visiting us from Boston, he wants to make the most of his Arkansas experience.  He has already expressed a desire to experience a HubCap burger.  What suggestions do you have?

The USPS is trying; really they are…

The financial struggles of the US Postal Service have been well documented, and the news for this year hasn’t seemed to improve any.  In spite of its marketing success, direct mail volumes have continued to decline. And yet, we see this as good news!

How is this good news?  The dire situation of the USPS is bringing about a new way of thinking within some areas of its operation.  The Postal Service is trying to rethink and retool its current business model and is making strides in trying to be more customer-friendly. And like businesses in the private sector (us!), they are looking at ways to grow by implementing innovative programs.

Two of its newest programs provide excellent, simple, and affordable marketing opportunities for small businesses. And in spite of the decline in direct mail volumes, the effectiveness of direct mail marketing campaigns continue to breed success. 

Here are two of the programs that we encourage businesses to consider:

Every Door Direct Mail

This program is actually a rebranding of the Simplified Addressing Process, but it is worthy of a look. In its basic form, Every Door Direct Mail lets business saturate an entire residential zip code (or zip codes) with qualified mail pieces for as little as 14.2 cents postage per piece. Additionally, the pieces can be mailed without applying individual names and addresses, allowing users to easily target a specific geographic area.

So imagine you own a restaurant, a dry cleaner, an auto dealership, an apparel store or a fitness center. You have a special event, offer, or program you need to spread the word about. You want to specifically target residences in nearby zip codes.  And you want to target EVERY SINGLE RESIDENCE. This program is ideal.  No databases or mailing list required. No addressing or labels.  And all at a single piece postage rate as low as 14.2 cents each.

One caveat with this program is the unusual mailpiece size that is required to qualify. By definition, it must be a “flat” or “parcel”.  Some common sizes in this category are: 6.5”x9”; 6.5”x11” 8.5”x11”. Pricing for turnkey implementation of this program can be found here.

For more information, you can visit the USPS site, or contact us and we would be happy to help implement a program for you.

Summer Sale & Mobile Barcode promotion

We mentioned this last week, but it’s worthy of another look. 

For a while we’ve been talking about how QR codes can be used to help bridge the gap between the physical (printed)  and the digital worlds.  These 2d mobile barcodes help make the printed piece more engaging, and often more relevant for the targeted recipient.

Recognizing this, the USPS is offering a Summer Sale on qualified mail pieces that contain a QR code.  During July and August, you can save 3% on postage on Standard and First Class letters, flats and cards that include a QR code that can be scanned and read by a smartphone.

We go into a little more detail in this recent blog post.

Double Whammy

For those adventurous and somewhat spontaneous businesses, you can actually take advantage of BOTH of these USPS programs.  A qualifying mail piece – flat – that is distributed using the Every Door Direct Mail process that is printed with a QR code, may qualify for a 3% savings off the 14.2 cent mail rate.

Yes, the USPS is struggling. And out of its struggles come opportunities for business to enhance their marketing efforts in an inexpensive, and effective way. It’s worth a look.

It’s Official – USPS Says QR Codes are Hot.

It’s Official!  The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved the USPS 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion. And it’s not just any barcode we are talking about. Of course it’s our beloved 2d codes commonly referred to as QR codes.  You know, those quirky little pixilated squares that are popping up in magazines, on products, and yes, in direct mail.

For a limited time, from July 1 through August 31, 2011 the Postal Service is offering mailers an upfront 3% discount on First-Class and Standard Mail letters and flats that include these mobile barcodes. And unlike other promotions offered by the USPS, this one is pretty straightforward and available to most all mailers and marketers.

To qualify for this Summer Sale, these guidelines apply:

  • Mobile barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by a mobile smartphone. One dimensional barcodes do NOT qualify.
  • Mailing documentation must be submitted electronically and postage must be paid using a Permit Imprint. Current electronic submission methods include: Mail.XML, Mail.dat and Postal Wizard.
  • Participating mailers will be required to affirmatively claim this promotion in electronic postage statement submissions, certifying each mailpiece contains a mobile barcode either within contents of mailpiece or on outside of mailpiece.
  • All mailpieces in a mailing statement must contain a mobile barcode.
  • With the exception of IMb full service discount, only one incentive per mailing will apply.
  • Mobile barcode must be used for marketing and advertising purposes. Mailpieces containing mobile barcode that convey information about the postage value, destination, sender and machine serial number for security do not qualify.
  • And to make it even more appealing, Non-Profit mailers are eligible for the discount as well. (They were excluded from the original proposal.)

So why the Summer Sale?

Like so many marketers are currently doing, the USPS wants to take advantage of the recent buzz being generated by QR codes.  The Postal Service sees the use of these codes as a great way to link the physical and digital world of direct marketing, and this gives marketers another opportunity to include them in their marketing strategy. Additionally, the Postal Service hopes to demonstrate to mailers how this tool can increase the value of direct mail.

If you need a little more detailed information on this promotion, go here.

If you would like more information on marketing uses for QR codes, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss ideas with you.

Move Over QR Codes; There’s Some Thunder from Down Under

While still reeling from yesterday’s announcement that Google killed the QR code, even more disturbing news will come out of Australia tomorrow (due to the time zone difference) about the future of our 2D friend.  For the unwashed, a QR, or Quick Response code, is a two-dimensional bar code that bridges the gap between the physical (printed) world and the digital world. 

I subscribe to an obscure Australian blog entitled G‘day Print. It’s a cutting edge blog devoted entirely to the proliferation of print in the land Down Under.  Recent topics described success stories using innovative printing techniques to increase attendance at local footy matches and green printing initiatives used in Fairy Floss packaging.

The latest entry that caught my attention was a digital code that was not only as innovative and fast as QR codes, but even more powerful than the up and coming NFC (near field communication) technology, called PDQ codes.  (After doing more digging, I found the PDQ moniker is only temporary, meaning Pretty Damn Quick).  The codes are flexible enough where size doesn’t really matter. They can be printed on the largest pair of daks, or the smallest of Australian rubbers. But the most amazing facts about these codes are that in addition to becoming as ubiquitous as QR Codes, they have the ability to be specifically targeted for different market segments, and they have the ability to function way out in the Woop Woop where there is little or no connectivity.

As a paid subscriber to the G‘day Print  blog (These mates are crafty with their pay wall restrictions), I was able to obtain some yet unreleased information about the first attempt at a targeted PDQ code.

So consider this…you have a code that is extremely easy to scan by phone, or if there is little or no connectivity, scan via THE HUMAN EYE, instantaneously giving you the immediate information you need to engage, react, or interact. The paid sneak preview of this code allowed me to view one targeted specifically for the health care industry, the outdoor game acquisition industry, and the higher-end retail industry. 

Imagine this:

The code for the health care industry assists medical professionals in immediate identification of a patient’s area of need.

The code for the outdoor game acquisition industry enables users to increase their effect ROI.

And the code used for the higher-end retail industry gives immediate notification of a more hip, cooler experience than your average discount retailer.

Amazingly enough, all of this is accomplished with a single code.

image

 Paul Strack, CustomXM

If It’s Good Enough for Google…

I admit it, when it comes to direct marketing, I’m drinking the Kool Aid.  After all, it’s what I do. It’s my livelihood.  So when I attend seminars on the benefits of direct marketing, it’s easy for me to get excited to learn about the opportunities that can benefit our clients.  Admittedly, I am somewhat biased.

And when I hear vendor partners like Kodak, Xerox, and even the USPS tout the benefits of direct marketing, even someone as jaded (and as old) as me can often lose sight of the fact that they are trying to sell me something. But when I take a step back and look at the facts it becomes obvious that today’s tools can combine for some incredible direct marketing campaigns.

Consider that according to a 2010 DMA study every dollar spent on Direct Marketing returned $11.73 in revenue. And the beauty of today’s direct marketing tools is that now, more than ever before, marketing budgets can be used to produce measurable results – orders, leads, traffic, etc.

What is it that is driving this direct marketing success? Is it about being social? Is it about being viral? Is it about being mobile?  Certainly this all comes into play, but more importantly, it’s about the data we now have access to via these channels.  Data provides us the opportunity to get personal with our clients and prospects.  Good marketing is all about conversations.  Good data, and the various channels we have, makes these conversations possible. 

But why take my word for it?

I recently received not one, but TWO direct marketing campaigns from GOOGLE.  Yes, the behemoth of on-line advertising sent me offers via DIRECT MAIL. 

One was addressed to “business owner”, but the other, using better data, was addressed to me personally.  And it followed direct marketing best practices: it was designed to generate a response; it has a clear and obvious offer; it calls for a specific action; and that action would be entirely measurable.

 

Will I accept the offer?  Probably not. I will continue to rely on our own Direct Marketing techniques.  After all, if it’s good enough for Google…

image

 Paul Strack, CustomXM

Post Formats is a theme feature introduced with Version 3.1. Post Formats can be used by a theme to customize its presentation of a post.

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Here’s an interesting infographic showing the history of Print. And all on one page!

Visual Loop

Integrating Media Luncheon — All About LBS

No, we’re not talking about some new religion or an old president. Our next Integrating Media luncheon is all about Location-Based Marketing.

Or Social Location Marketing.

Or Location-Based Services.

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN? IT’S SO CONFUSING!

Which is why you need to come to our Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, March 2, at 11:30 at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.

If you’ve ever attended one of our previous events, you’ll know that we love to take the newest, most cutting-edge integrated marketing tools and help you understand not just what they are, but what they can do for your business. At this seminar, we’re going to be talking about all the new LBS services — Foursquare, Gowalla, Whrrl and more — and how any business can use them to increase traffic, market to various demographics and even improve operational efficiency.

We’re excited to have Simon Salt, author of the new book Social Location Marketing, stop here during his book tour to share his knowledge on the topic. As the CEO of Marketing Communications Agency IncSlingers, he has a lot of knowledge to share. And advance praise for his book has come from some of the most highly-regarded names in marketing and social media.

This seminar is $10 in advance, $25 at the door. But here’s the best part — if you are one of the first 25 people to register, and if you then attend, you’ll get a copy of Simon’s book free.

So register now. Why spend your lunch hour hunched over a boring bowl of soup at your desk when you can come enjoy a good meal, network and pick up some great tactics for improving your business?

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