This is the place for the latest CustomXM activity, some favorite client success stories and banter regarding print, marketing and signage that you might find interesting.
Never has there been so much anticipation over something we expertly deal with on a daily basis. It’s important that we do talk about this and eliminate all our fears and anxieties.
While we don’t have exactly 50 Shades of Grey to choose from, we do offer a wide variety of exciting options.
We don’t require contracts for most of our services, although we are happy to produce them, even in multiple parts if requested.
If this is your first time, we know you may feel apprehensive about some of our services, but our quality team of customer service experts encourage you to sit back, relax, close your eyes and allow yourself to become totally satisfied.
When you entrust your print, marketing and signage services to us, you will no longer feel the need to be chained to your desk. Get out and explore the world!
Our goal is to help you dominate your industry.
Contact us, we’d love to engage in some one-on-one conversation.
https://customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0406.jpg24483264Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2015-02-13 12:26:092015-02-13 12:26:09Not Quite Fifty Shades of Grey, But Close
The good news is that for printing services in the North Little Rock area (and Little Rock area too, I suppose), I have one less competitor to worry about. With the recently announced buyout of Office Depot by Staples, I should now rest easy knowing that some of my competition is going away, right? Since this merger will result in fewer big-box office stores, those businesses needing printed collateral, stationery, marketing materials, banners and posters will now be more willing to visit us, right?
But wait, what about VistaPrint? They keep growing, and continue to expand their global reach and online presence. Certainly they are a competitor. And in this soon-to-be-released commercial, they do a wonderful job of storytelling. It’s the classic story of the prodigal son returning home, and the subtle product placement is nicely done:
Okay, wipe away those tears and continue reading.
Have I lost business to Staples, Office Depot and VistaPrint? Certainly. Have I lost sleep over what these behemoths have done to our industry. Certainly not. (I’ve lost sleep for other reasons, but maybe those are for another day.)
I know that as big and as inexpensive as these competitors have become, they can never replace what we have at CustomXM. In this touching tale of “The Postcard,” I, as a business owner and marketer, have questions arising from the story of Barrett & Son Bakery:
Who advised them on the need for consistency in their marketing efforts?
Did they purchase a database, or was EDDM a better solution for their postcard?
Surely they incorporated the use of social media as part of their marketing efforts?
And most certainly they developed a cohesive strategy and plan to implement all these efforts, right?
I certainly agree that the online and mega-mortar providers do a good job in fulfilling many business needs, especially if these needs relate to commodity items. But certain customized products and services require more than a simple SKU. They require conversation, a dialogue, maybe even a face-to-face meeting. They require the personalized attention that our team at CustomXM has been providing for over 48 years.
I enjoyed The Postcard video. But more than that, I enjoy the never-ending stories we help create for our customers, and we’ve been doing this for 48 years! But let’s face it, the story of Barrett & Sons Bakery is most likely fictional. That’s where we have the upper hand on VistaPrint and the others. We are proud to share this story of a REAL Bakery, now in its 3rd year. What we lack in video and audio quality as compared to that of The Postcard, we certainly make up for in passion and snarkiness. And please note that this video was made months before The Postcard.
Once again, wipe away those tears and let us know how we can help tell your story. And we can even let you buy business cards online, too (500 full color for $58.00)!
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2015-02-07 16:08:232015-02-08 18:12:34Office Depot is Gone, Should I Buy VistaPrint?
Upon entering his freshmen year at college this past fall, our son was required to purchase an iPad for a particular class.
When our daughters began high school, we were required to purchase new laptops through the school for use with various components of the curriculum.
Recently, our 22 year old son, a senior, was taken aback by a professor’s request to NOT take classroom notes via a laptop or tablet. In fact, all electronic note-taking is prohibited in this professor’s class.
And now J.C. Penney is resurrecting its print catalog.
I’m confused.
I have always been somewhat of an early adopter, and have embraced technology whenever possible. Yet, my livelihood is dependent upon the use of that ancient form of communication – print. Needless to say, as we begrudgingly continue to one day become that “paperless society”, I can’t help but grin at recent developments to the contrary.
Again I ask…
If we are encouraging our students at the collegiate, high school, elementary and even earlier to immerse themselves in all things digital – especially the tools used to advance their education – how do professors justify removing these same tools giving similar reasons?
If online shopping continues to grow exponentially, why would a major retailer bring back a dinosaur of a catalog?
A scientific response could be that neuroscience studies show that physical media such as print leaves a deeper footprint on the human brain than the virtual. I think this suggests that if I write down my grocery list I will remember it better than if I type it in my notes on my phone (with the underlying assumption that I leave both the list and my phone in the car).
But I never did like science. So let’s explore further.
Learning & Literacy
Recent studies continue to indicate how in spite of all the tech tools available to us, print, paper and yes, even handwriting deliver proven benefits and continue to play an essential role in education and development.
Elementary students who wrote by hand are found to write more quickly and wrote more complete sentences than those who do not. (More info here.)
Children remembered more details from stories they read on paper than ones they read in e-books. (More info here.)
While laptops are commonplace in university classrooms, one of their drawbacks is the distractions they offer. Some research has shown that multitasking on a laptop poses significant distraction not only to the user, but to fellow students as well.
Catalog to Internet Sales
J.C. Penney has struggled over the years. It has continued to try to crawl its way back from recent sales declines. So why do they decide to bring back this antiquated, phone book style medium? The answer, it appears, is that in some instances, “if you build it, they didn’t come.” When Penney’s decided to discontinue the Big Book in 2009, it was anticipated that catalog shoppers would migrate online. But it didn’t actually pan out that way. The company eventually learned that a lot of what they thought were new online sales were actually catalog shoppers using the website to place their orders. And after a half-decade hiatus, it is bringing back its catalog.
Now, retailers are rediscovering the books as a branding tool that can drive sales. According to Kurt Salmon, 31% of shoppers have a catalog with them when they make an online purchase.
What then, does this tell us?
Print drives sales! And print helps you learn and remember!
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2015-02-02 13:53:372015-02-02 13:56:13Can This Be Write?
If you are familiar with any visual or graphic design related topics, you probably have heard or even used the phrase, “white space is our friend.” White space, or negative space, is simply that: an unmarked portion of a related graphic, print, canvas or other medium where images or text do not appear. I’ve recently come across an interesting use of negative space that is more literal in nature. It is space so negative, that it doesn’t exist. In theory and in reality, it is full of holes.
Vinyl banners have been a mainstay for outdoor announcements and signage. You see them everywhere – grand openings, auto dealerships, community and sporting events. Banners and signs like these are affordable and effective sales tools. They begin working the moment you put them up, and don’t stop until you take them down. And when the need arises for these to be outdoors for an extended amount of time, or depending upon the height at which these banners will be displayed, you may notice banners with half-moon slits cut into them. This is done to allow the wind to pass through the banners. After all, most advertisers would prefer that they remain banners, and not 6’x10’ sails.
But this may not be the most attractive answer to this problem.
Wind slits in banners – a shotgun approach?
Fortunately, an esthetic and functional solution exists, and it’s a wholly pleasant improvement to the situation that involves negative space. Or it’s a holey improvement. Mesh Banner material, a digital media that is 60% material and 40% air (give or take) provides a solution that has some rather eye-catching benefits. This material holds full color images in a stunning fashion, and actually blends into the environment with a near translucent effect depending upon where the direct light hits it.
Mesh banner installed along walkway at Rockwater Marina.
Until recently, I was under the impression that this material was best suited for outdoor environments only. But a visit to JCPenney in North Little Rock showed me how effective this material can be indoors too, especially in the retail environment. In the photos below, you can see how this mesh banner provides an artistic product backdrop when the primary light source is in front of it. Yet, it can appear nearly translucent allowing for product display behind it when the stronger light is behind it.
It becomes a very affordable, yet highly effective piece of interior display design.
So if you are looking for an effective way to get your message across, don’t make your audience read between the lines. Instead, let them look through the holes.
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2014-10-29 10:50:282014-10-29 10:50:28What’s New Wednesday – Negative Space
It’s Wednesday, and you know what day it is?? Of course I’m referring to What’s New Wednesday. Weekly, or at least regularly, or at least on certain Wednesdays, I plan to introduce new products, new ideas or new thoughts that relate to marketing, print and signage. Some of these may well be the next big thing in the world of communications, and some may be nothing more than a curiosity. And let’s be honest, some may just be lame. But we won’t know until we take a look, so let’s begin.
If you know anything at all about me, you know there are two true loves in my life. Yeah, yeah, we all know about my wife and our kids, but I’m not talking about them right now. I’m talking about paper and technology. Old school vs. new school communication. Imagine if you will, a world in which both of them live together in harmony; one feeding off the other. We may have discussed this courtship before when we’ve talked about QR codes and even Augmented Reality. While those relationships still do exist, some of them anyway, I found this newest union to be very interesting.
It’s called swivelCard, and in a nutshell, it’s a paper USB drive that is embedded in a business card. Cool, right? We have smartphones, smartwatches, so why not a smart business card?
Since it is my sworn duty to explore all things paper-embedded-with-technology, I inquired about becoming a reseller of this product, and purchased a sample pack. I wanted to properly celebrate this marriage made in heaven. Sadly, the honeymoon may be short lived.
I suppose that USB drives are also called thumb drives for a reason. You need your thumb to insert them into the USB slot. And when you combine the fact that I am generally all thumbs, and attempting to gingerly, then not so gingerly insert a paper USB drive into my laptop, the results were less than appealing. Admittedly, I had issues. And crumpling. Fortunately, I had more than one in my sample pack, and finally successfully loaded the drive and launched the content.
I do like this idea and the overall concept. Anything that finds a way to make the printed word more relevant and engaging is a must have for me, But I do have questions that make me wonder if this will have legs:
I am sometimes leery of putting USB drives with unknown content into my computer. Is this a widespread concern?
I appreciate the concept; I was so excited about it after watching the video. But the construction, folding and execution was a little awkward and borderline cumbersome. For my time, I would rather simply type in a URL, or hey, maybe even scan a QR code.
The example of using this in a medical facility is genius; patient education is a great shortfall of our healthcare system and in theory, this could go a long way in making headway in that area. But is it easily deliverable on a patient-by-patient basis? Again, the idea is brilliant.
And major kudos to include the ability to track and measure analytics with this device. Remember, if you aren’t measuring, you aren’t marketing!
But is it cost prohibitive? The swivelCard is much less expensive than a preloaded USB drive. But at a cost of about $2.00 each, it is much more expensive than a standard business card. (Granted, it offers much more than a standard business card.) And the USB drive, based on my mangling experience, may be a one-time use.
Actually, ignore that point, we can always print more!
So that’s What’s New this Wednesday. Is the swivelCard something of interest to you? Will this marriage last?
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2014-10-14 22:17:152014-10-14 22:20:24What’s New Wednesday? Paper USB Drives
North Little Rock, AR — October 12, 2014 — CustomXM , a marketing, print and signage provider in North Little Rock, AR recently received three national awards from the graphic arts industry. CustomXM received two “Bennys” (named in honor of Ben Franklin), the highest honor in the 2014 Premier Print Awards, for its campaign announcing its expansion into the wide format and signage market. Additionally, Paul Strack, President of CustomXM, was one of twelve national industry leaders inducted into the Soderstrom Society, the graphic communications industry’s most prestigious honors organization. Both awards ceremonies recently took place in Chicago.
The Premier Print Awards, the graphic arts industry’s largest and most prestigious worldwide printing competition recognizes outstanding achievement in print production. CustomXM received its “Bennys” in the categories of Variable Data Campaigns and Self-promotion.
Michael, Lisa & Paul Strack after receiving the 2 Bennys in Chicago.
The Premier Print Awards are hosted by Printing Industries of America. In its 65th year, the annual contest recognizes those responsible for the creation and production of superior print communications. The event promotes excellence in print communications and rewards companies and individuals who produce the very best in print media.
This year, more than 3,000 entries were received from printing and graphic arts firms from around the world, and judges awarded the Benny to the top entry in each category. “It’s quite a compliment to be recognized by the industry as a company that produces award-winning print on an international level. The quality of print today is really quite amazing. To have won such a prestigious award for print quality is exciting for our entire team,” said Strack
Michael Makin, president and CEO of Printing industries of America, agrees. “The Benny winners represent the best our industry has to offer. This year’s entries were outstanding. There were entries from companies in 7 countries. Despite the fierce competition, CustomXM through hard work and dedicated craftsmanship produced not only one, but two pieces worthy of the Benny.”
The Soderstrom Society is named for Walter E. Soderstrom, one of the founders of the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL). The Society recognizes the contributions of industry leaders, including print company owners, industry supplier executives, educators, journalists and consultants. This year’s inductees represent a wide variety of industry segments, from equipment, materials, and services suppliers to printers, mailers, and marketers.
“We are pleased to present this impressive slate of Soderstrom Society inductees, who have distinguished themselves in their fields and are very worthy of the honor,” says Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of AMSP/NAPL/NAQP, the new association created this year through the merger of the Association of Marketing Service Providers, National Association for Printing Leadership, and National Association of Quick Printers.
“We are proud to add these outstanding industry executives to the list of eminent men and women that make the Soderstrom Society the industry’s most illustrious organization,” notes Truncale. “Over the years, Soderstrom Society members have made significant contributions to the growth and advancement of our industry in innumerable ways and membership in the Society is a mark of distinction in every area of graphic communications.”
“It’s quite an honor to be inducted into the Soderstrom Society, and I thank NAPL for this significant recognition,” said Strack, President of CustomXM.
For more information about CustomXM ( www.customxm.com) contact Paul Strack at 501-375-7311
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2014-10-12 18:54:282014-10-12 18:55:18CustomXM Wins Three National Awards!
All work and no play make Jack and Jill dull. We know that. I would guess that there still exist some organizations that insist that everything be all work. Fortunately, we are not one of those organizations. Don’t get me wrong, we work. We work hard. We meet the deadlines; we deliver the goods. But we also realize that there needs to be a mix. And that is what I love most about our industry. We are creative creators who mix things up. We take blank sheets and turn them into story-telling masterpieces.
And on some days, we not only get to be creative, but simply have fun. Just plain, stupid fun.
Which brings us to today’s International Print Day. We had big ideas for celebration – ribbon cuttings, open house, and even Ben Franklin. All that is going to happen. In addition to it being a social media event celebrating the power of print, we wanted just to celebrate our creativity. And have fun. And make videos.
Now we realize that sometimes fun can be embarrassing, but apparently we don’t care. While I certainly understand that you may not applaud this video, I wholeheartedly applaud our team members who opened up, stepped out of their comfort zone, and helped us with our world premier music video.
(with apologies to Meghan Trainor and special thanks to Fiverr.com for the assist with the soundtrack. If you’ve never used Fiverr.com, check it out. For $5, you cannot go wrong.)
And if you want to sing along, here are the lyrics:
Because you know
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink
Yeah, it’s pretty clear, some think that print is through
But we can print it print it
Like we’re supposed to do
Cause we got that mix of graphics with all the white space
And all the right junk in all the right places
You see our artists workin’ that Photoshop
We know that Word ain’t real
C’mon now, make it stop
If your designs are lacking, we will raise em up
‘Cause every inch of print is perfect
From the bottom to the top
Yeah, our client’s they tell us, don’t worry about the cost
They say, “Your gonna get results, just print some more, right?”
You know we won’t give in to that Facebook Invites scheme
So if that’s what you’re into then go ahead and move along
Because you know
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
I’m all about that ink
‘bout that ink
We’re bringing printing back
Go ahead and tell them app developers that
No I’m just playing. You treat print like a welcome mat
But we’re here to tell ya
Every inch of print is perfect from the bottom to the top
Because you know
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink
Because you know
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink, and toner
We’re all about that ink
‘bout that ink
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2014-10-08 11:16:072014-10-08 11:16:34It’s International Print Day. But First, Let’s Make a Video.
It’s been nearly two years since I’ve posted to this blog. SERIOUSLY? TWO YEARS? Technically, that doesn’t make this a blog. It’s more like an archive. But I do have a legitimate excuse. I’ve had this new website in development for over 18 months. There, that should make you feel better.
As I re-introduce this blog, please allow me to re-introduce our company. So much has changed over the past two years, or 18 months, or past three weeks. In addition to opening a new sales and marketing office in Argenta, and a facelift to our production facility, we’ve added signage and wide format printing. So it’s not like we’ve been doing nothing.
Still, you have to wonder, 18 months for a web site?? Two years without a blog post? Okay, you’re absolutely correct. And to make sure that you and I do not let this happen again (Yes, I said YOU), let’s recall some lessons learned during this hiatus:
We must avoid Perfection Paralysis. I would guess that many of us suffer from this. In Scott Stratten’s UnMarketing, this condition arises when we are afraid to come out with something as simple as a blog post because we think it’s not “perfect.” Yeah, I get that. Why has it taken me so long to get some of these projects completed? Because they weren’t perfect. But nothing will ever be perfect. There will be glitches with the Apple Watch when it is released. And by the way, how did that iOS 8 update work out for you? Yet this quest for perfection cannot stop us from producing, or delivering. In most instances, something is better than nothing. (Please note that I am in no way condoning delivery of products that are just good enough. Far from it. I am more referring to our own creativity. Perfection should always be the goal of customer service, and the delivery of the products we produce.) We must strive for greatness – always – but we simply cannot let that goal cause us to become stagnant. In anything.
Don’t be Naked and Afraid.
In the spirit of full disclosure (see what I did there?), Naked and Afraid is must-see TV in our household. Weekly, we bare our feelings over the plight of these folks stranded in the buff in a remote location. Sometimes, it bums us out. Knowing that I couldn’t even last 21 minutes Barefoot and Afraid (I am a sensitive sole), I do admire the inner beauty of these contestants. But what lessons are to be learned? In addition to stripping themselves of their inhibitions, these contestants display teamwork, innovation and communication. These extreme nudists take calculated risks in order to survive. We must not fear to take a chance or a calculated risk. Sometimes we have to expose our vulnerability to not only survive, but to thrive.
Change. Change some more. And change again.
We’ve continued to reinvent our company since its beginnings in 1966. Partly because we wanted to; mostly because we had to. In case you haven’t heard, technology has had somewhat of an impact on print over the past decade. Who we are today barely resembles who we were just a few years ago. But we have to continue to adapt and react. It is inevitable that every business will be affected by some internal or external force. In a 2013 interview with 60 Minutes, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos remarked, “Companies have short life spans. And Amazon will be disrupted one day.” I could drone on and on about this, but the point is – change is not only good; but often necessary.
Scare the ship out of others. And yourself. I absolutely love the mantra of the late Steve Jobs, “Real Artists Ship.” Ironically, I haven’t followed it a closely as I should have. Until now. Jobs was referring to the fact that everyone has ideas, but real artists deliver or ship them. If you want to change your life, if you want to change your business, if you want to change the world, you have to take action. You have to ship. Many refuse to do this. They stand paralyzed, naked and afraid. Refusing to change. Waiting until perfection is achieved before hitting that “post now” button.
No more. I don’t want to be that guy. I want others to look at me and say, “that guy is full of ship.”
https://customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/drone.jpg168300Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2014-09-18 15:20:112016-10-20 15:04:51Please Tell Me I’m Full of Ship
Over the past couple of years, through our popular quarterly Lunch & Learn programs, we have tried to present new marketing tips, tricks and techniques.Our goals are to continue to help you add more arrows to your quiver to enable you to make your marketing efforts, and the measurement of those efforts, more effective.
Our next Lunch & Learn on Thursday, November 29, takes a slightly different approach.With the variety of marketing channels available, it becomes critical for successful marketing professionals to focus on the necessary tasks to support the organization’s marketing goals.In addition to the tools, it is also necessary to incorporate not just a project management tool, but a marketing management tool.Marketers must be able to effectively focus on how to create, store and distribute marketing content in ways that not only save money, but maximize resources while producing higher returns on marketing investment. And that’s exactly what our next Lunch & Learn will showcase.
Jon Davis, COO of lee|Stafford, will present marketing success stories that utilized their Beehive Protocol software.The Beehive Software solution empowers marketers to support multiple campaigns, channels and activities – both online and offline.In short, it provides ways to help marketers – Organize, Communicate, Respond, Track, Adjust and Improve.
Jon is a veteran of the medical device and healthcare industries. He has been instrumental in the development of patient communication efforts and in thousands of product launches that represent billions of dollars in sales for his clients, all using the BeeHive Protocol proprietary software that he helped develop.
Please join us for lunch as Jon introduces this concept of how to available software allows you to maximize your quick response marketing needs in compelling case study examples.
And if that is not incentive enough, one lucky attendee will win a new iPad Mini!
I look forward to seeing you on the 29th! Register here.
https://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.png00Paul Strackhttps://www.customxm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/custom-xm-logo-300x100.pngPaul Strack2012-11-19 14:51:142012-11-19 14:51:14What’s The Buzz? Join us for Lunch to Find Out.
it becomes critical for successful marketing professionals to focus on the necessary tasks to support the organization’s marketing goals.
