Print Perfection: 5 Must-Haves for Choosing the Right Print Partner

Do you think all printers are the same? Not at all! Even though two print shops might have the same equipment, they might have very different philosophies, quality standards, and customer relationships. To help you find the right partner for your printing needs, here's a quick checklist of questions you'll want to ask during the vetting process.

1. Do they prioritize customer service? From the first interaction, you should feel valued. Your printer should listen to you, take the time to walk through your options, and help you find solutions when you're stuck.

2. How do they handle mistakes? Everyone makes mistakes. When your printer makes a mistake, how do they handle it? In a healthy partnership, a printer will take responsibility for its errors and do it quickly and transparently. Ask your printer for examples of how they've handled mistakes in the past.

3. Do they have "The Right Stuff"? As your business grows, your printing needs may change. Maybe you only need direct mail today, but you might need signage down the road, too. Or perhaps you will decide to launch your product line and need packaging. Ask how they are growing and investing in their business to ensure they can grow with you.

4. Do they stay on top of industry change? The printing industry continually advances with new techniques, substrates, and approaches. Does your print provider keep pace with those changes and offer you the best, most flexible solutions available?

5. Are they good communicators? A great printer should keep you in the loop at all stages of production—from project kickoff to final delivery—and return your calls promptly.

Selecting the right print provider involves more than choosing a company with the right production equipment. It requires choosing one with a philosophy that matches yours, one that will be there for you over time, and one you can trust. Find those things, and your partnership will be worth its weight in marketing dollars.

More Than Just a Product: Unleashing Your Value Proposition for Marketing Mastery

When you create marketing campaigns, are you reflecting your value proposition in everything you do? You might think you only sell products, but it’s more than that. Think about a company like Campbell’s. Sure, the company sells soup, but its tagline is “Mmmm, Mmmm. Good.” Its ads show families around the table, enjoying a meal together. The company’s value proposition isn’t, “We sell soup.” or “We help you create healthy meals your family can enjoy together.”

Innovative companies know their value proposition and communicate it, directly and indirectly, every time they send a direct mail piece, blast an email, or design product packaging.

Let’s take a closer look.

1. Identify your unique value. 

What’s your value proposition? Do you know? A value proposition is the more profound value your company promises to deliver should people choose to buy your product. Ideally, it is something distinctive to you.

Let’s say you offer plumbing services. There might be 50 plumbing companies in your area, so what makes yours different? Your value proposition might be, “We show up within a 15-minute window—or your money back.” If you’re a dental office, it might be, “We make dental cleanings stress-free!” Sit down with your team and brainstorm until you can summarize it into a single sentence.

2. Consistently fulfill that value proposition.

Your value proposition is essentially a promise, so keep that promise every time. Fill your dental office with happy, colorful wall stickers and train your staff to serve with a smile, even when they’re having a terrible day. Always have a backup plan in case a plumbing job runs long. Consistency creates trust and loyalty.

3. Use your value proposition everywhere.

Be communicating value proposition, directly or indirectly, in every communication. Create brochures with images of children with dazzling smiles and parent testimonials about the helpfulness of your dental staff. On your direct mail pieces, add online reviews about the promptness of your plumbing service.

As you develop your marketing strategies, remember that your value proposition should be the foundation of your efforts, guiding every communication and touchpoint. Ultimately, this will lead to stronger connections and greater success.

Tips for When You Need the “Wow” Factor

Not every print piece needs a “wow” factor, but what happens when it does? Maybe you are launching a new line of high-end clothing or cosmetics or have an audience for luxury goods you want to impress. That’s where print embellishments come in. Print embellishments are visual or tactile add-ons that create a higher level of engagement than even the best 2D designs can do.

 

When you need that extra “wow” factor, consider one of the following options:

1.   Embossing: This technique uses a punch against the back of the sheet to create a raised image or pattern on the front. When even a simple design is embossed, people can’t help but reach out and engage with it. 

2.   Debossing: This technique is embossing in reverse. Instead of elevating the image, you’re depressing it into the sheet. This creates a debossed image instead.

3.   High-gloss coatings: Not only are high-gloss coatings beautiful to look at, but they provide a layer of durability and protection, as well.

4.   Matte coatings: There is something luxurious about matte coatings. They are soft to the fingertips and just feel like luxury.

5.   Spot coatings: Combining high-gloss and matte coatings in the same design adds contrast, creating pop and visual interest. Layer a glossy highlight over a matte finish, or do the reverse. Draw the eye by designing a matte finish within areas of high gloss.

6.   Die-cutting: Cut your project into fun and interesting shapes or create cutouts like peek-a-boo windows within the page. Send your invitation to the opening of your retail shop in the shape of a house.

7.   Foil stamping: Nothing says “luxury” like beautiful gold, silver, or colored foil.

These are some of the most common print embellishment techniques, but they are not the only ones. Call and ask for recommendations if you’re looking for something unique and these aren’t the perfect match. We can suggest other ways of turning your print design from fun and creative to a true showstopper. 

 

Using Social Media to Amplify Your Direct Mail

Are you looking to boost your marketing results by going multichannel? Businesses looking to amplify their direct mail efforts often pair direct mail with email. That's a great strategy. But you know what else is a great strategy? Pairing direct mail with social media.

What makes direct mail and social media so complementary? Customers love direct mail and social media and use and respond to each channel differently. Print's tangibility leaves a deeper footprint in consumers' brains, resulting in more accurate recall and higher buying intent. At the same time, social media is proven for ongoing, spontaneous communications that keep your customers entertained and engaged. With both channels providing different benefits, why not pair the two?

Let's look at five ways to use direct mail and social media together:

1. Engage with the social media sites your target audience will most likely use. For example, 73% of people aged 30–49 use Facebook, twice those who use Instagram or Twitter. If your target audience is Gen Z, however, they will most likely use TikTok. Create strong content and add links in your posts to drive people to your purchase pages.

2. Focus on deep, relevant content. Regardless of channel, use your social media posts to tell stories. Invite customers to post their user-generated content, and encourage them to share your posts with friends and family. Storytelling is a robust engagement and marketing tool.

3. Use online tools to gather your social media followers' email and postal addresses. Use that data for future cross-channel marketing.

4. Use social media to announce when upcoming mail offers are on their way. Social media can be a great way to build anticipation and excitement around your promotions and deals.

5. Cross-pollinate your content between social media and direct mail. For example, use quotes from online reviews or social media posts in your direct mailers to give credibility (a practice called "social proof").

Want to further explore the connection between direct mail and social media? Let's talk!

Do Your Brochures Need a Facelift?

When was the last time you updated your product brochures? Are you still selling all of the same products? Are there new products you need to add? How about your customer base? Has it evolved? Does the messaging need to be updated to reflect who your customers are now? It might be time if you haven’t updated your brochures in a while. Here are six tips to get you started.

1. Hit the highlights.

A brochure isn’t a catalog. Hit the highlights, including key features and benefits. Save the details for another time.

2. Target key markets.

Increase the power of your marketing by segmenting your brochures for specific purposes. Instead of printing 10,000 of one brochure, for example, try breaking the run into four versions of 2,500 each. Use segmentation to promote individual product categories or target key audiences.

3. Limit your font choices.

Don’t over-clutter your space or create visual confusion with too many fonts. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than three fonts in any piece.

4. Incorporate white space.

Brochures are designed as door openers, not sales closers. Be selective. Use white space to create breathing room and keep the design clean and inviting.

5. Use high-quality stock.

People associate the quality of your paper stock with the quality of your products. Don’t skimp!

6. Include a call to action.

Even though you might not want to give a hard sell, you still want a call to action. Otherwise, your audience may read the brochure and set it aside. CTAs are critical to getting your audience to take the next step.

Need more great ideas? Give us a call and let one of our designers guide you through the process.

Pantone Color of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse

There is little more comforting for many than a cup of silky, creamy chocolate mousse. Even looking at a picture of this delightful treat can make you hungry. Perhaps it is not surprising that Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025 is Mocha Mousse 17-1230, a creamy, velvety brown that looks like it belongs swirled in a dessert glass.

What is the Color of the Year? It’s Pantone’s choice to represent the emotions and themes of the upcoming year. The company has been inspiring others with its selections since 2000. Since then, designers in every industry, from print to fashion to interior design, have looked to Pantone for inspiration.

How can you use Mocha Mousse?

·       Select it as a primary background color to evoke a warm and inviting atmosphere.

·       Try it as an accent color to add depth and sophistication.

·       Combine Mocha Mousse with warm complementary colors, such as Cannoli Cream and Safari, to create an ambiance of warmth and comfort.

·       Combine it with soft, feminine colors like Cornflower Blue, Viola, and Rose Tan for a soft, floral feel.

When you use Mocha Mousse in your color palette, you join leading-edge designers from Motorola, Joybird, Ispsy, Spoonflower, and Libratone, all of which incorporate this color into their product and marketing designs this year. The warmth of velvety chocolate is everywhere, from phone cases and earbuds to upholstered furniture and wallcoverings.

What are designers saying? “Pantone Color of the Year 2025 evokes grounding, calm, and emotional healing,” notes Natalie Benmayor, designer and founder of Capsule Eleven, making sustainable jewelry. “[It dissolves] fear and stress while nurturing inner strength and reassurance.”

Emma Gage, designer and founder of Melke, which produces sustainable eclectic fashion, concurs. She refers to Mocha Mousse as the “vibrant synergy of creativity and connection.”

Ahhhh that sounds wonderful, right?

How could you use Mocha Mousse to create connection and warmth in your designs this coming year?

 

Why the Call to Action Can Make or Break You

Whether it's a postcard, an email, or a webpage, your call to action (CTA) motivates your target audience to respond to your offer. Simple changes can often make a big difference, so testing your CTAs to see if they can be improved is essential. Let's look at three real-life examples to see why.

Case Study #1: The Power of Exclusivity

Visit Santa Barbara (VSB), an organization that promotes tourism to Santa Barbara, CA, uses influencer programs to promote this beautiful, sunny California destination. To engage influencers, VSB has typically reached out to previous participants in its program, complimenting them on the value of their partnership and inviting them to return. But could the approach be better? The marketing team decided to find out.

Instead of asking for the influencer's partnership, VSB framed the program as an exclusive team with limited opportunities to join. Influencers, VSB indicated, would participate in luxury adventures and private sailing excursions. It followed with the CTA: "Santa Barbara is searching for three influencers to embark on our biggest partnership yet!"

Visit Santa Barbara received more than 500 applications for just three spots.

Case Study #2: From Bland to Grand

When encouraging prospects to contact the company for pricing information, Funeral Funds, a company helping families pre-plan for funeral costs, used the CTA "Get Quote Now!" Studies show that consumers respond to commands rather than suggestions, which is not a bad approach. But, Funeral Funds wondered, does the CTA reflect what its prospects are looking for—the lowest rates? So Funeral Funds changed the wording to "Get The Best Rate Now." The result? A 17% increase in leads.

Case Study #3: What They Want

A software company encouraging website visitors to seek product pricing used the simple call to action: "Learn More." The CTA had a 2% click-through rate and 10% of those who viewed the pricing converted into paying customers. But "learn more" is very general. Could visitors looking for pricing interpret the CTA as "learn more about the software," and if so, not be motivated to click through? So, the company changed the wording to "View Pricing." The click-through rate rose from 2% to 5%. The conversion rate rose to 20%.

The takeaway is clear. Use the most straightforward, compelling CTA for each campaign and target audience if you want better results. If you're going to do A/B tests, use the power of digital printing to see which approach really shines.

 

Examples are drawn from "The Call to Action: 5 before-and-after examples of effective CTAs (with the results to prove it)" (Marketing Sherpa).