Getting It Right: The Power of Consistent Brand Colors

Have you ever wondered why certain brands instantly catch your eye and remain etched in your memory? One reason is their consistent and reproducible use of brand colors. Think Coca-Cola Red, McDonald’s Yellow, and Facebook Blue. Whether on a direct mail piece or retail packaging, buyers recognize these brands based on color alone. Highly identifiable brand colors are a company’s most significant marketing asset.

 

Do you have highly identifiable brand colors? If so, how do we, as your printer, ensure that these colors are accurate and consistent from run to run?

                                              

Steps to Great Color

We start by printing to industry standards. In the commercial printing industry, these include GRACoL, SWOP, XCMYK, and for spot colors, Pantone.

 

The printing process is complex, however, and various factors, including the settings on the press, the base color of the substrate, and the type of inks, impact your color. It is also dependent on the printing process used. Offset, digital, and wide-format presses all reproduce color differently. To compensate for these differences, we adhere to rigorous standards, use sophisticated color management software, and employ best-in-class color measurement tools.

 

We measure how close we are to the target color every time your job is run, whether it’s a repeat job on the same press or a project spread across multiple presses. To do this, we use a measurement called delta E. (The word “delta” means “change.”) A delta E is the change from one color to another. If you spec a color, the difference between your proof and the final color is measured in delta Es. Although a delta E can be as small as one, the human eye has trouble distinguishing differences this small. Most customers find delta Es between two and four to be acceptable.

 

Consistent color also requires your files to be adequately produced. If there are errors in the file, it limits the ability of our systems to compensate. Great files in = great printing out.

 

Take Time to Get It Right

If you have colors that are critical to your brand identity, take the time to sit down with us and talk about them. Let’s go over your expectations and steps for proper file preparation. Working together, we can ensure that your brand colors are reproduced consistently, repeatedly, and accurately.

Harness the Power of Visuals to Tell Compelling Stories

Our brains process visual information 60,000 times more quickly than text. Hence the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s why selecting the right photos and illustrations for your campaign objectives is so important.

Let’s look at a few ideas for making the most significant impact.

1. Use high-quality images. Nothing grabs your eye faster than a high-resolution, full-color image that jumps off the page. The minimum resolution for printing is generally 300 dpi. For web use and email, check with us for recommendations.

2. “That’s me!” People respond to images of people who look like them. If you are marketing to Millennials, don’t put Gen Zs on the front of your postcard. Mirror the interests and demographics of your target audience.

3. Tell a story. You can tell powerful stories with nothing more than an image. An exhausted working mother sits behind her desk, shopping list in hand, anxiously watching the clock approach 5:00 p.m. A commuter on a crowded bus looks longingly out the window at a fellow traveler cruising by on a bicycle.

4. Demonstrate your value proposition. Illustrate how your product or service will help solve the problem. A “fast, fresh” restaurant might show the working mother placing a hot, healthy carryout meal on the table for her family. A bicycle manufacturer might show the commuter now cruising on a new bike, wind in his hair, with the crowded bus fading in the distance behind him.

5. Use the real thing. Instead of a stock photo of a corporate team sitting around a conference table, hire a professional photographer to take shots of your team. Show your delivery drivers. Your customer service reps. If prospects can believe your pictures, they can also believe your words.

Images and photos are available in many formats and resolutions. Pictures that work for websites and social media may not be adequate for print, so let us help. Let us help you select the right images in the right formats to make your marketing materials resonate.

Tapping the Hidden Goldmine of Customer Retention

In today's competitive business landscape, who doesn’t want new customers? We all do! However, innovative businesses understand customer retention is the path to sustainable profitability. By nurturing and retaining existing customers, you can save on marketing costs and benefit from increased customer lifetime value and a more substantial brand reputation.

Let’s look at five strategies for effective customer retention that can significantly impact your bottom line.

1. Budget for it. Just as you allocate resources for customer acquisition, it is equally important to budget and plan for customer retention initiatives. This includes investing in customer relationship management (CRM) systems, customer support infrastructure, loyalty programs, and personalized marketing campaigns.

2. Start early. Don’t wait until someone has been a customer to start your customer retention efforts. Start the moment they become a customer. From smooth onboarding to providing helpful, relevant updates to promoting the benefits of your loyalty program, establish a strong foundation by delivering exceptional customer experiences right from the start.

3. Speak to them personally. One-size-fits-all marketing approaches need to be more effective. To engage and retain customers, personalized messaging is crucial. Leverage customer data and analytics to understand individual preferences, purchase history, and behavior patterns. By making customers feel valued and understood, you strengthen their emotional connection to your brand, improving loyalty and retention rates.

4. Bring dormant customers back. Customers who have become inactive or dormant can still hold significant potential. Rather than letting them slip away, create reactivation campaigns to re-engage with them. Analyze their past interactions, purchase history, and reasons for disengagement. Craft targeted messages or special offers to entice them back.

5. Use your customer list to upsell and cross-sell. Your existing customer base is a goldmine for upselling and cross-selling. Leverage your list to identify complementary products or services that align with their previous purchases. By effectively upselling and cross-selling, you increase revenue per customer and deepen the overall customer relationship, making it harder for competitors to lure them away.

Customer retention should be a top priority for businesses seeking long-term profitability. By creating a comprehensive plan and allocating resources to this effort, you can foster strong customer loyalty and maximize your profitability potential.

The Call to Action: Small Changes = Big Impact

A call to action (CTA) is an essential element of any marketing piece, as it prompts the reader or viewer to take a specific action. Thus, we should expect minor changes to the CTA to impact the effectiveness of the marketing piece significantly, and they do. Here are three examples of how simple changes to your CTA can have a significant impact:

1. Be specific: People are more likely to respond to precise instructions rather than vague or general ones. Thus, making the CTA clear can make it more actionable and more likely to lead to a conversion. For example, instead of using a generic CTA like "click here," a more specific CTA like "download your free e-book now" would be more effective.

2. Keep it simple: A too-complicated CTA can overwhelm the reader, leading to indecision or inaction. Keeping the CTA simple can make it more appealing and easier to act upon. For example, instead of using a long and complicated CTA like "Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates and exclusive offers," use a simpler CTA like "Subscribe now!"

3. Match the CTA to the right stage in the buying journey: The CTA should be appropriate to the buying journey the reader is in. For example, a CTA to "buy now" may be suitable for someone ready to purchase, but it might be too aggressive for someone still in the research phase. Instead, a better CTA for someone just starting to research a product might be "learn more" or "request a free consultation."

Overall, small changes to a CTA can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of a marketing piece. By making the CTA specific, simple, and appropriate to the stage of the buying journey, you can increase the likelihood of conversion and achieve better results from your marketing efforts.

5 Tips for Building Trust with Customers

Building trust is essential for any business or organization. Without trust, it isn't easy to establish and maintain relationships with customers. So how do you use your marketing materials to build trust? Let’s look at five tips that work regardless of your marketing channel.

1. Be authentic.

One of the most important ways to build trust is to be authentic. Whether it’s in direct mail, email, or social media, use clear and straightforward language. Avoid using jargon that sounds stiff. Additionally, be open and responsive to feedback from your audience. Responding quickly and openly to criticism or negative feedback shows that you value your audience's opinions and are willing to address any issues or concerns.

2. Be consistent.

Consistency is vital when it comes to building trust. Haphazard branding that changes from channel to channel and campaign to campaign comes across as unprofessional. Consistency helps to establish a solid and recognizable brand identity which, in turn, helps to build trust over time. Use the same colors, fonts, and tones in your communications, including social media, email marketing, and print materials.

3. Use testimonials and reviews.

Testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers can be powerful in building trust. Customers trust other customers more than they trust brands (called “social proof”), so include testimonials or reviews from real customers who have had positive experiences with your business.

4. Personalize your communications

Personalization is another effective way to build trust. It shows a level of investment and attention to detail that indicates that you are serious (trustworthy) in your communication with them. For example, print customers' first names on your direct mail pieces and use them in the subject lines of your email marketing campaigns.

5. Use high-quality design and photography.

Whether creating print materials or designing a website, invest in high-quality design and photography that accurately reflects your brand identity. If your print materials look cheap, customers will think your products are, too.

Building trust with your audience is essential for any business or organization; remember, the process takes time. So keep at it. Whether you're using print or digital communications, remember these tips to help build a solid and trustworthy brand identity over time.

 

What’s So Great About Event Marketing?

Event marketing is a powerful tool because it offers a unique opportunity to engage with potential customers and create memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression. Direct mail, email, social media, and other marketing channels play essential roles in your marketing mix, but in-person events offer something unique that other channels don’t. They allow attendees to interact with the brand and experience it firsthand.  

Here are three reasons you want to incorporate event marketing into your marketing toolbox.

1. Events make it more personal.

Does your brand have a personality? You bet! Events allow you to showcase that personality and connect with your customers personally. It makes your company feel, well, more human. People like to buy from people, so get buyers to engage with your brand at in-person events, and you will increase sales and win their loyalty.

2. Events make products more memorable.

In-person events offer a multi-touch, multi-sensory experience that profoundly embeds information in customers’ memories. This is what makes trade shows so powerful. Studies show that attendees who have physically interacted with a product (such as in a product demo) are more likely to remember that product and retain it in more detail than products they learned about in a passive environment.

3. Events let you learn more.

Events are great for meeting people, learning more about your customers and prospects, and gathering the information you can use in marketing long after the event. Use registration forms, interactive booth or seminar games, badge scanning, and other techniques to gather as much information about attendees as possible. After all, they have pre-qualified themselves as high-value leads just by being there, so take advantage of this opportunity!

Want to learn more about event marketing and how to use booth graphics, displays, and marketing collateral to support your event marketing efforts? Let us show you how!

 

 

 

Get Those Envelopes Opened! 9 Tips

What’s the secret to boosting great response rates to direct mail? Getting recipients to open the envelope! The best-written sales letter can’t work until the recipient opens the flap. Here are nine tips for piquing recipients’ interest and engaging their curiosity.

1. Get creative. Try new substrates, such as smooth, heavier stocks that show off your colorful designs or textured stocks that offer a high-end feel. So many options — vellum, glassine, polybag-type envelopes — try them all!

2. Go big! Consistently, oversized envelopes get higher response rates than #10 envelopes. Larger pieces stand out in the mailbox, and with their oversized dimensions, people can’t help but wonder what’s inside.

3. Go windowless. Window envelopes are often used for statements and bulk mail, so a plain, windowless envelope is more likely to get opened.

4. Use teasers and other on-envelope messaging. Consider placing dynamic messaging on the envelope's front, back, and even inside. Your copy should provoke curiosity but not give everything away.

5. Mix it up. Keep mixing up your messaging and design. Each time you send a mailing, it should feel fresh and new.

6. Add a personal touch. Make the recipient feel special. Whether it’s through personalized printing, using a legible script font, or actual handwriting, give it that personal touch.

7. Use an actual stamp. Recipients notice when you use genuine stamps. It tells them this isn’t just another bulk mailing and piques their curiosity.

8. Put it between the T’s. Unless you want a campaign to drop on a Monday or Friday, the best open rates tend to be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Shoot for these days for your in-home windows.

9. Don’t over-saturate. Six weeks is a reasonable interval between mailings. This way, you stay fresh in your prospects’ minds without becoming a nuisance.

Envelopes offer many creative possibilities, making them a versatile and effective tool to convey your message. For the greatest success, embrace your creativity, tailor the encounter, and experiment with fresh ideas now and then!