Are Print Management Services Signaling the End for Print Buyers?
As an in-house corporate print buyer, “Dee” has managed print spend budgets ranging from $15 million to $80 million for large ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Over the last decade, she has become increasingly concerned for the print industry and the talented print production professionals who lose their jobs as Print Management Services swoop […]
This Labor Day Thank Canada and the Print Industry For Your Day Off!
I resurrect this post every year so we never lose sight that print and the printing industry has significant impact on society – sometimes even bigger than we realize. On Labor Day, while you are grilling away and sipping on a nice cold refreshing cocktail, don’t forget to take a moment to thank Canada and PRINT for […]
I Got 99 Reasons to Attend PRINT 18 and Edu-Slacking Aint 1
You, yes YOU. What have you done for yourself lately? Specifically in the print education department? If you are still thinking about that question, I can almost guarantee you are not doing enough to keep the focus on the future of print and your business. KNOWLEDGE is what separates you from the pack. Sharing it […]
7 Ways to Score Higher on the Customer Leaderboard
When your customers rank you on their supplier scorecard, do you know how you are rated and what data is being used? In my experience, many printers don’t know the answer — nor do they use any kind of customer feedback process to make improvements. Without a clear process, you can be in jeopardy of losing […]
The Significant Cost of Outsourcing In-House Print Buyers
Among all the useless, and often industry self-generated questions of print relevance is a related topic that doesn’t get much airtime – Print Management Services. Print Management Services come in many flavors, but at the core, these are companies that have workers either placed within or acting as Print Production Managers / Print Buyers for […]
5 Things Every Printer Needs to Know About Marketing Automation
Marketing automation has been a hot topic for years, so why should you care now? Forrester predicts that industry growth for marketing automation platforms will continue at a rapid rate, reaching $25.1 billion annually by 2023 from $11.4 billion last year. (Source: MarTech Today) This growth is fueled by increased penetration, particularly in mid-sized […]
To Get Ahead in Print, Choose Wisely and Surround Yourself with Excellence
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn is quoted as saying we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Whether you are advancing your printing career or running your own business, you MUST aim high to get ahead. Start by surrounding yourself with excellent people. Choose knowledgeable and good hearted people with […]
Do You Smell What I Smell? Clean Up Stinky Data, Stat!
If you are using your customer’s stinky old data and mail lists for email or print-to-mail campaigns… PLEASE DON’T! As printers and marketers, we have to set the bar high when working on customer campaigns, and that means using proper data hygiene methods. If your customer’s data doesn’t pass the sniff test, take the steps […]
It’s Your DUTY to Make Print AMAZING
Can we please up our game? I yearn to see AMAZING print, but there are days when all I see is CRAPPY print. You see, I volunteer in the high school college and career center. When it’s slow, I file college brochures and viewbooks. New brochures flow into the center daily, and the annual view books […]
5 Reasons Why Printers Will NEVER Get Inside an Advertising Agency
Greetings Citizens of The Printerverse. It’s me… though today I’ve swapped-out my Intergalactic Ambassador antennae for my Print Buyerologist hat while I am writing this post. We are 41 days into 2018 and I have been keeping track of the meaningful vs. meaningless marketing material and “cold-call” emails from printers and suppliers that flood 4 […]
Print and All That’s Good and Decent
Have you noticed that print has become one of the good guys? We’re not selling our data to the bad guys. We’re not setting up algorithms that only benefit our paying customers. We’re not slowing down access to those who can’t afford to get on the information superhighway. Print is good and decent. It’s fascinating […]
Printed Coupons Make Life Easier for Busy Families
Who wants pizza? Don’t forget to add the anchov…I mean, the PRINT! Okay, I admit it. We are a path-of-least-resistance family. When it’s time to get an oil change or get a haircut or do the dry cleaning … or order pizza (yay!) … we are all about whichever printed coupon is right in front […]