Posted by Chris Higgins on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 @ 12:24 PM
A customer recently decided to utilize our Web To Print solution for their business cards. The original goal was to reduce the cost of the cards. they quickly realized a Web To Print solution could provide even more valuable savings by revolutionizing their entire ordering process.
Before Web To Print they had to create group orders of cards to get the lowest price, look at the steps they went through just to order business cards.
Manager sends an email to all employees asking who needs business cards.
Manager follows up to make sure everyone responds.
Manager gathers all the responses and contacts the printer with a list of employees that need cards.
The printer spends the next week creating proofs of each card and sends the proofs back to the manager.
Manager emails the proofs to each employee asking them to approve the proof or make changes.
Manager follows up on all the proofs because many employees don't respond.
Manager collects changes on all cards that are not correct, sends the changes to the printer and the entire process is repeated.
Ordering business cards took 3-4 weeks and created irate employees. The process was not only inefficient, it drove the manager and the employees crazy.
The Web To Print solution changed the process to one that is complete in minutes.
Look at the process using Web To Print.
Employee logs in and either views their existing card or creates a new one. They make any needed changes and view an electronic proof within seconds, they submit the order and they're done.
Manager receives an email that an order is waiting for approval, the manager logs in, approves, changes, or deletes the order, once approved it goes right to production.
What used to take far too much time and too many resources is complete in minutes with Web To Print.
The customer saved close to 40% on the cost of the business cards, which for a company of 500 employees is significant, but the real value is the amount of time they saved, and the increased productivity they gained by changing the ordering process. In fact they are so happy with what Web To Print did for their business cards they are exploring ways to implement Web To Print for their document holders, presentation folders, overnight packages and envelopes. If they can get the same efficiencies as they did with their business cards, its like money in the bank.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 09:31 PM
The advertising giant BBDO West recently teamed up with Goodwill and Levi's to promote the message of recycling used clothing.
The suggestion to donate your jeans to Goodwill when you no longer want them (or maybe gain too much weight?!) appears just below the washing, drying and ironing instructions on the laundry tag.
Goodwill builds brand awareness while simultaneously aiming to reduce the estimated 23.8 billion pounds of clothing that annually gets tossed in the trash by Americans alone. By offering its tags for promotional advertising, Levis brands itself as a company that cares about the environment.
What's particularly brilliant about this advertising strategy is that it encounters the consumer at the point of his or her decision making. The message to recycle may even urge the jean owners to keep other materials out of the waste stream as well.
Promotional advertising is most effective when you have a captive audience, when your message is emblazoned across an item that your target audience uses in their everyday life.
Customized Business Envelopes aren't as sexy as Levi's jeans, but they are a golden opportunity to broadcast your brand when a consumer buys tickets to a concert or entertainment event. Mini pocket folders for gift certificates may include bonus coupons for a restaurant or any business.
And for real estate agents, attorneys and travel agents, snazzy-looking presentation folders that keep documents neat and orderly may just have a longer lifespan -- and advertising potential -- than the jeans you are wearing right now.
Posted by Chris Higgins on Mon, Apr 06, 2009 @ 07:47 AM
I was throwing away an envelope the other day and the postmark made me stop; the postage was $0.83; not that big of a deal if I was the only one receiving the letter but it was a form letter that probably went to thousands of people. $0.83 multiplied by thousands turns into real money pretty quick.
It was an oversize envelope, 9x12 with a window. As someone who knows a lot about envelope printing I figured it must contain a bunch of information, but no it was a single page letter. The envelope alone cost about three times what a standard #10 envelope costs. when combined, the cost of the over sized envelope and the additional postage, added almost $1.00 per mailed piece.
We talk with people every day about envelope printing, these days everyone is looking to cut costs, and most see envelope printing and envelopes as a commodity. It's true you can get envelopes from hundreds of envelope printing companies and frankly there's not much difference from one envelope to the next. If you can save a penny per envelope or even half a penny why not do it. But if you want to save some serious money focus less on the price of the envelope printing and more on how the envelope will be used.
Postage is one of the biggest costs especially since the postal service went from a weight based rate system to a size and shape based system about a year ago. Under the new system using the wrong kind of envelope can double the cost of postage.
In this example one simple step would cut the cost by more than half, use a different envelope. A standard #10 envelope would do the same job as the oversize envelope at about 1/3 the cost, and the postage for a #10 envelope at first class rates is $0.42 instead of the $0.83. If the mailing goes to thousands of people that's some serious money.
There's more to the cost of
envelope printing than just the envelope. You can create some some real savings by thinking about how the envelope will be used and considering all the factors involved, especially postage. For more information on postage rates and the new size and shape restrictions visit
www.usps.gov