Print Blog: Communicate, Motivate, Educate, Enhance, Celebrate, Animate, and Promote with Print and Promotional Products

Colleges seeking students and their parents make a big investment when they select the insitution they plan to attend for the next four years. One of the important tools a University marketer has to attract students are the printed brochures, printed booklets and printed folders that are sent out when a prospective student requests additional information. 

It's the midst of summer and the last thing you are thinking about is New Years Eve, but from a business marketing perspective, perhaps now is the time you should be planning ahead?  Not where to go to celebrate, but instead, printing custom calendars for your staff, your business associates, potential customers or current customers. 

Using a QR Code on printed collateral or promotional items can be a great new way to incorporate print with Internet.  Using A QR code to encourage "likes" on a Facebook page or to share information through a webinar is a great way to have your message projected directly into a person's phone.  After all, what could be  more powerful than to have your phone number where a potential customer is most likely to use it?

Your brochure is sometimes the lasting impression that a customer has about your company.  It can create a positive image or poor image, dependent upon how well it's put together. 

Printing promotional items or mailers with QR or Quick Response codes is becoming more and more popular as smart phones such as the Android, Blackberry and iPhone become more prevalent.  With a simple app that can be downloaded and installed on the phone, the phone becomes a portal of opportunity for online commerce. 

Printing the next brochures may be on the agenda, but before they are printed there is the design that must be taken into consideration.  The content is written, and you have a rough layout, but there are three principals of color that must be taken into consideration.

When summer's heat has your customers thinking of the beach, are you able to stay top of mind with them?  How can you get your message into your customers head, or top of mind?  Here are 5 neat summer promo items that can help your message and brand while your clients are vacationing.

Everyone's heard of Geico if you haven't you must be living under a rock. They advertise on TV and radio all the time, the reference to living under a rock comes directly from one of their latest television ads. Geico clearly understands the value of repetition and keeping their name and brand in front of the customer. Printing and direct mail is an effective way to get their message in front of additional eyeballs but only if they can guarantee the envelope is opened each and every time.

Recently I purchased tickets from Ticketmaster to the band Furthur, the latest incarnation of The Grateful Dead, I'm a bit of a deadhead from way back but that's a story for another day. The tickets came via first-class mail I opened them as soon as they arrived to be sure they were correct. Inside the envelope along with the tickets was a printed flyer advertising Geico insurance highlighting both their 800 number and website. I couldn't avoid it if I wanted to, if I wanted to see my tickets Ihad to look at the Geico brand and their message.

It's ingenious Geico includes their printed message inside an envelope they know I'm anxious to open. They overcame the biggest obstacle in direct mail getting the envelope opened so the message is seen.  Everyone gets direct mail it's as big today as it's always been most people recognize it from a mile away and discarded it without even opening the envelope. That's one reason why the direct mail response rate is relatively low. Partnering with Ticketmaster allows Geico to guarantee that their printed insert will be seen by the end-user.

QR or quick response codes are an excellent way to help customers find your information.  When scanned with the camera on a smart phone, and using the application, the black and white square becomes a gateway to a website or contact information.  Since you determine where the QR code directs your customer, it's up to you what the person who scans the code will receive after scanning. 

Now as the leaves start to blossom on the trees and the grass is green again, you may not be thinking of printing holiday cards.  Having a holiday card that you send out through snail mail is an old fashioned and genteel gesture that speaks volumes about quality and service.