Insights and inputs from our team and around the web.
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- Written by: Contributing Writers
Let’s be honest. Nobody likes spending money on their mailing database. But these days, it’s essential to improve profitability any way you can. One of these ways is by eliminating any duplicates your mailing list may contain, especially since these duplicates may be costing you more than you might think.
Think you don’t have enough duplicates to worry about it? You might be surprised. Creating duplicates is easy. A customer must contact or order from you more than once. Now, enter the human element. A CSR (or even customers themselves if they are ordering online) might enter things a little differently from the first time during order entry. They might miss a period, use an alternate spelling, or abbreviate a street name rather than spelling it out. Now you have a new record. What are the consequences?
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- Written by: Super User
At first, you might see labels as a simple product. They need to stick to your folding cartons, your envelopes, and your corrugated containers. They need to look nice, give the buyer information, and reflect your brand.
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- Written by: Super User
Did you know that the United States Postal Service is giving you free multichannel exposure every day? You don’t need to do anything extra to receive this benefit, although there are some tricks you can use to make the most of it.
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- Written by: Super User
When designing any printed piece, it’s essential to think about the aesthetics of color. But did you know that color can have very practical benefits, too? Here are some crucial ways that color can boost your bottom line.
1. Helps people remember. Not only do you want recipients to pay attention to your messaging, but you want them to remember it too. Study after study shows that when messages and images are in color, it increases recall dramatically.
2. Helps readers find information more easily. This is an excellent benefit for insurance policies, contracts, and other lengthy documents. The ability to find information quickly translates into fewer calls to your customer service line. Every one of those calls has a cost associated with it. When you can give recipients greater clarity when reading medical, legal, and other transactional documents, this translates into real money.
3. Reduces errors. When people can find information more quickly, they make fewer mistakes. Highlighting instructions or account information helps people get it right the first time.
4. Slashes payment time. When people pay faster, you make more money. Use color to highlight the amount owed and the due date, and watch your invoices get paid faster.
5. Increases the ability of readers to understand and retain information. This is great for all types of marketing and sales.
When you want to draw your readers’ attention to something, consider printing it in color. Make phone numbers or payment information stand out in a letter. Highlight discounts in a brightly colored starburst. Use arrows or colored bullets to focus attention on critical points in a brochure.
The takeaway? Color matters — not just in your graphics but in your messaging, too. Let us help you use color to make you money and save you money!
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- Written by: Super User
There are many channels that allow you to communicate with your customers. From direct mail to email and social media, the options have exploded. But not every customer prefers the same channels, and depending on the type of communication, customers might prefer different channels for each. Get the channel right, and you make it easy for customers to communicate and buy. Get it wrong, and customers can tune you out, even if yours is a product they want or need.
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- Written by: Belinda Sanchez, Communications & Events Director, AIA San Antonio
Two years in the making and the Women in Architecture Network of AIA San Antonio has been able to successfully bring the revolutionary Say it Loud Exhibition* to our city. A feat that simply could not have been done without the early and steadfast support of Thomas Printworks. From the beginning, when we approached Christi Dockery to share our vision for the exhibit, we were fortunate to receive her full support. We shared our desire to give the exhibit the statewide stage of the TxA Conference and also to build an exhibit that would have the integrity to travel, so that multiple metropolitan areas and universities across Texas would have the opportunity to see and experience this ground-breaking exhibition.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Sometimes you want a little extra in your direct marketing projects. What you are doing may be great, but there are times when you need a little something more. When that happens, you can look to specialty techniques and processes. Here are five design techniques for when you need something to knock your audience’s socks off.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Brand image matters. It’s how consumers see your brand, whether it’s positive or negative, and whether it’s a brand they want to be associated with. What’s your brand image? Hip? Edgy? Socially conscious? Are you the “go-to” destination for people who love adventure?
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Let’s face it. Marketing isn’t easy. There are so many things to think about — creative, offer, list, personalization, and more. Are those extra hours of investment worth it? To find the answer, let’s look at the results of a classic study from The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Conducted in conjunction with Dr. Frank Romano, professor emeritus of RIT, and one of his students, David Broudy, the study took a deep dive into the impact of varying elements of a campaign on response rates. Elements included name, geographic imagery, and marketing message. This is an older study, but because of its depth and controlled research, it offers rare insights that every marketer should be aware of.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
When you see the logo of well-known brands like Starbucks, Target, and UPS, you instantly recognize the company and what that company is all about. That’s the power of a great logo. But no matter how well designed, logos need an update now and then. Color trends change. Design styles evolve, and businesses evolve, too. As a result, logos become outdated. If that’s you, maybe it’s time to consider a redesign.
Here are a few questions that you should answer before asking any designer to get started.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Want to delight and engage your shoppers? Bright, colorful floor graphics offer various marketing benefits, including navigation, branding, and messaging. Floor graphics are durable and lightweight, and because they are designed to be removable, you can switch them out regularly. Here are five ideas for using floor graphics in your marketing:
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Do you have loyal customers? Do you even know? According to experts, there are “loyalty behaviors” that, when tracked, can help you understand how loyal your customers are. Once you have the answer, you can develop marketing strategies to improve loyalty where necessary and keep those customer relationships strong.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
If you haven’t added promotional products to your marketing mix, you are missing an opportunity. Promotional products like branded pens and refrigerator magnets, or even more unusual items such as branded toys or back scratchers, reinforce your brand every time the recipient sees or uses them. Branded promotional products also tend to be kept for more extended periods than traditional marketing pieces, giving you a very low cost per impression.
Branded products are powerful tools to have in the marketing arsenal. However, ordering these items isn’t like ordering print. Here is a quick checklist to make the most of your investment.
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- Written by: Brianna Long
Remember all of those forecasts about the demise of print? They haven’t come true. Like most offline channels, direct mail took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is still remarkably effective. Research by PFL found that, even during the pandemic, marketers were 18% more likely to see “good” or “very good” ROI when direct mail was in their marketing mix than when it was not.
Let’s look at five reasons why print continues to thrive, even in our digital and multichannel world.
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- Written by: Heidi Walker
Think print is starting to “lose its cool” in the age of digital marketing? Actually, the opposite is true. With the growth of digital, print has solidified its place as a channel that marketers cannot ignore. Here are five print marketing statistics that every marketer should know.
1. Some customers can only be reached by print.
Even in today's digital age, there are still large groups of consumers who cannot be reached through digital channels. According to the Pew Research Center, 11% of Americans have no Internet access at all, and among certain populations, such as older Americans, rural Americans, and those without high school diplomas, this number is significantly higher. (Source: Pew Research Center, 2018)
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- Written by: Ivania Garcia
For nonprofits, every dollar they spend on overhead, administration, and marketing is a dollar not spent on their mission. Not surprisingly, there is an intense focus on which marketing channels are most effective. So which channel works best for nonprofits? A study by YouGov provides the answer: direct mail. In a survey of more than 1,150 U.S adults, YouGov found the following:
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- Written by: Ivania Garcia
Recently, a question was posed to a group of printing and marketing professionals: “Why do you love print?” It is an intriguing question. What draws people to the world of paper and ink? What makes them fall in love with this medium when there are so many others available?
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- Written by: Ivania Garcia
What happens when you optimize and test your print and mail marketing? You watch your results soar. A nonprofit organization that went from a 68% drop in year-over-year registrations for its annual conference to a 933% increase in registrations.
How did they do it? Let’s look at the step-by-step process used and that you can apply to your marketing, too.
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- Written by: Ivania Garcia
At first, you might see labels as a simple product. They need to stick to your envelopes and mailing boxes, your bottled products, or your folding carton packaging. They need to look nice, give the buyer information, and reflect your brand. But if you think this is all there is to it, think again.
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- Written by: Ivania Garcia
Far from being an outdated method of advertising, print continues to push the envelope and offer new and cutting-edge opportunities for marketing. Want proof? Just look at a recent advertisement from Toyota.
The ad was designed by Saatchi & Saatchi for the 2018 Toyota Camry. By tapping into the unique capabilities of print, the ad did something that digital advertising cannot do—it teased all of the reader’s senses.
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