Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Change Your Scenery, Change Your Outlook



On the sixth floor of a Boston office building, a sprawling Art Deco lounge gives way to a row of small, glass-walled offices. While the offices seem identical, the residents are not. As you stroll down the hall, you’ll encounter data scientists developing smart-home technology, tech rooms packed with drones and virtual reality headsets, a venture capital start-up, or even employees of Amazon, General Electric, or Liberty Mutual insurance. What do they have in common? A desire to change scenery and synergy through shared office space.

“Moving out of the corporate office empowered us to think and work differently,” said Adam L’Italien, Liberty Mutual’s director of innovation.

While Liberty wasn’t short on space, three years ago the company moved its Boston-based innovation center to a rent-by-the-month office space called “WeWork.” WeWork is one player in a co-working explosion in Boston. Since the start of 2017, co-working operators have leased 1.3 million square feet of office space for collaborative bullpens that attract smart young workers. Collaborative spaces offer employees the flexibility to work remotely, ease in moving around the city (versus locking into a longer lease), and the creative energy co-working can bring. Ann Smarty of Entreprenuer says this:

"Co-working allows you the opportunity to network and collaborate with a wide range of bright minds. Proximity gives you the chance to ‘pick the brains’ of professionals in your own line of work as well as those in related fields. Working across the desk from someone with a completely different skill set can help you discover a new source of ideas . . . (and) you might find your brain is starting to work in different ways, too! Taking the risk to invite others to work alongside you breathes new life into the creation process and shows in the finished product.” 

Relationships: Our Most Valuable Resource

Whether it’s networking or collaborating, we know that together we can achieve things we never would alone. Business is constantly changing, and collaboration can shape insightful new perspectives. So where does meaningful networking fall in your list of professional priorities?

A recent LinkedIn study revealed that 70 percent of people in 2016 were hired at a company where they had a previous connection. But while 80 percent of professionals consider networking to be important to career success, 38 percent said they find it hard to stay in touch with their network.

What is one natural, rewarding way to overcome this obstacle? Doing business locally.

While it can be difficult to plug into regular networks or co-working opportunities, connected local communities are a great avenue for inspiration, feedback, and opened doors in the future. And vibrant local business relationships are a refreshing antidote to the isolation of the daily grind!

The Best Business is Born From Relationships

They say your “net worth” is only as good as your “network”. Local business partnerships foster a thriving business community that empowers us to grow in our goals, to collaborate on custom solutions, and to connect with important relationships and resources. It is our privilege to serve you, building a trusted partnership so that your print experience is better every time.

As you print here at home, we guarantee timely, best quality work from a printer who personally knows your product preferences, your past print specs, and the tailor services you’ve come to enjoy. As a bonus, staying networked with local businesses is thought-provoking, energy-boosting, and empowering! We enjoy our clients and look forward to great conversations with you this year. Thank you for your business.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

How to Bring in Trade Show Traffic



Picture this: it's three weeks before your next trade show, and you're no closer to formulating a plan of attack. Last year, the public milling about your booth was polite but lackluster. Your IT business may not be the most exciting one at the trade show, but you know you can do better. The good news is that you can. Here are some unique things you can combine with your print marketing efforts for maximum trade show results:

Look for Ways to Be Different

A company in Los Angeles called Finders Key Purse found they got the notice they wanted at trade shows by thinking slightly outside the box. Their product was aimed to make it easier for women to find their keys in their overflowing purses. Because they wanted to market their product primarily to college women, they decided to dress up as cheerleaders to make their booth both themed and identifiable.

The tactic had nothing to do with looking like a group of sorority sisters. The actual staff of the company was mostly composed of older women. With tennis shoes and silly outfits, they looked fun, friendly, and focused. You certainly don't have to dress up as cheerleaders to gain attention to your IT booth. But you may want to come up with a way to give your company a fresh makeover when it comes to your trade shows. Clothing is one major way that you can set your company apart, but it's certainly not the only way.

Stock Up on Freebies

Trade show freebies are some of the best parts of going to a trade show. Practically every company is giving out some type of gadget or item with their name splayed all over it. These are a great way to get noticed because it provides immediate gratification and keeps your company name front and center.

And of course, you're going to need a friendly staff and excellent printed materials. Once you hook people in with a little gimmick, you have the opportunity to introduce your business and give people an idea of how you can really help them get where they're going.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Branding Equity: What It Is and How to Build It



Carl is a business owner who is experiencing firsthand just how much the internet has revolutionized the consumer buying process. It used to be that a simple look at your products' features was enough to sway consumers to make a purchase. But now, it's all about the brand. In fact, Carl's brand has become his most valuable asset. That is why he is doing all that he can to build his brand equity and distinguish himself from his competition.

What is brand equity?

Brand equity is what your business is worth without its inventory. Or, more simply stated, it's about how valuable your brand is in the eyes of consumers and the relationships that you have with your customers.

To build brand equity, you must leave a lasting, positive impression regarding your brand in the minds of consumers. Your products and services and their demand and usefulness, of course, play a role in how well you can satisfy your customers, but they alone do not generate brand equity.

Top Tips for Using Marketing to Build Brand Equity

The steps outlined below are not in any particular order. They are three examples of essential steps that Carl has used to build brand equity, and each of them is an ongoing process. You don't build brand equity overnight, and then suddenly get to take a vacation. You must work at creating this type of equity on a daily basis just like Carl has done.

1. Release Information About a New Product
You can have a quality product that you know consumers will want to purchase, but they have to know about it first. This is why you should always distribute information about your products. Whether it be creating a product brochure or a how-to guide that goes into the packaging of a new product, you will want to provide as much detail as possible. In fact, Carl has found that the more in-depth and more detailed his brochures and how-to guides are, the more engaged his customers are.

2. Monitor Trends and Perform a Competitive Analysis
Building brand equity means you can adapt to changes as they occur, especially changes related to new trends that hit the marketplace. The best way to monitor trends is to keep a close eye on Google searches. You will also want to perform a competitive analysis to see how your competitors are keeping up with the latest trends. Chances are, you can benefit from employing many of the same tactics your competitors are using. Carl, for example, performed a competitive analysis and discovered three of his competitors were enjoying an increase in sales by offering seasonal discounts. Carl then went to a local print shop and had 1,000 business cards printed with a discount code on the back. Over the period of six months, the discount generated an eight percent increase in his sales.

3. Collect, Use and Distribute Customer Feedback
Lastly, since brand equity is all about how you appear in the eyes and minds of consumers, you will want to use their feedback and respond to it appropriately. Carl publishes his customers' feedback in the brochures and how-to guides he creates. Customer testimonials have been proven to be a huge asset in generating sales.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Top 5 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workplace





Many organizations today are looking for ways to become more sustainable. While there are some pretty out-there options for going green, most businesses can find more moderate ways to reduce their overall impact on the environment. Improving the energy efficiency of your office is really only the first step as there are plenty of options such as rescheduling offsite meetings as a conference call and more. See how these eco-friendly workplace initiatives not only tell a great story for the public but also benefit your employees and other stakeholders.

1. Limit Disposables

Many offices have a shared kitchen or break room, and you might find them stocked with a multitude of plastic cutlery and plates. One quick way to make your office more eco-friendly is to limit the number of disposables that you use in the office. You can easily encourage staff to use coffee mugs instead of foam or paper coffee cups, spoons instead of stir sticks, and real silverware instead of disposable options. Getting everything washed up only takes a few seconds, but this small measure can have a dramatic impact in terms of saving our environment.

2. Ditch Bottled Water

One of the perks available in many offices is bottled water or other drinks. Water bottles are one of the key issues with overfilled landfills, and swapping from individual bottles to a filtered water system or larger bottles can make a significant difference in the long-term quality of life on the planet.

3. Use Recycled Materials

Whether you are updating some of your office's interior or moving into a new place, look for ways to incorporate recycled materials in your office scheme. Using recycled materials allows you to reduce your carbon footprint and show your customers your commitment to doing something nice for the environment. Look for opportunities to recycle in all corners of your office -- from using recycled paper for your business cards to upcycling older office chairs and furnishings.

4. Adjust Your Thermostat

Did you know that a single degree adjustment can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year based on the size of your office? Your employees are unlikely to even notice a small change of only a degree or two. You might be surprised to find that many of your staff actually appreciate not freezing in the summer and sweating bullets in the winter!

5. Update Your Appliances and Light Bulbs

Your appliances and light bulbs could be costing you money! That little red standby light that you can see on many electronics means that there's actually a trickle of electricity pumping through at all times. Turning items completely off will save you energy.  Swapping traditional light bulbs for low-energy fluorescents is another eco-smart change!

Have you gained some inspiration for ways to make your office more eco-friendly? These easy tips are ones that -- once you get in the habit -- you're unlikely even to notice are there. Some of the changes may even benefit your staff, and all will help make the world a better place to live both now and in the future.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing and Human Resource needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

#print #directmail #printmarketing #marketing

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder, Greenpeace