The most important reason to go to any show is to see all the products in a category that you are about to invest in. So if you wanted to buy a digital thingamabob then you could see all the new digital thingamabobs all at once.

But there are other reasons to go including the educational seminars. It’s probably the best place to catch up on something you may have put on the back burner or something new that you need to learn more about. In fact, this is the first year that I can remember that the entire seminar track was “clean sheeted” or started fresh with a clean sheet of paper, thanks to our friends at CalPoly.

I suspect one hot subject will be opportunities to sell more marketing services.  Although discussions about shifting from a PSP (print service provider) to a MSP (marketing service provider) have been around for a while, the technology and success stories will be more accessible than ever.

Another hot subject will be inkjet printing. Considering the size and cost of these machines not all the manufacturers will bring them, but many will bring samples. This show may be the best showcase for inkjet printed samples.

In addition to seeing the inkjet printed samples, another important thing to consider is learning more about the new markets and applications for inkjet printing. The traditional markets are transactional printing (bills and statements) and direct mail, but different manufacturers are discussing other markets.

A few years ago Oce started to talk about newspaper applications. Today they point to Madrid-based publisher Imcodavila that prints 6,000, 80-page broadsheet papers each day, a pilot project with personalized editions of The Washington Times Weekly Edition and most recently “niiu,” the world’s first custom newspaper in Germany.

Last year HP made it clear that they are focusing on the book market. In an open house at O’Neil Data Systems they talked about how they were targeting books with installations at CPI, Europe’s leading book manufacturer, and Courier Corporation, North America’s third-largest book manufacturer.

Some companies are targeting a more broad appeal. It’s not easy to find lower cost inkjet devices that are fast but Riso and Xerox (Phaser) have products which are pioneering use in the office market.

Companies such as Agfa and HP are using inkjet for industrial applications and label printing. In fact, the tag and label market may be the emerging market for all types of digital printing. Based on announcements made at Labelexpo we may be seeing toner-based devices from Xerox and Xeikon targeted for label and packaging applications.

There are many more companies offering inkjet products including EFI, Kodak, FujiFilm, Impika, MGI, Miyakoshi, Olympus, Ricoh/InfoPrint, and Screen. So when you go to Graph Expo plan on hitting a few seminars, make a list of the products you are researching or considering buying and learn more about emerging markets and applications. Lets face it – it does not matter which technology you use as the demand for traditional products and services declines success will come from new markets, applications, and opportunities.

Howard Fenton is a Senior Consultant at NAPL. Howie advises commercial printers, in-plants, and manufacturers on workflow management, operations, digital services, and customer research.

The most important reason for this disparity is that many companies have attempted to sell web-to-print solutions using the same marketing and sales techniques they’ve used for years to sell traditional job-based printing services.  And to put it bluntly, that approach simply won’t work – at least not very well.

Web-to-print solutions differ in significant ways from traditional job-based printing services, and these differences demand a different approach to marketing and sales.  But in addition, the whole business-to-business marketing and sales landscape is changing, and tactics that were effective only a few years ago don’t work nearly as well today.  To successfully sell web-to-print solutions, companies need a new approach to business development – one that reflects both the unique attributes of web-to-print solutions and the new realities of B2B marketing and sales.

I’ve just published a white paper that describes the “secret sauce” for growing sales of web-to-print solutions.  This paper discusses the important differences between traditional job-based printing and web-to-print solutions and the major changes that are underway in the B2B marketing and sales environment.  Then the paper describes the three core components of an effective web-to-print business development program.

If you’d like a complimentary copy of this white paper, e-mail me directly at ddodd(at)pointbalance(dot)com.  Please note that our fulfillment system is not configured to work with webmail services like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Let me add just a few personal thoughts on this subject. One of my favorite functions of eBooks is the onboard dictionary. The ability to immediately find out about the meaning of a word an author is using is still a wonder and joy of the ereading experience. In an eBook you just highlight the word in question and up pops a dictionary. I will admit to this small group of 15,000 of my closest friends that when reading an analog book I would usually guess the meaning of a word I didn’t know by the context of the sentence. I rarely got up to seek the dictionary, which we do own here in Copake, but I have rarely used when reading a novel. An additional personal note is this: If perchance I asked my wife Carol what the word means she immediately gets up and pulls out the unabridged dictionary and reads me the complete dictionary definition. So there you have two completely different approaches to similar conditions.

What of our children and our grandchildren? Only time will tell, but I think the Oxford English Dictionary made a sound decision when you consider the costs and more specifically the time involved in production, manufacturing and distribution, not to mention the actual usability statistics. There is not expected to be another edition for at least 10 years. Can you forecast what the reading experience will be like in August 2020? What will the size, shape and robust nature of the iPad and its sister clones be like in 10 years? The iPad is not even a year old and it has rewritten the directional maps of the publishing industry. The fact that in the 21st century Time Inc. has to rethink what a subscription is, because Steve Jobs says so, is both humbling and perhaps a bit foretelling.

“I sent my soul through the invisible,
some letter of that afterlife to spell;
and by and by my soul returned to me,
and answered, “I myself am Heav’n and Hell””
- Omar Khayyam

Since the announcement I have been contacted again by many of our sponsors and suppliers in the industry asking how they could sponsor or attend the conference. I have explained that this conference will be unlike any other since we will not have vendor/supplier sponsors in attendance. In conjunction with the CEO Forum, we will present the CEO of the Year award at a dinner ceremony. The award dinner is sponsored by manroland but is not part of the conference.

Our mission with this conference is to present objective content to attendees without any perception of an agenda from industry suppliers or sponsors. I wanted to just provide clarification again that this content will be presented without input from suppliers and we think this provides a unique venue for printing executives.

We want our attendees (printing executives) to know that they will be mingling only with their peers with no pressure from their suppliers. This is not to say that events that have sponsors are tainted. We believe an event without sponsors presents an opportunity to deliver a different experience for attendees. Last year’s event was great and this year will be even better.

If you are a printing executive, this event will detail what you should know about economics, resources, Internet, technologies, products, strategies, and trends that will shape the future of print. Structuring your printing business for success is the bottom line and our mission with the Print CEO Forum is to help you do that.

For more information, visit www.PrintCEOForum.com

Randy Davidson,
President
WhatTheyThink

In conjunction with HP, Dscoop has scheduled a truly unique partner event. The first-ever Dscoop/HP Partner Summit will be held at the same time as Dscoop, but at the nearby Orlando Marriott World Center. HP’s entire graphic arts sales force will attend, as well as scientists from the R&D teams and HP Labs in Israel. Engineers from partner firms will be able to attend, giving them the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their technical counterparts at HP.  Gold and Platinum partner firms will also have the opportunity to present to the HP sales force, educating them about their products and how they fit into the HP ecosystem.

Eric Hawkinson, Executive Director for Dscoop, told me, “We reached out to Dscoop and HP partners to ask them how we can make their partnership with HP more valuable, and this is one of the ideas that came out of that discussion.  We are building bridges where they have never been built before, especially for smaller partners that may not have as much opportunity as a larger partner might to interact directly with HP scientists and sales professionals.  We believe this event, where we expect at least 400 attendees, will be a game changer that will alter the digital landscape.”

Hawkinson cited one partner as an example, indicating that MindFireInc will be bringing its Thai engineers to the event.  “This is not a one-way dialog,” he added. “We expect that our partners will also bring innovative ideas to the table that could affect HP’s future plans.  The outcome will be a unified roadmap that has all of us pulling in the same direction.”

Kudos to HP and Dscoop for this massive undertaking.  We will look forward to reporting on the outcome post-event.

Dscoop is also expanding into Latin America and Asia, and plans lots of news starting in November about what Hawkinson describes as “truly remarkable” changes to Dscoop that will increase its value to members.  He says, “If you are an HP Graphic Arts customer, you will want to be a member of Dscoop.”

The picture above was taken not in a printing museum but in the letterpress department of Taylor Corporation’s Tatex subsidiary in Waco, TX. Somewhere in the room is what’s currently believed to be the oldest Heidelberg press still in operation in the U.S.

Here’s a closeup of the veteran piece of printing iron: a 10″ x 15″ Heidelberg Windmill platen letterpress, Serial No. 35345E, built in 1951, acquired by Taylor Corp. in 1996, and running to this day.

It’s just one of many Windmills currently owned and operated by Taylor Corp., a global print network with 70 subsidiaries and 9,000 employees. Heidelberg recently located the press through a contest in myHeidelbergONLINE, its web newsletter. It reported that the press, equipped for foil stamping, stays busy imprinting napkins, Christmas cards, wedding invitations, and related products. Taylor Corp. now has about 220 Windmill presses in its plants across the U.S., down from a peak of 500 Windmills in the late 1980s.

The Windmill press, so called because of the revolving blades that feed, position, and deliver the paper, is based on a platen press design introduced by Heidelberg in 1913. By 1967, according to this article, Heidelberg had built over 175,000 platen presses—one press every 14 minutes. “Still the most versatile presses on the market, they can print, imprint, number, perforate, punch, slit, emboss, die-cut, score and hot foil stamp,” the article says of the Windmills.

This video shows No. 35345E in action, and this one explains the Windmill printing method in detail.

Heidelberg thinks that there may be even older presses bearing its brand still hard at it out there, and the search continues for the oldest working example in the U.S. Printers in the 50 states who believe they have Heidelberg press equipment that predates No. 35345E are invited to send the serial numbers to (email hidden address not shown).

That’s because the city of Philadelphia wants them to pay what has been incorrectly labeled a “blog tax”—a development reported by Philadelphia Citypaper last week. The tax would apply, said this story and many subsequent reports, to any blog published by a Philadelphian that makes money from advertising, even if the income is minuscule. Tales of people being hounded for earning as little as $11 for their blogging pains soon abounded.

Written by an intern, the Philadelphia Citypaper story got a viral kick when it was picked up by major news media including The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, and local Fox television. Many in the blogosphere, predictably, were outraged, as a Google search for “Philadelphia blog tax” instantly reveals.

But, here’s the hitch: although the tax in question is real, it isn’t a new levy, and it isn’t specific to blogging. It’s Philadelphia’s existing Business Privilege Tax (BPT), a fee that applies both to businesses and to individuals who earn freelance or consulting income. Those subject to it must pay $50 annually or purchase a lifetime license for $300.

The controversy arose when the Philadelphia Department of Revenue began notifying bloggers of their obligation to pay the BPT. It found them, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer, by using Internal Revenue Service information that identifies everyone in Philadelphia who has reported income from blogging and other taxable pursuits to the IRS.

Bottom line: there is no “blog tax” per se in the city that Benjamin Franklin made famous, although its tax authority now foists the BPT on bloggers as it does on anyone else meeting the description of “individual, partnership, association and corporation engaged in a business, profession or other activity for profit within the City of Philadelphia.”

Although responsibility for the “blog tax” misnomer could be said to lie with Philadelphia Citypaper, accusing the paper of “churnalism,” as this second-guessing commentary does, isn’t fair. Semantic confusion aside, the article deserves some credit for reminding all who read it of the difficulties that cities routinely heap on their small businesses.

Philadelphia media consultant Sean Blanda takes Philadelphia Citypaper to task for careless reporting. But, he also blasts the BPT as one facet of a tax structure that “can be crippling to entrepreneurial activity and innovation.”

“Any business located in the city boundaries of Philadelphia is here despite the city government and not because of it,” he writes. “The ridiculous city business privilege tax and the wage tax…are just a few examples of the hurdles many businesses face by choosing to do work in Philadelphia.”

The situation also turns a spotlight on the value of blogging as a promotional activity for small businesses. Gene Marks, an accountant and a small-business author, thinks that in most cases, it’s an exercise in futility.

“The City of Philadelphia is providing a service,” he writes in a critique of blogging for Bloomberg BusinessWeek. “They’re making us face the fact that most small business owners shouldn’t waste their time on a blog. Instead of writing about the state of society…they should be reviewing their overhead, meeting with potential customers, and helping their employees do a better job. Not blogging.”

Most small-business blogs are “terrible,” according to Marks, and few succeed as marketing tools. But that doesn’t matter to the city of Philadelphia, which wants its cut from the brilliant and the blithering alike. Will it be only a matter of time before other cash-strapped municipalities put similar tax hooks into their bloggers in the unlikely event that they manage to make a buck? Will they decide, as Fields used to say, that “It’s morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money”?

After months of delays, People magazine last week announced they will offer their publications free on the iPad to magazine subscribers. Up until now, the iPad versions of People, Time, Sports Illustrated and Fortune have cost the same as the newsstand price. But if you talk to people who are Kindle fans you learn that they are outraged when publishers charge the same or a slightly lower price for the digital editions. Most people are willing to pay for digital content on their e-readers but they want it for less than their printed counterparts.

This may be what has motivated People magazine’s parent company, Time Inc., to offering its brands on iPad, including Fortune and Sports Illustrated, for free. But who will make money if it’s free?

A new survey by Oliver Wyman, sponsored by several publishers including Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corporation, and Time provides some answers. The report finds that by offering a robust product clearly differentiated from print, can result in publishers earning more than $1.3 billion of incremental industry revenues. The study concludes that print and interactive bundles justify a price premium.

“Unlike analog and digital versions of other media, the two formats of print and interactive are perceived as complementary by many periodical subscribers – 30% of renewing subscribers chose a bundle of both the print edition and interactive edition, at a 33% premium to the stand-alone price of either. The interactive format enables effective marketing of additional subscription sales via recommendation engines and browsing features.” This opportunity to expand subscription relationships turned into additional sales for 17% of current subscribers, the report found.

But there is a hitch. Over a dozen photo agencies that supply celebrity pictures from the paparazzi are teaming up to withhold their product unless they get an additional cut from People magazine. As a result, the launch of People’s iPad app has been delayed. As the situation develops, other publications are waiting anxiously for a solution since whatever deal they come up with could set the standard for the industry.  Photo agencies are taking an interest in the iPad because while they get a fraction of their print fee for the online usage of their snapshots, they recognize the potential for the tablet market to be another form of revenue.

What makes more sense: free publications for e-readers or discounted publications?

Howard Fenton is a Senior Consultant at NAPL. Howie advises commercial printers, in-plants, and manufacturers on workflow management, operations, digital services, and customer research.

“Adding the resources of A Printing Office to the content of WhatTheyThink’s flagship blog is the most efficient way to deliver this information to all of the readers we serve,” says Eric Vessels, COO of WhatTheyThink. “Our editorial commitment to small and medium printers remains strong, and we’re looking forward to giving their segment the coverage it deserves at PrintCEO.”

A Printing Office has been online since April 2008. Suggestions, tips, and comments can be e-mailed to Pat Henry at (email hidden address not shown).

The antagonist that brought about the necessity for this debate is the advent of the now very popular iPad, and with it the new magazine applications that are increasingly available and seemingly very successful. There are many title-specific apps such as Popular Science, Wired, Sports Illustrated and, of course, the resourceful Zinio bullpen of thousands of iPad-ready titles.

But the new wrinkle is that some pundits have now suggested that these successful apps are not actually magazines at all. Dr. Samir Husni declared in his blog a few weeks ago that if it’s not printed on paper, it’s not a magazine.

I have countered such logic with a precise definition of a magazine, broadcast on the web, at WhatTheyThink and in Publishing Executive Magazine some four or five years ago and actually anticipating this very debate. Simply stated and without the full details, my friends and fellow analysts at mediaIDEAS suggest that a magazine must have the following criteria: It must be paginated, edited, designed, periodic, permanent and date stamped.

It is my opinion that these simple rules allow for us as an industry to move easily from where we were to where we absolutely must go. My definition prepares us for the eventual day when a publisher’s digital revenue surpasses the printed revenue stream without in any way damaging either our integrity or honorable legacy. We can have everything that we were, and still look proudly and boldly into a new and profitable future.

I feel that maintaining the requirement, as some have suggested, that “it ain’t a magazine if it ain’t on paper” will only doom us to be an afterthought in the assuredly strong digital future now way beyond our doorstep.

The iPad is here to stay, and by the time you read this, it will probably have sold around 3 million units. But wait, there is more. Other manufacturers with even newer technologies are nearby and on the prowl.

The iPad is an LCD device that emits light, just like your desktop or laptop computer. I have one, and I agree with most pundits that it is really a terrific platform, performing tricks that prove that, in some cases, size does matter. It is easy to read in most, but definitely not all, lighting conditions.

I promise you that the next logical and very important step will be full-color, e-paper devices that work on reflective transmission like real paper, and therefore, will be easily readable in all lighting conditions. I have already seen these new devices. I have held them in my hands and used them. These new displays are truly a sight to behold. They will work and be readable in any lighting condition from the beach to the bedroom. Well, now that you mention it, just like a real magazine-only better.

This is not science fiction. This is not some lab experiment that may come to us in some far, distant future. This is here, now, and ready for your magazine. Yes, I said magazine. If we as an industry get stuck in some romantic and antique affection of what was, we will be looking sadly from the sidelines at what could have been.

Holding the aforesaid dialog in mind, here are several predictions:

• ● This year we will publish more printed magazine titles than we produced last year.
• ● Next year we will probably publish and produce more printed magazine titles than this year.
• ● The unfortunate corollary to this prediction is that in each year, we have been and will continue to produce fewer and fewer printed pages. Actually that is not so much a prediction, but a verifiable trend. If you look at the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB) data, you will see that printed ad pages are continuing to take a downward turn.

The industry we knew and loved will not turn around, nor rejuvenate. It has fundamentally and irreversibly changed. Our hope and the salvation of our revenue stream is in creatively adapting and joining the future of information distribution, instead of, at best, jousting at paper windmills. The new magazine business will do just fine with or without the romantic semantics of what constitutes a magazine.

But it’s not always easy to convince potential clients that significant cost savings are really possible.  Part of the problem is that most corporate marketers don’t have a complete and accurate picture of what they are really spending on marketing collateral documents and other marketing materials.  It’s fairly easy for marketers to identify what they’re spending with outside suppliers such as agencies, designers and printers,  but this level of visibility does not exist for many other collateral-related costs.

This creates a challenge for W2P solution providers because until corporate marketers see what they’re actually spending to obtain and use marketeing materials, they aren’t likely to give an automated collateral management system consideration.

I’ve uploaded a brief article to Scribd.com that discusses the “invisible” costs of marketing materials and describes how marketers can make these costs visible.  Having an accurate picture of these costs will give marketers a strong incentive to boost the efficiency of their collateral management operations and make the value of an online collateral management clear.

The article can be accessed here.

What do you do when a family member is stricken with cancer?

You offer support in any way you can. Encouragement. Prayer. Help with the chores, pay a couple of bills. Whatever it takes to help him or her focus on the fight at hand.

The same holds true for your extended family, doesn’t it?

You offer support in any way you can. Whether a lifelong friend, a neighbor, a colleague at work, you naturally want to help.

As part of Team Centurion, I’ve joined with colleagues from around the globe to raise money for LIVESTRONG, the cancer foundation started by cyclist Lance Armstrong, on behalf of our good friend and fellow printing industry analyst, Steve Reynolds.

Steve selflessly raised money on behalf of other cancer victims by riding in three LIVESTRONG “Century” (100 mile) events over the last three years. This year’s ride would have been Steve’s fourth ride except for his June diagnosis of Stage 4 Colon Cancer. Despite the advanced stage and extreme seriousness of his situation, Steve is rising to the challenge and has begun his fight.

My colleagues are normally competitors with each other and Steve, but we’re united by something much more powerful than commerce – hope, courage and a determination to crush cancer. I will be joining colleagues and friends the afternoon and evening before Graph Expo opens in Chicago on October 2nd to show our support for Steve.

People who have been Steve’s customers and competitors will take a spirited 1.5 mile walk to show our support of his personal fight against cancer. We will gather at 4:30 at The House of Blues in downtown Chicago during which we’ll stop to toast Steve at two pubs.

Then, at 7:00 PM, we’ll arrive at the D4 Irish Pub & Cafe for a reception and dinner buffet sponsored by AR Advisors, Oce, Ricoh and Xerox. Everyone, whether a walker or not, is welcome to join us at the dinner. A $25 minimum contribution to LIVESTRONG is requested. Join us any time during the evening that’s convenient for you, but please confirm your attendance in advance if at all possible.

Coincidentally, October 2nd is “Livestrong Day,” so named because on that date in 1996 Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer. Or, as he put it: “The day I was diagnosed with cancer was the day I started to live.” Lance realized he had to grab hold of his life and take nothing for granted. He made a decision to face his illness with courage, strength and dignity. On October 2, Lance Armstrong became a survivor.

The money raised in Steve’s honor by Team Centurion will go to support LIVESTRONG’s programs and services, which inspire and empower people affected by cancer. If you or someone you know is diagnosed, these resources will help them to face the challenges of cancer, head on, and live life on your own terms.
Please support Steve and help make a difference in the cancer fight.

Come to the events in Chicago to demonstrate your support. If you cannot make it, no problem. Simply visit the Livestrong website to make a contribution

Thank you!

1). They first identified their target customer as being 39-49 years old with a propensity to travel – business or pleasure.

2). They came up with five elements of differentiation to establish their value proposition for their targeted market;

a. Loyalty program called Welcome Rewards equating to 1 free night for every ten paid nights. Any number of different trips and/or hotels can be used to accumulate the 10 paid nights.

b. A toll free phone line (800-2-hotels) operates 24/7 with access to listings and reservations at 85,000 hotels. While booking can be made on line, they feel that clients want access to a person.

c. Risk free booking policy

d. Lowest price match guarantee

e. Customer review capability. More than a million client reviews of their hotel experience are available on line.

3). They next chose media channels where there competition was not advertising, such as;

a. Advertising in major airports,
b. Shuttle buses to/from airport parking,
c. On flight airline magazines (partnership with American Airlines),
d. Hang tags from the rear view mirror of rental car (Hertz partnership),
e. On coffee cups and cup sleeves at the airport, and
f. News video advertising targeting business travelers in hotel elevators.

4). The clay cartoon character, “Smart,” was chosen not as the spokesman for Hotels.com but rather an advocate for the Hotels.com experience. He appears in all printed, URL, television, and video advertisements.

5). Augmented Reality (AR) videos were prepared on the ten most popular cities in the United States to visit and vacation. By going to virtualvacay.com the prospective customer can view and “experience” each of these metropolitan meccas before making reservations. The Hotels.com marketing team was delighted to see that the average visitor to the augmented reality website was spending 8 minutes there.

However, the expanded and future use of augmented reality is on hold because the bounce rate was too high. It turns out that most customers do not have webcams, which are necessary to interact with the AR videos.

Walia feels that the continued advancement of smartphones will add to the utility and practicality of AR. He hopes that the future smartphone capability includes a prospect holding his phone up to a hotel and the room rate is retrieved.

In conclusion InterACT 2010 presented case studies and principles on the use of the variety of social media in supporting your client’s branding and marketing efforts. Social media is a growing tool used by customers to get access to yet control specific information, which they want. The interactivity is creating a dialogue with customers.

Surveys indicate that customers still trust their printer and ad agency to help them learn about these new tools and how to apply them as an integral part of their marketing campaigns. Initially printers will have to hire consultants to teach them the ropes. But the learning curve, as expressed by numerous InterACT 2010 presentors, can be quick, exciting, and lead to new business.

Perry Lawrence, President of the Video Marketing Association, describes the web hierarchy as being Web 1.0 – a flat brochure, Web 2.0 – email, and Web 3.0 – interactive video. While this may not be the more colloquial technology definition of the various Web levels, it does suggest the upscale transitions for interactive communications. In discussing SEO – search efficiency optimization – Lawrence claims, “Google likes video much more than text.” With their recent purchase of YouTube it would make sense that Google would be tying video into their search criteria. Lawrence also has a consulting URL, www.askmrvideo.com, which helps newbies get started in generating their own videos.

David Harbour, a RE Max realtor in Washington DC, presented several examples of how he is using videos to market his practice to clients interested in DC real estate but located some distance away. He advises adding a video to your firm’s periodic e-newsletter. “Also always offer Skype meetings” as a preferred improvement in customer service,” he remarked.

Harbour feels that Video testimonials on your website automatically elevate your url above the mundane. The video commercial is quickly replacing the elevator speech of telling a prospect about your service in only a minute or two. The ideal video length is 2-3 minutes and must always include a “call to action;” give us your email address for additional information or download the white paper for more detailed implementation ideas.

“Studio video capability is simply not necessary,” according to Harbour. “Nor is a written script,” opined Lawrence. When you are speaking in your core competency, the only scripting needed is an outline of points to be covered. Don’t worry about not sounding as smooth as the 6:00 o’clock news anchor. Be yourself and enjoy a few sloppy successes. Harbour added that with the experience of doing only two or three videos you quickly develop your video voice and an obvious (to the observer) comfort level.

The Jing Pro Help Center (www.jingproject.com) provides step by step advice in preparing videos for uploading to YouTube. For example, be sure that you record videos in MPEG4-AVC format. YouTube does not support SWF video format.

Lawrence concluded, “Cover only one topic per video.” Include a few key words, a challenge or two, a problem resolution, and the call to action. Harbour concluded by reiterating that videos are excellent customer service tools without regard to their obvious selling assistance.

In-plant take aways: The key strength of virtually every leading in-plant is its customer service. Clients know that the in-plant will hold their hand and resolve virtually any graphics imaging issues whether it be pre-flighting files, sending files to the FTP site or answering questions about Postal regulations. Helping clients prepare personal videos that might be promoting an upcoming departmental event is another prime example of an expertise that the in-plant can develop.

The in-plant could start by having their own customer service or management personnel prepare a select few instructional videos on how to update your departmental website with current information, for example. When the client sees how much the visual aid helps their own understanding of the topic, they will be recruiting the in-plant to help them prepare an informational video.

A single session was dedicated to the topic at InterACT. While the growth expectations have stagnated some what, the state of Transpromo, or what some are calling Transinfo, remain the same, that is;

1) The marketing promise of leveraging variable data to provide additional custom information of value to customers in the white space on their transaction statements exists.
2) The software is proven and success stories abound over the entire globe.
3) Isolated conversions are reported but presumably the users consider the application experience to be confidential and refuse to share their story from any podium.
4) Specialty print providers are dominant in this market niche and are virtually unheard of in the main stream printing industry, e.g., DST and Cathedral Printing to name two. (RR Donnelley bought Wallace and Astron in the UK, who offer these services.)
5) Both the perceived and actual level of IT expertise required to offer these services is high and daunting to printers of all size. And the investment in infrastructure – skilled personnel, hardware and software – rivals a new web press.
6) No visionaries are stepping forth to suggest that any of the social media elements described in detail at this InterACT conference will contribute significantly to either the consumer experience with transinfo or the hurdles to be overcome in changing corporate culture to adopt this application.

In-plant take away(s): The In-plant printer could be the EXCEPTION to the overwhelming resistance of the commercial printing industry to adopt this unique variable data printing application. Consider the ultimate client bases for higher education and state governments, i.e., students and taxpayers, and the on-going statement communications in place.

Student loan and grade summary statements go out each semester though most loans are by e-presentment. State governments issue annual auto registration renewals and a myriad assortment of license renewals.

The white space could be used to relay departmental or class information. New regulations may pertain to select licensees. Automobile dealers would pay the entire freight of the statement to include an “advertising onsert.” Keep in mind that three leaves of 20# bond are under the one ounce postal threshold.

Because the organizational trend in these institutions is to have the in-plant printing facility be part of the IT department due to digital workflows, Internet usage including responsibility for web mastering, fewer IT department are installing digital printers. Instead they are wisely linking into the in-plant’s network that typically have excess capacity.

While the low volumes and infrequent issuance of these statement examples do not currently excite any of the traditional transpromo software vendors, the aggregate quantities represented by thousands of universities and dozen of states is an appealing economy of scale. The template opportunities for near standardized applications is intriquing.

These two entities are not generally teaming with entrepreneurs. However, the overwhelming tendency to share their success stories with peers could present collaborative niche applications to secondary variable date software vendors to step up.

Zugara is an interactive marketing and advertising agency that was the inventor of the application in 2005. Matt Szymczyk, Co-founder and CEO of Zugara (www.zugara.com), remarked that online AR is the most popular application and is being fueled by the increasing use of webcams and videos. The kiosk-based applications are coming on strong. Mobile AR is expected to be the focal point for future applications as future utility is key. Currently there is limited processing power in cell phones and even smart phones. The future for this technology is marker less, which is being replaced by facial detection. As smart phones increase their power to handle streaming video, the software developers are anticipating complaints from smart phone users in having to find and download appropriate markers to initiate AR.

Hotels.com had a complete marketing case study presentation, which will be described later. One of the innovative aspects of their marketing approach was a series of augmented reality videos prepared on ten major cities in the United States that vacationers may want to visit. This AR allows the vacationer to have a virtual tour of each city before they visit it. The unique website www.virtualvacay.com. Hotels.com was pleased that the average customer touring the AR spent 8 minutes doing so. However, future AR apps are on hold because of the high bounce rate. Too many customers simply do not have webcams.

The key question to answer, “Does the AR application add value to the consumer and their decision making process?”

In-plant take away(s): Colleges and universities would be natural prospects to utilize augmented reality because of the proliferation of beautiful, unique architecture and venues around so many of the campuses. An over whelming marketing objective of most admissions departments is simply to get the prospective student and their parents to visit campus. This reason alone is why so much money is spent on the printing of campus view book. An AR video would complement and supplement the view book by offering a more in depth tour of the Engineering School or the track facilities along with key professors teaching or coaches.

In-plants may not be expected to have the on staff design experience or expertise to develop unique AR videos. However, after observing how the first one is done, everyone may realize that this is comparable to a YouTube video and with a little practice quite acceptable 2-minute capsulations are easily attainable.

Since 2003, the Monaghan family has been using a children’s book they created to raise money for the fight against sarcoma—a deadly form of cancer that took the life of the life of Brian J. Monaghan, age 34, in 2002. He and his father, John Monaghan, were co-owners of International Holographic Paper, and the younger Monaghan was the inventor of the technique of combining 2-D custom holograms with registered lithography. This process enlivens the 32 pages of The Adventures of Snooky Under the Sea, a tale of a castaway cat co-authored by Brian’s sisters, Karen Monaghan-Arnone and Maureen Monaghan-Faber. Another Monaghan family business, Brian J. Publishing, distributes the book and donates a portion of the proceeds to sarcoma research and to a scholarship in Brian’s name.

Last week, the book made news in a curious way when it was reported that another “Snooki,” Nicole Polizzi of the reality TV series Jersey Shore, had been turned down by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) when she tried to register her moniker as a trademark for printed matter and books. Noting the similarity of “Snooky” in the trademarked title of the Monaghan family’s book, the USPTO rejected Polizzi’s application because of the confusion it might cause. However, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Monaghan sisters are willing to discuss a deal with Polizzi if it will help the book and the good work that it supports.

BRD Printing Inc. of Lansing, MI, is completing a business expansion that includes the addition of 4,000 square feet of plant space and the installation of a new six-color, 40″ press, reports the Lansing State Journal. According to the story, the 33-year old company has defied the recession by continuing to record year-over-year growth. The company now has $5 million in annual sales, and the story says that BRD Printing has been able to undertake the $800,000 expansion without the help of local tax incentives it relied on for growth in the past. “Mostly we retain our customers over the years because I have a heck of a staff and a lot of them have been here for years and years,” the owner, Don Hough, is quoted as saying.

“If you were born or died, got married or divorced, owned land or real estate, went to court or voted in North Carolina during much of the last century, Owen G. Dunn Company is part of your life.” So begins a profile in the New Bern Sun Journal of the 108-year-old family business, which today specializes in election-related printing, campaign supplies, and services for voting machines. For much of its long history, the company was linked to the production of public documents such as deeds, marriage licenses, real estate records, and certificates of birth and death. Under succeeding generations of family management, it also moved into general printing and newspaper publishing. But its core of the company’s business has always been the printing of ballots for state elections, and the story credits it with providing the ballots that recorded every vote in North Carolina for 50 years. Today, Owen G. Dunn prints the ballots for 85 of the state’s 100 counties and for customers in 30 other states as well. It also sells and services all of North Carolina’s electronic voting machines.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press has tipped its editorial hat to Adams Lithographing Company for its commitment to green manufacturing. The story cites the company’s use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified papers and its paper and plate recycling programs. “Not only are the company’s efforts to further environmental sustainability helpful for its goals but by offering paper products from certified forests with strict international standards, the company also helps customers in their goals to be green,” the writer, Brittany Cofer. comments. Established in Pine Bluff, AK, in 1886, the company was relocated to Chattanooga by its founder, Walter H. Adams, in 1928. It became the city’s first offset lithographer, and today, under the management of Jim Hogue and his sons Wyatt, Jason, and Bryan, Adams Lithographing offers a broad range of commercial and publication printing services.

In Alvin, TX, a job that one printer couldn’t handle turned into a long-term windfall for a printer who could. This occurred, reports the Alvin Sun-Advertiser, when Extreme Makeover Home Edition, a popular TV series, sought a local printing company for a segment to be produced in nearby Houston. The first printer contacted referred the job to Green Ink Printing, whose proprietor, Gordon Green, then proceeded with an assignment that included the delivery of 3,500 badges, parking permits, and construction badges on a need-it-yesterday turnaround. So labor-intensive was the job that Green had to close the plant to all but walk-in business during the three days when the badges, etc., were being produced. Extreme Makeover Home Edition rewarded Green’s diligence by choosing his company to print all of its badges for the eighth season of the show. According to the story, Green had just returned from a missionary trip to Nicaragua when he got the call from the TV people. “I believe it was just meant to be,” he is quoted as saying.

SHORT TAKES: National Communications Group (NCG), New York, NY, is included in a report by Bloomberg about companies that have taken hospitality suites at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. NCG, a full-service graphic design and production firm, is the official printing and graphic partner of the New York Jets, which shares the $1.6 billion sports and event complex with the New York Giants…the Richmond Times Dispatch reports that Trinity Packaging Corp. will expand its plant in Rocky Mount, VA, making a multimillion-dollar investment that will save 75 existing jobs and create 25 new jobs.

The synergistic and integrated use of traditional print, online, social, and mobile media was the theme of the newest conference InterACT held in Rosemont, Illinois near O’Hara airport August 10-11. This was very much of a series of basic “how to” presentations and case studies. Each of the five highlights will be summarized and distributed separately so that readers can share pointed topics with clients and staff. These pinnacles include (1) marketing fundamentals, (2) state of Augmented Reality, (3) TransPromo into TransInfo, (4) Video opportunities, and (5) fascinating Hotels.com case study.

The exploding statistics of social media and unbridled endorsement by advocates have been touted from conference podiums and blogs in recent months. The industry will hear even more at several upcoming Graph Expo seminars and webinars. This article, on the other hand, will focus on the potential and exciting use and impact these enabling tools might have for in-plant printers.

Marketing Basics … the Alpha & Omega

“Marketing has never been more important,” opined InfoTrends President, Jeff Hayes, as he introduced the keynote speaker at the inaugural InterACT Conference. “And yet various cross media and multi-channel venues necessary to get your firm’s and your client’s branding/marketing message across are more dynamic and … complex.” You need to develop new skills and expertise or find specialty partners, who can teach you how to incorporate these newest and scalable social media.

It all begins with data whether it be proprietary client data or rented lists of prospects. The marketing message is targeted to a selection of clients/prospects with a “custom” offer, presented in a creative and appealing fashion via an integrated series of media channels with which the targeted market is known to be comfortable. Quantified objectives are set in advance with response metrics collected to analyze the effectiveness of each element of the marketing campaign.

Lessons learned are documented and fed back into this “cycle” to improve the next iteration of the marketing campaign. The days of vast and extensive rollouts of a campaign are gone.

“Gut feel and intuitive decision have a role, but should be reinforced with thorough data analytics,” remarked Hayes. The use of data analytics and its increasingly sophisticated software tools is a developed skill that is becoming increasingly essential. Software vendors will teach and knowledgeable consultants should be an integral part of the marketing team to assure that the response data metrics are being read with appropriate depth and breadth. Data is clearly King!

InterACT was a little unique in terms of the number of start up firms present as sponsors. For example, Grow Socially is a company specializing in helping printers, mailers, and fulfillment businesses take advantage of social media opportunities. They help these vendors use the right tools, sites, and applications to define reachable goals, and increase their brand awareness and demand for product/service. At maturity their contracts will have start up fees of $9,500 and monthly fees of $950. At the start these costs will be discounted by as much as 50%. See www.growsocially.com

The core competencies are data, content (defined by many clients as their intellectual capital), processing, integration of channels, and analytics.

In-plant take away(s): How do your customers want you to communicate with them? Simply to assume that an automated e-mail … “Your job is ready” or an office voice mail message completes your obligation for timely communication is often shortsighted. This assumes that your relationship is a monologue, not a dialogue. An informal personal survey (conducted as a personal interview) asking whether each and every client wants you to contact them via voice or text message on their cell phone? If so what’s the number?

How about after hours? How can the client be reached on a hot job or for a problem resolution? If we can’t get through to you, should we follow up with your assistant? If so, what contact numbers are appropriate? (Would be smart to confirm that method with the assistant!) Does each client have your personal cell phone number as well as e-mail address?

Though data belongs to your client(s), e.g., prospective entering freshmen (or transfer students) for the admissions department, alumni for Development, and other alums for the Sports Department utilizing the latest Move Update software or Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB) is the in-plant’s responsibility even if you don’t inkjet the addresses. Your opportunity is to be the technical consultant assuring the highest probability of successful dissemination and receipt by intended recipient.

In-plants are increasingly reporting to the IT Departments rather than Admin Services. This is in recognition of the In-plant’s increasing dependence upon digital graphics data and its associated IT expertise. Rest assured the IT Department head would much prefer that the In-plant own the responsibility that (1) each printing job to be mailed be compatibly designed to meet least expensive postal regulation format along with (2) assuring the mailing list is deduped and hygiene cleansed. And this technical oversight responsibility includes outsourced printing as well.

Here are the results:

• Bindery: 16%
• Digital Press: 35%
• Mailing: 10%
• Offset press: 0%
• Production Inkjet: 29%
• Wide Format: 10%

If you missed the Frank Romano and David Zwang Preview GraphExpo 2010 webinar is available for on-demand playback on WhatTheyThink.

Update: Astute readers who view the webinar will notice that the numbers I reported above don’t match those shown during the webinar. After the webinar we recalculated the results after removing responses from vendors. The numbers reported above are based on the responses of printers. Of course the poll is not scientific but it’s interesting nonetheless.