Happy International Print Day!

Happy International Print Day, the day marked around the world to celebrate all things that make print unique in the marketing mix, and all the tools that make the print experience possible.

As a print powerhouse, we understand and appreciate that in an increasingly digital world, print in all forms, including direct mail, provides the sensory input that clients crave, giving advertisers the biggest bang for their buck. And when direct mail marketing is paired with digital marketing in an optimized media mix, advertisers get stronger results, and consumers respond on an emotional level, creating connections that are difficult to forget.

Four Reasons Why Direct Mail Marketing is Effective

1. It Commands Attention

Direct mail gets a viewer’s attention in a way that digital marketing might not. Why? For starters, there are fewer distractions. When you receive a direct mail marketing piece, you aren’t being distracted from another task. As a result, you’re more in control of the length of time you interact with each piece. And on average, people spend 25 minutes with direct mail pieces.

2. It Creates a Greater Sense of Trust

A recent study that surveyed people in 13 countries found that 90 percent of respondents prefer direct mail marketing to social media, and 63 percent said that they thought print ads were more trustworthy. Perhaps as a result of this perception,
92 percent of shoppers in another survey say they prefer direct mail when making purchasing decisions.

3. It’s Fun

Everyone loves getting mail. Whether you’re opening a card from a loved one or browsing through your favorite clothing catalogue, sitting down to read your mail can be enjoyable – and an added textured varnish or an interesting fold or a uniquely sized piece will help a direct mail piece stand out.

4. It’s Personal without Being Creepy

While a banner ad that calls you by name makes you feel spied on, personalized direct mail marketing feels friendly and exciting. Companies can create more personal relationships with customers by sending special birthday offers, catalogues that complement previous purchases or simple promotional pieces personalized with a customer’s name.

So there it is, just a few reasons why we love print. You can join us and print lovers from around the world in declaring your love for print today. Feel free to share what you think makes print a beloved and invaluable part of today’s media mix by tagging #PCIOILovesPrint and #IPD17.

Corporate Giving: It's In The Backpack

Break out the crayons. Pull out the paper and pack a backpack.

Each year, school supply lists grow, and families in need struggle to find a way to ensure their children will be able to go to school with their necessary supplies.

Enter PCIOI, faster than the homeroom bell can ring. This #PCIOIpowerhouse knows just how to rock that schoolhouse – and its growing list of supplies.

We kick-started our newly launched corporate citizenship program with a Backpack Drive, benefiting Second Chance Youth Outreach, which supports the inner-city youth of today with the programs, support and resources they need for a second chance for their families.

We provided the backpacks; our employees provided the supplies and the students provided miles and miles of smiles.

Our weeks-long efforts delivered more than 190 backpacks that will go toward helping the students of Second Chance Youth Outreach excel in the 2017-2018 school year. According to Executive Director Miguel Mendez, prior to our call of support a few months back, he did not have any funding in place for a backpack drive. He had no idea that one call would have afforded his organization so much – and that’s in large part due to all of our employees.

By providing a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies, the kids can show up to school ready to start the new school year on the same level as their peers and excited to learn. Through their efforts, our employees demonstrated that there is no more powerful force than the human spirit.

We are the #PCIOIpowerhouse, helping to build our South Florida communities.

There’s a Business Case for Business Continuity

5…4…3…2…1…no, that’s not the countdown from Mission Control, but it very well could be. Companies today face an unprecedented number of potential exposures and they must be armed and ready for the punch.

Having a Business Continuity plan in place, especially if you are a B2B provider (like we are), to help mitigate those risks is more than smart business; it’s the right thing to do to promote corporate resilience in the face of potential disruptions to the business,

A business continuity plan should include executive succession planning, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery. This will ensure your company has critical back up and resiliency in the hours, and days, after a threat.

Here we offer up a few reminders as to why a plan should be part of your business’ master plan:

1. It’s about the business – Businesses should look beyond its service portfolio and communicate the plan to clients. Chief among these is having the right technology and security systems in place to protect both physical and intellectual property
2. It’s about planning and practice – A plan is only helpful if it works. We’ve got ours on repeat, especially now that hurricane season has started. A pre-defined business continuity plan maximizes the chance of a successful recovery by eliminating hasty decision-making under stressful conditions.
3. It’s knowing who’s on first – and knowing what’s on second (noooo, it’s not the Abbott + Costello shtick; there’s nothing funny about business continuity). Having clearly defined roles help bring a daunting task down to size.
4. It’s about reflecting your company's culture – Clients demand uninterrupted access to critical data. Having safeguards in place, and testing them each year to make sure they are effective and flexible, is the cost of doing business in today’s on-demand marketplace.
5. It’s more than technology – Along with having data colocation, businesses should consider having other details in their continuity plan for facilities, equipment and inventory.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Dare we suggest that if you keep these tips in mind when planning your plan, you’ll be business-continuity-game-strong when the need arises…and we sure hope it doesn’t.

#PCIOIpowerhouse

You Need GREEN

Nah, not that kind of green. While that one can help improve your bottom line, the bottom line is THIS GREEN will make right by you, your business and our community – and who doesn’t love Mother Earth?

Truth is when employees feel connected to a purpose beyond profit, they can improve the company culture, as well as the bottom line. According to a National Environmental Education Foundation study, companies that approach employee engagement by creating a culture of sustainability saw gains in talent attraction, employee productivity, community recognition and brand strength.

And while we are no change makers, we do like to lead by example and help our clients make the right choices when it comes to eco-friendly and sustainable papers. As the first company of its kind to be triple certified in South Florida, we are proud to offer FSC, SFI and PEFC papers and to support industry-leading sustainability efforts. As a family of brands, we leverage energy-efficient equipment and forward-thinking technology that save on printing inks and processing chemicals. Our robust recycling program covers items from toner cartridges to printing plates to, of course, paper. We use non-toxic chemicals, vegetable-based inks and paper that is sourced from well-managed forests and processed in mills that adhere to strict environmental standards.

And while we celebrate Earth Day every day, we have marked the day each year by gifting our employees seeded cards, orchids, lucky bamboos and the like. This year we made our mark in green by planting two trees with a special plaque to commemorate the day.  We also produced a brochure entitled “Rethinking How We Work: Eco-minded Solutions for Today’s Business” that was featured as an insert in The Miami Herald.  It’s also a direct link to the Green section of our website, so check it out.

So remember, while making green is important, being green can mean the future of your business.

What's Your Finish?

In today’s print-savvy world, there are endless possibilities to the finishes you can apply to your print piece. The good news is (and who doesn’t love good news?) is that you don’t have to pick just one; there are a few options that can be combined to make a unique piece.

To start, it is helpful to know what each finish entails, what it is commonly used for and what overall impression you plan to make.

Fair warning, here is where it may seem like information overload, so grab a cup of coffee, maybe two.

Embossing raises images to provide a three dimensional effect. This finish is refined but does add enough depth and texture to make the piece eye-catching and interesting to touch. Embossing is commonly used for business stationery including business cards, letterheads, greeting cards and invitations.

While embossing raises images, letterpress indents images and text, leaving an impression in the paper, with or without ink. Letterpress was invented in the mid-15th century making it a timeless printing method. Like embossing, letterpress is used for business stationery as it portrays a professional image.

Foil stamping is the application of metallic foil on to a solid surface by using heat and pressure. Popular foil colors are gold, silver and copper. This method is used to add a bit of luxe and glam (ooh la la!) to a final piece. Foil stamping is most popular among business cards, greeting cards, especially holiday cards and invitations. 

Just checking in here, are you still with us?

Varnishing involves adding a liquid coating to a printed surface to add a clear, glossy, matte, satin or neutral finish. The great feature about varnishing is that it gives a consistent texture, but does not add much weight to a finished product. This finish is used to make colors appear brighter and richer so common uses are brochures, flyers, catalogs and booklets.

Lamination is where a plastic film is heated onto the paper and adds a gloss, silk or matte finish as a protective layer of coating. Unlike varnishing, it does add a bit of weight. This finish should be used on items that will be handled frequently such as presentation folders, booklet covers, catalogs and postcards.

Selecting the right finish for your printed piece is a fundamental part of the design process so working with your marketing communications partner (enter Original Impressions) to convey the overall style you want is important.

Did we mention that we are the single-source solutions provider for all of your print, mail and marketing needs?

We know print finishes and help make that decision easy for you. After all, the printed piece is the impression maker and we know how to make the right impression.

#PCIOIpowerhouse