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433 EAST MONROE M A G A Z I N E Print Buying Transformed by Rogue Editor in Chief Peter L. Colaianni, CAE E-Commerce Strategy! Vice President, Publications Brad Holt n journalism school, there’s an important aphorism hammered into the impres- Managing Editor Isionable reporting mind: If your mother says she loves you, check it out. Rebecca Trela The purpose Assistant Editor of the maxim is April Hollis to remind jour- “The internet isn’t part of the strategy. Contributing Editor Mike Fisher, CDC nalists, ostensi- bly guardians The internet IS the strategy.” Art Director/Production Manager Charlie Pesko, consultant Roxanne Rash of the public truth, that even InfoTrends Advertising Sales Dave Merli, Kevin Boyle, Dana Brooks, Ryan Abell the most pre- Publications Committee sumptively sure Brian MonBarren, Chairman things—like a mother’s love—require investigation and corroboration. Tom Ainsworth Steve McGrath Obviously, the writers at many tabloids like The National Enquirer and The Jerry Ballone Tressa McLaughlin Weekly World News (now defunct) skipped that reporting lesson. If their stories Roger Buck, CDC Geo Plumberg Joel Chyke Ivars Sarkans were credible, at this very moment Cuba would be planning a shark attack on the Mike Fisher, CDC Dave Wandling, CDC U.S. and Dick Cheney would be unmasked as a robot. And Bob McAleavey Joe Webb Elvis would be found alive.* As my own mother likes to say, Advertising Sales “Don’t believe anything you hear, and Print Solutions Magazine Advertising Department only half of what you see.” 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693 (800) 336-4641 ext. 114, Fax: (703) 549-4966 Are you being duped about web-to- print? Once considered the stuff of the future or the sole province of internet Print Solutions Online Print Solutions, the only industry magazine to printers, this robust e-commerce mech- win awards for writing and design excellence, is anism is a requirement in today’s busi- available online at www.printsolutionsmag.com. The site includes daily news, a comprehensive ness world. Think that you can’t com- archive of Print Solutions articles, a complete media kit, links to industry companies and other features not included in the mag- pete? Don’t be a sucker. azine. Print Solutions is published by PSDA, the only association E-enabled print shipments ordered exclusively dedicated to growing the print distribution industry. online have been growing at a compound Print Solutions™ is the official publication of the Print Services and Distribution Association (PSDA). PSDA is an international organization of print distributors, annual growth rate of 31 percent, says trade printers and suppliers working together to ensure that end users receive the products and services they need to succeed. Print Solutions™ is a registered Charlie Pesko, a consultant for industry trademark owned by PSDA for its monthly magazine, which is published for the research firm InfoTrends. Print buyers who are printing industry. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Please address all submissions to: The Editor, Print Solutions Magazine, 433 E. Monroe Ave., comfortable ordering anything and everything Alexandria, VA 22301-1693. Phone (703) 836-6232, fax (703) 549-4966. You can reach us via email at [email protected]. Visit our web site at online are driving this growth, in conjunction www.printsolutionsmag.com. with the workflow efficiencies gleaned from lights- Volume 47, Number 3, March 2009. Print Solutions (USPS 205-400, ISSN out manufacturing. “The internet isn’t part of the strategy,” Pesko says. “The inter- 1535-9727) is published monthly by PSDA, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693, (703) 836-6232. Subscriptions: $29 per year for PSDA mem- net IS the strategy.” bers included in dues, $29 for non-members (plus postage for Canada and foreign). Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing Turn to page 18, where we debunk seven web-to-print myths that may have offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Print Solutions, 433 E. Monroe dissuaded you from jumping in with both feet. If you’re still skeptical, check out Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693. our six case studies of business owners making an honest living with web-to- Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply approval on the part of the Publications Committee, Officers or print, beginning on pg. 26. Membership of PSDA.

Copyright 2009 by PSDA. Articles may not be reprinted without publisher's Rebecca Trela permission. Managing Editor Printed in the USA. [email protected]

*Okay, maybe Elvis really is alive.

Share Your Story Be a source for Print Solutions magazine. Email [email protected] or call (800) 336-4641.

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 3 CONTENTS

IN EVERY ISSUE WEB-TO-PRINT FEATURES

54 Advertiser Index 18 Seven W2P Myths Exposed 60 Industry News Web-to-print is an undeniable force in the print buying world. 61 People To succeed with the technology, don’t believe everything you 62 New Products & Services hear. By Rebecca Trela 64 Classified 50 Everyone Here Sells Web-to-Print COLUMNS Stop losing your shirt on w2p with these simple tactics. By Rebecca Trela 3 433 East Monroe Print Buying Transformed WEB-TO-PRINT CASE STUDIES by Rogue E-Commerce Strategy! 26 Sylvan Center Learns Benefits of Web-to-Print By Rebecca Trela Service and savings clinched the sale with this company. 6 President’s Message By April Hollis Smart Credit Policies 32 Huntington University Graduates to High-Tech Marketing By Mike Fisher, CDC College boosts enrollment to record-high numbers with 72 Off Hours w2p promotion. Touring America on By Rebecca Trela Horseback 34 Wedding Favors Are A Perfect Match for ADA By April Hollis American Diabetes Association sees donations increase thanks to w2p. DEPARTMENTS By April Hollis 8 Green Scene 40 W2P’s Future Takes a Page from History CSO, the Exec to Know Alexander’s Print Advantage helps users design genealogy By April Hollis books. 14 Mailing & Fulfillment By April Hollis Intelligent Mailer Gets 44 W2P Site Puts Client’s Product in People’s Pockets Cracking on IMB Compliance Uniqueskins.com uses w2p to sell custom coverings By April Hollis for phones and iPods. 56 Promotional Products By April Hollis Students Like Getting Carded 48 Customer Leads Charge on Web-to-Print Path By April Hollis Stafford Printing’s valued customer hauled them into the e-commerce world. By Rebecca Trela

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Smart Credit Policies

ast week, I received notice that one ance against their historical average. one is documented in our database. L of our clients had filed for Chapter This does not mean simply reading the That way, when a salesperson gets his 11 bankruptcy protection. That makes current A/R report slower the next A/R listing, he can see exactly how three in the last 12 months. time it hits your desk. It means actually much time and energy the company Over the years when this has hap- knowing not only what your clients has invested in collecting past due pened, my first urge was to scream. owe, but also how they normally pay debts. Be sure to record everything: There’s nothing worse than working hard, fulfilling your obligations as a company and finding out you will not be paid for the products and services you provided. But, instead of scream- Credit limits are smart business, ing, I’m simply asking myself, “Mike, what have you done to protect yourself and truly the one thing that can actually from this happening—and I mean happening ever again?” “limit” your exposure to bad debt. Credit Decisions Now is the perfect time to review (and overhaul if necessary) your credit poli- cies. In tough times, most companies compared to their current A/R status. voicemails left, copies of invoices re- look for new business. New business This is often the first sign a client is sent, excuses told, promises given, etc. brings new clients. New clients mean experiencing financial difficulty. On You might be surprised just how far new credit applications. How do you those accounts where the average is some of this can go in front of a mag- check the credit of your new clients? farther out than normal, you must istrate if you need to pursue legal Are you doing everything you should? begin immediate communication! action to collect past due accounts. Could you be doing more? When is Don’t assume things must be a little the last time you reviewed your credit slower for your clients because of this Enforce Limits application to ensure it has all the nec- economy. There is no doubt this global Once credit is established with a new essary information you might need recession reaches into segments of the client, don’t consider it the end of the from a client? Do the credit reports economy that might have been insulat- credit process. There is one more step: you pull on new clients contain ed from downturns of the past. Be very setting and adhering to credit limits. enough information for you to make proactive with customers who owe you Consider the following situation: Your good decisions? Do your A/R people money. If your standard terms are net sales team lands a new client and the get responses from all the references 30, and your A/R department normally order value is $2,000. You run your on your credit application before you begins collection calls at 40 days, move credit check, and while everything extend credit? If not, what else are them to 35. seems OK, you still follow your policy they using as a basis for making good And make sure you have a system of requiring the client to prepay the decisions? in place to document these calls. At initial order. They do, and all goes Now is also the time to completely PrintConcepts, we use Goldmine. So smoothly with this first order. The next review each client’s current A/R bal- when A/R makes past due calls, each President’s Message continues on p. 63.

6 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

GREEN SCENE CSO, The Exec to Know Chief sustainability officers may be a doorway to green print buyers, printers and suppliers.

BY APRIL HOLLIS

EOs and CFOs may be all over the Cnews, but the C-level position that should be on every green distributor’s mind is the CSO, or Chief Sustainabil- ity Officer. Manufacturers have them, suppliers have them, and so do green- conscious print buyers. David Podmayersky, director of sustainability at Earth Color, Parsippa- ny, N.J., sets sustainable policies and standards for the printer. He uses the Global Reporting Initiative to track results and works with the sales and marketing team to integrate sustain- ability initiatives into sales and mar- keting strategies. Podmayersky was originally brought on board as an efficiency expert. “Once I had achieved the majority of those goals, being an environmentalist, I saw The Lenox Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay has a CSO and a green director. It has a minimum the whole thing coming and put standard of 30-percent post-consumer recycled content for all printed products. together a business proposal stating what my future position should look VOC.” He notes distributors and print Emerging Trend like,” he says. During his tenure as sus- buyers have guidelines as well, so American Express isn’t the only print tainability director, Earth Color has Earth Color works with them to look buyer with a sustainability officer. “I converted to 100-percent green renew- at specifications for products. This think having a CSO is an emerging able energy sources for its seven plants. previously involved just technical trend, absolutely,” Podmayersky says. It has carbon-neutral product lines and specifications, but now includes envi- “Corporate America is largely putting works with Conservation International ronmental and social engineering someone in that position and our on a carbon offset program supporting components, he says, calling paper a industry is rapidly going to reflect our the Makira Forest Initiative in Mada- “prime example.” clients in terms of a position of gascar. And Earth Color is trying to When Earth Color handled Ameri- responsibility for environmental meet even more goals. It is working can Express’ corporate social responsi- integrity. It’s a whole new set of stan- with the EPA Climate Leaders program bility report, it worked with AmEx’s dards we’re being held to.” toward a 40-percent reduction in car- print production group and sustain- Bob Willard, author and sustainabil- bon emissions per revenue dollar by ability officer to minimize the report’s ity speaker, agrees. As of 2005, almost the year 2012. environmental impact. “We looked at all of the 150 largest companies in the Podmayersky also looks at the eco- paper sizes, brochure size, page counts, world had a sustainability officer with footprints of Earth Color’s supply transportation logistics, types of the rank of vice president or higher, he chain partners. “We’ve worked with papers, manufacturing techniques, says. “If a company has gone to the our ink and coating suppliers to devel- delivery mechanisms—all sorts of extent of appointing a CSO, they’ll op ink sets that are VOC free or low in things,” Podmayersky says. probably look at their procurement ➷

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HALF OF CONSUMERS BUYING GREEN DESPITE DOWNTURN policies for printing and other goods. Fifty percent of consumers are purchasing just as many green products now as It’s usually one of the first steps toward before the economic downturn, and 19 percent are buying more green prod- going green; it’s at the top of the low- ucts, according to the 2009 National Green Buying Study. hanging fruit list.” However, 14 percent are buying fewer environmentally friendly products and Companies with a CSO include 16 percent are not buying any green products. Kellogg, DuPont, Mitsubishi, Georgia- Pacific and Harrah’s Entertainment. The study, commissioned by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, The Lenox Hotel, part of the Saunders also found 30 percent say they don’t know how to tell if green product claims Hotel Group, Boston, has both a CSO are true, and 10 percent blindly trust product claims. and a green director. Elaine Strunk, When shopping for green products, reputation (21 percent) has the biggest who fills the latter position, says the influence on decisions. This was followed by word of mouth with 19 percent, hotel looks at soy-based inks and post brand loyalty (15 percent), certifications (13 percent) and manufacturers’ consumer waste (PCW) content when labels (11 percent). Advertising mattered least to consumers, with nine percent ordering printed products. “There are saying ads have the biggest influence on their green shopping decisions. times when it’s more expensive,” she says. “We do cost comparisons and price shop for the best recycled con- printed products, the hotel uses seed- hotel’s bottom line. “A majority of our tent paper that we can get. Budget is a ed paper that sprouts flowers if plant- initiatives are geared toward efficien- concern, but environmental issues are ed. For everyday use, it has a mini- cies, which result in cost savings. For important enough that we evaluate mum of 30 percent PCW content for example, our four waterless urinals everything.” printed products. save about 180,000 gallons of water a Strunk says all business cards for Although green printing might not year. The benefit is two-fold, both hotel employees use PCW content and always be the cheapest choice, having environmental and bottom line as it soy-based inks. For special occasion the green positions generally helps the reduces both water and sewage costs.

10 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 GREEN SCENE “If a company has gone to the extent of appointing paying a premium to get recycled ben- a CSO, they’ll probably look at their procurement efits. Years ago, we would have to pay extra for recycled paper and it was a policies for printing and other goods. Usually one lot harder to come across. Now, it’s easier and more affordable.” of the first steps toward going green is Supplier InfoPrint Solutions employs Joe Czyszczewski as CSO. He looking at procurement policies. It’s at was appointed about a year ago, after the firm received client feedback that the top of the low-hanging fruit list.” sustainability was becoming a bigger deal. “There’s a shift,” he says. “Most Bob Willard, Author and Sustainability Speaker companies are doing regulatory com- pliance work but some have switched to sustainability, and that’s what the We also replaced a majority of our pieces are on 100-percent recycled market wants. It’s the triple bottom lighting with CFL and LED lights, content, she says. Most recent printing line—environmental, economic and which cut down on the electricity also uses soy-based ink. The hotel has social. Our customers started to poke usage.” worked with a local printer for about at us and we studied it and it really Lisa Burns, director of marketing 20 years and has helped him grow made sense. Looking back on the past communications for the hotel group, with the times and start using more year, if nothing else, I’ve provided a handles printing for the corporate recycled paper, she adds. lightning rod for our clients. I’m con- office and the Lenox. Although the “We were able to negotiate so the stantly bombarded by people telling hotel has a 30-percent PCW content costs are comparable to any estimates me they fixed a leaking water pipe or minimum, a lot of its newer print from standard printers, so we’re not created a subtle green invention. It’s

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 11 GREEN SCENE

“I think having a CSO is an emerging trend, ments with inserts so we found a new printer that can print those inserts as absolutely. Corporate America is largely putting onserts right on the statements. They had an 8.5- by 11-inch statement with someone in that position and our industry is rapidly three inserts that were 3- by 5-inches and they redesigned them to put the going to reflect our clients in terms of a position of marketing info right on the statement. They used 33 percent less paper. That’s responsibility for environmental integrity. a great sustainability story.” Distributors can also try to choose It’s a whole new set of standards we’re printers who reuse parts for their machinery, an idea Czyszczewski is being held to.” getting some of his clients to imple- David Podmayersky, Director of Sustainability ment. He adds, “Until distributors Earth Color, Parsippany, N.J. start to ask for green, it’s not going to work. The distributor has to want to talk to their clients about printing less really effective to have one person the print shop is being asked if they’re and redesigning statements.” everybody knows care about sustain- sustainable, they have to ask us.” ability.” He adds, “In the printing industry, April Hollis is assistant editor of Print Czyszczewski says his printer more than 80 percent of the carbon Solutions magazine. Email comments clients also have been getting poked by footprint is in the paper, so I tell to [email protected]. their customers—distributors asking clients anything they can do to print what their carbon footprints are. “If less waste. One client was doing state-

12 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

MAILING & FULFILLMENT Intelligent Mailer Gets Cracking on IMB Compliance Although the 2011 deadline may seem distant, one mailhouse is beginning the journey toward Intelligent Mail Barcode compliance early

BY APRIL HOLLIS

esponse Data Services (RDS), RFrederick, Md., started the project casually a few months ago. Others are so unsure of the process they won’t even discuss it. But all mailers who want maximum USPS automation discounts must become Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) compliant by May 2011. And although the IMB is not necessary until then, switching over now frees up more mailpiece “real estate” and ensures mailers are better prepared, according to the Post Office, which is encouraging early adoption. Chris Zarnosky, general manager at RDS, began his firm’s compliance process by going through documenta- tion from the USPS, getting a feel for what the new requirements will be. The Intelligent Mail barcode combines the data of the existing POSTNET and PLANET Code barcodes, along with other data, into one barcode. It is a height-modulated barcode that uses Response Data Services prints an Intelligent Mail Barcode to prepare for early compliance. four vertical bar types—full, tracker, ascender and descender. The first step, Zarnosky says, was to IMBs on mail pieces, but not on trays tance (PostalOne), both required to decide whether to pursue the basic and containers. qualify for full service status. service path or the full service path. “Looking at the immediate benefits While most of the specifications The full service option would require and the eventual rate benefits the Post were “fairly straightforward,” there were IMBs on letters and flat mail pieces, Office is putting forth, it was a very easy a few hurdles, Zarnosky says. One chal- handling units (e.g., trays and sacks), decision to pursue the full service path,” lenge was that the barcode is no longer pallet placards and containers. Postage he says. RDS had a bit of a head start, as human readable. Previously, a trained statements and mailing documenta- it had already begun acquiring a mailer employee could look at the barcodes, tion would need to be submitted elec- ID from the Post Office and had started count the bars in groups of five and tronically. The basic option requires migrating to electronic postal accep- validate a barcode match with the

14 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

MAILING & FULFILLMENT

Intelligent Mail Barcode FAQs Is the IMB required in lieu of POSTNET and PLANET codes? Will I have problems passing MERLIN program requirements? Currently, use of the IMB is optional; however, because it No. The Postal Service’s Mail Evaluation Readability and offers significant advantages over POSTNET and PLANET Lookup Instrument (MERLIN) program is a tool that assists Code barcodes (including using less mailpiece “real estate” with the acceptance of business mail. The IMB tolerances and offering more overall data capacity), most customers are similar to POSTNET’s and will work with MERLIN. have found it makes good business sense to adopt the new format. The Postal Service will require use of the IMB to Will I need to complete CASS or MASS certification again? qualify for automation prices beginning May 2011. The Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certification enables the Postal Service to evaluate the accuracy of Where can I place the IMB? address-matching software programs. The CASS process is When used to qualify for an automation price, the IMB applicable to mailpieces with the IMB, but there is no need follows the same placement rules as POSTNET barcodes. to redo this certification. The Multi-line Accuracy Support On letters, it can be placed in the address block or in the System (MASS) certification is an extension of CASS. It has barcode clear zone found on the lower right corner of the an annual certification requirement, and the IMB envelope. On flats, the IMB can be placed anywhere on the certification is now incorporated into this process. address side, as long as it is at least 1/8 inch from any edge of the piece. What tools are available to me to help me adopt the IMB? A number of tools and other resources are available on the What are the dimensions of the barcode? Rapid Information Bulletin Board System website at The 31-digit IMB (65 bars) is slightly longer than the 11- ribbs.usps.gov/OneCodeSolution. digit POSTNET (62 bars). The print specification allows mailers some flexibility in choosing the height and width of Source: ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/USPSIMB_QandA.pdf the barcode they produce. FUSE Your Sales and Profits with Integrated Products from Wilmer Integrated products incorporate a card or label directly into the carrier portion of a form allowing multiple functions to be FUSED into one document. 1-800-4WILMER www.4WILMER.com

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16 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 2 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 3 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 4 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 5 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 6 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 7 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 8 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 9 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 10 USAdocforMarch.qxd:Layout 1 3/5/09 3:00 PM Page 1 MAILING & FULFILLMENT

address. With the IMB, that is no longer possi- ple programmers who often presort files at ble, so RDS is purchasing more hand scanners, the same time, we had to develop a method which can be used to decode and validate the of ensuring that the numbers would not barcodes. repeat and would be updated automatically Zarnosky also made sure the firm’s imaging without human intervention,” he says. equipment—Scitex machines and high-speed To this end, Zarnosky is writing a queu- inkjet machines—and the layout software for its ing system that ensures only one presort Oce presses and HP Indigo were able to produce job is run at a time, and the start and stop the IMB. In most instances, this was as simple as points are recorded for each job. This downloading the font and the encoding software allows each programmer to submit his or to create the 65-character string required in the her work without concern of overlap in barcode. Sample barcodes were created and tested the ID ranges. on the Postal Service’s Mail Evaluation Readability When that system is deployed, he and Lookup Instrument (MERLIN) to verify com- says, RDS will create tray tags with the IMB for the Post pliance with postal specifications. RDS uses Postalsoft, Office to audit. Once approved, the company will be able to which Zarnosky says has many features built in for generat- start generating the production at the full service level as ing IMB codes with the requirements for full service IMB soon as the Post Office begins to accept IMB tags and plac- participation. ards. Zarnosky expects RDS to be fully compliant this With the confirmation that RDS’ equipment could pro- month. duce IMBs to postal specifications, Zarnosky then focused on the more difficult aspect of the full service path—main- April Hollis is assistant editor of Print Solutions magazine. taining the uniqueness of serial numbers in the IMB on the Email comments to [email protected]. tray tags and pallet placards. “Because our shop has multi-

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 17

Web-to-print is an undeniable force in the print buying world. To succeed with the technology, don’t believe everything you hear.

By Rebecca Trela

he print buyer’s frustration with his inter- net printer was clear: “I have pain in busi- Whaddya mean, ness cards,” he told John Rutledge, presi- dent and CEO of distributorship Piedmont “web-to-print”?web-to-print Graphics, Greensboro, N.C. Despite its At its simplest, TT monolithic operation, the online printer wasn’t refers to an online portal where able to accept the customer’s art files. Today, end end users can order printing and users know that online printing is a buyer’s mar- fulfillment of static items. The ket, and they can shop around to find a system interface is a standalone website, they like. Rutledge was happy to offer the client a usually custom, or a piece of customized, branded web-to-print portal with his software the seller helps the user own template. Rutledge made it easy, and the install. Today, most web-to-print client made the switch. This development was a joyful surprise for programs offer print-on-demand variable pieces, including direct Rutledge, who—along with thousands of peer mail and marketing collateral, distributors—has been trying to add web-to-print and they may provide ROI data for portals to his repertoire. Buyers have indicated a either the user or the provider. preference for online ordering, but the store- At their most sophisticated, fronts bring added competition from online web-to-print portals function as behemoths like VistaPrint and savvy direct-sell- dashboards for multi-channel ing commercial printers. The big competitors media campaigns, inventory still can’t offer service like a distributor who control and list purchasing and knows his clients—but are you listening to management. what they really want? ➫

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 19 Myths Debunked

MYTH #1: Web-to-print builds an impenetrable fence around your client. MYTH #2: This oft-repeated truism is anything but REALITY: reliable. Your clients may demand web The recessionon hasthe backput web-to-print burner. ordering, says Mandee Fish, director of marketing at Maine Printing Company, Portland, Maine, but it doesn’t There’s never been a better time to take mean you’ve earned their loyalty. REALITY: advantage of web-to-print’s unique value “Our largest web-to-print customer watched our demo proposition, which combines the efficiencies of digital and migrated over from another company’s solution,” she printing (lowered obsolescence, no overruns, distribute- says. After Fish asked the long-time client to consider her then-print) with the improved productivity of web order- web-to-print demo, the contact decided to move a lot of ing. Just three percent of distributors surveyed said web- the print business to her company because the new portal to-print was stalled because of the recession. was easier to use and added value. “There’s a heavier emphasis now on web-to-print that “We get customers this way all the time,” says Greg solves a cost-savings issue or addresses an operational effi- Marks, president of IntraMedia Solutions, Phoenix. Usu- ciency,” Fish says. Tight budget times have opened lines of ally it’s because the incumbent vendor isn’t offering a communication with other departments within a compa- comprehensive system, including print-on-demand items, ny. It’s one of the reasons that there are so many business inventory control/fulfillment and promotional products. card and stationery portals—the greatest ordering effi- Sometimes it’s because of the other vendor’s CSR staff, ciencies lie with simple, low-cost projects. Marks says. “There have been a few instances where we’ve Web-to-print also makes it much easier to control made a web-to-print cold call, and the prospect says, ‘Oh maverick spending within an organization and demon- we do that with our vendor but we hate them and we’re strate just what kind of ROI each direct mail piece is looking to change.’ It’s not so different from any other bringing in. The system is the ideal decision-making tool product we sell.” for print buyers. According to a survey of 225 print distributors con- “Still, in a down economy, it’s important to get your ducted by Print Solutions magazine last month, 27 percent message out,” said Phil Rose, product manager for said their web-to-print competition was national in scale, XMPie’s uStore software. “When people are making buy- and 20 percent said it was web-based. Only six percent ing decisions, they still come back to whomever is on the said the competition was “nonexistent.” tip of the tongue.” ➫

Size Matters How big is web-to-print? In short, about 14 percent of all print spending, according to an InfoTrends study. How many buyers have adopted web-to-print? About 60 percent, but the long answer may be infinite as more and more buyers show a preference for online shopping.

DemandBridge e-Quantum Four51 Kramer-Smilko PageDNA Distributor Distributor Distributor End user storefronts: End user storefronts: customers: 85 customers: 462 customers: 2,000 10,350 1,250 End user storefronts: End user companies: Storefronts: 30,000 End users logging in: End users logging in: 2,393 27,322 158,723 “hundreds of End users logging in: thousands” End users logging in: End user locations: 1.2 million 1.55 million 306,675

[Numbers are self-reported. The following companies declined to release numbers: Printable, XMPie]

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Variable data and pURLs Online portal Web-based design tool Reporting capabilities Administration Workflow integration Digital asset management (library) Source: Mike Caruso Mike Source: 40% 20% 10% 10% 10% 5% 5%

Online portal Reporting As the most important piece, the ideal portal is a Proving ROI is one of the most important capabilities branded interface that is used by multiple buyers. At a web-to-print system can have. The reporting func- its simplest, the portal contains a product catalog tion should give access to raw data, and be available divided by category with both static and variable throughout multiple features of the site. The system items. should provide automatic reports, as well as a place In other words, buyers are accustomed to the to build your own queries on the web and save them. amenities of very slick ordering sites like Amazon.com. They will be looking for a search func- Administration tion, PDF proofing, a shopping cart, credit card/invoice From the seller’s perspective, one of the important payment, email notifications, approval rules, shipping considerations of a web-to-print site is the cost and options, order history and third-party connectivity. ease of creating your job. What does it take to create users, groups and permissions? How are tem- Variable Data & pURLs plates—both static and advanced—used, and how The goal with this capability is to encourage the user difficult is it to make changes to the site? to order and prepare a variable data campaign with- out your intervention. Can the buyer upload or gener- Workflow integration ate a list through the portal? Does the software do Check under the hood for your web-to-print system’s data matching on the fly, check CASS certification, technical capabilities. How does the system handle proof variable projects online, output to VDX or inbound and outbound XML data? If you have a press, PPML? Can the user manage a multi-touch cam- will the software integrate with your MIS system? (Or paign, including an email blast and pURL, then see better yet, is it part of the same system?) How much the results of the effort? intervention will it require? The more touching required, the less value you’re getting from it. Web-based design tool This is a varsity-level feature that not all web-to-print Digital asset management services have—unless you’re an internet printer. As This area refers to the resources library available to corporate staffs shrink, designers have less time to you and your customers, and it is one of the most work on simple projects like business cards. Make it valuable and simple services you can provide. Does easy for your buyers by providing the very basic fea- the tool allow for format conversion? What are the tures of InDesign or Quark so they can create text options for uploading and downloading? Can the and image boxes, resize, move and delete them, and images be tagged for search? Are there image play with fonts, colors and graphics. manipulation tools, such as cropping and red eye reduction? These “extras” will go a long way.

22 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 Myths Debunked

PageDNA. “Not just huge companies but small ones, too, MYTH #3: all the way down to small office/home office consumers. They need to order, pay for and track all of their purchas- Web-to-print’s buyer is es online.” the CMO of a franchise business. Print Solutions’ survey results reveal that health care is the most popular vertical for web-to-print customers (20 While it’s true that many marketing officers percent of all programs), followed by manufacturing (18 REALITY: and C-level employees understand web-to- percent) and financial (17 percent). Education is also a print’s long-term benefits, they are by no means an exclu- strong vertical market. sive club. “We have some customers who are centralized approval managers. Their job is to analyze and eliminate costs to the organization, and using web-to-print for MYTH #4: operations just makes sense,” Fish says. Web-to-print requires less follow-up. A good web-to-print prospect is a company that’s just had layoffs, says Ed Cooke, CEO of Cane Print Solutions Web-to-print might save your customer & Graphics, Atlasburg, Pa. That organization will be look- REALITY: time, but it won’t necessarily have the same ing for ways to streamline all non-essential business func- effect in-house. Even if you’ve partnered with a printer or tions. allow someone else to handle the pain of IT and design, “We find that all kinds of companies benefit from web- customers still want you to check in with them. (See Myth to-print,” says Steve Enstad, co-founder of software company #1, “Web-to-print builds a fence.”) ➫

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 23 Myths Debunked MYTH #6: “Just because you sell it once doesn’t mean you don’t I’m too small to offer go after them again and again to maintain the account,” or afford web-to-print services. says Mike Caruso, senior director of IT at Sir Speedy Scottsdale, who has sold about 100 web-to-print pro- Nearly half of all distributors surveyed said grams. “We’ve actually lost a few customers this way, and a REALITY: their revenue was under $2 million a year, lot of it had to do with the basic principles of sales and and 70 percent of respondents had sold one or more web- customer maintenance.” If it’s a million-dollar client, he to-print projects. Thirty percent of respondents sold more says, the print seller must be in front of him or her at least than 10! It’s not the size of the distributor that matters, it’s once a week. the size of the solution. If you don’t have the cash for a “The bigger the program is, the more often they will web-to-print system, partner with a manufacturer who want to change things around,” Fish says. “With my can help you get started. biggest web-to-print customer, we speak almost daily, and “Four or five months ago, our largest client had some- that’s no different than before they were on the system. one come in and give them a demo of a new web-to-print For one customer, we had to develop a service-level agree- system,” Caruso says. Thankfully, the client gave his team ment that addresses the constant changes.” The client a chance to respond. “They’re a quarter of our business. hosts seminars nationwide, and its web-to-print portal So we went right out and bought a web-to-print system contains 80 to 100 pieces in the direct mail/advertising from Online Print Solutions. We said, ‘Here’s the new sys- program. tem we have for you. We’re going to call it web-to-print The average distributor (about 40 percent of respon- 3.0.’” The client was satisfied and stayed, but Caruso has a dents) follows up with a web-to-print client once a good point—print clients have a way of making your month, sometimes combined with an inventory check-in small distributorship a bigger one when they want new or other routine visit. About 23 percent follow up once capabilities. per week, and 18 percent follow up whenever there’s a problem. MYTH #7: MYTH #5: Web-to-print is the new annuity. Web-to-print isn’t a commodity, I sell it, and watch the money roll in. so my competition is low. Web-to-print may be a means to repeat Just because web-to-print doesn’t have a set REALITY: business, but no customer will be happy REALITY: price, doesn’t mean you don’t have fierce with that static approach for long. competition. Most don’t consider internet printers their Once a program is sold, training and education are direct competition, even though they may offer design essential to ensuring it’s used. (See “Everybody here sells services, shareable templates, a personalized library and web-to-print, pg. 50.) “The largest problem with imple- every kind of substrate under the sun. menting web-to-print accounts is the level of client under- “When we go in to do a cold-call pitch, we actually set standing of the technology,” says Jimmy Anderson, presi- up a business card/letterhead template for the prospect,” dent and CEO of XpressPrint-Online.com, which creates says Fish—absolutely gratis. custom web-to-print software. Print brokers expect web- As distributors discover that most competitors offer based resources, of course, but they aren’t always sure how basic web-to-print, they realize that it’s the cost of doing to use them. Showing them how to get the most out of business in the modern world, especially with younger their web experience will set you up as an expert and can buyers. even save an account. But it still requires work. The systems are becoming more robust, too. According Web-to-print is a growth market: InfoTrends estimates to the recent InfoTrends study “e-Enablement: The Future that today’s $8.7 billion in electronically procured print of Graphic Communications,” by 2010, 75 percent of will balloon to $33 billion by 2011—a 31 percent com- print providers report they will offer a web storefront—60 pound annual growth rate. Unsure of where to start? Read percent will offer personalization online, and 60 percent on for 6 case studies of what works in web-to-print sales will offer e-catalog systems. “Digital printers lead the and how to sell from a management perspective. ➫ pack, as more than 90 percent plan to offer these services,” reports InfoTrends consultant Adam Peck. Rebecca Trela is managing editor of Print Solutions maga- zine. Email comments to [email protected].

24 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

CASE STUDY: Customer Service Sylvan Center Learns Benefits of Web-to-Print Provider’s customer service and six-figure savings sell Sylvan on w2p By April Hollis

uantumDigital knows we could never anticipate volume cor- firsthand about busting rectly, and none of our franchises the myth that web-to- could customize to the needed degree. print requires less follow- This led to very low usage.” Costello “We Need It This Way” up. In fact, it gained a client estimates a 10 percent adoption rate Q when Sylvan Learning among franchises for the corporate When Sylvan told its franchises it Q was shopping around for a new switched from traditional office’s traditional printer. system, franchise owners listed print to web-to-print to get better cus- The second problem was customer several qualities they needed: tomer service. service. “It just wasn’t there. We have • Greater flexibility The first problem with the old hundreds of franchisees and only one • Communication channel that printer was its inflexibility, says Sara person in the marketing department allows for lots of customization Costello, director of direct mail and working on direct mail. This meant an • On-demand access conversion marketing for Sylvan. It extreme reliance on the previous part- was a traditional setup, where volumes ner for service, but it wasn’t happen- • High-touch services of shells were printed to later receive ing, which led to even lower usage.” • Quick turnaround time modest inkjet customization. There The web-to-print system Sylvan • A low degree of home-office were obsolete inventory and service now uses is called Sylvan 1:1 Direct management required issues, and jobs had to be ganged, cre- Mail Service Bureau and it’s hosted by ating weeks-long lead times, she says. QuantumDigital, Austin, Texas. It is “We had to pre-print postcard shells; an on-demand portal-based direct mail and e-marketing system. Fran- chisees can access the system and print orders as small as 20 pieces, overnight, with their own unique cus- tomization. Sylvan learned They also have access to the Sylvan customer service 1:1 service team—QuantumDigital can be better with call center operators who are familiar web-to-print and it saved close to with Sylvan’s business and marketing six figures with its plans. Call center staff members spe- web-to-print site cialize in a handful of specific clients, (left). so when a Sylvan employee calls, they are connected to a Sylvan specialist, says Business Development Manager Joanna Miller. “Someone may call about one thing, but we’ll also remind them if they need to get started on their SAT and ACT mailings, or other marketing efforts.” ➫

26 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

CASE STUDY: Customer Service

Six-Figure Savings call center, it’s a resource center,” she how to improve their marketing mix “We can easily say that we’ve saved close says. “We are constantly researching using direct mail, print and email. to six figures on costs to destroy obso- new market trends and sharing data We are also featuring a webinar lete inventory, as we no longer carry with our customers via educational on direct mail ROI and best practices. inventory of card shells,” Costello says. whitepapers and webinars. For exam- It helps them to be aware of what is “We also see labor efficiencies here at ple, we’re having a webinar in a few going on in the industry and apply it the home office because we are not weeks for real estate professionals on to their own individual businesses.” caught up in problem resolution. Fran- chisees see the same efficiencies because of the streamlined order process with “Our biggest difficulty right now is the lack of funds their teams. What used to take several in the market. But that can make us very enticing hours over two weeks to order, proof, manage and track can now be executed because you don’t need a big expensive marketing in about 15 minutes on the web-to- program. You can use our system and get what you print system.” In addition to the savings, the adoption rate saw a dramatic shift need already built out. Some of our packages are as well, with more than 50 percent of already set up the way most of our customers would centers using the new system. Costello says Sylvan chose Quan- structure their packages.” tumDigital because the technology Joanna Miller, Business Development Manager combined with the service “was some- QuantumDigital, Austin, Texas thing we couldn’t find with any other option.” Miller agrees. “It’s not just a

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CASE STUDY: Customer Service

For Sylvan, QuantumDigital created most, what media types they use and but customization costs,” Miller says. a portal landing page with two login what areas they prospect, Miller says. “We have a few companies with options, one for U.S. franchises and In addition, each franchisee has a very specialized programs. But it is one for Canadian franchises. Sylvan’s dashboard where he or she can control important to help potential customers intranet links to the system, which ordering direct mail, print collateral or understand that they may only need offers artwork to franchises on a email templates for the center. elements of an online program. We pre- regional or office-specific basis. Cor- Although QuantumDigital has fer to go through a discovery session porate-level employees have a birds’- found web-to-print’s sweet spot in the and outline their true requirements. eye view of franchisee purchases franchise market, it still sees certain Not everyone needs a custom built pro- through their online marketing dash- challenges with selling the technology. gram. Companies are looking to save boards, where they can view reports on “Corporate prospects love a customized money in this market and it is impor- which products franchisees order the program—all the bells and whistles— tant for them to understand that we have built packages that include end user dashboards to access corporate “What used to take several hours over two weeks to order, approved design templates for direct mail, on-demand printing and proof, manage and track can now be executed in about 15 minutes email marketing. This is ready to go on the web-to-print system.” without the expense of customization.” Sara Costello, Director of Direct Mail and Conversion Marketing ➫ Sylvan Learning, Baltimore April Hollis is assistant editor of Print Solutions magazine. Email comments to [email protected].

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CASE STUDY: Education Huntington University Graduates to High-Tech Marketing Enrollment hits all-time high with w2p marketing By Rebecca Trela

hen Blair Dowden, consisting of static print pieces like president of Huntington self-mailers and postcards. “Some uni- University, Huntington, versities would branch out to radio or Ind., proudly announced billboard ads,” Bennett says, but there at a dinner in 2008 that was very little innovation in the mar- WWoverall enrollment had ket. Generally, a school would stage a increased 5 percent to a record-high major marketing effort in the fall, and number, there was another man—in a spring packet would follow. When a fact, an entire team—that had pride in student expressed interest, he or she the accomplishment. And that was the would be sent a “viewbook,” or a cata- Scope1 Marketing Technologies group, log of offerings and courses. Although a subsidiary of distributorship Superior the catalog was heavy, the ROI was Business Products, Kalamazoo, Mich., sufficient to continue the campaign. the gurus responsible for the school’s Today, skyrocketing postage costs have highly personalized marketing cam- shifted that equation. paign. The Huntington team established a “Huntington is an amazing small few preliminary goals with Kevin Mar- institution,” says Steve Bennett, quardt, the account manager, and Karen Scope1’s VP of business development. Richardson, Scope1’s variable content “They’ve completely adopted the con- specialist, who worked on the account cept of variable imaging.” And because before Bennett. In 2002, their broad of this adoption, the university’s ambitions were to convert inquiries into matriculation rate (percentage of stu- students and respond to issues uncov- dents who decide to enroll), is higher ered in the marketing approach. than ever before. Scope1 set up two websites for Scope1 is a marketing technology Huntington College. The first was a provider that focuses on education and Corporate Kiosk, which is a software real estate. When it signed the first con- as a service (SaaS) web-to-print inter- tract with Huntington in 2001, the aim face where administrators can order was to morph the marketing from a all types of print, promotional prod- fairly staid approach to a high-tech ucts, office supplies and VDP. It’s campaign attracting the best students. through this website that Huntington The campaign was originally launched orders everything from Athletic as a supplement to other student Department stationery to binder recruitment efforts, says Bennett, but it report covers to golf balls. has increasingly become the centerpiece When pricing the product, Bennett, of the university’s recruiting efforts. who helms Scope1’s web-to-print sales, generally uses a spreadsheet to Establishing Goals determine the costs involved, with Eight years ago, higher education mar- production time heavily weighted. The keting options were fairly lackluster, cost of the system is not a line item on

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“I think the fast, unique and personalized distribution of the DVD and postcard is helping to get the attention of prospective students.” Jeff Berggren, VP of Enrollment Management and Marketing Huntington University, Huntington, Ind.

the bill, though, unless the client specifically DVD Smash Success asks. The decision to install the kiosk is general- In 2005, however, Scope1 added a DVD virtual ly up to the account manager. “If the client tour to the online offerings students could wants us to install Corporate Kiosk, we’re more receive, and this was even better-received than than happy to because the workflow is more the variable brochure—more than 15,000 DVDs streamlined and the doors open for additional shipped in the first two months. After a year, the value,” Bennett says. team measured a 59 percent increase in total DVD requests, making it about seven times The Variable Brochure more popular than the brochure. The second website was a web portal for stu- The DVD arrives in a personalized package dents to access, and it replaced a generic site that along with a postcard. The postcard is shrink- explained the school but wasn’t interactive. At wrapped onto the DVD jewel case and used as a the new portal, students can enter information mailing label. Inside, there’s the name and photo about their desired area of study and extracur- of the prospective student’s personal counselor. ricular interests. With the data, the system creat- “The college says they’ve seen and heard of stu- ed a 4-page PDF brochure that could be viewed dents holding onto their cards and DVDs for immediately online; a printed version also was reference, and have hung it up somewhere pub- produced and mailed. The brochures included licly because they thought it was cool,” Bennett personalized text, program overviews and a per- says. sonal greeting from the student’s assigned Jeff Berggren, VP of enrollment management admissions counselor, based on ZIP code. and marketing, says students who receive per- In the first test group, more than 4.5 percent sonalized materials are more likely to enroll of the students who requested a brochure because they speed up the prospects’ college enrolled at Huntington, making it the most suc- investigation and create an understanding of cessful acquisition tool the college has. By Huntington’s culture. “I think the fast, unique March 2004, Scope1 reports, 377 requests had and personalized distribution of the DVD and been made, resulting in 34 applications and 32 postcard is helping to get the attention of this acceptances. The college decided to invest in an group,” he says. ongoing program. Web-to-print is growing in acceptance, Ben- Creating the brochure materials took about a nett says, once clients can see success stories like year because the university wanted to include an Huntington’s. “I get a feeling that buyers are alumnus testimonial for each department. Sev- finally starting to accept that POD is more cost- eral years into the program, the system runs effective than doing a mass litho production about 300 variations on the brochure—pared run. There is no smoke and mirrors anymore,” down from the thousands originally conceived. he said—instead, the focus resides with highly The PR director for the university spends a con- effective digital personalization and indis- siderable amount of time searching for new tes- putable ROI rates. ➫ timonials, Bennett says. The variable data are stored in a SQL Server Rebecca Trela is managing editor of Print Solutions maintained by Scope1, where they are matched magazine. Email comments to [email protected]. up with the templates and output in various for- mats and languages, including VPS, PPML, VDX and PostScript. The current brochure is produced on an Indigo.

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 33 CASE STUDY: Ad Specialties Wedding Favors Are a Perfect Match for ADA American Diabetes Association sees donations increase thanks to w2p By April Hollis

hen the American The announcements, which can be Diabetes Association tent cards, scrolls or bookmarks, are (ADA) wanted to find given to wedding guests to inform new sources of donor them of the couple’s donation. Cou- revenue, it decided to mar- ples can choose from different font ry two great ideas: wedding sizes, colors and other options to per- WWfavors and web-to-print. sonalize the announcements. “There’s a big market for cus- The site suggests donations of $2 to tomized wedding favors,” says Custom $5 per guest, with a $200 minimum Print Now (CPN) owner Willie Bren- donation to receive personalized nan. The Columbia, Md., manufactur- announcements. “This proved to be er created a web-to-print site where extremely successful for the ADA,” says couples can select “donation in lieu of Brennan. “If their normal donation in favor” announcements from the ADA. the past had been $15, this was generat- ing in the high $200s. It’s a big, big dif- ference.” Jennifer Spaine, the ADA’s associate director of database and online market- ing, says the idea was born from donor requests for such a service. Previously, “we were kind of doing it on the fly, creating something on a piece of paper or on our letterhead. Then we went to providing something very generic and from there, we moved to customization and being able to use the website.” The ADA was already using CPN for other products when it asked the com- pany to make the custom web-to-print site. The manufacturer designed the site to match the ADA’s donation page, then integrated its technology with the asso- ciation’s technology. Once a donation is made on the web-to-print site, the specifics are transferred to CPN, trig- gering its site to reflect the favor levels the donor can order. The information is later transferred back to the ADA.➫

Tent cards announcing donations in lieu of favors can be placed around tables at the wedding reception.

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The Next Move After the wedding favors’ success, Bren- nan pushed the ADA into the web-to- print photo greeting card arena as well. “We knew this was going to be a grow- ing opportunity, and they finally made a decision this year,” he says. That site, which went up at the end of 2008, allows donors to customize holiday photo cards by selecting a design, uploading photos and customizing messages. The cards are priced from $15 a set, which includes 20 cards and envelopes. “We’re now going to move into multiple occasions, multiple photos on cards, shirts, mugs and calendars,” Brennan says. “The key is to remain competitively priced, because it won’t work otherwise. It also has to be easy to use.” Brennan plans to offer the cus- The ADA’s web-to-print site makes it easy for couples to give the association some love. tomized photo gift program to many

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charities, as the firm has built a portal that can be rebranded for different charities with templates for them to add their own designs. “Charities will “This proved to be extremely successful for the be big buyers when I’m done with ADA. If their normal donation in the past had been them,” he says, adding that web-to- print is still relatively new to them. $15, this was generating in the high $200s. It’s a big, Convincing charities to offer web- big difference.” to-print has taken some time, Brennan says, noting the ADA card site could Willie Brennan, Owner have been up and running four or five Custom Print Now, Columbia, Md. years ago, but “it’s taken that long to get traction.” He says the sale was probably clinched when he offered to waive the front end costs. “We were willing to go in there and test it with challenge so far has come from donors doing the ordering themselves and them to see if it worked.” wanting something that’s not already they’ll walk us through what they And it has been well worth it for offered on the site, such as a different want and we’ll do it for them.” ➫ the ADA. Spaine says she now hears color. “You’ve offered only so many about people discussing the site with things and somebody always wants April Hollis is assistant editor of Print other nonprofits, asking them to offer something else. We also occasionally Solutions magazine. Email comments something similar. She says the only get people who aren’t comfortable to [email protected].

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www.Coast2CoastColor.com CASE STUDY: Books W2P’s Future Takes a Page From History Web-to-print site helps users design genealogy books By April Hollis

ith the widespread print site but has found them success- adoption of web-to- ful so far. “We’ve been on the market print, there’s no denying for a little over a year and we have the future is here, but one about a quarter of a million unique end user sees the technolo- project owners. We’ve also gotten pos- Wgy as a portal to the past. itive feedback in surveys we’ve done— WThe Generations Network (TGN), 92 to 93 percent are satisfied or very Provo, Utah, uses web-to-print to offer satisfied.” custom genealogy books and family Alexander’s Print Advantage, Lin- trees. don, Utah, which set up the web-to- Ancestry.com, a TGN website, uses print system, won the client after over- software that takes historical informa- hearing a conversation at a print shop, tion from databases and stores it for says Alexander’s CTO Dan Mortimer. The Generation Network’s web-to-print customers. Site subscribers can access TGN had approached HP with its site allows users to design their own records that have been scanned and idea, to see whether buying its own history books and family trees. indexed and can enter their own family equipment would be the best invest- history information, such as birthdates. ment. HP recommended against that The site pulls that information to create because TGN was just starting out in history books and family trees, then the photobook market. allows users to upload pictures and “We literally overheard someone at customize the design of their products. HP talking about it, so we said, ‘We’re The history books offered by TGN just down the street. We’ve done photo- include several sections—a family tree, book projects,’” Mortimer says. “They’d pages for each couple in the tree, time- already done an exhaustive search for Family trees are a breeze to lines for certain ancestors and pages printers and had tried one, but the soft- create with web-to-print. for additional records. The site also ware wasn’t automated. Also, they’d offers embellishments for the books, spent thousands making their software 600 different page backgrounds and interface with the printer’s, but one in options for creating custom back- four orders was still being rejected.” grounds. “Once you have the core content of No W2P System Is a Snap the book, you can customize the Before the system could work smooth- design and add additional content like ly, Mortimer and his team had to solve photos, historical postcards and news- some thorny technical problems that paper clippings, says Stefanie Condie, had hindered other printers. He points brand manager for the site. I made one out the other printer had an off-the- for my mom and I added the German shelf system, which required TGN to passport she used when she came to rewrite all of its software. “We had the U.S. I also have my parents’ mar- extensive experience in running these riage license and things like that.” types of programs—not just from the Condie says TGN did not offer the print side, but also writing the user books before launching the web-to- interface. We wrote the code, so we

40 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

CASE STUDY: Books

were able to interface with them exact- “We’ve been on the market for a little over a year ly the way the other vendor was, elimi- nating the cost for them to deploy and we have about a quarter of a million unique with us. Then we got into their process project owners. We’ve also gotten positive for outputting files and resolved the problem of why files weren’t ripping.” feedback in surveys we’ve done— Alexander’s automation platform 92 to 93 percent are satisfied or very satisfied.” automatically gangs the books, track- ing covers and text so they can be Stefanie Condie, Brand Manager joined properly in production. The Generations Network, Provo, Utah TGN originally expected to split about 3,000 orders among the three printers it was considering to provide its photobooks. However, it received almost 8,000 orders in the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christ- mas—before the other two printers were completely interfaced. “Both of the other shops are touted as great ones, but they’d just bought off-the-shelf software and didn’t have a great depth of experience in those type of projects. They basically failed. One produced 30 books but we had to remake them because they were wrong. The other produced 300 but then tapped out because of bandwidth issues. We produced the balance of about 7,600 books, and we’re the smallest of the shops. Since then, we’ve been TGN’s exclusive provider.” Despite this success, Mortimer says it’s an uphill battle to market Alexan- der’s as a small printer with great tech- nology expertise. “We asked TGN, ‘When you were searching for printers, what were you looking for? How can I present our shop?’ And he said flat out, ‘I don’t know.’ He had assumed that printers that could print a photobook would have that sort of thing in order. They had no idea they were asking something that was outside the norm.’” But Mortimer points out most printers don’t employ programmers and IT staff. “When they started talking to printers about web service, integration and passing XML back and forth, they all of a sudden had very slim pickings.”

April Hollis is assistant editor of Print Solutions magazine. Email comments to [email protected]. ➫

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Checks / Forms / Document Security / Pressure Seal Mailers / Integrated Products Print Shop Products / Online Print Procurement / Nationwide Locations CASE STUDY: Device Accessories W2P Site Puts Client’s Product in People’s Pockets Uniqueskins.com uses w2p to sell custom coverings for phones and iPods. By April Hollis

ctive Media Architects, St. “Unique Skins started out as a Clair Shores, Mich., uses small company, but with the new cus- web-to-print to help one tomization options, their sales blew customer put his products through the roof,” says Active Media in his clients’ pockets. The Operations Manager John Aniano. AA web-to-print site it created “They drew tons of business, hiring for Uniqueskins.com allows users to like crazy”—both staff and sales dou- design and order custom vinyl “skins,” bled within the first year. or coverings, for cell phones, iPods Before the site’s launch, Uniqe- and other devices. These skins can skins.com was selling pre-designed come in a variety of designs, from ani- skins on eBay and through the compa- mal prints to uploaded photographs. ny’s website. “They essentially had a print infrastructure,” Aniano says. “They were doing on-demand print- ing, so they didn’t really keep much inventory, and they were also allowing people to send in custom requests if they wanted to send an image. But it was very much a manual process.” When the company started expand- ing and getting more requests for cus- tomizations, they needed to step up their e-commerce and provide an easy way for customers to design their own products, Aniano says. “Before, we just had the standard shopping cart with several different designs for each mod- el, but it was very limited,” says Unique Skins President Dominick Oliver. The company found Active Media through an online search. Although he looked at several different companies with design canvases, Oliver says, “Active Media seemed to have the best one out there.” The web-to-print site uses Active Media’s Activa Canvas module to allow customers to design their own skins. Active Media’s e-com- Uniqueskins.com guides users as they create custom coverings for iPods and merce framework provides for easy cell phones. ➫

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creation of customized e-commerce websites. Clients can license the mod- “They started out as a small company, but with the new ule and get a full software develop- customization options, their sales blew through the roof. ment kit to do the development in- house, or they can hire Active Media They drew tons of business, hiring like crazy.” to build the e-commerce website for John Aniano, Operations Manager them, which is what Unique Skins did. Active Media Architects, St. Clair Shores, Mich. “Active Media made it pretty simple to get the canvas to work with our software,” Oliver says. “We went back sales were “nothing compared to what and forth— they would send us a file we did on our new site,” Oliver says. they created in the design canvas and Aniano adds, “We have a very we’d bring it into our printing soft- unique product in this market. The ware and check to make sure it was skin market is very attractive for us correct, that we were receiving the cut and our product is very attractive to lines and that everything was coming them. Really the entire market is any- through correctly. We made sure our thing that benefits from user design.” software could read the file. That process probably took one or two April Hollis is assistant editor of Print months.” The site cost about $50,000- Users can create custom skins to Solutions magazine. Email comments $75,000, but in the first year, Unique decorate cell phones and other to [email protected]. ➫ Skins did $250,000 in sales. Previous devices.

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National Alabama California Ohio Tennessee 866-367-9235 800-767-3725 800-767-3752 800-537-8648 800-767-3786 CASE STUDY: Customer Driven Customer Leads Charge on Web-to-Print Path Stafford Printing saves the day with w2p By Rebecca Trela hile many wait for a some quick calculations. Each month, sign about wading into he estimates, an integrated system web-to-print, one of would probably save an hour for every Howard Owen’s biggest 10 orders that didn’t have to be re- customers in the home- keyed. “Frankly, web-to-print gets to Wbuilding market, gave him the core of what print is about. Within Wjust the nudge he needed. reason, of course, everybody could “It wasn’t subtle,” says Owen, own- benefit from web-to-print.” er of Stafford Printing in Stafford, Va. “They said, ‘Howard, do you want to Everybody Wants Some bid on this?’” Of course, Owen was The first web-to-print sale made the eager to keep the customer, but the second easier, Owen says. Stafford has end user had a corporate directive to gotten 10 clients signed up in the six purchase print only from printers who months they’ve had the capability, and offered web-to-print services. The 40- Owen is the only person who sells location company wanted to store an web-to-print programs. He’s currently “I would define online library of materials to ensure working with another multi-location consistent branding. customer, hoping to have their com- web-to-print success “They told me, ‘If you don’t have plex storefront within the month. as adding one web-to-print, don’t bother.’” The cus- “Just like everybody else, they have tomer would have severed ties with fewer employees, but their work hasn’t customer to my top him, Owen says, if he hadn’t immedi- decreased,” Owen says. “I was always 25 list of accounts.” ately installed Presstek’s PathWay soft- concerned about the relationship ware and begun a bid for the 6 to 12 aspect, but relationships are chang- Howard Owen, Owner items in the initial storefront. They ing.” Ultimately, he’s learned that set- Stafford Printing, Stafford, Va. started with letterhead and stationery, ting customers up on a web-to-print then added postcards, marketing system doesn’t mean you’ll spend less brochures, wide-format pieces and time with them. pURLs. “They’re interested in whatev- “The web link or the email becomes er makes it most simple for them,” he the relationship, or part of it,” he says. says, adding that the two parties stay “You see it with the younger people I in touch about once a week. work with who use Facebook or Stafford had been considering a LinkedIn as part of the relationship web-to-print solution for some time, process. That definition has changed in but hadn’t decided which technology the last five or 10 years,” and its effect is the company needed. Even after instal- spilling over into other aspects of digi- lation, the printer still suffers from the tal business communication. “The days “swivel effect,” meaning that the of being able to see a customer belly- online portal isn’t automatically con- to-belly are gone.” nected with the management informa- tion system (MIS). Yet. Customer Profile “This year we will definitely The typical web-to-print customer upgrade the MIS,” Owen says, doing isn’t generally a prospect, Owen says.

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“It’s a client whom you can take to the and demo. She said, ‘Hopefully I’ll have “but maybe you’re making money on next level, and get all their print needs time in the next two months.’” While the savings of your prepress depart- in a library environment.” For them, web-to-print may save them time and ment’s time or your customer service the pain points have already been money, end users must be convinced to reps’. Or maybe it’s an investment in established and addressed. Web-to- invest in the learning up-front. future business.” print drives the next efficiencies. And it will take time—a month or Customers are becoming used to The key questions to ask should be so—to get that customer up to speed. ordering smaller quantities and more natural to any sales rep, Owen says: Be patient. “I would define success as of them online, he says, and “they “Do you want to save time? Or do you adding one customer to my top 25 list want a system that does everything want to continue proofing 50 business of accounts,” Owen says. “If you get from soup to nuts. But that’s okay, as cards a month? Do you want to be that one customer who generates a fair long as they order it from us.” If a cus- responsible for chasing down people amount of revenue, $50,000 to tomer is pulling you in a new direc- at your organization?” Customers may $75,000, and has the potential to con- tion, the customer might just be right. be ordering online for other items, he tinue doing business, then I’m happy “Look around and see how many says, but when it comes to a problem having that home run.” companies have downsized right now,” with a print project, they want a voice says Owen. Those companies are look- on the line right away. Right On ing for the efficiencies that online Most prospects react favorably once Web-to-print may be easily available, ordering delivers. “Web-to-print is the you have the case study, Owen says, but it’s not a commodity yet. Owen right solution at the right time.” “but it’s the problem of taking the time prices the solution on what clients are and actually doing it that’s the biggest willing to pay and the complexity of Rebecca Trela is managing editor of hurdle. I was talking to a customer yes- the job. “Maybe you don’t make mon- Print Solutions magazine. Email com- terday about coming here for a tour ey on the actual web-to-print,” he says, ments to [email protected]. ➫

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MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 49 Management Everyone Here Sells Web-to-Print Stop losing your shirt on web-to-print with these simple tactics By Rebecca Trela

hat’s the more diffi- cent said they required everyone to get cult sale: pitching web- on board with selling web-to-print. to-print technology to In situations where the rep is reluc- the client, or your sales tant to sell web-to-print for fear of reps? losing control of the customer, that WW While talking to many may be an indicator of deeper person- colleagues, says Brian Weidenmann, nel problems. “If the rep is happy at VP of new business development at your company, and they ‘get’ the idea DocuSource, headquartered in Tigard, of web-to-print, there’s no reason why Ore., “I find a lot of print sales people they wouldn’t sell the system,” says haven’t embraced technology in their Greg Marks, president of IntraMedia own lives. They’re under Solutions, Phoenix. “Our people who confident, and they have succeeded see that they can make struggle to bring up the a very nice living this way, and they topic with clients.” want to stay for the long haul.” Intra- Weidenmann has Media has a handful of reps selling uncovered a common web-to-print. Of their 100 storefronts, affliction in the print about 40 experience high traffic. sales world: sales reps Many owners are fortunate to be who haven’t embraced exposed to the industry’s new ideas, the web-to-print sale. says Mike Caruso, senior director of IT Many don’t understand at Sir Speedy Scottsdale, but it’s up to how the technology them to pass along the good news. “We The clean look and simple interface works and are slow to were actually lucky enough to have one makes IntraMedia’s web-to-print learn—perhaps, theorizes Julie Shaffer, of our sales reps bring the web-to- interface a success for Smoothie director of the Digital Print Council at print idea to us,” he says. After attend- Factory franchisees to use. Printing Industries of America, ing an industry function five years ago because they’re too busy scrambling to where she learned about the technolo- make ends meet in a mature industry. gy, she “came back, got the entire office Still others, Shaffer says, are caught up organized and started identifying and in old models of doing business: “In targeting existing customers.” most cases, the salesperson ‘owns’ and is very protective of his or her cus- Price It Right tomers,” she wrote in an article about In a rush to offer everything to every- web-to-print sales. body, some owners haven’t examined In a Print Solutions survey of 225 the costs and benefits for web-to-print distributors, nearly 40 percent of programs. Make that most owners— respondents said that web-to-print almost half of all survey respondents was sold through the company’s own- indicated that they “give away the er or a specially trained team. Almost storefront in exchange for future busi- 25 percent said they sold web-to-print ness.” (Sometimes, they said, they “catch-as-catch can”—and just 21 per- price the system on “what we think the

50 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 Management customer will go for,” and a smaller percentage calculates the price on W2P Test Drive fixed costs, such as system startup or Are you thinking of investing in a web-to-print program? Check out a personnel hours.) Others set out to w2ptestdrive.com, hosted by the Printing Industries of America, where you make the storefront a profit center, but can compare dashboards and systems. The solutions are divided into soft- end up investing labor hours in the ware for print procurement, document management, marketing manage- learning curve. ment and workflow automation. Setting the price for the customer is difficult, no doubt about it. Most peo- The Cost of Doing Business ple use the web-to-print storefront as There are two primary delivery mod- a loss leader just to get a foot in the els for web-to-print solutions and door. This razor-and-razorblades the price of the solutions can vary model will work, but only if the cus- significantly based on which deliv- tomer continues to utilize the system. ery model is used. “There is no set price for a web-to- Hosted solutions are typically print system,” says Jimmy Anderson, suited for companies with limited IT president and CEO of XpressPrint- resources, or those who want to Online.com. Almost all solutions are get started with web-to-print but custom in some regard, he says, and “a want to avoid making a sizable up- cookie-cutter price is the easy way front investment in licensing and out.” Aspects such as brand asset man- hardware, paying a periodic sub- agement, integration with databases or scription fee instead. Setup fees CRM systems and ease of page modifi- for hosted solutions generally range cation contribute to the cost of build- from $0 - $30,000. Ongoing fees can vary significantly based on volume or ing a web-to-print system, and there- the number of storefronts used, but typically range from $200 - fore costs that must be passed on to $1500/month. end users. Licensed solutions require service providers to purchase the software “You should really consider these license for their web-to-print solution. Typically, users will pay one upfront things: customer management, work- licensing fee and an annual maintenance fee for software upgrades and flow management, online preflighting, support. Some vendors will package a licensed software solution with the online design tools, variable data tools required server hardware, installing and configuring the solution on a server and data merging modules,” Anderson before shipping it to the customer. Other vendors provide only the software, says. allowing users to install and configure the software on their own servers. However, these costs may be split The setup fee for licensed solutions can range from $15,000 – $80,000+ with staff. “In a web-to-print situa- depending on the configuration. Annual maintenance fees typically range tion,” says Marks, “Our salesperson from 15 to 20 percent. participates in that cost. So if we’re According to InfoTrends’ e-Enablement: The Future of Graphic Communi- going to spend thousands to build a cations study, mean initial/start-up spend on print e-business systems was new site, that cost is attributed to both $37,700. However, nearly a quarter of respondents spent or expected to the company and the sales person, as spend less than $5,000 to get started with a print e-business solution, an investment in future revenue including software, license, optional modules and any required professional streams for both of us.” The benefit of services. Mean annual spend for print e-business systems was $24,000. this is a sense of the team, Marks says. Like the start-up spend, however, about a quarter (27 percent) spent or “Everyone gets to help make the deci- plan to spend less than $5,000 annually on these solutions. sion about what we should do.” “I wouldn’t hesitate to set up a site Source: InfoTrends for a small account,” says Ed Cooke, CEO of Cane Print Solutions & in the cost, too. towards creating the site,” Marks says. Graphics, Atlasburg, Pa. “This is the Some owners can hide the store- “Many clients are starting to ask if ideal application for account protec- front development costs in the print- there is a cost, and they anticipate tion.” However, Cooke partners with ing, or even show a nominal line-item there being a cost,” but the anticipated several manufacturers to set up and charge, but it’s usually not enough. “I price tag almost never covers the implement web-to-print, so they share see the industry wanting to move investment. ➫

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 51 Management

If you can’t determine exactly what “The best way to get a leg up on your competition in your time and resource investment will be in setting up the system, follow the web-to-print space is to offer a system that the lead of other smart sellers and does it all: inventory, print-on-demand and determine a minimum site usage lev- el—in a client contract, if possible. promotional products. From a logical and workflow “Just thinking about it now, a client standpoint, putting it all together makes the most would probably have to order smaller items weekly or every other week,” says sense.” John Rutledge, CEO of Piedmont Graphics, Greensboro, N.C. For more Greg Marks, President expensive items, or in higher quanti- IntraMedia Solutions, Phoenix ties, it would be at least monthly.” “We don’t have a spreadsheet, but if you’ve sold web-to-print, it doesn’t take long to figure out what kind of for a $50,000 account, but if I’m busy Customer Coaching account you’re calling on and whether making money elsewhere that might Selling web-to-print to both clients it’s going to be worth it—and subse- change,” he says. If the account is and co-workers might be difficult, but quently, how you will charge for it,” going to be lighter on the output side, many distributors agree that the fol- Weidenmann says. The cost changes charge them up front for creating the low-through is even trickier. with how busy the distributor is: “I templates. “There’s a dark side to web-to-print could justify a small web-to-print deal sales,” says Jim Lahner, VP of marketing

52 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

Management and communications at software out the corporate culture. chisee, who doesn’t have to go running provider Four51. “Most employees, Of course, usability helps. Phillip around town to find all this stuff.” especially in locations where it’s easier Howard, VP of The Smoothie Factory, Web-to-print can clinch a success- to hide, when confronted with ‘different a Texas chain with 70 locations, says ful sale, “regardless of whether the ways to buy things,’ will simply refuse. the web-to-print site has helped the client is qualified,” Weidenmann says. Maverick spending ensues,” he says, and brand control situation considerably. “Most of the people I approach with it’s up to a corporate team to babysit the “We didn’t have to make anyone go the web-to-print pitch have only locations. through training,” he says. “Anyone scratched the surface in that depart- A seller can tell which customers who has ever shopped online should ment,” and Weidenmann can position are going to be using the storefront be able to use the storefront.” The himself as a savvy expert. “It’s just based on the buy-in attitude from the web-to-print system that IntraMedia wonderful to talk to a marketing per- home office—and how involved the has set up for The Smoothie Factory son about this, because you have a rea- corporate team is in rolling out the includes stock office supply items for son to call on them just to talk, and it system. Sometimes, the two parties are convenience, as well as a rich library of brings you credibility and tech exper- at cross-purposes: for example, a fran- logoed promotional products. In addi- tise in their mind. That’s a lot of the chisor trying to protect the brand, and tion to the 15-20 hours per week that reason why print buyers end up select- a franchisee who is trying to stand the system has saved the corporate ing someone; it’s a rep who can bring out. “It can be a double whammy office, franchisees have reaped labor- new ideas and technology, even if they when we sign a franchise company,” saving benefits. don’t use them.” Marks says. “We hope all of the loca- “It’s possible that, throughout the tions and corporate use the site, but course of a store opening, we could buy Rebecca Trela is managing editor of not all of them do.” Before making a everything we need online,” Howard Print Solutions magazine. Email com- cost estimate, it’s a good idea to suss says. “It just makes it easy for the fran- ments to [email protected].

ADVERTISER INDEX Interact with the companies whose products and services are advertised in Print Solutions. Go to www.printsolutions mag.com/adindex.html. Visit Print Solutions Magazine on the web: www.printsolutionsmag.com. If you’re an advertiser and would like your website or email address listed (a free service), contact Ryan Abell, advertising assistant, at (703) 836-6232, ext. 124. The advertiser index is published for readers’ convenience. While every effort is made to list information correctly, the publisher is not liable for errors and omissions.

Advertiser Web Site Advertiser Web Site

4over Inc., inside back cover www.4over.com Lewis Color Lithographers, p. 49 www.lewiscolor.com Allen Bailey Tag & Label, p. 9 www.abtl.com Maggio Data Forms Printing, p. 42 www.maggio.com AmeriPrint Corp., p. 37 www.ameriprint.com NJBF, p. 4, 10, 11, 46 www.njbf.com B & W Press, p. 31 www.bwpress.com Pilgrim Plastics, p. 53 www.pilgrimplastics.com Business Stationery Inc., p. 30 www.bsiprint.com Printegra, p. 43 www.printegra.com Cadillac Looseleaf Products, p. 38 www.cadlp.com PrintXcel, p. 47 www.printxcel.com

Coast 2 Coast Color, p. 39 www.coast2coastcolor.com ProDocumentSolutions, p. 25 www.prodocumentsolutions.com ColorTree, p. 36 www.colortree.com Repacorp Inc., p. 21 www.repacorp.com Continental Datalabel, outside back cover www.datalabel.com ScreenTech Imaging, A Div. Of Roeda, p. 52 www.screentech.com Discount Labels, p. 7 www.discountlabels.com Sentinel Printing Co. Inc., p. 28 www.sentinelprinting.com Dupli-Systems Inc., p. 48 a www.dupli-systems.com USA/Docufinish, p. 16 a www.usadocufinish.com Ennis Inc., inside front cover, p. 1, 2, 15 www.ennis.com Ward/Kraft Inc., p. 13 www.wardkraft.com ePrintOne Inc., p. 23 www.eprintone.com Western States Envelope & Label, p. 49 www.westernstatesenvelope.com e-Quantum Inc., p. 27 www.e-quantum.com Wilmer, p. 16 www.4wilmer.com The Flesh Company, p. 41 www.fleshco.com Wisco Envelope, p. 35 www.wiscoenv.com Folder Express, p. 32 a www.folderexpress.com Wise Business Forms Inc., p. 5 www.wbf.com Formax, p. 12 www.formax.com Wright Business Graphics, p. 45 www.wrightbg.com InfoSeal, p. 4, 10, 11, 46 www.infoseal.com Zoo Printing Inc., p. 23 www.zooprinting.com Label Art, p. 29 www.labelart.com

54 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

FEATURE ARTICLE PROMO PRODUCTS Students Like Getting Carded Stored-value cards with ring tones and music credits appeal to young, diverse audiences

By April Hollis

President Obama knew how to use technology to reach a PromoCard Services, Miami, offers a Latin music card and a Latin Ameri- young and diverse audience. Do you? Savvy promo product ca phone card. “Music is the hottest distributors are using stored-value cards to help clients reach thing now,” says Marketing and Sales Director Karen Sorota. She says the niche markets such as students and Hispanics. The cards firm’s fitness card is taking off as well. It allows users to download workout contain gifts such as free cell phone ring tones, free long videos catered to their goals—yoga, distance minutes, or free song downloads, and can be Pilates, strength building—and trans- fer the videos to an iPod or computer. redeemed at websites—either custom or generic—which are Sorota has helped a distributor with a Weight Watchers campaign using the set up for the end user. cards, and says stored-value cards are also great for telecommunications and banking. “It’s a huge, growing market. It’s the No. 1 choice, after cash, for an employee incentive gift.” Success With Students The cards are also popular among young people, and one of Sorota’s dis- tributors used stored-value cards as part of the American Heart Associa- tion’s Hoops for Heart campaign, pro- moting physical activity to middle school students. Students who raised the most funds for the AHA received music cards, movie cards or ring tone cards. The 2007-2008 campaign was so successful that the AHA is using the cards again for its 2008-2009 campaign, she says. Another distributor, Dan Ahern of Fog City Marketing, San Francisco, used the cards for two projects with As a result of the stored-value UC Berkeley. For one, the Associated card promotions, more students Students of UC Berkeley (ASUC) are taking advantage of offered fitness cards as the top prize Cal Adventures’ activities. for a “spin the wheel” giveaway at Cal- topia, the nation’s largest experiential College Lifestyle Festival. ➷

56 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 10 reasons to join PSDA now. 10REASON # Business Solutions

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and the group netted about 36,000 “Dan Ahern brings us a number of different addresses. “They said it was one of the most successful marketing efforts they promotional opportunities, but this stuck had ever done,” Ahern says. “They exceeded what they had hoped for.” because the millennial generation is highly Amy Golladay, assistant director of marketing and business development sociable,” she says. “They’re looking for ways for recreational sports at UC Berkeley, says Cal Adventures has always attract- to link to other groups and also ed members of the general communi- ty, but not many students took advan- to personalize; they want to tage of the program. After the campaign, she says, “we noticed a big express themselves.” spike in people going to the website and an increase in student involve- Amy Golladay, Assistant Director of Marketing ment.” and Business Development, Recreational Sports Golladay decided to use the cards at U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif. several different events over the past year, with the Cal Adventures team distributing additional information and displaying outdoors equipment at the events. “Dan Ahern brings us a number of different promotional opportunities, but this stuck because Ahern notes the ASUC buyers the millennial generation is highly Ideas for Use decided not to spend the extra money sociable,” she says. “They’re looking on a custom website, “and now they for ways to link to other groups and Distributors can encourage their wish they had.” The ASUC opted for a also to personalize; they want to clients to use stored-value cards generic website and was therefore express themselves.” for: unable to track the response. Accord- In return, Ahern says the Cal ing to Ahern, “the nominal investment Adventures folks are “prescient in Trade shows in a custom site is significantly more terms of seeing trends coming down practical and instructive to the client the road.” Ahern started offering the Online loan applications because they truly can measure the cards in earnest two years ago, but Online sales elusive ROI.” says, “I wish I had done it before.” Another client at the university Although he heard about the products Online membership used a free music download card at earlier, he dismissed them “because I Caltopia with greater success, says didn’t understand the value to it and In-store promotions Ahern. The card was part of a market- then I realized that I was being igno- Refer-a-friend programs ing effort to encourage signups for the rant. This is something that makes a school’s outdoor recreation program, lot of sense, particularly because of Upselling products Cal Adventures. The theme of the where we are in terms of our culture.” campaign was “create the soundtrack He doesn’t think distributors fully Increasing product registration for your adventure” with the recre- realize the cards’ value yet, but adds, Fundraisers ation group offering a free song down- “Selfishly speaking, I’m glad.” load card, redeemable at a landing Encouraging online bill pay page that offered more information April Hollis is assistant editor of Print about Cal Adventures. Solutions magazine. Email comments Students had to sign up for the pro- to [email protected]. gram’s email listserv to get the card,

58 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009

INDUSTRY NEWS

Pilgrim Plastics Buys Chatco we offer to our customers on our web- • Postcard stamps increases one Pilgrim Plastics, Brockton, Mass., site, which we collectively refer to as cent to 28 cents. bought the assets of Chatco, a referral fees. Some of these third party • The first ounce of a large envelope Chatham, N.Y., manufacturer of referral-based offers are for member- increases 5 cents to 88 cents. molded plastic products such as golf ships in discount programs or similar • The first ounce of a parcel bag ties, custom tags and name promotions made to customers who increases 5 cents to $1.22. badges. Pilgrim President Mark have purchased products from us, in • New international postcard and Abrams said in a news release that which we receive a payment from the letter prices are, for one ounce, 75 “this is the first in a list of comple- third party merchants for every cus- cents to Canada; 79 cents to Mexico; mentary product lines that Pilgrim tomer that accepts the promotion. and 98 cents elsewhere. intends to pursue.” Certain of these third party member- ship discount programs have been the Most Consumers Still Buying Graphic Dimensions Acquires subject of consumer complaints, liti- Green Despite the Economy Giraffix Assets gation, and regulatory actions alleging Four out of five people say they are Graphic Dimensions Inc., Atlanta, pur- that the enrollment and billing prac- still buying green products and ser- chased some of the assets of Giraffix, tices involved in the programs violate vices even in the midst of a recession, formerly Giraffe Business Forms of various consumer protection laws or according to a survey commissioned Louisville, Ky., including all order infor- are otherwise deceptive...” by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social mation, composition files, artwork, “...For example, various state attor- Marketing. Half of the 1,000 people order specs and order dockets. The neys general have brought similar con- surveyed say they are buying just as assets have been transferred to Graphic sumer fraud lawsuits against certain of many green products now as before Dimensions’ facility in Cincinnati. the third party merchants asserting the economic downturn; 19 percent that they have not adequately dis- say they are buying more green prod- VistaPrint Sued by Customers closed the terms of their offers and ucts, and 14 percent say they are buy- Internet printer VistaPrint, Hamilton, have not obtained proper approval ing fewer environmentally sensitive Bermuda, has been sued in U.S. Feder- from consumers before debiting the products. al District Courts in Texas, New Jersey, consumers” bank account or billing Alabama and Massachusetts for ques- the consumers” credit card. We have in Kansas Auto Dealers Endorse tionable credit card billing practices, the past from time to time received Reynolds Sales Contract according to the company’s filings complaints from our customers Reynolds and Reynolds, Dayton, Ohio, with the U.S. Security and Exchange regarding certain of the membership announced that the Kansas Automo- Commission. VistaPrint’s Aug. 29, discount programs offered on our bile Dealers Association has endorsed 2008, 10-Q filing with the SEC says the websites.” Reynolds’ LAW 533 Universal Retail suits allege “that certain of our cus- Sale Contract for auto dealerships. tomers were, without their knowledge Postage Rising in May The company said the contract is the or consent, enrolled in and billed for The U.S. Postal Service announced most widely used document in auto membership discount programs price hikes, including a two-cent rise in finance. Reynolds produces versions of offered by third party merchants on first-class stamps to 44 cents effective the contract specific to each state and our vistaprint.com website; and our May 11. Forever Stamps will be sold in various languages. reputation, revenues and results of for the current 42-cent rate until the operations could be adversely affected increase takes effect. Forever Stamps Consolidated Graphics Reports if we or the third party merchants are remain valid in the future regardless of Record Revenue unable to successfully resolve these rate hikes. The increases are tied to the Consolidated Graphics Inc., Houston, lawsuits or similar claims that may be rate of inflation in the prior year. reported record revenue of $316 mil- brought in the future. Although the new 44-cent rate covers lion for its third quarter ended Dec. “During each of the last three fiscal the first ounce of first-class mail, the 31, 2008, due to prior year acquisitions years, we generated a portion of our price for each additional ounce will and strong election-related printing. revenue from order referral fees, rev- remain unchanged at 17-cents. For the nine months ended Dec 31, enue share and other fees paid to us by Other changes that take effect May revenue was $898 million, up 11 per- third party merchants for customer 11: cent from the same time period in click-throughs, distribution of third- 2007. party promotional materials, and THE LATEST NEWS referrals arising from products and What’s happening at your company? Email your industry news and tips to services of the third party merchants [email protected] or call (800) 336-4641.

60 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 PEOPLE

NEW HIRES Martin Agati was hired as a sales exec- Joseph P. Morgan Jr. was named Presi- utive at Teraco Inc., Midland, Texas. dent and CEO of Standard Register, He will manage all accounts in the Dayton, Ohio. He was also elected to a Southeast region. Agati comes with seat on the company’s board of direc- extensive experience in the document tors. He has been with Standard Regis- management, marketing services and ter for seven years, and was acting promotional products industries, the CEO of the company since September. Mohr Cartolano company said. Morgan has also held positions at Sony Chemical Corp. and FLEXcon. Paul Borkowski was named VP of sales and business development at HONORS Vision Graphics Inc., a sheet-fed Steve Kelsey was named a PSDA printing and digital imaging services Regional Director for Region 6, a title company in Loveland, Colo. In his he shares with Gordon Klepec. Kelsey new role, Borkowski manages the is the managing partner for Printhink national sales team and works on Solutions in Canada. client acquisition. He will be empha- Smith Goans sizing the company’s environmentally IN MEMORIAM responsible programs. Previously, PROMOTIONS Darrell Hansen, CFC, Borkowski held a senior sales position Chris Smith was promoted to label 72, past president of at manroland Inc. division sales executive at Ward/Kraft DMIA (91-92), died Jan. Inc., Fort Scott, Kan. He has held posi- 18 from a rare neurolog- Penny Greenwood was named to the tions in customer service, sales and pro- ical disease. Hansen, international sales team at Mohawk duction at Ward/Kraft, Sony and Inter- who lived in Bend, Ore. International, Cohoes, N.Y. Green- national Paper. While at Sony, he was with his wife, retired six wood is a native of London and has named “Top Sales Performer” for 10 years ago from his dis- worked for the past eight years as a consecutive months. Shawn Goans was Hansen tributorship, Centro sales rep at Howard Smith Paper promoted to sales representative for the Printing Solutions (formerly Centro Group. She will be based in London Creative Technology Center, where he Business Forms). He began his career as and will focus her efforts in the U.K. will develop new growth solutions for a stockbroker in Portland, Ore., and plastic and magnet materials. He will made a career change to work for Stephen Mohr was hired as director of work with distributors in a sales capaci- Moore Business Forms. After six years, packaging-marketing at Unisource ty. Goans previously worked for he was offered a position at Willamette Worldwide Inc., Norcross, Ga. Mohr Ward/Kraft from 1993 through 2001 Industries Business Forms Division, has more than 25 years of professional and has spent the past nine years with and later opened his own distributor- marketing experience and has worked other print industry firms. ship in 1971. In addition to his eight at FP International, FASTTrack Sys- years on the association’s board of tems and Sealed Air Corporation. Jeff Pritchett was promoted to treasur- directors, he served on the Block Busi- er and VP of finance at Vertis Commu- ness Forms Board of Directors in Port- Catherine (Cathy) Cartolano was nications, Baltimore. He joined Vertis land. hired as VP of graphic arts material in 2007 as VP of financial planning Hansen retired in 2003 and spent sales and technical services at Mit- and analysis. The promotion is con- several months of every year in Palm subishi Imaging Inc. (MPM), Rye, N.Y. nected to the company’s Oct. 2008 Springs, Calif. He was an active golfer Cartolano has more than 20 years of financial restructuring and merger and traveled to Scotland and Ireland industry experience. Previously, she with American Color Graphics. Prior for golf trips. worked for Mitsubishi for 14 years, to joining Vertis, Pritchett worked in Hansen is survived by his wife of 50 serving as a VP from 1999 to 2005, finance, mergers and acquisitions and years, Dee, their children, Beth and before taking a three-year hiatus from treasury at Delphi Corporation, Gen- Chris, and his beloved dogs, Barney the industry. Chris Hung was named eral Motors and HP. David Glogoff and Sparky. Donations may be made VP of digital imaging sales and busi- was promoted to chief legal officer, and in his memory at the Oregon Health ness development, focusing on the he will serve as secretary for Vertis’ Science University Foundation for inkjet market in North and South Board of Directors. He joined Vertis in Brain Research, ohsufoundation.org. America. 2000 and previously served as vice president and deputy general counsel.

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 61 NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES

JUST OUT new version, 7.0, includes more than demand services. “Adding digital print ProDocumentSolutions, Paso Robles, 100 new features. Some examples are services was the next logical step for Calif., introduced the ALPHAcheck tabbed searching, a tradeshow infor- us,” said David Nemi, marketing and business check line. It incorporates 21 mation and planning area, searching sales manager. notable security features to deter by decoration method and product franklinprinting.com fraud, the company said, including origin, basic keyword search mode, NaNOcopy, TouchSafe, SafeImage and new sort options, and standards and SUPPLIER NEWS ScanCHECK. The line is available in regulatory compliance information. Pitney Bowes opened a new facility in pressure seal, and ProDocumentSolu- Additionally, industry magazines are Corona, Calif., that will offer both tions offers a money-back plus cash now available in the publications area. domestic mail presort and interna- bonus security technology guarantee sageworld.com tional mail services. The new location on these check and other high-end is 250 Airport Circle, Corona, and that security documents. Specifically, the SERVICES facility has the capacity to presort guarantee protects distributors who ScreenUSA, Newton, Ill., installed a more than 750 million pieces of stan- sell the documents against replication Truepress Jet520 Inkjet web press. The dard-class letter mail. The 84,000-sq. of four of the capabilities. It covers the digital book manufacturer installed the ft. center employs about 100 people. original costs of the document, the press to improve print products’ reso- pb.com replacement costs and a $1,000 bonus lution, the company said, and create a for any inconvenience caused to the diversity of color printing options. Muller Martini, Hauppauge, N.Y., customer. Distributors may brand the screenusa.com introduced the Diamant MC Book- guarantee with their own logos. line. The new, fully automated prodocumentsolutions.com BCT Nevada, Las Vegas, upgraded its machine features motion control tech- print manufacturing capabilities with nology that ensures a perfectly a Presstek 34DI digital offset press. matched edge during the binding The new press will allow the company process. Until now, the company says, to keep up with a growing demand for a bookbinder needed to decide 4-color work, Owner Craig Wasser- between fast production and book man said. “It is like moving from a quality, as realigning the bookcase Hyundai to a Mercedes—there is no would require stopping the produc- comparison,” he said. In addition to tion line. The new machine uses servo business cards, the company is now technology instead of a mechanical printing brochures, flyers and post- cam to ensure alignment. cards. mullermartini.com bctlsasvegas.com ProDocumentSolutions’ new money-back guarantee for high-end security documents.

InfoSeal, Roanoke, Va., was approved by the USPS as a Certified Mail form supplier for the production of barcod- The new Muller Martini produces precisely bound books. ed certified mail forms. infoseal.com The Paper Mill Store, Sun Prairie, Concept Forms, Grand Rapids, Mich., BCT Nevada expanded its offerings with a Wis., now carries every SKU of now offers laser-compatible digital new digital offset press. From left to right: Wausau Paper’s FSC-certified Astro- carbonless paper in sheets and pre- Craig Wasserman, owner; Pedro Michel, brights line, which includes 27 shades, press operator; and Tanya Wasserman, collated sets. Both can be ordered owner. in text and cover weights, and cut-and either blank or pre-printed. Blank pre- folio-size sheets as well as envelopes. collated sets are available in up to five Many of the Astrobrights colors are parts. Call 800-748-0235 for products Franklin Printing, Farmington, Green Seal certified and contain 30 and dealer prices. Maine, installed a Kodak NexPress percent post-consumer waste recycled S2500 digital color press. The compa- fiber. SAGE, Carrollton, Texas, released a ny selected the equipment to offer thepapermill.com new version of its online software. The short runs, personalization and on-

62 PRINT SOLUTIONS | PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM MARCH 2009 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY MIKE FISHER, CDC

President’s Message continued from p. 6. month, the client places another order; be a good time to consider it. If you cials during their vendor evaluation let’s say for $4,000. You run the job, are accepting credit cards, do you processes. Larger companies are accus- invoice the client, and they pay within encourage customers to routinely use tomed to these requests, just as they your terms. Now, three months later them? If not, why do you accept them are accustomed to requesting them you process yet another order, only this anyway? Is it more of a customer con- from their suppliers. There is nothing time it’s for $7,500. The order is pro- venience, or do you use them as a tool wrong with a company wanting to duced, shipped and billed, and then, to hopefully speed your cash flow? ensure you are large enough, and have wham! The invoice goes over 60 days. While credit card fees take only a small adequate cash flow to service their vol- How could this be? You just ran a credit percentage of each transaction, always ume of business. Each year when you check on them a few months ago, right? be cognizant of how this affects your renew your operating line of credit, Well, you did run a credit check, but gross profit, especially on lower profit your bank will likely require financial you failed to enforce or establish a cred- items. A few percentage points on the statements (and tax returns). They are it limit. gross sale up front can mean a big per- not just being nosy when they ask for When will our industry learn that centage of your total gross profit dol- these; it’s their way of actually verify- credit limits are not just for big com- lars. But you also should remain cog- ing your creditworthiness by assessing panies to use on their little customers? nizant of the opportunity cost when your company’s financial condition, Credit limits are smart business, and your money sits on A/R for 30, 60, 90 paying close attention to cash flow in truly the one thing that can actually or 120 days. particular. If you don’t know how to “limit” your exposure to bad debt. What really gripes me with credit read a client’s financial report, or Period. Remember, we’re talking about cards is when we invoice a client for you’re not sure what info you should establishing credit here, but nobody $4,000 and it goes on A/R, only to be asking for, consult with your ever said it was unlimited credit, right? have the client 45 days later say, “I accounting professional. Part of your credit process should be want to put the charge on my Visa.” At Finally, these are great times to explaining to your clients exactly what PrintConcepts, once we see this hap- review not only what you are, but also credit they do and do not have. With pen the first time, we make it a point what you’re not selling your current credit limits in place, your clients will to tell that client we’re more than hap- customers. Remember, you can always have to show you, not tell you, py to accept credit card payments, but grow your top line by simply doing that they pay their bills responsibly. our policy is to charge their card upon more business with your current cus- Remember this: Good paying, cred- receipt of the goods, not after they tomers. In doing so, you’ll also lessen it-worthy clients don’t blink an eye or have been on A/R and are now past new credit risk by dealing with a complain about pre-paying an initial due. The way I see it, if you’re going to known entity. order or establishing credit. They pay the inevitable discount fee to the Fellow PSDA members, these are understand exactly why you are doing credit card company, why lose the times when there should be a lot of it, because they do it with their own opportunity cost on your money by prospecting going on in your organi- clients. If a new client is throwing a having it sit on A/R? Sure, I under- zation. Make sure you continuously hissy fit about your company asking stand the argument of “well, at least I review exactly who your salespeople for money up front, it should be a got my money at 45 days,” but I con- are calling on. Stay focused on the clear sign! It’s no different than the tend there is a better way. Just be care- right type of prospects—target good sign we all know too well when a new ful to minimize the number of cus- paying customers in solid, good pay- client calls us out of the blue and says, tomers who use your company as a ing industries (to the extent these still “We’ve been buying from company X, bank—and a free one at that. exist in this tough economy). but we’d like to give you the business.“ Until next time, Beware! Quite often this client doesn’t Your Largest Accounts truly “want” to give us the business; If you’re dealing with large accounts— they have been “forced” to, since other those where you do enough business companies have cut them off because that, God forbid if something went of slow pay! south, it wouldn’t just hurt, it just might put you out of business—you Credit Card Pitfalls should routinely request and review If your receivables are stretching out, the client’s relevant financial state- Mike Fisher, CDC, is president of PSDA and you’re not accepting credit card ments. Conversely, don’t be offended if and president and CEO of PrintConcepts payments from your clients, this might a large client asks you for your finan- in Allentown, Pa.

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Off Hours continued from p. 72. course the pop had all been consumed sight of the ranch if it had been day- earlier. We sang campfire songs and light, Vadner says. And all returned told stories to occupy the kids. The safely home, after deciding never to let great part was that was the first night her lead the group again. for Missouri riding for everyone else That trip was a good reminder that in the group but me. Our hosts at the “you need to be prepared,” Vadner ranch had been telling the kids stories says, noting she usually carries “quite a about bears, coyotes, wolves, etc. bit of gear,” including saddlebags with before we left, so the kids were very food, drinks, raingear and a first aid concerned about being eaten by bears. kit. She adds that another two rides There was a minimal amount of cry- ended with hospital visits but chalks it ing. I told them they didn’t have any- up to part of the experience. “The thing to worry about because the entire experience is counted in my joy: bears would get to the horses first and the trip to the new location, flat tires eat them and they wouldn’t be hungry during travel, crazy weather and all any more by the time they got to us. the great people you meet—even if This is when the crying really started. they are doctors and nurses.” Apparently there is a reason God nev- er gave me any children.” April Hollis is assistant editor of Print Eventually, a search party from the Solutions magazine. Email comments ranch found the group—within eye- to [email protected].

MARCH 2009 PRINTSOLUTIONSMAG.COM | PRINT SOLUTIONS 71 OFF HOURS Touring America on Horseback Iowa distributor attempts to horseback ride in all 50 states.

BY APRIL HOLLIS

“My dad said, ‘I’m not buying you a horse. You will discover boys and I’ll be stuck with a ike many kids, distributor Chris- Ltine Vadner always wanted a horse. horse.’ So throughout my life, when my “My dad said, ‘I’m not buying you a parents lamented that they wanted grandkids, horse. You will discover boys and I’ll be stuck with the horse.’ So through- I would say, ‘I guess if you’d gotten me a out my life, when my parents lament- horse when I wanted one, I’d be on to boys by ed that they wanted grandkids, I would say, ‘I guess if you’d gotten me a now.’ As it is, I’m 56 and single with five horse when I wanted one, I’d be on to horses.” boys by now.’ As it is, I’m 56 and single Christine Vadner, President with five horses,” she jokes. Matt Parrott & Sons Company, Vadner now helms a distributor- Waterloo, Iowa ship, but her hobby inspired one of her earliest business deals—buying her first horse as a senior in college. “The guy wanted $100 for her and I didn’t have the money, but he let me pay $10 a month until she was paid for.” Chris Vadner rides Western style in And horseback riding still helps her Missouri with her brother David. with business, giving her an opportu- nity to think without distractions and grandparents in Tennessee. “They had Naples, Fla., while attending PSDA’s “have my brain to myself for a little a pony that had not been broken in annual CEO summit. while.” In addition, some of her cus- and my grandfather said, ‘Chris will Her trips have not been without tomers and employees ride and they ride it.’ He put me on with no saddle incident, however. One ride, in Emi- get together several times a year. How- or bridle and whacked it on the butt. nence, Mo., ended prematurely with a ever, she points out, “I have not met The horse took off, with me hanging campfire and an overnight stay due to anyone as insane as I am that is keep- on for dear life, but I stayed on!” darkness and navigational issues. It ing track of where they ride.” Now, she has ridden in Alaska, Ari- was Dec. 26 and on the cold side, as Although Vadner works for Matt zona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, she rode with four adults and five Parrott & Sons Company, a Waterloo, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, kids. “It got dark early, and although I Iowa-based distributorship, she does- Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, thought we could find our way back, n’t limit her riding to the Hawkeye Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Neva- the rest of the group was not so cer- state. In fact, she’s on a mission to ride da, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Ten- tain and insisted we stop,” she said. in each of the 50 states, and has nessee and Wisconsin. When circum- The group tied the horses to nearby already knocked 21 off the list. stances permit, she prefers to bring her trees and built a fire, standing the sad- The goal was inspired by her father, own horse, a purebred Arabian named dles on end to block the wind and who recently completed his own goal Julinesse; otherwise she rents. putting the saddle blankets on the of visiting every county in the Vadner’s favorite state so far has ground for warmth. nation—more than 3,000. But even been Hawaii, because of the scenery. “We were only going on a two-hour before that, her family had a hand in “We rode by waterfalls and it was ride so the provisions were scarce— her riding career—Vadner’s first rid- absolutely magnificent,” she says. She some jerky and two cans of beer. Of ing memory is of a vacation with her also enjoyed riding on the beach in Off Hours continues on p. 71.

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MEETING & EVENT SIGNAGE LARGE CHECKS POP DISPLAYS WINDOW CLINGS CUSTOM CUTOUTS ( UP TO 60” X 120” ) AND MORE...

NEW Please call or visit grand4mat.com for more information. Grand4mat.com does not offer installation services; printing service only. Product availability may vary. Certain products are subject to minimum quantity order.

P: 877-782-2737 F: 877-972-9117 Make it custom...

Continental Datalabel makes the custom label and card products your customers want – the way they want them. Special sizes, materials, adhesives, designs and layouts are no problem. Continental Datalabel will manufacture precision-cut products to meet any need. Call 800-947-8000 for a free quote.

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