All posts by Nick Loeser

Structural Graphics Featured in Fold of the Week

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Ideas & Inspiration, Shout-OutsTag(s): , , , , Posted By:

Check it out!  Structural Graphics’ piece was featured as the 60-second Super-cool Fold of the Week.  Trish Witkowski of Foldfactory showcased our “Simply Cool Swinging Disco Ball Accordion Invitation.”

Structural Graphics designed and produced this disco ball invitation for RedRover Marketing in Tennessee for their client, the Regional One Health Foundation. They used this mailer to invite people to their annual ONE Night Fundraiser. The invitation shipped flat, but the paper die-cut spheres on the cover immediately twirl in succession when you open up the mailer to create the illusion of a dimensional disco ball.

Thanks for the shout-out Trish!

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Dish Network Uses Pop-Up Cube As Unique Handout

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Ideas & Inspiration, UncategorizedTag(s): , , , , , Posted By:

How does a company stand out at a trade show with a sea of many other vendors to compete with?

Dish Network used the pop-up cube as a unique handout at the CES Show in Las Vegas. They kicked it up a notch by delivering the cube inside a half-sleeve, giving the recipient a sneak peek of what was on the inside. As the cube slides out, it immediately pops into shape delivering information about Dish Network’s award-winning DVR, The Hopper®.  Click here to see it in action!

Are you ready to generate some buzz and awareness for your company?

    

The Flapper How To Guide

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Design, Dimensional Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Ideas & InspirationPosted By:

The Flapper is one of our most popular and effective designs because of how interactive and engaging it is. Here are some quick tidbits about the Flapper:

  • It has increased campaign results for some clients by over 400% over previous campaigns
  • Gillette and others have used it as part of a magazine ad
  • It comes in multiple sizes
  • It produces mega results

Check out  Susie’s video that shows us just how easy and versatile The Flapper is to use.

You may also like take a look at our Flapper How To Guide.

Are you ready to design yours?

Structural Graphics President Ethan Goller Elected 2nd Assistant Chief of Fire Department

Posted On: Category: Giving Back / Community, Inside Structural GraphicsPosted By:

We are proud to congratulate Ethan Goller, President of Structural Graphics, who was recently elected as the new 2nd Assistant Chief of the Essex Fire Department!

Having joined the all-volunteer fire and rescue company in 1999, Ethan has moved up the ranks from firefighter, to line officer and now serves as an Assistant Chief.  He is also a Connecticut State certified EMT since 2003.

When asked what he found most rewarding of being a firefighter, Ethan responded “there is little as rewarding than to be able to come to the aid of someone who is often desperately in need of help.  When people call 911, they’re saying ‘I’m in a situation that I can’t handle’, and being able to help when help’s most needed gives me great satisfaction and pride”. He also feels fortunate that his position at Structural Graphics affords him the ability to respond during the day, as only a few Essex firefighters work in town.

Ethan invites you to Like EFD’s Facebook page.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Seton Hall University Stands Out With Rolling Cube Mailer

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Ideas & InspirationPosted By:

The competition to increase the admissions yield in higher education is stiffer than ever, according to the University of College Designers Association.  Schools are looking for ways to stand out and differentiate themselves from everyone else.

Seton Hall University chose our Rolling Cube to deliver information about their university to prospective students. This is one of our most interactive pieces. When you pull the cube from the mailer it keeps unfolding to reveal multiple cubes of information. Words don’t do it justice – be sure to click on the flash movie to see it in action!

 

Simpsons Virtural Reality | Structural Graphics

The Simpsons Uses VR to Celebrate 600 Episodes

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Virtual Reality / Augmented RealityPosted By:

Recently Fox’s The Simpson celebrated their 600th episode. It’s fascinating that a cartoon show about a silly family in a crazy town has managed to stay on the air so long. No doubt, it’s due to the shows innovative writers which parody current events, create satirical story lines and stay on top of pop culture.

Simpsons Virtural Reality | Structural GraphicsTo help celebrate this achievement the show released a great VR experience with the help of Google Cardboard. Unfortunately, I don’t get to watch The Simpsons anymore, but checking out the VR experience provided a hefty dose of nostalgic relief and a few laughs too.

You don’t have to use Google Cardboard, any VR viewer will work. I used my SleekPeeks® VR Viewer, download the app, then downloaded The Simpson’s “Planet of The Couches”. The experience provides six different fully-immersive scenes with 360 degrees of things to look at. Check it out!

Structural Graphics Celebrates Red Nose Day 2016

Posted On: Category: Giving Back / Community, Inside Structural GraphicsTag(s): Posted By:

Life is better when you’re laughing. And when that laughter supports a charitable cause… what’s better than that?

The teams at Structural Graphics and Red Paper Plane celebrate Red Nose Day, a fundraiser which supports Comic Relief. Each of our employees was given a red nose with which to participate.

Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Through the power of entertainment, we raise awareness and money to help kids who need us most at home and around the world. Red Nose Day is on a mission to lift kids out of poverty and has raised over $1 billion globally in the last 25 years.

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You can read more about Red Nose Day here:

http://rednoseday.org/?gclid=CMjCp_Gp8MwCFUQehgodt1UHLg

How Can I Use VR for Pharma?

Posted On: Category: Branding, Custom Design & Printing, Ideas & Inspiration, Marketing Insights, Technology, Virtual Reality / Augmented RealityPosted By:

There are a lot of oooh’s and ahhh’s around virtual reality, and that’s because it’s one of the most cutting edge technologies out there today. If you’re in the pharma industry, you might be wondering, “OK, I want to take my company or prescription to the next level.” But how?

We took a page out of Xavier Creative House’s book, and wanted to share it with you guys.

“Here are a few ways to use VR technology to promote awareness of your brand in a totally unique way:

  • Build Empathy: If your product treats a condition with significant sensory effects, such as Parkinson’s or chronic migraines, you can use VR at conferences to let clinicians “feel” what it’s like to actually be a patient with that condition—feel their hands shake, see their vision become distorted as a migraine aura takes hold. Clinicians can get so caught up in the science of various diseases, so distracted by the seemingly endless paperwork demanded by insurance companies, that it’s sometimes easy for them to lose sight of why they became doctors in the first place. VR can help them get back in touch with that altruism and empathy in a truly impactful way. Brand messages then reach a much more engaged target.
  • Facilitate Training: Is your product a medical device, a complex stent, for example? Let clinicians experience—without fear of failure—how it feels to use the device, and the audience for your brand message will be all ears.
  • Bring Science to Life: Mechanism of Action animations are nothing new, but to experience “being” in the bloodstream, penetrate a cell wall to deliver healing medicine—that type of immersive MOA has real punch. At a recent American College of Cardiology annual meeting, Boehringer Ingelheim offered attendees a VR experience exploring the mechanism-of-action behind a new pharmaceutical agent. The MOA demo, developed by VR experts Confideo Labs, drew long lines at the BI booth.”

Looking to incorporate virtual reality into your next campaign? Visit our virtual reality page, and scroll down to the bottom of the page to request a free sample.

Unsure how to get started? Contact us here!

The Hottest New Trend: Direct Mail

Posted On: Category: Custom Design & Printing, Direct Mail Marketing, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, Webkeys / QR CodesPosted By:

Why do people continue to refer to direct mail as “old school” marketing? There is nothing old school about direct mail anymore. Interest in direct mail took a hit for awhile as marketers flocked to the low cost and immediate gratification of digital marketing. Now many of those marketers are back.

Just look at the return of catalogs. After making marketing headlines by shelving its print catalog several years ago, J.C. Penney reversed course. Major retailers like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue are sending more targeted and specialized catalogs. Williams Sonoma has made a deeper investment in its catalog by adding recipes.

While not every marketer uses catalogs, their return speaks volumes about the value of direct mail. Numerous studies have shown that even Millennials—the consummate digital generation—are responding to direct mail (when it’s done right).

According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2015 Response Rate report, the average response rate to direct mail is now 3.7% with a house list and 1% with a prospect list (compare that to .1% for email). Even a few years ago, the average response rate for direct mail was .5% to 1.0%. Something has changed, radically.

Let’s look at three reasons why direct mail is the hottest “new” trend.

  1. Marketers are paying more attention to direct mail.

Marketers may take print out of the mix for awhile, then bring it back. When they do, they often bring back a newer, better version of direct mail — one that is more personalized, more targeted, and more creative than the “old” versions.

  1. Print has become interactive.

Direct mail is changing. Interactive elements like augmented reality, QR Codes, and personalized URLs make it a responsive channel. The 2016 IKEA Catalog uses Augmented Reality to allow consumers to visualize products in their homes before they buy them. Recipients can scan a QR Code to be immediately taken to a video testimonial or demonstration of the product. If you’re a nonprofit, people can make donations via QR Code, as well.

  1. Personalization is more powerful.

It used to be that people were highly skeptical of giving out their personal information, but they are becoming increasingly comfortable with it.  Infosys found that 78% of consumers would be likely to purchase from a retailer multiple times if the retailer provided them with targeted offers, and 45% would be willing to trade “some privacy” for incentives tailored to their shopping habits.  As consumers become more comfortable with giving out their data, marketers’ ability to create highly targeted, more effective direct mail campaigns gets easier.

Want to rediscover the power of direct mail? Let us show you some creative ideas!

What Is a Beacon?

Posted On: Category: Marketing Insights, TechnologyTag(s): , , , , , , , Posted By:

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Simply put, beacons are yet another tool marketers can use to reach consumers via mobile. But it doesn’t stop with marketing. Businesses in industries of all likes are employing beacon technology to work for them. Here are 6 quick applications of beacon technology before we dive deeper:

1. In retail, they can be used to share discounts or coupons with you when you enter the store.

2. They can be used in museums to alert and inform you of the closest display.

3. They can be used by airlines in airports to pull up your mobile boarding pass when you get closer to the gate.

4. Hotels can use them to replace hotel room keys.

5. Stadiums can use them to reach out to their audience and offer them seat upgrades.

6. And in the B2B world, you can expect to see these popping up at trade shows and conferences.

But… what are they?

Beacons, or iBeacon (termed by Apple), simply put, are a class of Bluetooth low energy devices.

 

bigDL-beacon copyHuh? 

A Bluetooth low energy is a wireless personal area network technology that is comparative to Bluetooth Classic, except for that it provides a reduced power consumption and cost, while maintaining a similar communication range.

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Basically, Beacon’s are the enabling technology that will alert an app when you enter a specific, Beacon-activated location.

Many industries can benefit from implementing beacons – however, let’s use retail as an example. In the fall of 2014, Macy’s implemented the retail industry’s largest beacon installation, which allows them to communicate with the shopper via mobile as they enter the store, with personalized department-level deals, discounts, recommendations and rewards.

Alright, what do these things look like?

The beacons themselves are small, Bluetooth transmitters. Apps that are installed on your iPhone listen for the signal sent out by these beacons, and respond when the phone comes into range.

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Here’s an infographic, courtesy of Gigaom, to help break it down even MORE:

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The possibilities are endless. We can make it easy. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you implement beacon technology into your next project!