You know that saying, “a picture’s worth a thousand words?”
Structural Graphics is blowing that old idiom out of the water with a new marketing mechanism created specifically for brand storytelling. Now, SG can help marketers in any industry create compelling visual landscapes with its new See Scroll dimensional design. Continue reading
Take a sip of your drink, the one from the number three value meal which came from your favorite drive-thru restaurant. Look down and it’s there. Open up the welcome packet to your hotel room, where you just checked in after a three-hour train ride. There too. And there, on that poster tacked to the coffee shop bulletin you’re scoping out while waiting for your soy latte. It seems that for every print marketing piece beckoning you to whet your appetite, there’s a QR code hovering nearby to snag you for dessert too. These days some sweet innovation is just what marketers need to capture people’s interest and communicate their brand’s message.
It’s pretty likely you’ve heard of a QR, or quick response, code before. It’s a fairly controversial technology in the marketing world, but despite what some marketers think this technology is definitely one to hit the ever-growing mobile masses. U.S. smartphone shares jumped roughly 40 percent in the four-year period spanning 2009 to 2013. The numbers, reported by Nielson’s mobile report for marketers demonstrate the rapid growth of mobile users hitting the consumer market.
Nielson Mobile Insights SurveyA clever way for marketers to capture that mobile audience is to tie their print communications in with digital channels. Enter the QR code.
QR code 101
QR codes provide a portal to the web. With the tap of a finger, people can scan a code with their smartphone and explore a customized website built to greet them. Technically, QR codes are two dimensional barcodes that look like this:
They are embedded with data that can be decoded through an imaging device or camera. It’s a technology that began in the 1990s for the Japanese automotive industry, but has since grown to a number of different markets across the globe.
When it comes to print and dimensional mail, QR codes can be an excellent way to drive consumers to specialized content, including: social media pages, mobile apps, contests, surveys, product info and other bonus material. These similar-but-not-quite barcodes can be incorporated into the design of just about anything, from product packaging, signage, brochures and posters to business cards.
QR codes: Putting them to use
SG recently incorporated a QR code and even the smartphone itself into a neat dimensional piece for the Ford Motor Company of Canada (produced by our Canadian partner Information Packaging). Designed and built to be an interactive promotional tool for Ford Canada’s new Ford Fiesta, SG customized a stage pop folder and enhanced it with a QR code linking the recipient to a mobile application.
See how it works in this video.
Ford Fiesta’s mobile site is designed to educate people on the new model, so it sends viewers to its online showrooms. Other features of the app help them search for local Ford dealerships, learn about buying incentives and request price quotes. All this experienced for the first time through a playful dimensional paper piece that embeds the phone into a custom cutout frame for viewing. Check out these other interesting uses of QR codes:
New York Magazine Debuts QR Code Marketing Campaign http://t.co/HQ9XP4kAk6 #printmedia #print — Print Media Centr (@PrintMediaCentr) March 28, 2014
Fun use of a QR code by @HeinzKetchup_US #marketing pic.twitter.com/UVu4bRLScB — Amy Woodworth (@woodcomm) March 31, 2014
Lol! Great use of a QR code! >> Berrge Tattoo: New tattoo artists wanted | Ads of the World™ http://t.co/bMbLllElvQ — Stockport Printing (@StockportPrint) March 29, 2014
QR codes link print to exclusive deals and discounts, instructional videos, print-outs and more.
Tracking, the final word
There’s one more reason why QR codes can be a great gateway to digital: traceable data. From how many users scanned the code, to how many actually responded to the call for action the numbers can be tracked and reported, giving marketers the information they need to make informed decisions about their marketing plan.
So what do you think? Have you implemented QR codes in your print materials? What was the outcome?
Our NEW Magic X-ray mechanism is a great format to bring to life various types of messaging! Display before and after imagery, old to new restoration, a positive transition, hidden messages, what’s “behind the curtain”… the possibilities are endless!
The Inside Scoop:
Invented in late 2013 by our designer, Rob Kelly, this concept was inspired by his son’s preschool show & tell for the letter “X.” He gave his son paper X-ray specs to wear which were [of course] pretend. He wondered if there was a way he could bring the x-ray effect to life in paper. Energized by the idea, Rob made a working prototype that weekend!
Check out our Structural Graphics 2014 New Year’s card. This card featured a snowy forest scene with some woodland creatures hiding. A fox? The abominable snowman? An owl in a tree? Birds chirping? The only way you can tell who is hiding, is to move the wand around to find them!
Other clients, in addition to Whirlpool, have used this design to bring their messaging to life! See some ideas below to get the creativity flowing…
1) An x-ray of a body part including the benefits of a new medical device produced
2) A “discover and find” for kids, similar to “Where’s Waldo?”
3) What is in your wallet? For financial, credit card, insurance card companies, etc.
4) Before and after restoration, a new car, or feature a car that changes colors with a movement of the “wand” to reveal
5) Curious what’s in your food? Take a sneak peek into what it is made of, including the vitamins and benefits
6) X-ray luggage on an airport conveyor
7) Motivating customers to travel – a black and white snowy scene transforming into a tropical, colorful beach somewhere exotic!
8) New building design layout, interior views of a building, or everything going on behind the scenes in a home
9) Sneak peek “magic reveal” for a new TV or movie premiere!
10) The magic of a new makeover, anti-aging treatments or simply skin cleansing solutions
11) Your brand logo as the showcased image with your services and products magically revealed underneath
12) A look inside of a gift package – revealing jewelry or an engagement ring, keys to a car, a brand new smartphone, etc.
This Magic X-ray Viewer is new and PATENT PENDING, thus only found through your friends at Structural Graphics!
Hello, friends! This week we’re talking tech. We’ll take a quick look at some cool ideas that you can easily incorporate into your printed campaign. By incorporating these cost-effective elements into your strategy, your customers are able to interact with your brand in another dimension. Let’s start with the basics:
Video, Lights, and Sound: You can marry full motion video with the printed page. Video is available in a variety of screen sizes, video lengths, and is fully rechargeable and re-usable. It’s also 100% customizable. Think audio and LED panel lights are more suited to your marketing needs? Connect with your customers by inserting this technology in unique magazine inserts, direct mail, point of purchase displays, and premiums. Check out a video player that we produced for Qutenza:
code# 8512-590
Augmented Reality (AR) is not new, but has steadily been gaining traction in recent years. The aim of AR is to simulate an environment in real-time via your mobile device or desktop computer.
Augmented Reality on a mobile device.
A printed “tag” lives on your print piece and this acts as the trigger to launch the animation, the video, or the 3D rendering that responds to the context of your environment. Check out more about how our partner Taggar, is revolutionizing the industry:
Near Field Communication: (NFC) has also been a player for several years but is still considered cutting-edge. The basic premise of this technology utilizes wireless radio communications. NFC tags are small, thin discs that can be inserted into print pieces or stickers and are read via your smartphone or other NFC-enabled device. There are multiple vendors who are already building this capability into the hardware of their mobile devices – including Samsung, Nokia, and LG.
Here are some potential creative uses for NFC tags in everyday life. (Imagine what you could do to promote your brand and increase customer interaction!)
All of these unique mediums are totally customizable. The only limits are what we can imagine together!
By now, many marketers have heard of or used Variable Data Printing, otherwise known as VDP. VDP allows marketers to create attention-grabbing direct mail campaigns that speak specifically to a target audience. Utilizing VDP helps build better relationships with customers by communicating directly with them as individuals.
Contrary to what many believe, VDP is more than just inserting a name after “Dear”. VDP allows marketers to adjust the content and messaging of a mailer so it’s specific to where someone lives, what their marital status is, whether they are male or female, or any other information you might have related to a specific contact. Now you can now take that personalization one step further by integrating variable voice and video messaging into your direct mail campaign.
Variable Media Mail is the combination of variable voice and/or variable video messaging with variable data print. By combining both variable data and voice or video, variable media mail creates a memorable experience for the recipient through a one-to-one touch.
How does it work? Variable Media Mail stores individual variable video and/or variable voice messages on chips that are embedded in the mailer. Upon opening the mailer, the recipient is presented with their unique, personalized message, played from the embedded voice chip or video screen.
Imagine the reaction of your recipient when they open up a mailer that speaks to them directly? This new medium allows marketers to enhance their marketing campaigns through a personal connection with their target audience. In a cluttered advertising environment where attention spans are at a minimum, delivering something truly unique is no longer an option. Make sure your messaging is heard. Talk to us today about developing your next Variable Media Mail campaign.
How does an American home improvement retailer launch its new line of appliances? Continue reading
Beginning January 5, 2014, The United States Postal Service will enforce its revised 2013 self-mailer postal regulations with penalties for non-compliance. Continue reading
Many nonprofits are considering one last push for donations to their annual fund before the year ends – a stand-out mailing piece is one of the most effective ways to get members to take notice.
Here are five tips to enhance your end of the year giving campaign.
1. Compose a message that gets at the core of your organization’s mission.
Look back at program and event attendance figures, review feedback and surveys, pull out the kudos you’ve saved and learn your most successful events and programs. Use this information to gather insight into what people are most enthusiastic about. Craft a message that reminds members about those programs and why they exist.
2. Encourage people to give what they can.
Embrace donations at every level and let individuals know that every level matters. Consider partnering with a charitable organization in your community to match individual donations.
3. Make it personal.
What statement is more impactful: “children throughout the U.S. are suffering from malnutrition and disease every day” or “Sue, your contribution makes the difference between a healthy child and one suffering from malnutrition and disease in the U.S.”
Enough said.
4. Get a good designer.
Nailing down the message is key. So is good design. Create something easy-to-read, dimensional and consistent with your branding.
5. Experiment with different dimensional formats.
A flat standard-size envelope is the common fare in most mailboxes. Break out of the pattern by using different dimensions, textures and formats. Ditch the black and white mailing label for a handwritten font. Play with color. Send goodies.Think outside the envelope.
(image: envision-creative.com)
“There’s a lot more to value than you would ever see in a single focus on price. It has to be very holistic. When you’re talking about direct marketing, same thing holds true.”
– Michael Lowenstein, chief research officer at The Relational Capital Group and principal at Beyond Philosophy in this video.
Marketers are always eager to ride the wave of the next best thing and these days digital is making some big waves. Yet something marketers may not be considering is whether their target audience even likes the beach.
If your customer can’t stand sand in their shoes, it might be time to put the board aside and start delivering a more relevant message.
Earlier this year Direct Marketing News published, “Don’t Forget, Marketing is About the Customer” an article that revealed statistics showing marketers are increasingly poised for digital development, despite the impressive ROI of direct mail.
According to MarketingSherpa’s “2013 Email Marketing Benchmark Report,” (cited in the DMA article) 58 percent of marketers believe the growing presence of mobile and tablets is a prime development that will impact email marketing programs in the next 12 months. Also, 57 percent feel that social should be taken more seriously.
Yes, marketing is a mixed bag.
“I think sometimes in marketing we get caught up in terminology, technology, and specific channels, but our customers don’t think this way,” Daniel Burstein, director of editorial content of MECLABS, states in the article. “What they care about is communicating with each other. And finding the information they need.”
Target Marketing reported direct mail as the top deliverer of new customers (31.3 percent) and customer retention (37.5 percent) in its annual survey of media usage, earlier this year.
In “The Value of B‐to‐B: Quantifying the role of the business‐to‐business information and media industry in the buyer‐seller relationship” a report published by The Association of Business Media and Information Companies (ABM), surveyors revealed some interesting statistics demonstrating how diversified today’s B2B media users are – and that marketers aren’t necessarily getting the picture.
The report, which surveyed more than 6,000 media users from a range of industries, examines how trade media and information companies bring business buyers and sellers together; Among its findings, 96 percent of media users read both print magazines and websites followed by product information from the manufacturer (93 percent), e-newsletters (92 percent), conferences or trade shows (80 percent) and print newsletters (76 percent).
But the buck doesn’t stop at print. Other stats from the surveys show that 63 percent of users are also gathering business information from mobile websites and applications.
No surprise there, but what is surprising is that these users don’t have a loyalty to either digital or print, instead more than 70 percent of these professionals prefer a mix of digital and print media outlets.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what most marketers are refusing to see. A majority of publishers with growing audiences identified print as the most important revenue source to their bottom line.
Yet only 11 percent of marketers plan to increase their print budget in the next year.
Marketers, in their haste to digitize, have missed the boat on the effectiveness of print media. ABM’s report proves that there is still a definitive audience responding to the tactile approach of print media.
So if media audiences are still valuing print, why aren’t marketers?
Image courtesy Association of Business Media and Information Companies
