A Timely Investment in New Technology

By George Linkletter

Managers of print/mail finishing shops considering a shift to digital color print often face a tough choice.

Invest in the new capability too soon and they might get saddled with an expensive payment and no way to generate the volume needed to recover your cost.  Delay the investment for too long and they risk loosing emerging applications -- and profitable growth -- to more nimble competitors.

Doug Switzer, the founder and owner of Indianapolis-based Vision Direct, a 15-year-old full-service direct mail shop, recently faced this exact dilemma.  He solved it using a two-pronged strategy.  First, he selected a high-quality, cost-effective digital color print device.  In his case, that meant a Canon ImagePRESS C7000VP.  And second, he worked closely with a key customer to modify and quickly migrate an existing application to the new technology.

“I operate in a very demanding production environment and I need reliable and robust capabilities,” he explains.  “My customers expect their jobs to be done right and on time.  Unscheduled downtime is just not an option for me.”

He found the reliability and robustness two years ago when he acquired his first Canon ImageRUNNER 110 monochome device.  The unit came from IKON, which also provided the needed level of prompt and comprehensive service.  “The Canon printer rarely needs unscheduled service,” Switzer continues, “but when it does the IKON service team is instantly available.  They understand the importance of maintaining production.”

Affordable Quality

When it came time to expand into digital color print, his first choice was Canon as well.  “I looked at some of the higher end devices but the added cost just wasn’t justified by the image quality or output speed.  The ImagePRESS C7000VP gives me a quality image that is affordable as well as the flexibility to easily accommodate a wide range of substrates.” 

Flexibility is a key benefit in the print/mail world.  “Our industry is changing and so are our customers,” says Switzer.  “Print buyers are often less experienced today, and they want the convenience and faster turnaround of buying from a single vendor who can both print and mail.  The days of printing in one shop and shipping to another for mail finishing are rapidly coming to a close.”

The Canon device also met the traditional need for short-run static color, for those clients who still wanted to send the same image and message to every customer, as well as the emerging need for variability, in which different images and messages are targeted to different segments of customers.

But Switzer still faced the fundamental challenge: how to transform the potential of digital color print into a reality that quickly yielded revenue and growth.  He achieved that goal by working closely with a client to custom-tailor a solution for an existing application.

The job involved a mailing of about 129,000 annual statements for a county taxing authority.  The goal was to produce an attractive and easy-to-understand four-page mailing in full color.  Two pages of the mailing consisted of a full color statement, and two pages presented background information, also in color, that explained cost and spending changes over a two-year period. 

Attracting Attention

At first glance, the statement looks more like what might come from a financial or investment firm than a county government.  But the key purpose was to educate and inform taxpayers as well as collect money owned.  The early reaction to the mailings, which were just recently distributed, has been extremely favorable, according to Switzer.

“One of the options was to use pre-printed shells for the static information, and then re-print on the shells with variable data,” said Switzer.  “But we were concerned about the registration and the client really wanted this piece to look good and make a positive impact.  With digital color print, the statement has the quality appearance of offset bolstered by the uniqueness or variability of digital messaging.”

That first job also required a good deal of first-of-its-kind programming.  And Switzer is quick to commend his variable data software partner, Jetletter, for working side-by-side with him to assure the project’s success.  “Anytime you try something new, there is always the chance you’ll run into a few speed bumps,” he says.  “If you can count on your vendors to help out, you can make sure those minor bumps don’t escalate into deal-killing obstacles.” 

Switzer now has a high-quality and proven-successful full-color sample to show his other clients, which makes it easier for them to understand digital color print -- and how they might benefit from the new capability.  He also has enhanced programming expertise, which will allow him to implement the next jobs more easily.

Growing Interest

Switzer reports he is already making good progress in introducing the new digital print capability to other clients, especially those in the fundraising, finance and health care industries.  One university, in particular, is considering how to tailor its fundraising appeals and contribution acknowledgments according to academic department or school within the university.  Switzer predicts the institution will likely implement the new digital color print technology in the next fundraising cycle. 

He has also seen encouraging interest from some banks and health care providers who are interested in using the new technology to forge tighter bonds with their customers.

Switzer has added a second Canon ImageRUNNER 110 device, so he can continue to serve the ongoing monochrome needs of his customers, as he positions his firm to handle the emerging demand for cost-effective digital color.  And those needs are hardly modest.  Switzer produced more than 30 million mail pieces last year, and predicts his revenues will soon reach $4 million, exclusive of postage.

No one knows the future for certain.  But Switzer believes his full-service shop is well positioned for the near-term.  He has both stand-alone print and print/mail finishing capabilities.  He offers both traditional monochrome and the increasingly popular digital color print.  He has experience in variable print.  And he works in close partnership with his clients -- and key vendors -- to assure applications are handled reliably, cost-effectively and with innovation when appropriate.

# # #

Comments?  Contact georgelinkletter@charter.net