Partnering with Clients and Vendors

‘Targeted’ creative and the right digital color print device helps win new business

By George Linkletter

In the HVTO industry, acceptance of digital color print is rapidly shifting from the uncertain world of ‘poised’ or ‘impending’ to the more concrete phase of ‘accelerating.’ 

Part of the reason for the shift is a sharing of experiences by the early adopters. In effect, the ‘slow-pokes’ are benefiting from the lessons of the pioneers as they implement their own versions of the versatile messaging capability.

A few such useful lessons come from Andrew Associates, a growing and evolving print/mail shop located in north central Connecticut. Ginny Knapp, the resourceful owner of the 23-year-old business, recalls why and how she made the shift to digital color print.

“It was easy to see a few years ago that digital color print had a bright future,” she explains. “The opportunity to offer variable imaging in addition to personalization and variable data would be a big benefit to the print/mail shops that wanted to offer the next phase of one-to-one messaging to their customers.”

Careful search

She also recognized that commercial printers were looking at the technology as they updated their offerings and considered migrating into mail. “I didn’t want to be left behind technology-wise, but I also didn’t want to invest and become more of a printer. We provide the best value to our customers when we handle both print and mail activities.”

The problem was timing. Or more precisely, she felt the initial hype surrounding the digital color print technology exceeded its on-the-job performance and value. “Most of those early devices produced a color image that just wasn’t up to snuff,” she says. “The larger devices yielded a better quality image, but they were just too costly for a small shop like ours.”  So she watched and tested the water while the technology matured.

With the aid of IKON, her initial foray into digital color centered on an entry-level model. That first device gave her valuable experience with variable imaging. But it didn’t hold color over longer periods of time, couldn’t accommodate a wide variety of paper, slowed when using certain types of paper, and generally required too much babysitting. So she kept looking and waiting.

Then about two years ago one of those rare ‘Eureka!’ moments occurred. “I saw a demo of a beta test model from Canon that promised to be affordable and produce offset-quality images,” she says.  “I thought the output looked fantastic. It had great image quality and offered a better color range than offset.  It also handled lots of paper sizes and stocks, and kept up it speed regardless of the paper used.  And the Canon ImagePRESS C7000VP was eminently affordable for small or mid-size shops.”

However, she soon realized that selecting the right device was only part of the battle in migrating customers to the new technology. “When we talked about the benefits of digital print technology, it really made no impression on our customers. It was too abstract a concept and they seemed not to care.”

Consulting and helping

“It really goes back to the old adage, ‘It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.’ When we showed our customers actual samples of the digital output, we peaked their interest.  But when we showed them samples of how they could use the technology to benefit their specific business, we were asked to bid on projects and we won new business.”

The difference centers largely on whether vendors work with customers as order takers or as partners offering valuable expertise. As an example, Ginny invested to broaden her shop’s creative capabilities along adding the innovative Canon ImagePRESS.

“Lots of printers and print/mail shops have an in-house graphic design person, or a ongoing relationship with a free-lance designer,” she says. “I knew I needed more talent than that to really unlock the potential of digital color print.” So she engaged a consultant for three-months, whose background includes concepts and creative, to serve as Creative Director. 

Previously, he handled an array of highly targeted print projects, most recently for an automobile retailer.  But he also had experience developing advertising for radio and cable TV. The initial three-month stint as a consultant proven successful and she brought him on fulltime.

“It was also the right opportunity for him because he wanted to work on a wider range of creative projects, and especially wanted to work with different industries and vertical markets, all of which he can do here,” explains Ginny. Her shop has substantial expertise in health care, financial services, higher education and real estate development, along with retail and some of the bigger ticket items like automobiles.

“Now, when we pitch our digital color print capability, our creative person reviews existing client projects – or those of competitors -- and creates a few ‘blue sky’ concepts using real, existing applications bolstered by the digital color print technology. It is a great way to focus the conversation on the current business needs, the specific applications and how we can apply the benefits of the new digital print technology.”

Vendor partners

Ginny also points out that the partnership concept is two-way and extends to her own vendors. In fact, she credits Canon with aiding her own marketing efforts through a mentoring initiative, called the Essential Business Builder Program, which is aimed at helping Canon customers successfully introduce the digital color print capability. “The expert guidance, analysis and tips from that unique program have all been extremely helpful,” she says.

By no means is the battle over. “There is still a huge lack of awareness in the marketplace about the benefits and capabilities of digital color print,” she says, “along with a poor understanding of the ROI of digital color print. Some marketing people are still too focused on achieving a lower cost per-unit rather than on improving the overall effectiveness of a customer messaging contact or program.”

Still, with roughly 50 percent of all printed matter in the U.S. somehow finding its way into the mail stream, Ginny knows the market potential for digital color print is immense. And customers can always benefit from the knowledge and guidance of their skilled partner/vendors. 

One example she points to is the superior customer care she receives from IKON – even though she has no plans to acquire more equipment. “My rep calls in periodically, just to make sure everything is OK,” she says, “and he personally makes sure that any issues that may arise are resolved promptly.”

“In fact, I called him just the other day with a question concerning UV coatings.  Now, that’s not really his responsibility, but I was pressed for time. He called back with the needed information within 24 hours.  When I can count on prompt service like that from my Canon and IKON team, then I can service my own customers – and grow my business -- that much better.”

Comments?  Contact georgelinkletter@charter.net.