5 Reasons to Love Print

Print is a unique, powerful and effective channel of communication.  With Valentine’s Day this month, here are our top five reasons to love print:

1. Print is sensual
   Print is unique as it is a media that you can see, feel and even smell. In psychological experiments, people value something they can see and touch 24% more highly than something they can only see¹.
2. Print is memorable
   In Kantar Media’s TGI survey, 80% of respondents said that they can remember seeing or reading advertising mail sent to them in the last 4 weeks².
3. Print is trustworthy
   Between 7 and 8 out of 10 people think print is twice as trustworthy as its closest rival- email- as well as providing better personalisation and content than any other medium³.
4. Print is sustainable
   Three to four trees are replanted for every one tree logged in managed forests. European Forests have actually grown by 30% since 1950⁴.
5. Print increases ROI
   A BrandScience analysis of 500+ European cases shows that, in case of FMCG, TV’s ROI increased with 61% when used in combination with print advertising and 57% with the combination of TV and print media.

Print is a true craft. Achieving the subtleties of finish and finesse still calls for extreme skill of hand and eye, with genuine care in the process.  The creative agencies and luxury brands that repeatedly trust POSITIVE+ with their most important work all crave this craftsmanship.

Call us today on 020 8544 5500 or email hello@wearepositive.com to discuss your next campaign.

Sources:

1. Royal Mail Market Research
2. TGI Kantar Media
3. Two Sides
4. BPIF UK Printing Facts & Figures.
5. Power of Print

Now is the perfect time to plan and perfect your Christmas marketing campaign.  Here are our top 10 seasonal marketing tips:

1. Start early
Most printers and direct mail houses are extremely busy in the run up to Christmas, so it’s best to contact your chosen supplier as early as possible to discuss your requirements.

2. Set out what you are hoping to achieve
As with any marketing campaign, clearly identify what you want to achieve.   Set targets and think about how and when you will measure success.

3. Utilise print artwork
For a seamless cross media campaign, ask your designer to send print artwork in a jpeg  format, which you can easily post onto websites, emails and social media platforms.

4. Include direct mail
Mail is still opened, still valued, still kept and still drives response. Royal Mail’s Mailmen website provides a wealth of research on the benefits of direct mail http://www.mailmen.co.uk

5. Share seasonal information
Christmas is a great excuse to share content with both new and existing customers.  Consider sharing seasonal information, such as Christmas products, offers, opening times and event information.

6. Make clients & customers feel special
Christmas is an ideal time to reward loyal customers and clients. Consider sending them a Christmas card, gift, calendar, a reward voucher/ discount or perhaps invite them to an exclusive event.

7. Decorate your windows
Windows can be a powerful touchpoints. Window clings are a quick and easy way to transform your windows and get noticed.

8. It’s not just about Christmas
The popularity of Black Friday has grown considerably in the UK over recent years.  In 2017 Black Friday will be held on Friday 24th November.

9. Keep it simple
Christmas is not the time to try a complex marketing campaign. Customers are busy and will be bombarded with marketing communications. In our experience, it’s best to keep it simple.

10. Have fun!
Christmas should be a jolly time of year, so keep it light and have fun!

At POSITIVE we provide a range of seasonal marketing communications including:-

• Banners
• Brochures
• Calendars
• Canvass mailings
• Christmas Cards
• Flyers
• Information mailings
• Invitations
• Leaflets
• Merchandise
• Point of sale
• Posters
• Reward mailings
• Vouchers
• Window clings

To discuss your Christmas campaign or to request a quote, please contact Danny Sullivan on 020 8544 5500 or email hello@wearepositive.com

For more POSITIVE news and insight follow our Linkedin page.  

Coil binding, also known as spiral binding, is a continuous PVC filament formed into the shape of a spring.  The main advantages are:-

1.Colour choice– coil binding is available in 45 different colours and we can even Pantone match to your corporate colours.

2.Versatility– with spiral sizes from 6mm to 50mm, we can coil bind almost any sized document, from a few sheets to 400 sheets.

3.Durability– coil bound documents can lie completely flat.  The coil itself is crush resistant and virtually indestructible.

4.Reliability-the continuous shape of the coil spiral eliminates the possibility of any pages falling out.

5.Made in UK– PDC manufacture the Plastikoil coils here in the UK at their extrusion and forming facility in Perivale, West London.

Coil binding can be used on a variety of documents such as calendars, diaries, pads and brochures.

At Positive we now offer in-house coil binding as well as traditional wiro binding.  If we could help you with your print or direct mail, please contact Danny Sullivan, Managing Director on 020 8544 5500 hello@wearepositive.com

As an innovative print specialist we always need to think ahead. Here are our top 5 print predictions for 2017:

1.Natural colours

“Reminiscent of the hues that surround us in nature, our Spring 2017 Fashion Colour Report evokes a spectrum of emotion and feeling” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone Colour Institute.  Pantone’s Top 10 Colours for Spring 2017 capture the promises, hope and transformation that we all yearn for each Spring.

2.Lean Direct Mail

“Direct mail waste leads to poorer response rates, unhappy customers and increased overall campaign costs” says the Software Bureau. “Lean Direct Mail” is a concept developed by the bureau as a systematic process to minimise waste and maximise results for direct mail campaigns and is a term we expect to hear a lot more in 2017.  Read our 5 Tips to Achieve Lean Direct Mail.

3.Personalised Packaging

“Personalised packaging enables printers and brands to add value to products and marketing campaigns and to differentiate themselves from the competition” says Richard Stuart- Turner of PrintWeek.  A recent Smithers Pia white paper found that personalised marketing delivers 31 % greater profits compared to general marketing materials.  Read our case study on Coke’s personalised bottle labels.

4.Digital growth  

By 2020, Smithers Pira research group reported digital printing will reach 17.4 percent of the value and 3.4 percent of the volume of all the world’s print and printed packaging.  It’s no surprise that with fast turnaround times, value for money, personalisation and exceptional quality, digital printing is continuing to grow.   Read our 5 Advantages of Digital Printing.

5.Branded Document Management

Web 2 Print has come a long way and should now be thought of as branded document management.  Online portals enable designated users to design branded products, order printed documents and manage all of their organisaition’s marketing materials in one place.  Read our 5 Advantages of Web 2 Print.

We’d love to hear your print predictions for 2017.  Please leave us a comment in the box below.

At Positive we provide the full range of integrated print solutions including colour management, lean direct mail, personalisation, digital printing and branded document management (Web2Print) as well as lithographic printing, large format printing, finishing and fulfilment.

If we can help you with your print and direct mail please call us on 020 8544 5500 or email hello@wearepositive.com

For more print and direct mail news and insight follow our LinkedIn page

Related blog articles:

• Top-5-Print-Trends-for-2016/
• 5-Tips-to-achieve-lean-direct-mail-maximise-roi
• Coke-gets-personal/
• 5-advantages-of-digital-print/
• 5-advantages-of-web-2-print/

When an Australian ad agency had the bright idea of putting popular names on Coke bottles, the results were brilliant.

The Challenge

• Print hundreds of millions of personalised bottle labels within a four –month lead time
• Match iconic Coca-Cola red colour

The Strategy

• A total of 12 HP Indigo digital presses ran 24/7 to 24/5 across three months
• Special ink, pre- mixed by HP Indigo, developed to match Coca- Cola red

Results

• One billion personalised labels were printed, 150 names in each of more than 32 countries, in 15 languages and five different alphabets
• Outstanding colour match accuracy

Further Information 

• hp.com/go/discoverdigital 
• youtube.com/hpgraphicarts 

At Positive we offer innovative digital printing facilities ensuring exceptional quality, speed and value for money.

With our HP Indigo technology, no matter how complex or high volume your project may be, your brand colour palette will always be printed consistently and to the highest quality.

Call us today to discuss your print requirements on 020 8544 5500 or email hello@wearepositive.com

 Coke Case Study Copyright – 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company

Digital printing refers to modern printing methods that use digital files instead of printing plates. There are a number of advantages to using digital imaging services  over more traditional printing methods. The main advantages of digital print are:-

1.Personalisation & Variable data– Variable Data Printing (VDP) allows for the customisation of individual graphics or text on a print by print basis. Every impression on the paper can be different, making digital ideal for personalised direct mail campaigns. A lot of business use digital printing to help with their business advertising. If this is something that interests you then you might want to take a look at something like spectra integration who can offer you this service.

2.Speed- digital is the perfect option if you need something turned around very fast. Unlike lithographic printing, there is no need to prepare plates so only minimal set-up time is required.

3.Quality– digital technology has improved significantly over recent years. HP Indigo’s Liquid ElectroInk Process (LEP) process matches and at times surpasses traditional offset (lithographic) printing and exceeds competing digital printing technologies.

4.Versatility- digital print is very versatile. HP Indigo printers have the largest media range, enabling printing on over 3,000 certified substrates, including synthetics, darks and metallics.

5.Value– as digital printing is so quick to set up there are minimal set up costs. It therefore offers exceptional value, especially for shorter print runs.

National Gallery Case Study

The National Gallery utilised digital print technology to produce a high quality book (pictured) to commemorate an exhibition of newly acquired Titian paintings .

The books were available for sale within one week, compared to 6-12 week lead-time required for traditional offset (lithographic) printing. The Indigo solution delivered a far more effective and lower-cost solution, without any loss of quality.

About Positive

At Positive we offer innovative digital printing facilities ensuring exceptional quality, speed, versitility and value for money. Our HP Indigo digital technology is ideal for smaller print runs and variable data projects.

Our Surrey based factory provides the full range of integrated print services including digital printing, lithographic printing, large format printing and direct mail.

For further information, call Danny Sullivan, Managing Director on 020 8544 5500 or email danny@wearepositive.com

Print is a unique, powerful and effective channel of communication.

Here are our top 5 reasons why print is so powerful:-

1. Print is sensual
Print is unique as it is a media that you can see, feel and even smell. In psychological experiments, people value something they can see and touch 24% more highly than something they can only see (Royal Mail Market Research).

2. Print is memorable
In Kantar Media’s TGI survey, 80% of respondents said that they can remember seeing or reading advertising mail sent to them in the last 4 weeks (TGI Kantar Media, 2014).

3. Print is trustworthy
Between 7 and 8 out of 10 people think print is twice as trustworthy as its closest rival- email- as well as providing better personalisation and content than any other medium (Two Sides).

4. Print is sustainable
Three to four trees are replanted for every one tree logged in managed forests. European Forests have actually grown by 30% since 1950. (BPIF UK Printing Facts & Figures).

5. Print increases ROI
BrandScience analysis of 500+ European cases shows that, in case of FMCG, TV’s ROI increased with 61% when used in combination with print advertising and 57% with the combination of TV and print media (Power of Print).

Print is a true craft. Achieving the subtleties of finish and finesse still calls for extreme skill of hand and eye, with genuine care in the process.

The creative agencies, fashion labels and luxury brands that repeatedly trust Positive with their most important work all crave this craftsmanship.

Traditional values and techniques complemented with cutting-edge technology and service are at the heart of Positive.

Call us today on 020 8544 5500 or email hello@wearepositive.com  #discoverpositive