We recently asked our clients to complete a five question survey on services we could provide to help them in their business. In a nutshell, they told us to not focus on ancillary offerings we had been considering, and "Just Keep Printing!"
Showing posts with label Printing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Printing. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Summer T-Shirt Special Receives Overwhelming Response
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Run a QR Code Campaign and save 6% on Postage
Young's Printing will MATCH the USPS incentive and will provide an ADDITIONAL 3% DISCOUNT on postage during the USPS promotion period. All together you would be saving 6% on postage AND also benefit from the QR codes themselves.
"How can I use QR codes?" you ask. Your offering can provide recipients to on-line content, special offers, and competitions. Here are a few examples:
1. How about a contest? Example:
2. Do you have a special promotion? Example:
3. Are you marketing a product where a demonstration might be helpful? Why not use a QR code to link to an on-line demonstration video that you have posted to YouTube. Example:
The German company MyToys.de came up with a very creative way to increase sales on Lego toy products. Play the video to see the details of this promotion.
To receive our MATCHING 3% promotion scan the QR code below and print the coupon, or display the coupon on your smart phone at Young's to receive a secret offer.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Artistic Printing
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| Photo courtesy of www.criterionventures.com |
One of the benefits of being in the Printing Industry is that we get to produce materials of all shapes, sizes and designs for all types and sizes of businesses. Criterion Ventures is one client which really uses print to define and enhance its brand, and which we're really proud of in general.
Truth be told, Criterion Ventures is a very small consulting firm, based in nearby Haddam, CT. They are small, but mighty, with a collection of highly-educated and well-trained consultants geared up to tackle the world's most challenging issues, from healthcare reform to complex business structuring.
If you met one of their consultants and saw the materials they print, you would think they could give McKinsey and Bain a run for their money. Highly unusual print plus highly unusual brains have created a dynamite combination, translating into new client opportunities, as well as the respect consultants need to facilitate meetings, pursuade doubters, and lead change.
Truth be told, Criterion Ventures is a very small consulting firm, based in nearby Haddam, CT. They are small, but mighty, with a collection of highly-educated and well-trained consultants geared up to tackle the world's most challenging issues, from healthcare reform to complex business structuring.
If you met one of their consultants and saw the materials they print, you would think they could give McKinsey and Bain a run for their money. Highly unusual print plus highly unusual brains have created a dynamite combination, translating into new client opportunities, as well as the respect consultants need to facilitate meetings, pursuade doubters, and lead change.
It is one thing to tell people you are creative, but another entirely to demonstrate it. At the end of the day, it is creativity and innovation that are driving a lot of business value in today's economy. Criterion Ventures gets it, but far too many others don't make the connection.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Emerging Business Model In The Printing Industry
As the printing industry evolves in today's ultra-competitive business environment, the printing companies still standing are, by and large, pretty well-run organizations. Some have focused on a product niche such as short-run invitations or personalized childrens books. Others have utilized Web technology to reduce transaction costs and build scale. The vast majority, however, have managed to survive and prosper through some sort of diversification.
In this blog, we take a quick pulse on how this industry diversification is reshaping what it means to be a "printer" in the 21st century. We surveyed publicly available information on what appear to be the world's five largest printing firms (sadly, only one of which is based in the U.S., and it is only #3), which are:
1. Toppan Printing (Japan)
2. Dai Nippon Printing (Japan)
3. Donnelley (R.R.) & Sons Co. (US)
4. Quebecor (Canada)
5. Rexam PLC (Germany),
to see what business models are emerging. We found generally more forward-looking business planning at some (e.g., Toppan and Donnelley) than others, but all are doing more than putting ink on paper.
From the chart above, you can see what is called Concentric Diversification (in black). These are really product extensions, which use the same or similar technology and sell to the same market. Packaging, for example, is quite similar to traditional commercial printing. Similarly, "creative" or graphic design is closely related to the pre-press work every printer requires to prepare files to print. Mailing and fulfillment are also not big leaps, as printers have always had to distribute product. All five of the companies we analyzed -- and most other commercial printers that we know -- have gotten through at least this level of concentric diversification.
Many of these large firms have ventured beyond concentric diversification, into horizontal and vertical integration (in gray). Horizontal Integration occurs when products are produced with quite different technologies than the core business, but which are sold to the same market or channel. This strategy proves to be advantageous in a competitive market scenario, wherein the company has a loyal customer base. Example: a hot dog vendor expanding to sell hamburgers.
Example of horizontal integration among the Top 5 include products like real-time point of purchase displays, e-paper, security tags, and semi-conductors, all of which have something to do with printing; and services like database, target marketing, video production, call centers, community social media hubs.
Vertical Integration occurs when a company invests in it's own product supply chain to increase or guaranty market share or insure quality of production inputs. Example 1: car company buys tire manufacturing business (backward vertical integration, as it is closer to the raw material). Example 2 car company buys dealerships (forward vertical integration, as it is closest to the customer). The only clear example of vertical integration we saw is one company's investment in a paper mill.
Many of these big printers have diversified even further away from their cores, into what's called Conglomerate Diversification (in white), where there is little or no connection to the core technology or market. This is very similar to an investor holding a mix of stocks and bonds and precious metals to smooth out cyclical ups and downs. At the still recognizably-related level, one company has invested in a writer's consortium. Another claims to offer workforce solutions, an extension of outsourced fulfillment services. In fact, Donnelley markets itself as a business process outsourcer like IBM or Accenture, and has even acquired OfficeTiger and Astron, allowing them to "create processes and distribution for mission-critical information for the world’s largest companies."
Many of the Top 5, particularly the Japanese printers, are actually part of large highly-diversified conglomerates, in which printing is just one line of business, not necessarily the "core". We have not even bothered to chart these businesses, because they do not really indicate a new or emerging business model in the industry.
So, what does this all mean? What will these Top 5 printers and other printers be doing in twenty years or fifty years? Unfortunately, we do not have all of the answers, but we feel like Donnelley and Toppan are companies to watch. The vision seems to extend well beyond becoming a multi-channel communications company -- they seem to be thinking about a tightly integrated but diverse set of products and services pushing in every direction. The main connective tissue between the set of offerings will probably remain the customer -- a common market or channel. It will be an interesting ride!
In this blog, we take a quick pulse on how this industry diversification is reshaping what it means to be a "printer" in the 21st century. We surveyed publicly available information on what appear to be the world's five largest printing firms (sadly, only one of which is based in the U.S., and it is only #3), which are:
1. Toppan Printing (Japan)
2. Dai Nippon Printing (Japan)
3. Donnelley (R.R.) & Sons Co. (US)
4. Quebecor (Canada)
5. Rexam PLC (Germany),
to see what business models are emerging. We found generally more forward-looking business planning at some (e.g., Toppan and Donnelley) than others, but all are doing more than putting ink on paper.
Many of these large firms have ventured beyond concentric diversification, into horizontal and vertical integration (in gray). Horizontal Integration occurs when products are produced with quite different technologies than the core business, but which are sold to the same market or channel. This strategy proves to be advantageous in a competitive market scenario, wherein the company has a loyal customer base. Example: a hot dog vendor expanding to sell hamburgers.
Example of horizontal integration among the Top 5 include products like real-time point of purchase displays, e-paper, security tags, and semi-conductors, all of which have something to do with printing; and services like database, target marketing, video production, call centers, community social media hubs.
Vertical Integration occurs when a company invests in it's own product supply chain to increase or guaranty market share or insure quality of production inputs. Example 1: car company buys tire manufacturing business (backward vertical integration, as it is closer to the raw material). Example 2 car company buys dealerships (forward vertical integration, as it is closest to the customer). The only clear example of vertical integration we saw is one company's investment in a paper mill.
Many of these big printers have diversified even further away from their cores, into what's called Conglomerate Diversification (in white), where there is little or no connection to the core technology or market. This is very similar to an investor holding a mix of stocks and bonds and precious metals to smooth out cyclical ups and downs. At the still recognizably-related level, one company has invested in a writer's consortium. Another claims to offer workforce solutions, an extension of outsourced fulfillment services. In fact, Donnelley markets itself as a business process outsourcer like IBM or Accenture, and has even acquired OfficeTiger and Astron, allowing them to "create processes and distribution for mission-critical information for the world’s largest companies."
Many of the Top 5, particularly the Japanese printers, are actually part of large highly-diversified conglomerates, in which printing is just one line of business, not necessarily the "core". We have not even bothered to chart these businesses, because they do not really indicate a new or emerging business model in the industry.
So, what does this all mean? What will these Top 5 printers and other printers be doing in twenty years or fifty years? Unfortunately, we do not have all of the answers, but we feel like Donnelley and Toppan are companies to watch. The vision seems to extend well beyond becoming a multi-channel communications company -- they seem to be thinking about a tightly integrated but diverse set of products and services pushing in every direction. The main connective tissue between the set of offerings will probably remain the customer -- a common market or channel. It will be an interesting ride!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
December Printing Showcase
Today's blog features work produced in December for our clients at MiddleOak, Pratt & Whitney, and Dauntless Specialty Brokerage.
This folded holiday card was printed on Kromekote Canvas12 pt. C1S stock. This is a premium paper, chosen to have the feel of an actual present.
The gift image and the red embossed ribbon on the card gives it a 3-dimensional look. MiddleOak's logo is foil stamped and creatively incorporated to represent snowflake-like gift wrap.
Gorgeous!!!
Branding Extraordinaire
The output of this process, of course, is a highly-qualified list of leads which can then be marketed by the brokerage's sales team, using marketing collateral, phone, and, of course, face-to-face contacts to close the deal.
So, Dauntless has been able to utilize quite a number of marketing channels, all highly integrated, and all driven by direct mail. Further, the company uses only what works for them, not necessarily the latest & greatest marketing technologies. For example, they found static web landing pages to
work just as well as dynamic (P.U.R.L.) ones, at a fraction of the cost.
Well done, Dauntless!!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Spotlight on Clients making an eco-conscious paper choice
Young's Printing salutes our clients who have made an environmentally conscious choice in paper. Spotlighted in this blog are Liberty Bank, The Rockfall Foundation, and The Rye County Day School.
Liberty Bank is the oldest mutual bank in the State of Connecticut and has 38 branches located throughout central, eastern, and shoreline Connecticut.
Liberty Bank's deposit and acknowledgment slips, as well as several forms are now printed on a Rolland Opaque50 paper that is 50% post-consumer recycled and 50% FSC certified fiber, meaning that it is sourced from well-managed forests. Opaque50 is also process elemental chlorine free. This paper is FSC certified t.
Liberty's previous paper choice did not contain any post-consumer recycled materials. The brightness quality with their new paper choice has even improved despite the recycled content!
The Rockfall Foundation is one of Connecticut's oldest environmental organizations and supports environmental education, conservation and planning initiatives in Middlesex County. Their mission is to be a catalyst--bringing people together and supporting organizations to conserve and enhance the county's natural environment.
The Rockfall Foundation's generates its Chronicle newsletter, letterhead, envelopes, and invitations on Neenah PC100 natural paper. This paper is a sustainable choice that is made from 100% post consumer fiber and is process chlorine free. This paper is FSC certified, 100% Green-e certified, Green Seal certified, and Carbon Neutral Plus.
Rockfall's previous paper choice was a mix of virgin and recycled fiber, but their new paper choice has improved to 100% recycled materials and the quality of the paper's brightness and opacity remain high.
Rye Country Day School located in Rye, NY is a co-educational, college preparatory school dedicated to providing students from pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches.
The Rye Country Day School has just recently begun printing it's capital campaign newsletter on Primavera Silk paper produced by New Leaf, that is made from 80% recycled content, three-quarters of which is post-consumer waste. The remaining 20% is FSC certified. It is also elemental chlorine free. This paper like the other post consumer material papers listed in this blog has a high brightness quality of 93.
We applaud these and all Young's Printing clients who have made the choice to switch to sustainable paper sources. They have found that being environmentally friendly does not require sacrificing paper quality.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Oops! Printing of new $100 Bill turns costly
Not all printing jobs go well. Here is one for the "Wall of Shame."
In April of 2010 the U. S. Treasury was excited to announce the redesign of the $100 bill that would incorporate sophisticated high-tech security features. Today more than 1 billion of these new bills have been quarantined due to printing problems. The problem occurred when paper folded over during the production process causing a blank spot on the face of the bill. Oops!
Follow link for video coverage and full story: $100 Bill's New Facelift goes awry - CNBC
In April of 2010 the U. S. Treasury was excited to announce the redesign of the $100 bill that would incorporate sophisticated high-tech security features. Today more than 1 billion of these new bills have been quarantined due to printing problems. The problem occurred when paper folded over during the production process causing a blank spot on the face of the bill. Oops!
Follow link for video coverage and full story: $100 Bill's New Facelift goes awry - CNBC
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Eco-Paper 101: Making the Right Choice
In today's printing world there are numerous choices when it comes to selecting paper and the environment. As a consumer, your choice should be an informed one!
When selecting a paper for your project, some important factors to consider are:
How does paper rank in regard to the environment?
There are many factors to consider when determining what is the most environmentally friendly choice, such as: What source was the paper made from (virgin wood, recycled, or alternative non-tree sources), what chemicals were involved in its processing, and how far does it need to travel.
Although virgin papers may not be as environmentally friendly as recycled alternatives, if your choice is to use virgin paper, consider using one that comes from a managed forest and has been certified by an organization such as the Forest Stewardship Council.
To help you understand the environmental impact of different types of paper, we have included the following paper steps rating chart created by WhatsInYourPaper.com:
Want To See The Numbers?
In this chart, the Environmental Defense Fund compares the major environmental inputs and outputs from producing different types of paper: 1 ton of virgin paper, 1 ton of 50% recycled paper, and one ton of 100% recycled paper. Clearly, the recycled option is the least harmful.
Chemical Processing:
There are several bleaching processes that are involved in producing paper. The least environmentally friendly are ones that involve chlorine because they produce dioxins and other chemical pollutants in the process. Just as there are eco-friendly alternatives to obtain pulp, there is also an eco-hierarchy in chemical processing as illustrated below:
The Transportation factor:
Buying local is environmentally the best choice because transportation consumes energy and produces greenhouse gases, particularly because paper is so heavy. Moreover, it is important to consider the supply chain. For example, a mill may be local but its source pulp comes from across the globe.
In Conclusion:
When it comes to choosing the environmentally-friendly paper, look for a high percentage of post-consumer recycled materials. If there is no good recycled option, the next best choice is paper sourced from responsibly managed forests. Look for chlorine-free certifications, and of course, buy local!
Young's Printing is proud to offer an extremely broad selection of papers. As you can see, the environmental considerations alone can be daunting, and we may have barely skimmed the surface in this post. We are happy to consult with you to make sure you make the right paper choice for your next printing project.
Have a different point of view? Did we miss some critical elements in the eco-equation? Please respond to this blog and let us--and the rest of the blogosphere know!
When selecting a paper for your project, some important factors to consider are:
- Price
- Whiteness
- Brightness
- Opacity
- The Environment
How does paper rank in regard to the environment?
There are many factors to consider when determining what is the most environmentally friendly choice, such as: What source was the paper made from (virgin wood, recycled, or alternative non-tree sources), what chemicals were involved in its processing, and how far does it need to travel.
Although virgin papers may not be as environmentally friendly as recycled alternatives, if your choice is to use virgin paper, consider using one that comes from a managed forest and has been certified by an organization such as the Forest Stewardship Council.
To help you understand the environmental impact of different types of paper, we have included the following paper steps rating chart created by WhatsInYourPaper.com:
Want To See The Numbers?
In this chart, the Environmental Defense Fund compares the major environmental inputs and outputs from producing different types of paper: 1 ton of virgin paper, 1 ton of 50% recycled paper, and one ton of 100% recycled paper. Clearly, the recycled option is the least harmful.
Chemical Processing:
There are several bleaching processes that are involved in producing paper. The least environmentally friendly are ones that involve chlorine because they produce dioxins and other chemical pollutants in the process. Just as there are eco-friendly alternatives to obtain pulp, there is also an eco-hierarchy in chemical processing as illustrated below:
The Transportation factor:
Buying local is environmentally the best choice because transportation consumes energy and produces greenhouse gases, particularly because paper is so heavy. Moreover, it is important to consider the supply chain. For example, a mill may be local but its source pulp comes from across the globe.
In Conclusion:
When it comes to choosing the environmentally-friendly paper, look for a high percentage of post-consumer recycled materials. If there is no good recycled option, the next best choice is paper sourced from responsibly managed forests. Look for chlorine-free certifications, and of course, buy local!
Young's Printing is proud to offer an extremely broad selection of papers. As you can see, the environmental considerations alone can be daunting, and we may have barely skimmed the surface in this post. We are happy to consult with you to make sure you make the right paper choice for your next printing project.
Have a different point of view? Did we miss some critical elements in the eco-equation? Please respond to this blog and let us--and the rest of the blogosphere know!
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