Millcraft In Stock Magazine Volume 2 Issue 1 Spring 2016 by Millcraft

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Vol. 2 • Issue 1

YOUR BRAIN ON PACKAGING

NAVIGATING CHANGE

PRINT INDUSTRY TRENDS

Neuroscience and design converge to drive buyer behavior. p. 9

Commercial printing continues to evolve rapidly. Here are tips for moving forward successfully. p. 13

Where are communicators spending their budget? p. 15

Paper, fonts, and colors. Oh my! They’re integral to marketing and can make or break an entire design. From logos to websites to print pieces and more, keep a cohesive theme to keep your prospects engaged.

Periodical Table of the 2 Design Elements - Branding

90%

Fab

of information transmitted 1 to the brain is visual.

FOUR

GENDER

FONT TYPES

56%

Serif: with “feet” Sans-Serif: no “feet” Script: handwriting Decorative: use sparingly

GENIUS

76% The majority of men and women prefer 4 cool colors.

Still wondering if paper is effective?

40%

[of consumers] try new businesses 5 after receiving direct mail.

We listen. We collaborate. We create. We deliver. (800) 860-2482 1. http://www.business2community.com/marketing/psychology-color affects-marketing-success-01173172#xE3U2CvIFXMz01dR.97

www.millcraft.com

JustAsk@Millcraft.com

2/4. http://coschedule.com/blog/color-psychology-marketing/ 3. https://designschool.canva.com/font-design/ 5. http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24084/print-marketing-will-thrive-in-2014-and-beyond

Publisher’s Note Table of Contents

If you’re willing to ask, we’re willing to find a solution. Just ask. Just ask. Sounds easy enough. Yet in the back of your mind you still might be asking yourself, “How can a paper merchant truly help improve my business?” We’re proud to have the most extensive, readily accessible paper inventory in the Midwest—and a reputation for trusted relationships and partnerships (some as long as our 96-year-history). However, like you, we’ve had to respond to the mass consolidation affecting all things paper. We’ve changed what we sell and how we sell it to meet our customers’ evolving needs. Moving forward, I believe success will be found with partners who can go broader and

2 13

Case Study Leveraging a long-term customer relationship saves a commercial printer time, shipping fees, and labor costs

Feature Move forward successfully as the printing industry continues to rapidly evolve

deeper with us in new areas that help them to grow and adapt to our everchanging market. We want to be that partner for you. All of our employees understand how to listen intently, and they are empowered to find solutions tailored to you. We’re willing to tackle your toughest challenges, whether it’s improving efficiency on the manufacturing floor or reducing freight costs. In this issue of InStock, “Beyond the Little Blue Box” (page 5) explores luxury packaging’s increasing influence on consumer buying patterns and what your business can do to take advantage of this trend. “Navigating Change Like a Savvy Traveler” (page 13) presents a

“Just Ask” in Action For a job with no hiccups, call in Millcraft’s Corporate Solutions Group experts

deeper look at the evolving world of printing and manufacturing. We’ll help you identify what business service or service line offerings fit you best and suggest ways to refocus your efforts to take advantage of growth opportunities. We’re here to help, and all you’ve got to do is ask. We might just surprise you.

Respectfully,

Travis Mlakar President mlakart@millcraft.com

Feature Peek inside the world of luxury packaging—and take advantage of this profitable market

Great Uses From growlers and six-pack carriers to cartons and packaging equipment, Millcraft taps into the fast-growing craft beer brewing sector

THIS ISSUE IS PRINTED ON: SLEEVE: Mohawk Midnight Black Grandee 100C | COVER: Mohawk 80# Vellum Cover Craft TEXT: Mohawk 65# Superfine Eggshell PUBLISHER: Travis Mlakar | SENIOR PUBLICATIONS ADVISOR: Courtney Enser EDITOR: Mimi Bell | CONTRIBUTORS: Lorrie Bryan, Laurie Hileman, Liberty Kontranowski, Ryan Richards, and Kathryn Will PROOFREADER: Stacey Tetloff | ART DIRECTOR: Chad Hussle | DESIGNER: Carol Quade | PHOTOGRAPHERS: Doug Julian and Megan Mlakar InStock, Volume 2, Issue 1, March 2016, is published by The F.P. Horak Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The F.P. Horak Company, 1311 Straits Dr, Bay City MI 48706. Copyright© 2016 at The F.P. Horak Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Case Study

SEAL THE DEAL

THE BACKGROUND The commercial printer had acquired new business fulfilling large posters, which included kits of assembly supplies such as display banners and electrical ties. With a demand of nearly 20,000 kits per week, the need to create and ship the kits in a timely manner—and with as little manpower as possible—was imperative. Realizing that fulfillment production speeds of only one to two bags per minute were creating a bottleneck for the commercial printer, Millcraft leveraged its strong relationship with the customer, and the diverse backgrounds of its sales and equipment specialists, to propose a solution that would improve kit assembly production times, saving money and increasing efficiencies.

Leveraging a long-term customer relationship saves a commercial printer time, shipping fees, and labor costs. By Liberty Kontranowski

THE PROBLEM The printer had been assembling kits by hand using premade bags. Due to the size of the project and the less-than-two-week turnaround time requested by its customer, they had employed as many as a dozen temporary workers to get the job done. Opening the premade bags and inserting the kitting supplies was both tedious and labor-intensive. Output was not efficient, and the printer faced the possibility of extensive overnight shipping charges in order to deliver the job to their customer on time.

Large printed posters are staples in the marketing communications and advertising spheres. From movie theaters to tradeshow booths, posters announce things such as new products and developments, exciting entertainment opportunities, and even directions to a banquet room or convention floor. But those flashy posters don’t just magically appear. They need to be printed and shipped to customers, and they must include all of the necessary components to be sure the poster is displayed as intended. When you’re the commercial printer tasked with ensuring the swift and cost-efficient delivery of tens of thousands of posters—and the kitting items and printed materials that go along with them—you remain open to methods of completing the job in a way that exceeds customer expectations. And Millcraft, a 96-year-old independent distributor of paper and packaging, headquartered in Cleveland, proved to be the missing piece to the poster-packaging puzzle.

THE SOLUTION Calling on the consultative history with the commercial printer, Millcraft representatives revisited a prior recommendation of using existing conveyor equipment as part of a new layout design within the production facilities. Next, in adding an L-sealer machine with a center-folded film to the process, the customer could make its own bags and improve production. With previous projects, this recommendation might not have resulted in an adequate ROI, but the new poster job was the perfect fit.

When you’re the commercial printer tasked with ensuring the swift and cost-efficient delivery of tens of thousands of posters, you remain open to methods of completing the job in a way that exceeds customer expectations.

manpower savings alone have justified the equipment savings in less than a year. By leveraging its solid business relationship and transitioning this long-term, valued customer from bags to sealing film, Millcraft has ensured that the commercial printer can take on quick-turn, high-production projects like this again and again. What’s more, Millcraft will also stock this film to be used on future jobs, providing additional savings to the customer. Millcraft’s desire to truly help the printer exceed its customer’s expectations is what partnership consulting is all about. After all, when everybody wins, everybody wins.

The machine and film were immediately ordered, and Millcraft was able to deliver, install, and test the equipment three days before the winter holidays. Workers were also trained during this time, ensuring that the customer’s tight delivery requirements would be met and extensive overnight shipping and temporary manpower costs avoided. THE RESULTS With the newly designed layout including the L-sealer machine and conveyor, the printer was able to produce the poster kits four to five times faster than when workers manually opened the bags and inserted materials inside. The printer easily met its 20,000-poster requirement without the need to hire temporary workers. ROI was quick and easy; the

*In this case study, the customer’s name and the name of its client have been removed due to the competitive nature of their businesses.

“Just Ask” in Action

WANT A JOB WITH NO HICCUPS? Call in the experts from Millcraft’s Corporate Solutions Group. By Laurie Hileman

Carol Quade, creative director for Michigan-based The F.P. Horak Company, is up on the latest typography trends, design technology, and color theory. And while she knows a fair amount about paper at this stage in her career, she admits she’s not an expert. Nor does she want to be. “There are so many different paper options out there. To have to know all of that on top of design and marketing, that’s a lot of pressure,” she says. “It’s nice to have an expert to ask, so I can focus on the design and the needs of my clients.” Creative directors, designers, marketing managers, and commercial printers are all relying on paper experts

such as Kelley Walsh, an account manager with Millcraft’s Corporate Solutions Group. Millcraft is an independent distributor of paper and packaging. As a 30+-year-veteran of the paper industry, Walsh knows a thing or two about paper. More significant, she understands the importance of relationships. In a world where customer service is often relegated to an exchange of phone calls and emails, Walsh says having a paper expert by your side, someone who understands what you’re trying to accomplish, your timelines, and your budget, is invaluable.

Account managers from Millcraft’s Corporate Solutions Group offer ideas to customers around a plethora of print materials available in paper and packaging. With the company’s design and solutions centers, Millcraft also delivers mock-ups and samples that use selected materials to help creative agencies and their clients determine if weight, size, textures, brightness, binding techniques, and other elements meet the desired criteria. Printers know they’re going to get on-time delivery of paper stocks, have technical support from Millcraft reps, and get costs where they need to be to make it all happen—all in time to meet their customer’s requirements and delivery dates. “When you know you’re going to get the answers you need, when you need them—and there’s not going to be one hiccup in your project process—that really means something,” says Walsh.

JULIE SATTLER is Millcraft’s division manager in Detroit. She and her team expertly connect designers, printers, and end users to problem-solve and make a customer’s business better. Contact Julie at 734-452-8178, or by emailing sattlerj@ millcraft.com.

Feature

BE YOND

the little blue

BOX

Peek inside the world of luxury packaging and see how you can take advantage of this growing, profitable market.

By Laurie Hileman

Feature

iffany’s got it right with the little blue box. The luxe jewelry store’s long-lasting brand is synonymous with its “Tiffanyblue” packaging. So how can other companies elevate their own brand packaging to assure that it becomes something treasured, rather than tossed? What exactly makes luxury packaging, well, so luxurious? “Ask 100 people and they’ll tell you 100 different things,” says Melissa Stevens, vice president of sales for Mohawk Paper. Some consider physical elements such as high quality materials, finishes, decoration, and innovative shapes. Others may look at the cost to produce, say, anything above a dollar. Stevens defines it a bit more simply: “It’s something that you’re holding in your hand that is as special as what’s inside. That’s truly luxury packaging. It doesn’t matter if your company is big or small.”

Exactly how companies make their packaging special is what ultimately determines whether their investment grabs consumers’ hearts and minds (and consequently their wallets) or fades into obscurity amongst the throngs of competition on the shelf. Printers and suppliers that understand the current trends, how customers are using the trends effectively, and those willing to innovate are perfectly positioned to profit from this high-end segment of the packaging industry. TAPPING INTO TRENDS Luxury packaging is dynamic and growing. Smithers Pira, a global authority on the packaging, paper, and print industry

looking for excess, but what is there has to be beautiful,” she adds. Beautiful and smart. Packaging now incorporates technology to further the interactive brand experience, whether it’s an embedded smart chip that links to a catalog or augmented reality. Personalization is flourishing, too, as advancements in digital printing allow for more and more packaging options. It’s not necessarily an all-about-me mindset, though. Eco-friendly products and sustainable packaging continue to influence consumers’ purchasing patterns. A survey by Nielsen revealed that 52 percent of global respondents said their purchases are partly influenced by packaging and that they check the labeling first before buying to ensure the brand is committed to positive social and environmental impact. Packaging is not all form and function. It’s also fun. “It (packaging) becomes a way for consumers to express their personality,” says Terri Price-Deep, a member of the Business Development and Corporate Solutions Group at Millcraft. “In the age of the selfie, people look at the style as well as functionality of what they carry or buy,” she says, noting how a beverage-on-the-go becomes an accessory for many consumers. And as more and more consumers go online to shop, companies are forced to bring their brands right to the doorstep. Packaging becomes the brand’s human connection. “Not only do brands need to be visually appealing on screen, the feel of the product once in hand must speak to quality. These

Smithers Pira, a global authority on the packaging, paper, and print industry supply chains, forecasts sales to grow 4.4 PERCENT annually through 2019 and reach $17.6 BILLION. supply chains, forecasts sales to grow 4.4 percent annually through 2019 and reach $17.6 billion. But you can’t talk about trends in luxury packaging without talking about Millennials. Nearing 80 million strong, their burgeoning buying power, as reported in an article on www. businesswire.com, will exceed that of Baby Boomers in 2017, and already their preferences heavily influence today’s market. “It’s all about the packaging [for Millennials],” says Stevens. “They are looking for and wanting an experience from the minute they see it (the package) to the moment they put it in their hand.” That experience often includes something that’s valued, craft-oriented, and designed conscientiously. “They’re not

Feature touchpoints with their consumer should generate anticipation and satisfaction when the product arrives,” says Price-Deep.

Luxury packaging is well-established. Smithers Pira reports that paperboard dominates the industry with 42 percent of the market, followed by glass at 30 percent, and metal, textiles, leather, plastic, and wood rounding out the remaining 28 percent. But if you haven’t yet cracked the lid on the luxury packaging market, that doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines and continue to watch it unfold. To break in requires figuring out how to distinctly define yourself, says Stevens. “It’s innovation—it’s thinking outside the box and coming up with something different,” she says. “That is a challenge. It’s a behavioral shift for an organization.” At Mohawk, Stevens and her team spend a lot of time watching trends to spur innovation: color trends, retail trends, and even visiting the places that aren’t “normal” places a paper mill or printer might go (for example, following the Luxury Marketing Council). “You need to know what they (customers) are looking for so you can design a product that they are going to react to,” says Stevens. And that doesn’t necessarily mean having to buy all kinds of new equipment, which she admits can be a major roadblock for some printers. Instead, she says, pull in partners such as paper mills, comp houses, and paper merchants. “Think about what you can do, who you can work with, and how you can be innovative with partners that you already know—and put something different out there.” And with digital printing changing so rapidly, Stevens and Price-Deep both agree it’s only a matter of time before many luxury packaging techniques will become available to all. “If the market’s booming, there’s a finite amount of time to take advantage of the opportunity,” says Stevens.

LUXURY PACKAGING IN TODAY’S MARKETS The touch experience is essential. “If [consumers] pick it up and it feels good in their hand, then they’re extremely likely—greater than 50 percent—to make that purchase,” says Stevens. That’s why textured papers and tactile printing techniques are used to engage shoppers while at the same time adding an air of sophistication. “Uncoated papers and dull or soft varnish techniques achieve the tactile effect that many brands are looking for,” says Price-Deep. Simple, elegant designs—long a staple of the cosmetic, beauty, and fragrance industries—often incorporate blind embossing, foil embossing, or tactile varnishes to increase the perceived value of a product. Metallic, UV, and pearlescent inks add to the perception. Ultimately, packaging must reflect the right mood and tone of a brand. “Apple is a perfect example of luxury packaging speaking to its audience,” says Price-Deep. “Apple and its users consider themselves sophisticated and innovative. Their packaging reflects that by using a simple, clean design on a luxurious fine paper. It’s the type of packaging you hold onto for its cool factor.” In contrast, other industries tend toward a craft approach, mixing quality papers with old-is-now-new-again press techniques. The hand-pressed boxes of confectionary businesses such as gourmet marshmallow-maker, WonderMade, are an example. Craft wines and beers leverage strong design, compelling stories, and packaging to communicate their brand message. And it’s working. The retail dollar value from craft brewers in 2014 was estimated on www.craftbeer.com at $19.6 billion, up from $14.3 billion in 2013. Companies big and small—and even big companies trying to look small to appeal to the do-it-yourself movement—are incorporating meaningful brand interaction through their packaging, notes Stevens. “So much of packaging is custom—a special color, a special weight, a special finish,” she says.

TERRI PRICE-DEEP, with a keen eye for creativity and broad knowledge of specifications, helps her agency and end-user customers select the right paper for every project, every time. Contact Terri at 614-2080536, or by emailing pricedeept@millcraft.com.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LUXURY PACKAGING OPPORTUNITY According to Stevens, tackling the market is all about innovation and collaboration.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON PACKAGING Neuroscience and design converge to drive buyer behavior. By Laurie Hileman

In what’s being called “neurodesign.” Cognitive neuroscientists and packaging designers are developing strategically designed packaging elements that appeal to the parts of our brains used to control emotion. Because, as it turns out, we’re not always the logical and reasonable creatures we’d like to think we are. “If we have trouble choosing between two competing products, the choice is made on the basis of the initial physiological reaction to one

COLOR So much research has been done on color that “it almost has its own branch of psychology,” says Gunelius. “Think how red can stop us in our tracks.”

SHAPE of them (regardless of the rational interpretations that we might provide for justifying such choice),” writes cognitive neuroscientist Alberto Gallace in an article for Packaging Digest. That is, emotional responses often dominate over reasoning capabilities in driving our behavior. So what packaging design elements elicit strong emotions? Susan Gunelius, president and CEO of Florida-based KeySplash Creative, Inc., suggests six different aspects:

Along with texture, shape encourages touch. Haptics, the study of touch, is rapidly being incorporated by brands.

TEXTURE Our brains think in metaphors (this is like that), says Gunelius. Something smooth makes us think and feel one way, while

something rough makes us feel another way.

GRAPHICS “It’s why a cereal box with Tony the Tiger is going to attract kids,” says Gunelius.

FONTS Whimsical, sophisticated, or somewhere in between, typography establishes a certain perception of a brand.

INTERACTIVITY Think cut-out packaging on kids’ toys. “When you feel or touch something, it gives you a psychological ownership of it,” says Gunelius.

Special Advertisement

A “Superfine”

70 Years

Mohawk’s flagship paper product celebrates a milestone anniversary

his year, Mohawk Fine Papers celebrates an amazing milestone with the 70th anniversary of Mohawk Superfine. Synonymous with quality and with a legacy that reaches icon status, Superfine is the one product most associated with Mohawk. It’s one of the best expressions of Mohawk’s unchanging ethos since the company was founded in 1931: to be singularly customer focused with a relentless appetite for innovation, marrying tradition and technology to produce high quality. The Superfine legacy began with a trial run of paper for a Boston-based customer in the 1940s, whose reaction to the new product was: “This is a super-fine sheet of paper.” Mohawk took this innovation for a single customer and expanded it to broader markets, refining it along the way. In the 1960s, Yale University wanted to print Benjamin Franklin’s papers on high-quality archival paper stock. Mohawk took up

the cutting edge of paper manufacturing, changing proactively to meet the world’s needs before they emerge. As early as the 1980s, Mohawk was already looking ahead to digital printing and how it would change the face of the industry. By the late 1990s, digital product development was in full swing. “We dug in and invested time and resources to understand how technology was changing the face of printing,” Harrold says. “Digital printing, using laser technology, toner, and inkjet, would in those days have been thought of as copy machines. Today, they’re the bedrock technology for new printing innovations. Mohawk really led the market in terms of getting paper for digital printing on the shelves.” In the early 2000s, Mohawk underwent a very different kind of innovation involving the entire company—and the world around it. The company worked diligently to minimize

the challenge and refined the chemistry of Superfine paper to make it last for generations. Since then, the paper has become a staple for graphic designers and printers throughout the world. “Superfine was developed to meet one specific customer’s need 70 years ago, but it was so beautiful it took with everybody,” says Chris Harrold, Mohawk’s vice president of business development and creative director. “It’s become the one product, whether you’re in Toledo or Tokyo, that people look to as the benchmark for uncoated printing papers.” The company’s dedication to innovation and technological refinement means that even throughout seismic changes in the printing industry— from letterpress to offset lithography to digital printing— Superfine has remained the industry’s paper of choice. And Superfine is just one of Mohawk’s many technological innovations. The company has committed itself to staying on

its impact on the primary resources of papermaking: pulp, water, and energy. “We were one of the early users of postconsumer fiber and FSC [Forest Stewardship Council] fiber,” Harrold says. “We also did very bold things in terms of using Renewable Energy Credits to buy wind power to offset the energy used in paper manufacturing. People know us as being out there on the vanguard of responsible paper manufacturing.” Today, Mohawk continues its efforts in the digital-printing realm, driving to be an essential supplier of both paper and non-paper substrates. But the company still manufactures its premium papers in upstate New York, and even the tenets of the digital expansion can be traced back to its flagship product. The phrase commonly used at Mohawk’s paper mills, “Treat it like Superfine,” signifies the company’s dedication to maintaining high quality and high utility with all its products.

We are more than a paper and packaging company.

We are idea generators, problem solvers, paper specialists, logistics experts, and packaging gurus.

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to know everything about paper and packaging. We do.

Just ask.

(800) 860-2482

www.millcraft.com

JustAsk@Millcraft.com

Feature

Navigating change like a

Savvy Traveler As conditions in the printing industry continue to evolve rapidly, here are four tips for moving forward successfully. By Lorrie Bryan

ou are at the gate, your plane is on the tarmac, and you are anticipating an on-time departure and arrival. You board and settle in with your USA Today as usual, oblivious to the passing time and increasing chatter around you. And then it comesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a collective sigh as the captain announces that this plane is going nowhere. You will not be taking off, and you will not be reaching your destination as planned. A wintry mix has intervened, and while the more savvy travelers around you are already on their phones confidently securing alternative arrangements,

you are sitting there stunnedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; silently cursing the latest winter storm. Sitting on a jet that is going nowhere is not a feasible action plan, yet many commercial printers that have been stunned by ever-changing industry market conditions are still doing just thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; instead of adapting and moving forward decisively. Perhaps these printers can take a few tips from savvy travelers when it comes to successfully navigating rapidly changing conditions, that is, the quickly evolving commercial print industry.

Feature

“

IT’S NOT A MATTER OF OFFERING EVERYONE SUPER CUSTOMER SERVICE ... INSTEAD, FOCUS ON YOUR TOP-VALUE CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE PROFIT. ~ Peter Fader, Wharton marketing professor and co-director of The Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania

OBJECTIVELY ASSESS YOUR SITUATION Start by segregating your customers into two groups: 1) Customers that you’d like to have more of, and 2) Other. In his book, Customer Concentricity: Focus on the Right Customer, Peter Fader, Wharton marketing professor and co-director of The Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, endorses a fundamentally different (from the conventional wisdom) business model. “It’s not a matter of offering everyone super customer service,” he writes. “You have to be able to recognize the differences among your customers and treat them differently. Most of your customers end up not being very profitable, so building a business around them doesn’t make much sense. Instead, focus on your top-value customers to drive profit.” Fader emphasizes that companies should not focus on retaining all their customers. “Data consistently indicate that most customers are actually not that valuable, so why devote resources to keeping all of them?” This means jettisoning some of your customers who no longer fit with your new, more profitable approach to business.

”

FOCUS ON YOUR FINAL DESTINATION Increasing volume should not be your primary objective because volume doesn’t necessarily lead to greater profit in this industry. “The secret of lowering costs and increasing profits is not, as many printers believe, to get bigger in terms of sales volumes. Volume in and of itself does not lower overall costs because printing is mostly a job-shop model and not a continuous process model. This means that there are no significant economies of scale in printing,” explains Jim Cunningham, president of PIANKO (Printing Industries of Ohio•Northern Kentucky). Instead, he suggests that businesses reduce costs through investment in productivityenhancing equipment and training and education of employees. Being the low-price leader is not a sustainable business objective either. You need a value proposition that elevates your products and services to more than a commodity. As pricing evangelist and thought leader Stephan Liozu points out, price wars are bad for companies and for industries as a whole. Instead of lowering prices, Liozu, who has a doctorate degree in management, advises his clients to know their best customers well, to segment these customers, and to find pockets of needs

Snapshot of the Latest Industry Trends that their company can meet through innovation to justify pricing. “Take a day, sit down with key personnel, and have a candid and mindful discussion about your value proposition. Identify what you can provide your best customers that will differentiate you and give you pricing power,” he says. A solid value proposition—one based on your ability to solve your customers’ problems better than your competitors can—is like a compass pointing the way as you navigate the rapidly changing conditions in the print industry.

Where’s the Growth? By Lorrie Bryan

PROJECTED GROWTH OF INKJET Since 2005, production color digital inkjet printing has grown steadily, and there are more than 651 global placements of high-speed digital color print engines today with a forecast of 990 by 2019. The global placement growth rate forecast for 2014-2019 is 13.7 percent. The global production color inkjet print volume is expected to grow from nearly 200 billion letter pages in 2014 to more than 525 billion in 2019.

EXPLORE ALL YOUR OPTIONS FOR GETTING THERE Evaluate your current printing technology and determine if it’s time to upgrade. Charlene Sims, president of The Master’s Press, a Dallas printing company, explains that this has been key to their survival and long-term (40+ years) success. “We kept up with the current technology and invested in equipment that would keep us competitive and enable us to offer our best customers the options and quality they need. Our state-of-theart equipment allows us to provide our clients with high-quality products on time and on budget,” Sims, the 2014 AMSP/ NAPL/NAQP Printer of the Year, explains. You may also want to consider new hires with expertise in growing markets or strategic partnerships with companies that will enable you to offer your key customers ancillary services such as marketing and communications solutions.

Source: InfoTrends’ Global Printing and Copying Market Forecast: 2014-2019

PRINT’S SHARE OF COMMUNICATIONS SPENDING BY INDUSTRY

STAY CONNECTED Savvy travelers get timely updates on their smartphones as conditions change. If you want to know more about changing conditions and new opportunities in your industry, stay connected. Cunningham points out that members of an association such as PIANKO and PIA (Printing Industries of America) show a significant advantage in sales volumes and profit margins over non-PIA printing companies. “There are numerous reasons why this is true: obviously the availability of programming, education, and networking opportunities, etc. But I also think even more important is that companies who join associations are much more open and interested in staying up to date in all aspects of the industry—marketing, technology, economics—and most of all not afraid to learn from others’ success,” he explains.

28%

AUTOMOTIVE

30%

EDUCATION

29%

FINANCIAL/INSURANCE

39%

GOVERNMENT

32%

HEALTH CARE

29%

HOSPITALITY

25%

MANUFACTURING/PHARMACEUTICALS

28%

RETAIL

23%

UTILITIES/TELECOM

28%

NONPROFIT

Print represents the largest share of communications spending at 29 percent overall. Print accounts for more than a quarter of communications spending in all industries except utilities/telecom. (These percentages are not expected to change significantly in the next two years.)

ERIC MICHEL is vice president, regional manager at Millcraft. Having worked at the company for more than 20 years and with a solid focus on relationships, he thoroughly understands customers’ pain points. Contact Eric at 614-578-2672, or by emailing eric@ millcraft.com.

Source: Micro to Mega: Trends in Business Communications, InfoTrends 2015

Great Uses

BREWING SUCCESS Millcraft taps into the fast-growing craft beer industry By Kathryn Will

The benefits of the booming craft beer industry are spilling over into some unexpected areas. And rather than put limits on its own potential to tap into the fastgrowing market—the number of craft breweries in the United States jumped from 2,863 in 2013 to 3,418 in 2014, according to the Brewers Association, a non-profit member organization— Millcraft decided to do the opposite. Now, Millcraft offers craft breweries solutions ranging from growlers and six-pack carriers to cartons, packaging equipment, and just about anything else that a brewer might ask for. “We can be a one-stop shop,” says Gregg Schuliger, director of packaging at Millcraft. He says the company approached the craft beer industry with an attitude of providing solutions to customers.

“Just because we don’t currently have something in our portfolio doesn’t mean it’s something we can’t do,” Schuliger says. “We add value for our customers by being problem-solvers.” From custom packaging to other outof-the-ordinary requests in an industry where clever design and brand identity are of the utmost importance, Millcraft finds a way to make it happen. “No” is just not in the company’s vocabulary. Solving problems is easier, too, with Millcraft’s local sales reps and 19 locations. “We are able to service our breweries in a way that helps them plan and evolve as their business grows,” Schuliger says. “That’s unique and something the breweries are not used to.” Currently, Millcraft serves craft breweries, large and small, across the Midwest, and the number is growing daily, with the goal of doubling business.

Bringing Art to Life One Design at a Time Marketing and design concepts impact more than your branding — they influence your paper choices, too. Selecting the right paper based on project image is key to an effective campaign.

52.5

of consumers say they 2 read direct-mail postcards.

of consumers try new businesses after 1 receiving direct mail.

FACT:

Customers expect their names and tailored messages on direct mail materials. 3

GET PICKY: PAPER CHOICE CONSIDERATIONS

Better Together:

1 Color and brightness 2 Weight 3 Finish 4 Recycled content requirements 5 Life of piece 6 Printing process 7 End usage and distribution 8 Price and availability

Social Media

• Include social media icons on print materials • Include digital versions of print marketing materials within social media posts

FACT:

Printers are your friends.

They can help determine the right paper for the project/budget.

300,000

More than American small businesses depend on paper products to 6 reach their customers and prospects.

Generate ideas. Find answers. Create samples. Share best practices. Get results. (800) 860-2482 1. http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24084/print-marketing-will-thrive-in-2014-and-beyond 2. https://blog.psprint.com/marketing/direct-mail-postcard-marketing-statistics-know 3. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-2016-hold-store-print-marketing-jemma-caprioli

www.millcraft.com

4. http://creativepro.com/paper-tips-how-to-choose-the-right-paper/ 5. http://www.postcardsrus.com/blog/post.cfm?id=348&five-print-marketing-trends-to-improve-in-2016 6. http://www.paperbecause.com/paper-is-purposeful/still-an-effective-media

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