in
stock Vol. 3 • Issue 1
LET’S GET PERSONAL
One-to-one direct mail pieces boost response rates. Every. Single. Time. p. 10
IS YOUR SHIPPING SHIPSHAPE? Find savings for your business with a packaging assessment. p. 13
LIMITLESS Digital printing technologies are opening new markets to more printers than ever before. p. 5
BREWING UP POSSIBILITIES A craft brewery finds a packaging partner it can raise a glass to. p. 2
Customers
THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART
TOGETHER WE DONATED
$182,620 YOU HAVE MADE SUCH A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON SO MANY HEARTS!
To learn more about how you can give back with your copy paper purchases, contact your Millcraft sales rep or email us at JustAsk@millcraft.com.
Publisher’s Note Table of Contents
Never Stop Learning At Millcraft, we’re always on the lookout for new ways of doing things. Anything we can learn, any process we can put in place, and any technology we can invest in to help our customers become faster, better, and more effective is at the top of our priority list. Because when you grow, we grow. We want to be one step ahead of the competition. And we want you to be, too. We’ve developed people in every market—our boots on the ground, so to speak—to continually provide samples, host paper education workshop and seminars, and share best practices from around the industry with our customers. Sharing best practices is also what
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Case Study A craft brewery discovers a packaging partner it can raise a glass to.
Feature Find savings for your business with a packaging assessment.
we do here within the pages of InStock. “Limitless” (page 5) dives deep into the latest technology advances in digital presses, highlighting how improved capabilities expand the realm of possibility for printers to adopt new market strategies. And one in-demand way that printers can help their customers garner greater ROI with print is through versioning and personalization of direct mail. Check out the cover of the issue you’re holding in your hands and also “Let’s Get Personal” (page 10). Then, when was the last time you really looked closely at your product packaging and processes, either for your own business or what you do for your customers? Is your packaging
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“Just Ask” in Action Tech-savvy trucks ensure speedy delivery without compromising safety.
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too big for what you’re shipping? Is there too much of or not the right fill? Is your packaging equipment getting the job done economically? “Is Your Shipping Shipshape?” (page 13) speaks to how a packaging consultant can help you assess your current and future needs and make recommendations that result in true cost savings. That’s money heading back into your pocket! Together, let’s never stop learning. Respectfully,
Travis Mlakar President mlakart@millcraft.com
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Feature Digital printing technologies are opening new markets to more printers than ever before.
Great Uses A company grabs clients’ attention by turning its annual calendar giveaway into an interactive campaign.
THIS ISSUE IS PRINTED ON:
Cover: Sappi 100# McCoy Silk Digital Cover | Text: Sappi 80# McCoy Silk Text PUBLISHER: Travis Mlakar | SENIOR PUBLICATIONS ADVISOR: Courtney Enser EDITOR: Mimi Bell | CONTRIBUTORS: Lorrie Bryan, Laurie Hileman, Liberty Kontranowski, and Kathryn Will PROOFREADER: Stacey Tetloff | ART DIRECTOR: Chad Hussle | DESIGNERS: Jerry Langmaid and Andrea Rousse | PHOTOGRAPHER: Doug Julian InStock, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2017, 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© 2017 at The F.P. Horak Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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Case Study
BREWING UP POSSIBILITIES A craft brewery finds a packaging partner it can raise a glass to. By Liberty Kontranowski
Craft beer is a booming industry these days, with new breweries popping up all over the hippest landscapes. But jumping on a trend while it’s hot only goes so far. To create a sustainable business that keeps customers coming back year after year, brewmasters must pair their exceptional products with marketing, distribution, and packaging prowess. They must stand out in a crowded market and keep costs down, without sacrificing quality. That’s why having the right production partners on board is essential. With extensive experience working with breweries of all sizes, Millcraft, a 97-year-old independent distributor of paper and packaging, was the perfect choice to help an Ohio-based
craft brewery meet its packaging objectives—and to help the business grow. THE BACKGROUND The brewery mixed up its first batch of beer in June 2013. The company, headquartered in a historic bottling plant dating back to the late 1800s, aims to build a community where its members value craft beer and one another. And while the company aims to produce high-caliber brews, stakeholders knew that there was another side to the business—namely, making the nuts-and-bolts of the operation look effortless so the company could focus on one of its organizational missions: developing a community.
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the company to sell its recyclable trash to a local business—a strategic income source that will essentially offset the price of the machine. And that’s just the beginning. Bregger continues to consult with the craft brewery to provide new packaging solutions that support the company’s steady growth.
THE PROBLEM Though the brewery’s founders had varied experience in the beverage industry, they had not previously built a brewery from the ground up. There was packaging to consider. Distribution laws. Labeling. Environmental responsibility. And because the company self-distributes—meaning that each beer a customer drinks has been delivered straight from the brewery’s own refrigerated trucks—warehousing was a factor. How was the company going to keep its bottles, growlers, and packaging atthe-ready, and how was it going to dispose of the recyclables? Yes, the company’s forward-thinking vision had gotten the founders far, but they needed the right partners in place to make their dream business run smoothly and efficiently.
THE RESULTS While still a mere infant in the business world, the company has already made a tremendous impact in the regional craft beer market. And Millcraft has been happy to be part of the journey. “Our goal is to continue to service them well and continue to grow with them,” says Bregger. “It’s about offering great customer service—making their jobs as easy as possible—and maintaining that relationship.” Indeed, great success is often the byproduct of great relationships: between customers and business owners and business owners and suppliers—and everyone who plays a role in the product lifecycle. Bringing together a team whose members look out for one another’s best interests and have an equal growth mindset, well that sounds a lot like the “community” the craft brewery has aimed to build.
THE SOLUTION After an exploratory meeting, it was clear that Millcraft could function as a single source packager for craft brewers. “As we like to say, we can do everything but the beer,” says Chris Bregger, craft brew and digital specialist for Millcraft. With Bregger leading the charge, Millcraft was brought on initially to provide the craft brewery with the beer bottles it would need to package and transport the specialty brews. Over time, conversations led to distribution, and Bregger was able to use Millcraft’s extensive network of equipment suppliers to secure a stretch-wrapping machine and a baler that will allow
In this case study, the customer’s name has been removed due to the competitive nature of their business.
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“Just Ask” in Action
ON TIME, EVERY TIME Tech-savvy trucks ensure speedy delivery without compromising safety. By Laurie Hileman
Lovensheimer admits that one of the hallmarks of Millcraft being a fourthgeneration family business is the level of intimacy between employees and customers. But, he says, “every client—no matter how good of friends you are—needs to know they’ve got the best overall value supply chain that they can possibly get.” And there’s no room for shortcuts. Fleetmatics technology also helps ensure that drivers are following all of the safety precautions required by law—a critical component of being a trusted community partner. “Customers want to know who their partners are, and, more importantly, they want to know if their partners act with integrity,” says Lovensheimer. The luxury of a two-week lead time is long gone. More and more, printing customers are demanding that jobs be turned around in days—not weeks—forcing printers and their suppliers to react quickly and efficiently if they want to keep up. The ability to deliver on time, every time is essential, and it’s one of the reasons Millcraft installed Fleetmatics®, a GPS tracking system, in all of its 30+ delivery vehicles (ranging from over-theroad semis to sprinter vans). “One of Millcraft’s core values is that we deliver. The Fleetmatics
technology shows exactly how we’re delivering on behalf of our customers,” says Greg Lovensheimer, vice president of operations at Millcraft. Using this technology tool, operations managers can now track routes and monitor delivery times to make sure customers get their exact orders, exactly when they need them. And because it blends seamlessly with Millcraft’s existing order management system, Microsoft Dynamics AX, customers now have complete supply chain visibility from the moment an order is placed until it arrives at their door.
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MARK YARNELL, Millcraft’s director of operations, is an expert in logistics, transportation, and workflow efficiency. He focuses on assuring ontime delivery while increasing customer transparency. To learn more about streamlined shipping processes, contact Mark at 614-205-3300, or send an email to yarnellm@millcraft.com.
Feature
LIMITLESS Rapid advances in digital printing technologies are opening new markets to more printers than ever before. By Laurie Hileman
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Feature
i
t’s time to do your happy dance. Print services providers and packaging companies have the best of both worlds now due to recent advances in digital printing technologies that can mimic the gorgeous quality of offset printing while continuing to leverage the speed, convenience, and flexibility that digital’s known for. That is, if you’re willing to adapt your business strategy around digital printing. If you don’t, you risk getting left behind.
According to data from Smithers Pira, a leading provider of market intelligence in the packaging, paper, and print industry supply chains, the 2010 global print market was worth $811 billion, with 9 percent of this revenue attributed to inkjet- or tonerbased output. This share rose to nearly 15 percent in 2016, and it is projected to be 17.6 percent by decade’s end. “As these technologies come to the market, not only does it provide better image quality for printers, it also provides new revenue opportunities they didn’t have before,” says Dave Erlandson, general manager of PODi, an industry association that promotes digital printing, market research, and sales training. “Small- to medium-size printers have pretty much the same capabilities now as the bigger guys, in terms of being able to deliver quality output.” Here we’ll explore the advances in digital printing technologies, new markets
opening up as a result, and the disruptive (in a good way) nature of high-speed inkjet so that you can determine the best digital strategy for your business moving forward.
ADVANCES IN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
The image quality and functionality once found only in high-end digital presses such as the HP Indigo and Xerox iGen are now accessible to smaller printers thanks to recent product releases in the light- and mid-range space, says Erlandson. As a result, print services providers and packaging specialists enjoy: Improved image quality. Erlandson notes that even just five years ago, digital image quality was still an issue for smaller presses. “With the cut sheet products that are on the market today, you don’t have those types of questions anymore,” says Erlandson. “The image quality is as
Research shows that digital book printing started with a 14.2 percent share of the world market by value in 2010 and is projected to rise to 46.1 percent of world market value by 2020. -Smithers Pira
RECENT INTRODUCTIONS IN PRODUCTION DIGITAL COLOR PRESSES According to Dave Erlandson, general manager of PODi, an industry association that promotes digital printing, market research, and sales training, the last round of product introduction, particularly in the light- and mid-space, is impressive.
Light • RICOH Pro C5200s Series • Canon ImagePRESS C850/ C750 • Konica Minolta AccurioPRESS C2070/C2060 Series • Xerox Versant 80 Press Mid • • • •
good—if not better, in some cases—with digital technology.” Added color options. “The capabilities beyond four colors are starting to come pretty fast,” says Lisa Pryor, division manager for Millcraft, a paper and packaging distributor. Brand colors, whites, clear coats, golds, metallics, neons, and pinks: These new possibilities bring new opportunities. Take printing with white as an example, says Erlandson. White allows printers to run colored stocks popular in markets such as wedding and event invitations and the clear material used in store-window cling-ons. “These (highvalue applications) are now available for the small- to medium-size guy to do,” he says. Expanded embellishments. Enhancements such as gold foil, raised print, glitter inks, spot coatings—
once associated with offset and offset finishing devices—are being done on digital finishing devices as well. “They work just like digital presses in that you can personalize if you want to,” says Erlandson. “For creatives, it opens up a whole new realm of opportunities.” Increased variety of substrates. “In the past with digital printing, it’s been white paper—essentially you get what you get,” says Pryor. She notes that paper manufacturers are working hard to expand their portfolios of substrates for toner-based and high-speed inkjet digital presses, and their efforts are paying off with options that include colored and textured papers, vinyls, and more. “Now printers are realizing they can create a thoroughly unique experience,” Pryor says. Unlimited scale. From massive insurance company campaigns run on high-speed
Ricoh Pro C7100 Series Xerox Versant 2100 Press Canon ImagePRESS C7011VPS Konica Minolta Bizhub PRESS C1085/C1100
HEAVY-DUTY CYCLE Toner • RICOH Pro C9100 Series • Canon ImagePRESS C10000VP Series • Xerox iGen5 Series • Xerox 800i/1000i Color Press Series • HP Indigo Series • Kodak NexPress Series • Xeikon Series Inkjet • Canon Océ VarioPrint i300 • Xerox Brenva HD • Fujifilm J Press 720S • Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 • Komori Impremia IS29 High-speed continuous feed color inkjet • Canon Océ ColorStream, ImageStream, and JetStream Series • RICOH InfoPrint 5000 and VC 60000 • Kodak Prosper • HP PageWide Web Press Series • Xerox Rialto, Trivor and Impika Series • Screen Truepress Jet520 Series For an in-depth comparison on production digital color presses, check out Dave Erlandson’s blog post series at http://www. blog.podi.org/four-way-battle-for-lightproduction-color-market.
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Feature inkjet to a run of one (say a photo book from your most recent family vacation), digital printing makes everything possible. “It really is pretty cool when you think about it,” says Pryor. “And much different than traditional printing.”
GROWING MARKETS THAT MAXIMIZE DIGITAL’S ADVANTAGES
Digital printing provides viable business opportunities for those printers agile enough to invest in and explore new business models. By looking beyond short-run color printing to printon-demand, marketing fulfillment (e.g., digital storefronts), personalized marketing campaigns, and data-driven applications, print services providers can better serve existing clients and gain new ones. Depending on your business model, you may wish to explore expanding markets, including: Short-run packaging. While the market for printing labels has been around for quite some time, Erlandson and Pryor agree that the printing of folding cartons, corrugated, and flexible film packaging is an emerging market. Pryor points to Birchbox, an internetbased beauty care company that sends unique boxes each month as a perfect example of the growing desire for personalized packaging experiences.
Personalization can deliver five to eight times the ROI on marketing spend and lift sales 10 percent or more.
-From “How to Realize ROI from Personalization” by Erik J. Martin, www.econtentmag.com.
High-quality, high-volume direct mail. Erlandson credits advances in coated papers, inks, and inkjet heads for fueling highly customized, higherend direct mail pieces. What used to be done with an offset color print and laser overprint can now be done in one pass with a high-speed inkjet press, including adding variable color images in places where it makes sense. Personalization and data-driven marketing. Improvements in data mining, data collection and data reporting software, and digital press technology have come together to create tremendous opportunity with variable data printing and versioning of marketing content and collateral. Companies may choose to customize
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their mailings with recipients’ names or company names, offers based on past purchases or other known information, or varied images based on a prospect’s age, gender, or interest. Book printing. The ability to print books on-demand is revolutionizing the book publishing industry. “They used to think about the cost per book printed. Now they think about the cost per book sold,” says Erlandson. Less inventory and less waste equates to a lower cost per unit sold even though the cost per print might be slightly higher. According to Smithers Pira, book printing will see a radical switch to digital across this decade. Its research shows that digital book printing started with a 14.2 percent share of the world
Albertson College had been sending out thousands of brochures to high school juniors and seniors, garnering a 2 percent response rate. When it began using an HP Indigo press to personalize the brochures, the response rate jumped to 18.7 percent, an astounding 83 percent increase. market by value in 2010 and is projected to rise to 46.1 percent of world market value by 2020.
THE INKJET DISRUPTION
“Whatever anyone knew about inkjet six months ago is obsolete,” says John Crumbaugh, media and ink product marketing manager for Canon Solutions America. The roll-fed, high-speed inkjet presses used for large, transactional mailings are being joined by smaller, sheet-fed presses that can be used in commercial applications. The new presses take advantage of inkjet’s reliability, flexibility, and color and image quality. “Inkjet is fitting all of the bill,” says Crumbaugh. “It’s less expensive [in cost
per unit], the quality is there, it can print on different substrates, and it’s very fast.” The advanced presses, because they’re so efficient, are now branching out and producing print marketing work beyond simple envelope-stuffed direct mail to more
freestanding direct mail, collateral material, and even catalogs and publications. “People who are on the cutting-edge realize that high-speed inkjet is where technology is going,” says Pryor. The market is changing fast. Are you ready?
LISA PRYOR is a regional manager for Millcraft and a throughand-through digital guru. She has expert knowledge of substrates, understands what materials are a match for which digital equipment, and recommends what’s the best choice in digital for end-user needs. Just ask. Contact Lisa at 317-370-3554, or send an email to pryorl@millcraft.com.
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LET’S GET PERSONAL One-to-one direct mail pieces boost response rates. Every. Single. Time. By Laurie Hileman
Advances in digital presses, data mining, and the software that link the two are boosting response rates for savvy marketers willing to personalize direct mail campaigns for key audience segments. “It’s more than just a name,” says John Crumbaugh, media and ink product marketing manager for Canon Solutions America. “It’s using what data you have on a customer or prospect to anticipate their needs and to deliver a customized offer that makes them feel valued.” It’s more than simple postcards and letters, says Crumbaugh, noting brochures customized in multiple places or a 16-page catalog with images customized by previous order history as two good examples. “That’s what’s really, really cool about digital printing,” he says. “You can make it somebody’s own little package.” And that’s just what Albertson College did when it wanted a more efficient way to recruit new students. According to a case study published by Hewlett-Packard, the small liberal arts institution in Idaho had been sending out
thousands of brochures to high school juniors and seniors, garnering a 2 percent response rate in any given year. When it began using an HP Indigo press to personalize the brochures— by name, grade level, academic area of interest, and high school counselor—the response rate jumped to 18.7 percent, an astounding 83 percent increase. Tony Rizzo, chief marketing officer at Texas-based Marquis, an organization offering CRM, marketing consulting, and compliance solutions for financial institutions, sees similar results. Rizzo’s tracked response rates and profitability numbers on a direct and indirect basis across hundreds of campaigns. After indexing for spend, response rate, ROI, profit, number of products sold—essentially all categories of marketing measurement—Rizzo says, “I can tell you when we personalize something, it has a 50 percent better performance across the board over something that is generic. We know that it works.”
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THE STUDENT LANDSCAPE...
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The competition between colleges and universities to enroll the best and the young market involves tracking trends, behavior patterns and digital media, in a “voice” that excites and motivates. Sappi has prepared this informative guide for higher education marketing professionals. It brings life to industry
statistics, demonstrates unique case studies, explains little-known myths and facts of marketing, and includes a 5-page pullout filled with “cross channel” marketing tips. The lushly illustrated book is available free of charge, from Sappi by visiting the our website. www.sappi.com/verticals
THE MARKETING OF HIG HER EDU CATION
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preferences, misconceptions, and best practices—and to speak to the audience
SAPPI V E R T I C A L S
brightest to their institution is intense. Understanding how to approach this
H A P PY YO U A S K E D
Millcraft specialists share their perspectives on the pulse of the industry. KNOW IT ALL?
Hardly. But we do know a lot about the printing and packaging industries, thanks to the thousands of customers we work with every year. We’re always happy to share what we know to help your next project take flight. Just ask.
Terri Price-Deep
Mike Barrett Mike Barrett
Courtney Enser
Greg Alvarado
Alex DelNostro
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
A
A
Creative Terri Price-Deep
What are some of today’s hottest trends in paper that creatives turn to when they need an immediate “wow” factor?
A
Definitely metallics, neons, and kraft. It’s like it’s the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s all over again— disco, Izod, and grunge! Metallics have instant pop, whether it’s a foil stamp, metallic ink, or paper with a metallic sheen. Neons are attentiongrabbers, too, being bright and unique. Kraft has an authentic, back-tobasics vibe. It’s not flashy and appeals to the DIY movement and those seeking recycled content. – Terri
Large Format
Why is “big” getting all of the attention these days?
A
Two reasons. First, large-format technology is so good now that the image quality nearly matches offset. Second, prices are much more affordable. And I don’t see things slowing down. If offset is ink on paper, large format is ink on everything. Products like wallpaper and Cling King (a film-like substrate using microscopic suction cups) are replacing adhesive vinyl. Heck, I’ve even printed on ceiling tiles. I call it arts and craft day when I come to work. – Mike
End Users Courtney Enser
I’m looking at expanding into new verticals, including universities. What’s the best way to start making connections?
A
Work backwards to find new customers. Universities are a collection of smaller colleges and departments, each with different people involved in projects that could use your services. Start researching LinkedIn and other social media channels to find contacts. Study their websites and blogs. Follow them on Twitter. And don’t get too focused on particular job titles (we recently found work with the digital output center coordinator at an art college)! – Courtney
Packaging Greg Alvarado
My customer base is changing. How does that affect my packaging?
Internet retail drastically changed how consumers buy things and how products are transported. To accommodate smaller orders being shipped directly to customers, packaging needs to be more robust. A packaging analysis from a neutral supplier like Millcraft can help you determine the most efficient solutions–whether it’s boxes, foam, void fill, or other materials–that will give your products the best protection for the least cost per delivery. – Greg
Alexis DelNostro Finance
When is the best time to do a merger or acquisition?
Typically, when need meets opportunity. Timing inevitably boils down to your business’ strategic needs and a market that’s conducive to those needs. Tread carefully. Wellexecuted acquisitions can drive dramatic growth for companies. Deals that don’t deliver can be distractive, disrupting, resource-draining, and– potentially–financially catastrophic. Retaining the right customers, employees, and suppliers is critical. Just as important is capturing, analyzing, and distributing the right information before and after the deal. – Alex
Feature
IS YOUR SHIPPING SHIPSHAPE? A packaging assessment can help you find savings for your company. By Lorrie Bryan
It’s 2017. We have amazing apps at our fingertips offering countless items and services on demand, and it’s so easy to just click and buy. Yet many companies are still packaging and shipping their products like its 1999! “These days everyone wants everything immediately and in great condition, but a lot of companies are continuing to package and ship things the way they always have. And that’s not
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working efficiently for them anymore,” explains Greg Alvarado, a packaging engineer with Millcraft, a paper and packaging distributor. The growing role of eCommerce, the increased demand for more sustainable options, and the availability of advanced technology are some of the factors that are significantly affecting packaging operations today. As packaging and shipping needs continue to evolve in the
Feature next five to 10 years, companies may require new materials, box configurations, and equipment to compete. Savvy companies are continually looking outside the box—and inside the box—for better ways to package their products for shipment. If you haven’t pondered your company’s packaging processes and assessed your needs recently, a packaging engineer or packaging consultant can show you how to optimize your options and create efficiencies. “Improving packaging not only saves your company money, but it can also provide greater efficiency, better product protection, and a reduced carbon footprint,” Alvarado says. eCOMMERCE One of the biggest changes Alvarado sees among his customers is the increasing need for individual shipping. “A lot of companies that we work with have primarily done bulk shipments to retail warehouses or distribution centers in the past. But the internet marketplace—Amazon, eBay, Walmart—is changing the way consumers shop,” he says. Consequently, more manufacturing companies are shipping products directly to the individual end users, and different distribution requires different packaging because industrial bulk packaging is not optimal for individual packaging. “We can offer solutions that are more efficient, ergonomic, and affordable while providing greater product protection,” Alvarado explains. Note that the demand for individual shipping will likely continue growing along with the growth in eCommerce. According to Forrester Research, online retail sales are projected to surpass traditional sales for at least several years, and the research firm predicts that online retail sales will reach $370 billion this year.
“
Improving packaging not only saves your company money, but it can also provide greater efficiency, better product protection, and a reduced carbon footprint.
”
-Greg Alvarado, packaging engineer, Millcraft
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SUSTAINABILITY In January 2017, San Francisco became the latest in a growing list of cities prohibiting the sale of polystyrene packing materials. More than 100 cities, including New York City and Washington, DC, have banned or restricted polystyrene and other petroleum-based packing products because of their adverse environmental properties. As our environmental status becomes more precarious, an emphasis on greener alternatives will continue to be required, increasing the demand for more sustainable packaging that is made from renewable resources and is readily recyclable and compostable. Alvarado says Storopack, a global packaging company, for example, offers many eco-friendly options, including their own paper packaging systems that produce cost-effective, protective packing materials for a variety of applications. “They have packaging machines that crimp and shape paper in various configurations depending on your specific packaging needs— everything from strong durable paper padding to the multi-layer paper void fill,” explains Alvarado. “And you don’t have to worry about environmental restrictions regardless of where you’re shipping.” TECHNOLOGY Determining the best way to get product from point A to point B damage-free and cost efficiently is Alvarado’s objective when he’s assessing packaging needs. He looks for ways to save time and money without compromising product protection. Often, the best way involves purchasing new, more-advanced equipment. “Corrugated case erectors and carton sealers can get the work done faster and more ergonomically, require less space and less labor, use less tape, and offer better closure. The right equipment can save
IS YOUR PACKAGING PROCESS THE SAME OLE, SAME OLE? Ask yourself these 5 questions to accurately assess your needs. By Lorrie Bryan Are you packaging your product the same way that you always have? Greg Alvarado, a packaging engineer at Millcraft with more than 10 years of experience, likes to meet with his customers at least once a year for a timely assessment of their needs. Here are five questions he asks customers in order for him to help identify the packaging needs to be addressed:
1. What changes are you seeing in your business? Do you see a trend developing? time and offer better product protection. But every operation is different,” Alvarado says, “so we prefer to schedule a plant review [with clients] and offer customized solutions.” Adam Meyer, an equipment specialist for Millcraft, has been reviewing manufacturing plants and helping them optimize their equipment for more than 35 years. He has seen the cost of technology decrease dramatically. “Often, a repetitive, mundane task can be accomplished better through automation. When given the chance for plant review, I can see firsthand where automation can save labor and materials costs, and then I make the appropriate recommendations [to clients]. It’s important for companies to realize that if they don’t automate, they’re not going to stay competitive,” he says. “Someone else will find a better way to do it.” With the rapidly changing marketplace and the availability of new products and technology, companies need to continually assess their packaging needs. “With all the changes coming, I like to evaluate my customers’ needs at least on a yearly basis, so that we can identify areas for improvement and cost-saving opportunities on a timely basis. New products and high-performance packaging are coming out every year, often with lower costs,” Alvarado says.
Are your customers’ expectations changing? Do you ship more individual orders rather than bulk orders? Your actual business transactions should dictate how you package.
2. What sort of bottlenecks do you run into on a regular basis? If you’re not
“
It’s important for companies to realize that if they don’t automate, they’re not going to stay competitive. Someone else will find a better way to do it.
”
-Adam Meyer, equipment specialist, Millcraft
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getting shipments out as quickly as you need to, where is the process bogging down? Are you able to ship as quickly as your competition? You must first identify the obstacles before you can remove them.
3. Have you considered the benefits of automation? When you automate your
processes, you may be able to reduce labor costs and handle repetitive tasks more efficiently.
4. How many suppliers do you have?
Are you moving toward a reduced JIT ( just in time) inventory, which would eliminate a large inventory for packaging? It’s important to know the who, what, and when of your process.
5. Does your company have any green initiatives or incentives? Are your
customers requesting more eco-friendly options? Changes in consumer preferences might warrant using different packaging materials.
Great Uses
FUN BETWEEN THE LINES A marketing and communications company grabs the attention of its clients by turning its annual calendar giveaway into an interactive campaign. By Kathryn Will
Each new year is like a blank canvas, to be filled in and crafted as the days unfold. And H.O.T. Graphic Services—a full-service, marketing communications provider in Northwest Ohio—brought this blank canvas idea to life. It expanded on the uber-popular adult coloring craze with its 2016 promotional calendar, accompanied by its own canister of colored pencils with a handy sharpener in the lid. “When our marketing team brainstormed ideas for our annual calendar [that we distribute to clients], we wanted to do something fun and trendy to celebrate our 40th anniversary. So we thought, why not a color calendar for adults?” says Cindy Hauff, marketing director and communications consultant for H.O.T. Hauff, who is a coloring enthusiast herself, says H.O.T.’s annual calendar, which is used to promote the company’s printing and marketing services, is the most customer-anticipated marketing piece each year. The calendars are given out by the sales and customer service teams to current customers and are also used by the sales team throughout the year to promote the company capabilities and services. “Our initial marketing goal was to promote printing as an integral
part of an overall marketing campaign while increasing awareness of our own Facebook page and encouraging customers to engage via social media,” Hauff says. To get the results the company was looking for, H.O.T. crafted the #realHOTimpressions campaign that included monthly coloring contests on the company’s Facebook page, T-shirt giveaways, gift basket offers, and more. Each month, H.O.T. sent email reminders about the promotions to keep customers engaged and coloring. People
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were also able to download blank calendar coloring pages via a QR code. The multifaceted marketing approach worked, and it helped to increase awareness of the company by about 15 percent, Hauff says. In addition, the H.O.T. team was recognized for the calendar project with a Gold Addy award from the American Advertising Federation, Toledo Region. “The AAF Toledo is highly recognized and respected in our community and by our customers, which also elevated our reputation and status,” Hauff says.
If you haven’t started a loyalty program,
#M p.s. il <3 L lennial Pro oyalty s gra ms
WHY NOT?
According to Forbes.com, a whopping 86 percent of millennials participate in loyalty programs. But before setting out to harness the brand-loving hearts of the largest consumer generation in history, keep in mind what satisfies their loyalty requirements—and what doesn’t.
PREFER RECEIVING DISCOUNTS FOR THEIR LOYALTY PROGRAM REWARD.
51%
40%
37%
Source: http://www.softwareadvice.com/ resources/5-tips-for-restaurant-loyalty-programs/
30%
SAY THEY JOINED A LOYALTY PROGRAM FOR ACCESS TO MEMBERS-ONLY SALES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES.
Source: https://colloquy.com/latest-news/ millennials-to-brands-make-loyaltyprograms-fun-save-us-money-too/
ARE INCENTIVIZED TO JOIN A LOYALTY PROGRAM BASED ON HOW QUICKLY REWARDS ACCUMULATE.
Source: http://blog. accessdevelopment.com/ millennials-loyalty-statistics
ENJOY EARNING POINTS BASED ON DOLLARS SPENT. Source: http://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/5-tips-for-restaurant-loyalty-programs/
(800) 860-2482
www.millcraft.com
JustAsk@Millcraft.com
88%
OF BRANDS THAT RATE THEIR LOYALTY PROGRAMS HIGHEST TAKE A MULTI-CHANNEL APPROACH AND REWARD CUSTOMERS FOR AN ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SHOPPING ONLINE, SIGNING UP FOR EMAILS, CONNECTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND EVEN SHOWING UP TO IN-PERSON EVENTS. Source: http://www.inc.com/ molly-reynolds/millennial-loyalty-isactually-simple.html