May/ June 2011 by Rider Dickerson

A Publication Powered by Rider Dickerson

Engaging Marketing Minds

Vol 1, Issue 3, May/June 2011

IN STEP

INSIDE Marketing Insights Direct Mail on the Rise in 2011 The Mobility of Print Evolution The Mesh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Why the Future of Business is Sharing

ALIGNING INDIVIDUAL AND COMPANY GOALS

Great ideas make your business. At Rider Dickerson, we start by asking, “How can we make your idea the best it can be?” Companies of all sizes, of all needs, of all budgets, depend on us to deliver inventive marketing and printing solutions that drive business success. It’s innovation you’ll experience in our creative thinking, in our customer service and in your program results.

web www.riderdickerson.com

phone 312.427.2926

publisher’s letter

Misunderstood A

s marketing minds, you are well aware that minds we know. In In Step we discuss the challenge of marketing is terribly misunderstood. Over alignment. Often times, different departments march to the past couple of decades, new products have the beat of their own drum rather than aligning with been produced at a dizzying pace. We have no shortage the vision of the organization. Even individuals can find of computers, cars, golf clubs or any other consumer it difficult to align their goals with the purpose of the goods. There is, however, a shortage of customers. company. Our perspective demonstrates the upside of When businesses vie for the attention of fewer po- creating alignment and the downside of ignoring it. tential clients, fierce competition can In our second feature article, The ensue. Competitors lower prices and Mobility of Print – Integrating Print with With multiple add giveaways just to attract customers. Mobile Technology, we bring you up to choices at a As the battle escalates, manufacturing, date with mobile marketing, which is finance, and other departments look to consumer’s disposal, one of the most talked about marketmarketing to help get rid of the invening vehicles today. Our industry has it is imperative tory. Some may even believe that martaken the lead in mobile marketing that the marketing keting exists to support manufacturing. because it integrates so well with print minds of today be But, the truth is that manufacturing exand it is another fantastic way to inwell educated in the teract with our clients. Without these ists to support marketing. True marketing occurs well before two tools working together, connectkey channels. a product is ever made, and it contining with communities can become ues long after the sales have been made. In the past, our fragmented and inconsequential. economy was based on first building mousetraps and Marketing is the lifeblood to future success. We then looking for the mice. The new landscape, which are passionate about this idea and are committed to is a marketer’s environment, calls for finding the mice, sharing these ideas and tools with the brightest of marbuilding trust with the mice, and then determining what keting minds. We believe that your goals are to build flavor of cheese the mice might enjoy. In other words, mutually profitable long-term relationships with your business starts with a market and not a product. clients and not just sell product. Ironically, that is our Consistently and constantly communicating goal too. Enjoy the mag. with our markets is critical. In addition, the vehicles g we choose to communicate with can be just as impor- Warmest regards, tant. With multiple choices at a consumer’s disposal, it is imperative that the marketing minds of today be well educated in the key channels. Also, it would follow that aligning the organization with marketing is a Bill B Barta Dean Petrulakis major cultural component to success. President & CEO Senior Vice President, In our latest edition of printForum, we are proud Rider Dickerson Business Development to bring you some insight from some of the brightest Rider Dickerson

Publisher Bill Barta, President & CEO, Rider Dickerson

Managing Editor

Bill Barta

Dean Petrulakis

CONTENTS

Dean Petrulakis, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Rider Dickerson

03 Publisher’s Letter

Art Direction

04 Marketing Insights

14 Evolution

05 Direct Mail on the Rise in 2011

15 The Mesh – Why the Future of Business is Sharing

Misunderstood

10 The Mobility of Print Integrating Print with Mobile Technology

06 In Step Aligning Individual and Company Goals

Printed on 100# Flo Dull Text, generously donated by Midland Paper. Printed on our HP Indigo 7500.

printForum • May/June 2011

cmo council fast facts

Marketing Insights What are the best ways marketers can improve the impact and value of the marketing and sales support content?

May/June 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ printForum

50%

Access to content that can be customized to my specific needs

47%

Timely delivery and access to content

44%

Fresh content that is up to date and accurate

29%

Personalized materials based on my account information

25%

Online ordering or literature request

23%

Provide online and print options for content access

18%

Unbiased peer reviews and commentary

14%

Consistent content including pricing, branding and product information

14%

Recommendations for additional products or services that are complimentary to search results or past order history

13%

Other

print in the mix

Direct Mail on the Rise in 2011 An analysis from the marketing consulting firm Winterberry Group, entitled “Outlook 2011 What to Expect in Direct & Digital Marketing,” shows a positive outlook for direct channels in 2011.

DIRECT & DIGITAL CHANNELS: A STRONG RECOVERY FORECAST, WITH BILLIONS ADDED TO MAIL AND ALL DIGITAL MEDIA 2011 EXPECTED U.S. “DIRECT & DIGITAL” ADVERTISING SPENDING - $163.9BB

Source: WG Analysis, 2011 Note: Arrows reflect percentage change in spend by channel from 2010 levels.

Spending on direct mail is expected to increase 5.8 percent in 2011, to $47 billion dollars. This surge is driven by a return to acquisition mail led by financial services, retail, and automotive, according to the report.

The direct marketing upswing is a continuation of the 2010 rebound in which direct mail spending rose 3.1 percent after experiencing declines in 2007 (-1.4 percent), 2008 (-4.1percent), and 2009 (-16.7percent).

www.printinthemix.com printForum • May/June 2011

In Step

IN STEP Aligning Individual and Company Goals May/June 2011 11 â&#x20AC;˘ pri printForum

he Dalai Lama says, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; and if you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

By Lorrie Bryan

Leo Tolstoy said, “If you want to be happy, be.” And at FOCUS Brands Inc. they simply say, “Make people happy.” In fact the stated purpose at this multimillion dollar international restaurant franchisor and operator is to make people happy. In this case people refers to everyone associated with the company: its owners, franchise partners, consumers, local communities, the associates working at the corporate headquarters and the front-line employees at more than 3,300 bakeries, cafes, ice cream shoppes and restaurants worldwide. According to FOCUS Brands CEO Russ Umphenour, this emphasis on happiness contributes significantly to the overall success of FOCUS Brands. “Our job as leaders is to create an environment where people motivate themselves to achieve mutually beneficial goals. In other words, we have to help the company reach its goals and likewise help each individual reach his or her goals. That’s a very important part of what we strive to do.” As simple as the idea sounds, aligning individual and company goals is a complicated concept, primarily because employee culture is important to the task of aligning goals, but developing the culture is so ambiguous. Three factors that can contribute to developing a successful employee culture are establishing core values, demonstrating core values and readily communicating core values.

printForum • May/June 2011

In Step

Establishing Core Values “I’d really never thought about a company having a set of beliefs or values until I read a book in 1973 written by Thomas Watson of IBM called “A Business and its Beliefs.” In this book, he stressed that every business needs a set of beliefs or values. And I have found that to be essential for keeping everyone on the same page,” says Umphenour, a 40-year veteran of restaurant management. “Our guiding values form the basis of everything we do at FOCUS Brands. And adherence to these values ensures our long-term success—that we continually attain our purpose of making people happy. It’s the responsibility of our associates to live these values every day, so we strive to hire people who share our values and personally believe in and live these values.”

belief in what they were doing, trying to accomplish and, in a sense, who they were.” At FOCUS Brands, the values aren’t complex or lofty; they could easily be the same values that guide and inspire a kindergarten class or scout troop. However, these are the values that the leaders at FOCUS Brands keep in the forefront and weigh enormous decisions against at every level: 1. Aim high. 2. Be the best. 3. Get results. 4. Do what’s right. 5. Go green. 6. Have fun. 7. Give back.

“You can have everything you want out of life, if you help enough other people get what they want out of life.” – Zig Ziglar, American author, salesman and motivational speaker

Dr. Terry Loe, director of the Center for Professional Selling, at Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business, concurs. “ If you take a look at the most successful companies—and I use some of the examples from research by Jim Collins (“Good to Great”)— Abbot, Circuit City, Philip Morris, Walgreens, Wells Fargo, each have (or had) cultures that were unique and strong. The cultures were strong in the sense that they had a common

May/June 2011 • printForum

Demonstrating Core Values So how are these values applied at the frontlines of the 3,300 eateries that FOCUS Brands operates? Welcome to Moes! The happiness starts when you walk in the door and are greeted enthusiastically by the staff at Moe’s, one of the five different restaurant brands that FOCUS operates. A pop-culture inspired menu, great music and engaging festive atmosphere make it fun. And the food is the best—always made fresh from quality ingredients, contain no animal fat or MSG, and no microwaves or freezers are used. With more than 400 locations, Moe’s Southwest Grill was named a Top Ten Growth Chain by Restaurant Hospitality in 2007, a Gold Award winner of the 2008 Consumer’s Choice in Chains Awards and the next “It” brand by AOL Business in 2009.

“Communication of and belief in the marketing strategy by management is key, but in the sales and marketing area there is often a disconnect.” – Dr. Terry Loe, director of the Center for Professional Selling, at Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business

And at Moe’s they don’t just dream green. They adhere to sustainability best practices and have assembled a team to lead and inspire sustainable initiatives for Moe’s future and for the future of its employees and guests. Also, “giving back” applies to more than pocket change. They continually work with local non-profits by catering affordable fundraiser events in addition to sponsoring larger projects. Last year, 10 Washington, D.C.-area Moe’s raised $43,000 for juvenile diabetes. According to Stan Slap, author of New York Times best-seller “Bury My Heart at Conference Room B,” all of this contributes significantly to getting the employee culture to embrace those values and keeping everyone on the same page. “It’s important for leadership to declare what you stand for first—what will never change—and then, do something significant to prove you mean it. The employee culture will pick that up as a proof point that you can be trusted.” As Slap explains, the company goals have to align with the goals of your employee culture, and the employee culture is obsessed with two concerns—survival and emotional prosperity. “You can’t bluff, bribe or bully an employee culture. You can’t tell it what to believe or stop it from existing. But you can recognize its power to make or break any of your little strategies. A culture is a rational organism, and it is objective and agnostic. It simply wants to know how everything affects the two things it considers most important. If the culture wants something to happen, it will. If it doesn’t, it won’t. Neither business logic, nor management authority, nor any compelling competitive urgency will convince an employee culture to adopt a corporate cause as if it were its own.” Umphenour, who began his distinguished career as a part-time counter person at Arby’s, agrees. “Motivate is not an action verb. Motivation comes from within when someone is in the right place at the right time for them.”

Communicating Core Values with Branding Aligning sales people or front-line employees with the marketing department and the overall strategy of the company is sometimes a challenge. While there is no greater method of increasing revenue and protecting market share than becoming properly branded, successful branding also fosters alignment within a company. “You don’t have to align a sales organization’s goals with a real brand strategy; it’s already aligned,” Slap explains. “A brand is not about communicating your intent to the world. It’s about why the world should care. At-

tach any marketing message to the noble purpose of your company—not what you do but why you do it. This gives the employee culture a reason to believe. The culture will take its sense of self from the quality it represents and from how the company makes the world a better place.” Slap says that a company can only be branded for something that it can control—how it sells. “You’ll never have a unique sustained lock on a high-demand product. So you must be branded for how you sell, not just what you sell. This means that the relationship between company and customer is the essence of the brand, and that relationship is in the hands of the sales organization. Sales teams aren’t motivated by money; they’re motivated by recognition. They use money to buy meaning, so skip the middleman and give them the meaning directly. Protecting the company’s brand promise is the stuff of legacy impact. Recognize them for that potential.” “Communication of and belief in the marketing strategy by management is key, but in the sales and marketing area there is often a disconnect. “Too often the sales and marketing areas have built “silos” around their distinct areas of responsibility,” Loe explains. “This can only be overcome by communication during the development of the marketing strategy. Development of an effective strategy is dependent upon an accurate and thorough understanding of the market as well as the organization’s capabilities and competencies. Salespeople must be willing to communicate the needs, characteristics and potential of the company’s target market(s) to the marketing department, and those developing the strategies must listen.” Success, again, depends upon how well each party understands the other and how the implementation of the strategy will ultimately help all achieve their own goals. “At the end of the day, marketing is what drives a business, it’s all pervasive,” Umphenour says. “It’s important for us to get feedback and support from the front lines. So it’s a constant learning process for everyone.” Essentially, establishing and making shared values a cornerstone of the company fosters a culture in which the individuals feel like they are part of something—a mission that is worthwhile and bigger than themselves. “The rewards and incentives are paramount, but the leadership in the company must help everyone understand the importance of their individual roles in accomplishing the mission of the organization,” Loe adds. “Almost all people want to be a part of something worthwhile and meaningful, and when these types of cultures exist, most employees become at least a bit more selfless and motivated.”

printForum • May/June 2011

THE MOBILITY OF

PRINT Integrating Print with Mobile Technology

May/June 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ printForum

ost months, I just pay my cell phone bill via my cell phone’s mobile app without ever looking at my family’s usage. But this month I decided a casual perusal was in order. I discovered that my 20-year-old college student logged a whopping 4,300 text messages. A lot, but as

she explained, she receives ESPN scores, sorority calendar reminders, campus security alerts and discount coupons via text messaging. And she is immersed in a culture that carries on constant dialogues via text. What surprised me the most about my bill was that I had become the second highest user in the family—1,200 text messages in one month. OMG—me? That’s 40 messages a day, but apparently I and my middle-aged-mom cohorts represent one of the fastest growing segments on the texting dance floor.

Industry experts estimate that 11 trillion text messages will be sent in the United States this year, and texting is just the beginning…

Game Changer

while PC manufacturers shipped 92.1 million units worldWe love our handy-dandy smartphones. More than once, I wide. Market experts predict that the smartphone will behave lingered with a group of friends after dinner finishing off come the primary tool for accessing the Internet in the near a good bottle of wine, sharing a decadent dessert and passing future. “Once someone has one, they continue to rely on it along the latest must-have apps. These days, we routinely use for everything. Companies must find a way to reach this audiBy them to perform tasks that we formerly did on our PCs: shop, ence,” Foley affirms. pay bills, e-mail, Facebook, play games, map destinations, get Lorrie Bryan news, weather and stock market updates, etc. The first time The Bridge to Mobile someone showed me a QR (Quick Response) code, I felt enHow do you get your marketing message in the pockets and lightened and eagerly sought out the 2D barcodes to interact with—on bills purses of your targeted audience? Creative mobile marketing builds an inand billboards, on business cards and business signage, and increasingly in stant and meaningful bridge to interactivity and facilitates the leap from print magazines. It was with great joy that I recently discovered a QR code the page to the hand. Many of today’s most creative and successful marin Taste of Home magazine that accompanied a recipe for Rice Krispies Treat keting campaigns start with old-fashioned print—direct mail postcards, eggs. With a single button click I was immediately watching a video on my magazine and newspaper ads, signs—that has been enhanced with an inphone that showed how to make the gooey Easter treats. teractive element such as a mobile 2D barcode or SMS (Short Message Without a doubt, the smartphone has changed the game. Accord- Service) call to action. Mobile marketing is not a departure from Internet ing to John Foley, CEO at interlinkONE, a multi-channel marketing soft- marketing; it’s the next evolutionary step. As part of a multimedia marketware company and industry leader in mobile marketing, by the end of this ing campaign, print projects almost always include a Web address where year, nearly every estimate indicates that more than half of the population additional information and special incentives can be found and downloadin the United States will be carrying around a smartphone. Smartphone ed, but mobile marketing enhances this experience by making interaction manufacturers shipped 100.9 million devices in the fourth quarter of 2010, easier, more immediate and more rewarding.

printForum • May/June 2011

The Mobility of Print

Creating interactivity within the print medium extends shelf-life as well as value by offering readers layers of experience beyond the printed page. “People still need to be touched by multiple channels. First, people see and are engaged by the printed piece, and then they make the easy jump to more content using their phones,” Foley explains. “QR Codes can absolutely help make the bridge between print and mobile! They are easy and inexpensive to create, and you can download the reader app in seconds for free. Because they are open-standard, it means that more and more companies are using them, and thus people across the mainstream are starting to understand what they are and how they can be used.”

A Snapshot of Barcodes Mobile barcodes (QR, 2D and data matrix), popular in Japan and Europe for more than a decade, are increasingly showing up in the print world of mainstream America on signs, business cards, packaging, bills, and advertisements. The May issue of “O, The Oprah Magazine” (circulation 2.6 million) includes five advertisements sporting the trendy codes. And if past trending patterns are any

and so easy to access and use that the redemption rate for text-based coupons is significantly higher than for traditional print or online coupons. Mobile coupons are sent directly to customer’s cell phones, so no searching is required nor time wasted. An added advantage of mobile marketing with a SMS call-to-action is the ability to track responses and build a data base for future marketing endeavors. Bessonny cites the results of a recent marketing campaign Text Ripple created for a pizza chain. “The goal was to drive sales at a five-store pizza chain. The medium was a direct mail piece with a mobile call to action. We invited people to text in to receive an instant coupon sent directly to their cell phones. Direct mail connected them, mobile engaged them and the results were powerful. The response rate was overwhelming—more than 12,000 people texted in—and we were able to build a data base of customers to target for future promotions. This gives the pizza chain immediate access to patrons we know are already interested in their business.” Similarly, many businesses are now promoting VIP text club memberships by offering opt-in customers discount coupons, a chance to win a big prize and other incentives not otherwise available.

An added advantage of mobile marketing with a SMS call-to-action is the ability to track responses and build a data base for future marketing endeavors. indication, where Oprah goes, millions follow. Today’s media-savvy reader has an expectation for mobile interactivity, and in the near future, most of America will share that expectation. “Mobile marketing will become the new standard,” Foley says. “QR codes bring static print to life, creating a dialogue with the consumer that frequently turns the consumer into a customer,” affirms Val DiGiacinto, VP of Sales for The Ace Group. “It can be used on any collateral and only requires a small amount of space. Since the landing page is virtual, information can be updated regularly. That is a great way to continue to bring the consumer back. It is also a great way to stay current with information that does change.” An added benefit of QR code utilization for marketing is the ability to track responses. Using software now readily available, you can analyze the number of people accessing your QR code, and how and when they are accessing it. You can gather additional data by creating a landing page where you offer an incentive to people (ie: entry in a sweepstake) in exchange for personal data.

Text Message Strategies According to Steve Bessonny, COO of Text Ripple, a leading mobile marketing solutions provider, adding a mobile component to your print media frequently increases the response rate by 50 percent with little additional cost. For example, a print ad may simply say “Text COUPON to 55432 right now from your mobile phone to receive an instant coupon.” They are simple to create

May/June 2011 • printForum

Marketing Must-do As smartphones replace PCs as the primary access tool for the Internet, businesses need to format their landing pages so that they are suited for viewing on mobile devices. “One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is not creating a mobileoptimized website,” affirms Foley. “With minimal time and effort businesses can greatly improve the experience that people have when they interact with their brand on their mobile phones, and deliver compelling content that fits beautifully on a smartphone screen.” As Foley notes, technology is always evolving, and businesses should already be paying attention to emerging technologies such as Near Field Communications (NFC). NFC isn’t really new...or cutting edge. In fact, it’s basically a variation of other short-range wireless technologies already used throughout the world—especially in Japan and Europe. With NFC, you can quickly swap information between devices when they’re touched together. You can exchange things like text, images, URLs or other data simply by holding your phone up to various “smart tags.” “That will be huge in regards to how people pay for things with their smartphone. I’m not saying it will replace QR Codes, but there will absolutely be technologies that seek to make the experience even better, and that integrate with whatever channels come next,” Foley predicts. For the foreseeable future, smart phones are going to keep getting smarter, and marketers are going to find smarter ways to utilize this evolving technology.

THE ABC’S OF MOBILE MARKETING

Mobile marketing is meant to describe marketing on or with a cell phone (or other mobile device). CSC (Common Short Code) is a short numeric sequence (4-6 digits) to which text messages can be sent from a mobile phone. Subscribers send text messages to CSC’s with relevant keywords to access mobile content or act upon a call-to-action. SMS (Short Message Service) is used as a synonym for all types of short text messaging, as well as the user activity itself, in many parts of the world. SMS text messaging is the most widely used data application on the planet, with 2.4 billion active users.

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability which only allowed exchange of text messages up to 160 characters in length. The most popular use is to send photographs from camera-equipped handsets, although it is also popular as a method of delivering news and entertainment content including videos, pictures, text pages and ringtones. MO, MOM (Mobile Originated Message) is an SMS/M SMS/MMS message received by a mobile device.

B: C:

NFC (N (Near Field Communication) is a new and upcoming data transfer protocol. protoco It uses close proximity to transmit data between two NFC type de devices (one a client and one a reader/writer/broadcaster module). Basically Basical NFC lets you tap your device on a reader to then instantly transfer and exchange data. exc QR Co Code (Quick Response Code) is a matrix barcode or two dimensional code rreadable by a QR scanner, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square smartp pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other othe data. The reader application is included on some smartphones or it can b be downloaded for free. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) is an open international standard (W for the presentation and delivery of wireless information and telephone services service on mobile devices. The most common use of WAP is accessing the Web from fro a mobile phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

printForum • May/June 2011

guest feature

Evolution P

rior to the desktop publishing revolution years ago, designers and print production professionals had to physically “spec” type to fit a given area, send it out to a typographer to set the type and output the galleys to do the paste-up on art boards. Sounds arcane, doesn’t it? Then personal computers were introduced. They came complete with creative composition and implementation software, image manipulation software, desktop scanners, four-color printers and access to more than 20,000 fonts. Along with designing and implementing the key-line electronically, designers and print production personnel were now expected to be scanner operators, photo retouchers and typographers. Of course, few had any formal training to accomplish these processes proficiently. Generally, these were trades done by craftspeople working for large companies with large capital investments in skilled labor and expensive equipment. This begs the larger question: if designers were now graphically “self-sufficient,” did the typographers go out of business? Some did, yes, but most, by purchasing a software upgrade package, evolved their very expensive output devices into RIPs (raster imaging processors) which could now convert a designer’s computer RGB files into CMYK output either as a proof or as finished separated film for printers to plate and print. These new companies became so instrumental in the graphic arts workflow that their formalized status and importance became unquestioned. They became known as “Service Bureaus.” The point of the little traipse down memory lane is that typographers, traditional color engravers/separators, dot-etchers and photo re-touchers were expected to go out of business because of technological advances. However, many of them made the necessary upgrades, learned new skills, and found new revenue streams by offering color management, file correction, advanced scanning and photo manipulation and typographical and font corrections capabilities. They, in essence, evolved. At a more macro view, new technology and current market trends in the communications

By Daniel Dejan

THE SAGA OF THE SERVICE BUREAU Typographers Service Bureaus Acquired by or Merged with Printer

Purchase a Press Become a Printer

Today’s Printer Pre-Press/Pre-Media Department

HTML, XML, xHTML Social Networking ISPN, Data & Asset Mgt. Media Network/Hub

Communications Resource

Sales & Marketing Support

industry necessitated that printers evolve. By keeping up with market demands and finding new products, services and revenue streams, printers are reinventing themselves all over the world. There are extraordinary opportunities for their clients who don’t view print as only an ink-on-paper experience. The term print is being redefined through application and context. Virtually all communication is generated from the same starting point—the computers of content creators—and must be processed through the same technological workflow turnstile: printers’ pre-press, pre-media departments. A content creator sits at their computer to generate some type of communications file. They will use established software to produce content, most of which is intended to be repurposed for a variety of media—offset printing, variable data printing, website (possibly), mobile media (increasingly) and for a tablet (most recently). The leading-edge printers are able to receive the original content files and let their pre-media department process the repurposing of that file with the input and direction of the content creator, production manager, media buyer or media strategist. The same businesses that previously set type can now repurpose files for use in a website, mobile media, and print. This opens up extraordinary new relational possibilities with your clients and your printer. We have learned in a decade of experience that print—in the form of direct mail, publishing, catalog, manufacturing and retail collateral—is still the foundational cornerstone of integrated marketing. Print traffics readers to websites, which invite them to e-mail relationships that offer them opportunities to join social networks and voice-of-the-customer relationships. At every point in the chain, astute marketers can make prospects aware of new offers and connect more deeply. By offering everything from variable data printing, web-toprint, website development, e-mail communications, social network marketing, and tablet-based apps and communications, the print industry has evolved into a marketer’s best friend. It is certainly a brave new world.

A renowned graphic arts educator, author and consultant, Daniel Dejan is the North American ETC Print and Creative Manager for Sappi Fine Paper/North America. May/June 2011 • printForum

The Mesh –

Why the Future of Business is Sharing

book recommendation

— Author, Lisa Gansky

he recession and the distrust of old-model companies seem to be fueling a new mindset. People are now more willing to consider alternative business models, brands and lifestyles. As Po Bronson once stated, “Crisis can actually take people from thinking about what’s next to what is first.” In “The Mesh,” Lisa Gansky offers a most compelling look at an emerging model that takes advantage of our renewed values and at how business will be conducted in the new landscape. True knowledge is not contained in one person or entity. Wisdom comes from sharing, and the Mesh is the new way to leverage that wisdom and create prosperity. Mesh businesses leverage data and social networks to enable people to share goods and services efficiently and conveniently— to gain superior access to what they need without

In “The Mesh,” Gansky gives us some perspective on the wonderful new world we are entering. This is a world that will find more people utilizing the Web, social networking and mobile technologies more efficiently. The author shares case histories from many organizations, including some of her own, and their success with the Mesh.

The Mesh has emerged as the best new creative engine for getting more of what we want, exactly when we want it, at less cost to ourselves and the planet. the burdens or expense of ownership. As Gansky points out, there are already thousands of these businesses—in transportation, fashion, food, real estate, travel, finance, entertainment and many other categories—with more starting every day. The Mesh has emerged as the best new creative engine for getting more of what we want, exactly when we want it, at less cost to ourselves and the planet.

“The Mesh” is all about sharing. Specifically, it is focused on the sharing of information through the Web, mobile technology, and social networking. The Mesh allows for the sharing of products, services and information between groups of people in provocative new ways. “The Mesh” is a thought provoking book that should be read by everyone from the serial entrepreneur to the big-business marketer. Once read, pass it along… because the future of business is sharing.

printForum • May/June 2011

InDesign CS5 Tips & Tricks featuring Clint Funk Are you interested in software that takes the grunt work out of production leaving more time to be more creative? If so, then make plans to attend “InDesign CS5 Tips & Tricks” on Wednesday, June 15 @ 1:30 CST. Come learn about the immense improvements that have been made with InDesign, as well as insider advice from Adobe's Clint Funk on how to get the most out of your InDesign software.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15 @ 1:30 CST Make sure to sign up for the webinar by visiting www.printforum.info/events.

Our upcoming webinar stems from a highly thought provoking and popular breakout session from printForum the conference. This breakout session drew large crowds and received tremendous feedback. It also left people wanting more, so we are proud to bring back Clint for this webinar. This interactive webinar will show you the way to get the most from your InDesign CS5 investment including building interactive files as well as smaller features that will save you time! Our guest speaker, Clint Funk, is a Solutions Engineer with Adobe working with the desktop products for large business enterprises. He is very active in the industry and is the former leader of the Chicago InDesign User Group. If you work with InDesign, don’t miss this very informative webinar. The time you spend today will immediately pay you back tomorrow and be a dividend every day in the future. Make sure to sign up for the webinar by visiting www.printforum.info/events.