Impressions Innovative Business Magazine in Print Media edition 01•2013
‘Innovation is in our DNA’ Van Straaten Direct Print Visual communication with impact
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Content Innovation is in our DNA For nearly a hundred years Van Straaten has been the leading production company for innovative visual communication. A new logo underlines the modern and dynamic nature of the business. But the new corporate identity marks a new way of working. Father and son Van Straaten elaborate.
03 Van Straaten Direct Print
Recent projects in six sectors
Van Straaten Direct Print is a new online ordering service for large format prints. With Direct Print, Van Straaten wants to give customers with less complex print jobs better and faster service. Van Straaten Direct Print is the ideal solution for those who want to quickly order top quality XL prints - at the best value for money on the market.
Stand Building Events Expo and Museums Outdoor Media In-store Interior design
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08 Visual communication with impact
IMPRESSIONS
Visual Magnetics is an incredibly versatile, magnetic display system. Visuals are printed on a ferrous material, making it easy to change them in no time. This makes Visual Magnetics the ultimate display system for anyone who wants to be flexible in the use of visuals.
Innovative Print Media Business Magazine is published three times a year.
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Editor: Van Straaten PO BOX 27 1170 AA Badhoevedorp The Netherlands Phones +31 (0)23 555 18 61 Fax +31 (0)23 555 19 21 info@vanstraaten.com www.vanstraaten
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‘Innovation is in our DNA’ For nearly a hundred years Van Straaten has been the leading production company for innovative visual communication. A new logo underlines the modern and dynamic nature of the business. But the new corporate identity marks a new way of working. Father and son Van Straaten elaborate.
Niels van Straaten (left)
Niek van Straaten (right)
• CFO at Van Straaten
• CEO, Innovator in visual offline communication at Van Straaten
• 34 years old • Obtained degree in UK • Since 2007 full time financial manager; since then supplemented with marketing, strategy and process management responsibilities • Finest achievement: “The recent rebranding of Van Straaten”
• 61 years old • At age 17 he came into the business and forms the third generation at Van Straaten • Finest achievement: “To be able to keep the family business, founded in 1918, in a leader’s position in the market by the continuous development and use of new technologies”
04 Innovation as a tradition “Van Straaten is a trendsetter and an innovative company,” says Niek van Straaten. “That has always been our mission. In our market technological developments follow each other rapidly. If you want to stay ahead of the competition you have to invest in new technology. We are always on the hunt for new trends and product launches, because customers want products that are not available anywhere else and with which they can distinguish themselves. So we are constantly in motion, and we wanted that to be better reflected in our new logo.
Research Over time, Van Straaten developed a new corporate identity. “In cooperation with marketing and branding expert Bart Henau, we first analysed our market,” says Niels. “To find out how to market Van Straaten and see what our customers expected, we did some extensive research. We have learned a lot from it. It has led to a new corporate identity, but
also to a new way of working in which the customer plays a more central role than ever before. Behind the new logo is a world of change. “
Allround and full service Niek: “The survey confirmed the idea that we actually have two categories of customers. Some of our customers have come to us for large projects, such as exhibition stands and constructions, complete in-store displays, shop interiors or reproductions for museums. That’s all custom and those projects are closely supervised by a project manager. One of our strengths is that we have what it takes to execute a project from A to Z. We brainstorm together during the conceptualisation, we have state-of-the-art printers, a private clothing workshop, a streamlined logistics department and a standby installation crew. We do not outsource and offer the customer a full service project. That’s why customers return to Van Straaten for project assignments in the field of visual communication. And then there is a second type of customer.“
“Behind the new logo a world of change is hiding”
Rebranding of an innovator Bart Henau of ‘BLIND’ in Antwerp was consulted for the rebranding of Van Straaten. “The first question was how customers, prospects, suppliers and intermediaries look at Van Straaten. They therefore, had to do thorough market research. This showed that a number of themes on which Van Straaten had worked hard; were not known enough. Van Straaten for example invests in new technology and innovative products, but not everyone is aware of this. Van Straaten also continuously works to seek environmentally friendly solutions. Here again, a clear communication was needed. The results of the survey have been translated into a Brand Key. “That indicates what Van Straaten stands for” says Bart. “It contains a description of the DNA of Van Straaten and forms the basis of our communication.”
Then they investigated with which channels and what tools the market can be optimally controlled. Bart: “we determined six core markets: stand building, in-store, events, expositions and museums, interior and outdoor media. This subdivision resurfaces everywhere, from website to brochures tailored to each sector. Furthermore, product leaflets were developed that show that Van Straaten has a broad and balanced range. This is the printing company for complicated projects, but also for standard quality products. That is why we developed the online ordering system, Van Straaten Direct Print.“
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The direct customer
The new logo
“Many of our customers know exactly what they want,” continues Niels. They need little or no guidance and often they know exactly what product they want, in what format, what material and which kind of confection. They need to be looked after in a different way. For them, besides the quality, fast delivery and the best value for money is especially important. To service these customers even better, we have developed our online ordering service Van Straaten Direct Print.“
Larisa Thuije designed Van Straaten’s new logo. Larisa: “The logo is composed of blocks that refer to pixels, the building blocks for digital printing. The logo is as colourful as Van Straaten itself. The spectrum of colours is also a reference to the fact that Van Straaten is a Jack of all trades. The enlarged pixels refer to the different products that Van Straaten has in its portfolio. They are the building blocks with which we work to build something beautiful for the client.“
Van Straaten Direct Print Ordering of large format prints with Van Straaten Direct Print is easier, faster and cheaper than ever. Niels: “At Van Straaten Direct Print we work with many materials who have already proven their quality. The platform uses advanced prepress technologies enabling a wide variety of sizes to be effortlessly processed. “An order is handled almost completely automatically. “Because the online ordering process and the production barely need assistance, costs can be kept low - without compromising on quality and speed,” says Niels. ”You can order 24/7 and the client can choose how fast the order needs to be delivered. Even large print runs are no problem. Whether the customer orders one or a thousand prints, he will be guaranteed top quality print work at the best prices.“
Larisa developed a technical challenge in the logo. “Twelve pms colours are used in the logo. That is a lot. If you can print that perfectly on all your media - you can do anything .Nothing is too difficult for Van Straaten. This logo shows that we set the bar high for ourselves. And for customers, it is a kind of quality seal. “ Part of the logo, is the slogan Let’s impress.”This of course contains the word press,” says Larisa. ”Impress with impressive prints, that is the key. We do this by working together with the client. Van Straaten gives its customers the tools to stand out. Together we impress with impressing visual communication.“
06 Unlimited printing starts here. Enter your email address and password to log on to the site: Email address: Password:
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Van Straaten Direct Print Ordering large format printing has never been so easy Van Straaten Direct Print is a new online or- prints quickly - at the best value for money dering service for large format prints. on the market. With Direct Print, Van Straaten gives cus- Currently clients from different target martomers with less complex print jobs better kets are trying out Van Straaten Direct Print. and faster service. Soon, the requested logins will be issued and any professional will be able to use the Van Straaten Direct Print is the ideal solution online ordering service. for those who want to order top quality XL www.vsdirect.nl
07 Order online
Each circulation
Van Straaten Direct Print allows you to effortlessly order large format prints online. The customer will be guided through the ordering process and the order will be finished within a couple of minutes. This saves the customer time and money, without compromising on the speed of delivery and quality of the printing.
A circulation of a few to a couple of thousand prints can easily be done by Van Straaten Direct Print. However big or small the print job is, at Van Straaten Direct Print, the customer is always first in line and can count on super fast delivery of the assignment.
Fully automated
Logistics
The platform uses advanced prepress technologies enabling a wide variety of print sizes that can be ordered. The customer can choose from commonly used and qualitatively superior print media.The ordering and production process is almost completely automated.Because the processing and production of the order barely need any guidance, costs can be kept low.With a convenient track & trace function, the customer can track the production of the order at any stage.
You can order 24/7 and Van Straaten can deliver large format prints within 24 hours. The customer decides how fast the order needs to be delivered. For a longer delivery time, the rates are even sharper.
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How does it work? Start Input order reference
Step 5 Input quantity of prints
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Step 1 Input reference file
Step 6 Select desired delivery date and comments
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Van Straaten has a private courier who delivers the order throughout the Netherlands. For orders outside the Netherlands we use an international courier.
Step 2 Select choice of material
Step 7 Approve formatting
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Step 3 Select finishing type
Step 8 Approve order
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Step 4 Input size
Step 9 Upload files and complete order
BENEFITS Van Straaten Direct Print • Order large format prints 24/7 online • Top quality prints at very competitive prices • Easy and fast ordering process • Delivery possible within 24 hours
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Recent projects in six sectors STAND BUILDING
Stand - Xeikon
Stand - Xeikon
events
Retail Package - Asics
In-store project - Nespresso
Van Straaten offers stand designers and builders a unique package of services and products to realise the most creative and eye-catching stands. “Van Straaten combines aluminum profile systems and curved constructions with textile prints of all shapes and sizes, “says project manager Petra. “Building a stand requires expert work. We, therefore have our own crew that installs the stands on any location in Europe.“
In the competitive retail market, a professional store appearance is more important than ever.”In-store communication, POS material, decoration and displays are essential to give the store the magical appearance which boosts the experience of consumers which in turn boosts sales,” says Account Manager Alex.
Crossing Boundaries
In-store print specialist
Van Straaten has always been ahead with the application of new techniques for stand building. This is proven with a recent assignment for Xeikon. Petra: “our stands are constructed with aluminium frames on which canvases are stretched. These frames can get all kinds of shapes and are curved. The Xeikon stand was a big challenge because the frames weren’t flat. For this stand, the curve went in all directions. And this 3D curving is actually still in its infancy. “
“Van Straaten provides the latest point-of-sales trends and products for exciting promotions and store decoration,” says Alex. “Our offer ranges from popular advertising banners and Smartframes to exclusive media that can only be obtained at Van Straaten such as Visual Magnetics. Thanks to our balanced portfolio, we have every form of visual communication and a solution for every budget.
Creative solutions The rolling machines for aluminium parts are designed for 2D projects. “To be able to do 3D curving we needed creative solutions,” said Petra. “Another challenge is the visuals. These canvases have almost no stretch, because they help to give the structure balance. Because you are working with rigid material, everything has to be very precise. We can accomplish this easily with our in-house cutting table and workflow. We also have an own assembly team on the floor. So we have everything to finish and test the assignments. That resolving capacity contributes to our success. Innovative stand The customer knew that 3D curving is something new and that the project would be technically complex.”But we got a go ahead,” says Petra. “It’s amazing to gain the trust of a customer to explore the limits of possibility. The end result was something that all parties were proud of: a spectacular, innovative stand that stole the show at the fair.“
Retail Packages Van Straaten regularly creates complete retail packages for stylish branding of shops. Alex: “such a package can consist of eg textile frames, Spring-It roll-up, banners, vinyl flooring or stickers. For each store, we provide a custom package that we can deliver worldwide.“ Distribution throughout Europe “We just completed a major project for Nespresso,” says Alex.”On behalf of Alrec In-Store we made Slimframe displays and sent it to stores across Europe. That is logistically quite an operation, because every store has a different version with a different language. Luckily we have a streamlined logistics department making it all run smoothly.“ Van Straaten Direct Print “With Van Straaten Direct Print, the ordering process has become easier for the customer “ says Alex.’ Ordering of signs, banners, displays and visuals is now faster and easier than ever. Furthermore, the system slots in with the MIS (management information service) of the customer. Direct Print is therefore ideally suited for retailers who regularly order new visuals.“
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events
Entrance eyecatcher - North Sea Jazz Festival
Floating cube - North Sea Jazz Festival
exposition AND MUSEUMS
Reproducties - The Complete Rembrandt
Slimframes - Louwman museum
Digital printing technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to give an event a special look. Decorative banners, backdrops or XL prints give an event a thrilling atmosphere and character. For signing, sponsorship and promotion of an event large format prints are indispensable nowadays. “Anyone wanting to impress the visitors of events and festivals cannot go without strong visual communication,” says Project Manager Petra.
Van Straaten creates XL prints which give the reproductions of the exposition a context and persuasiveness. Besides XL print work of museum quality, Van Straaten can take care of all required aluminum mounting systems and ensures installation on location.
Business events
Allround
Van Straaten delivers print work for many corporate events, such as company presentations, openings and product launches.”Recently, we did a very big event for Aramco in the World Forum in The Hague,” says Petra.”We had little time for implementation and installation, so we needed to be creative and solution-driven. Fortunately we have our experienced team that can act quickly. So we had rotating canvases, XL backdrops and walls with large images right on time.
Project Manager Petra: “we offer the customer everything needed for a high-profile exposition. This could include signage, decorative prints or outdoor banners. But we also make reproductions of paintings that form the core of an exposition. Moreover, we provide all the necessary mounting systems and ensure the installation on location. Someone who wants to organize an exposition can find everything in one place with us.“
Theatre
Reproductions and photographs
“Theatre projects are very specific,” says Petra. “We have state-of-the-art printers and can finish the canvases in our own workshop. Recently, we had theatre prints made for the Ashton Brothers, Dick Trom and the musical Shrek. Furthermore, we made the backdrop canvases for the Houdini Experience of Hans Klok.“
“We make reproductions of paintings that are as good as the original,” says Petra. “Our prints have deep, intense colours with nuances and dynamics. This was evident in The Complete Rembrandt, the travelling exposition for which Van Straaten made full size reproductions. Besides printing paintings, we print big pictures for indoor and outdoor expositions.”
Festivals For countless festivals and large public events Van Straaten makes the XL prints, stage sets and signing - including the installation of the required pipe frames and aluminum structures. Petra: “a beautiful new project was the North Sea Jazz Festival. We created a floating cube which hung in the entrance hall. The construction was eight by eight meters in size and five metres high. The frame had to be invisible.We solved this with canvases that were attached in the frame with a silicone tendon.“ Another challenge was the lighting. ‘The cube had an aluminum frame with lamps,’ Petra explains. Despite the tangle of aluminum trusses you should not see any shadows. We did all kinds of tests with light and finally found the perfect setup. It looks really spectacular.“
Billboards Het Stedelijk Museum recently asked Van Straaten to install a blind frame on the building. Petra: “a blind frame means that you can’t see anything of the frame or elastics. The old building has four frames for which special spacers were made because the frames were hanging in front of a 25 cm thick ledge. “ The frames mounted on the black lift truck needed a creative solution.”The black box had decorative plating that the 12.5 meters high frames could never handle. Because we had no proper foundation, a construction company, according to our specifications, mounted a frame of galvanized steel against it. Then, the frames were mounted on that. It fits like a glove. “
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outdoor media
Outdoor communication - Canon
Led display - Artsen zonder Grenzen
Interior design
Wall visual - Tolhuis on the water
Floor - Braunschweig airport
Outdoor visual communication provides amazing creative possibilities to promote a brand or product. Outdoor advertising and billboards are still a very effective form of advertising with a wide scope. Especially if striking expressions such as mast advertising, building wraps or blowups are chosen, it is impossible not to get the message.
Van Straaten has fantastic interior solutions for the b-to-b market, but individuals also give their interior a fresh look with our print products. Thanks to our balanced portfolio we have a solution for any interior and any budget.
The outdoor media expert
The strength of interior prints
Van Straaten has the skill, technique and creativity needed for a striking outdoor campaign. Remo: “we can realise the whole outdoor project from concept to installation. That is the main reason why we get so many orders for outdoor projects. “ An outdoor media project is highly specialist work.”In the first place, the canvas and the print need to be weather-resistant. The format of canvas and the visual are usually extremely large, but the real challenge in outdoor media lies in the assembly. Not a single job is the same. You work with a different surface, under different circumstances. An outdoor project almost always means that smart solutions have to be found for the installation.“
More and more interior designers and interior decorators are discovering the power of full colour prints for interior concepts. Because with smart technology and seamless full-colour visuals an interior will get a totally different look. Interior Prints give the area extra atmosphere and character.
Led display in the meadows A recent outdoor project Van Straaten worked on was the kick-off of a three-month campaign for MSF. Remo: “to call attention to the importance of emergency help a giant led display was stationed in a meadow along the train route Amsterdam Utrecht. The ticker published daily short news items which showed how important emergency relief is. The mega ticker consisted of a 16 meters long display which was mounted on 4 containers. The total object was 24 metres long and 5 meters high. We printed an XL print and mounted this on the containers. It looked impressive and striking, an enormous black box with a led display in the middle of a meadow.“
‘Interior visuals open a world of possibilities for the design of hotels, restaurants, offices and clubs, “says Account Manager Alex. With creative prints on the walls, on the floor or on the ceiling every decor comes alive. Visual Wall for Tolhuis Like no other Van Straaten knows how prints can transform an interior into an inspiring environment.”We just finished with a beautiful assignment of Het Tolhuis on the water in Amsterdam North,” says Alex. “The new owner asked Van Straaten to create a giant wall visual for the central space. Art Profound ensured the reproduction and image of the original painting. We printed a full colour mega canvas of 715 by 480 cm, all seamlessly executed. The visual is an enlarged reproduction of a classical painting of the view of the Central from the garden of het Tolhuis is immortalized. It looks really gorgeous and the room has received a wall with a completely new visual appearance with a nod to the past.“ Acoustic function An important detail is that the canvas is made with an acoustic foam. “The central area was not well insulated and you could hear the noises from the room next door quite well. Thanks to the foam in the wall visual you cannot hear the noises anymore. What’s more, the acoustics in the central area have greatly improved. An interior print can therefore fulfil a visual and an acoustic function united in the same solution.”
Everything for visual communicatie with impact
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Stunning visuals with magnetic force How it works
An incredibly versatile, magnetic display system. Visuals are printed on a ferrous material, making them easy to be changed. This makes Visual Magnetics the ultimate display system for anyone who wants to be flexible in the use of visuals.
There are two ways to create a wall suitable for Visual Magnetics. “The customer can either purchase a once-off magnet,” says Niels.”This magnetic layer with an adhesive back side can be attached to the wall, and the visuals can be attached to it.” Another possibility is to treat the wall with an iron-containing coating. ”That coating then gets a regular paint layer. A double-sided magnetic sheet now effortlessly sticks on the wall and can be quickly removed. This leaves the customer with a blank wall again, without any trace of the Visual Magnetics system.“
Perfect for in-store promotion “Van Straaten is the European partner of Visual Magnetics,” says Niels van Straaten. “This is truly a revolutionary sign & display system that combines magnetic technology and top quality prints. The visuals can be changed quickly, look great and remain affordable because they are not printed on an expensive magnet, but on ferrous material.“
The magnetic force is strong enough to keep multiple visuals on each other.”Perfect for retail operations or seasonal promotions, but there are numerous other applications to be considered,” says Niels.”Because Van Straaten can deliver new visuals fast, the customer can easily respond to current events.”
Van Straaten is the leading production company for innovative visual communication. With us you will find everything for large format printing and special projects under one roof: from concept development and realization of sublime prints and frames, to professional finishing and assembly on site. Discover why professionals choose Van Straaten.
Look at www.vanstraaten.com for any info or call us now on +31 (0)23 - 555 18 61.
New website With a new website, we make it even easier to get inspiration for striking visual communication. Look at www.vanstraaten.com and register immediately for the newsletter. Then you’ll be the first to hear about the latest innovations in the field of visual communication. Or follow us on Twitter and Facebook! Van Straaten Direct Print Do you know what you’re looking for? Do you regularly order prints in large formats and do you need guidance in the process? Then Van Straaten Direct Print is something for you. High speed 24/7 online ordering of large prints. Exclusive at Van Straaten. See for yourself on www.vsdirect.nl.
Visit the showroom Seeing is believing! You are welcome to visit our showroom to witness the power of our products. Be inspired and convinced by the entire Van Straaten collection. Our team is ready to advise you without obligation and can help you with a customised solution. An appointment is not necessary, but can be made.
Green and sustainable More than ever, Van Straaten is investing in sustainability. We use environmentally friendly technologies and creatively reuse materials. The Centre for Energy Knowledge advises Van Straaten on sustainability and further CO2 reduction. We continuously try to find environmentally friendly solutions.We were the first to use water-based ink. Even with the introduction of PE (polyethylene), the environmentally friendly replacement for the widely used “tarpaulin” (Bysonil) Van Straaten was a pioneer. Soon solar panels on our roof will provide us with power and environmentally friendly heating will keep the production facility warm. For more information about our green projects check our blog.
Schipholweg 939 • 2143 CE Boesingheliede • The Netherlands • Phone +31 (0)23 555 18 61 • Fax +31 (0)23 555 19 21 info@vanstraaten.com • www.vanstraaten