CANVAS Magazine - April 2018 - The Oyster and the Pearl

Audience participation Baiting the Hook EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

Open and shut...

APRIL 2018

Turning weakness into strength

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APRIL VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 2

26

CANVAS P1

Inside this issue

BOILERPLATE

30 24 34 38

ALSO INSIDE CREATIVE CORNER

H+W’s Laurel Webster on finding your passion in what you do

04

Publisher’s Note

The Pressure’s Off

STAT PACK CORNER OFFICE

BAITING THE HOOK

What Marketers Must Consider Before Launching a Campaign

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

12

Industry news & awards

MAKERS’ CORNER

06 14 CORNER OFFICE

08 10 P2

This year I hope to [Insert your goal here] What is your Africa?

CANVAS APRIL 2018

raphic designers G and digital print – Opportunity missed

OPEN AND SHUT...

How asking trial closing questions can help sales pro save time and make money

CANVAS Buyer’s Guide

16 17 18 20

The fifth sense Your web-to-print solution is here Checking Every Box Celebrating 20 Years of Print Excellence

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

22

Understanding the new era of marketing

STRIKING QUALITY

Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN

EXPERIENCE STUNNING MONOCHROME CAPABILITIES The Océ VarioPrint® 6000 platform just reached a new level of performance with the release of the Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series. With outstanding print quality and best-in-class uptime and productivity, this high-volume monochrome digital printing press blends innovation and robust engineering to deliver a solution that’s second to none for commercial, publishing, and transactional printing.

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Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ and Océ VarioPrint are registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. © 2018 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

CONTRIBUTORS Justin Ahrens Founder & Principal Rule29

@justinahrens

The Pressure’s Off

M

y son really enjoys watching, “The Office” and the other day he had on an episode from season 7. Something that was said caught my attention. Robert California, played by James Spader, addressed the crew at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

“You once worked in a dying industry. You now work in its birth. Those superstores are terrified of us. Let me tell you how I buy something these days. I know what I want, I go on the internet and get the best price. Or, I don’t know what I want and I go to a small store that can help me. The era of personal service is back....you are back. You will find the customers will pay our higher prices and they will say to us ‘Thank you.’

And we will say, ‘You are welcome.’”

Influencing others is not a parlor trick. It is not a gimmick in reverse psychology.

Today’s business landscape requires high levels of sincerity and honesty. We cannot tell and sell anymore. People only listen to one person – themselves. You can make calls, write notes, and push product as much as you want, but the full court press has no merit in this day and age. We can all smell the hard sell, even when the salesperson isn’t in the room with us.

If you are a trusted part of people’s lives, then you have the opportunity to help facilitate the internal work that needs to be done in order to make a change or invest in a solution.

And you can remind them that they have the freedom of choice.

We are a long way from the product-centric pressure sale. And while there may have been a time when people enjoyed being sold, the level of information at their fingertips and our collective bashfulness does not allow for such tactics.

We need to make people feel like they belong and that we are a safe bet.

It is a safe bet that this issue of CANVAS is going to be extra special. Our cover feature, “The Oyster and the Pearl” is all about grit and hard work, while “Open and Shut” explains how to pinpoint potential clients’ interest level every step of the way. Our final feature, “Audience Participation” gives some stellar tips on creating long-term relationships with your current customers. This issue is designed to help you evolve, rejuvenate your brand and influence your consumers in a positive way.

You can make calls, write notes, and push product as much as you want, but the full court press has no merit in this day and age.

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter, Publisher @MarkRicePotter

Linda Bishop, President, Thought Transformation @Linda_Bishop Jeff Bush Author, “American Cornerstones: History’s Insights on Today’s Issues” Chris Harrold, VP Creative Director, Mohawk Fine Papers @tweet_convert

GET IN TOUCH WITH US @THECANVASMAG

2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400 Duluth, GA 30097 WWW.THECANVASMAG.COM

THE CANVAS TEAM MANAGING EDITOR michael j. pallerino ART DIRECTOR brent cashman SALES/MARKETING mark potter

EDITORIAL BOARD tom moe Daily Printing gina danner NextPage david bennett Bennett Graphics scott hudson Worth Higgins

PUBLISHED BY CANVAS, Volume 12, Issue 1. copyright 2018 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

CANVAS magazine is dedicated to environmentally and socially responsible operations. We are proud to print this magazine on Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry-leading, environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and SFI and FSC chain of custody certification.

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CANVAS APRIL 2018

If they aren’t biting...

CATCH THEM WITH CONTENT channeling content & connections | conduit-inc.com

STAT PACK

GETTING PERSONAL Quick – what is the name of the most effective digital channel for engaging accounting-based marketing (ABM) accounts?

Did you say personalized content? According to Ascend2’s “AccountBased Marketing Strategy Survey,” 52 percent of marketers say your content has to be personal.

The survey, which polled 253 marketing influencers from around the country, asked marketers their preferred methods of targeting individual prospects/ customer accounts. Here’s a look at their top priorities for ABM strategy:

35% Obtaining and enriching account data

38%

25% Getting executive buy-in and budget

36% Creating content by account segment

41% 41%

Mapping account plans and insights

Attributing marketing efforts to revenue

Scoring and targeting ideal accounts

50% Aligning sales and marketing initiatives

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CANVAS APRIL 2018

Insights

Engagement seekers

Direct mail, email make list of ways to drive conversions later in the funnel

Ask B2B marketers to list the most effective demand generation channels for engaging prospects and a couple of old friends made the list. The “2018 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey” by Demand Gen Report, based on insights from 160 B2B marketing executives, ranked the next most effective channels for both early-stage and late-stage engagement conversions. Here’s a look at the Top 5 late-stage drivers:

81%

Email

27%

50%

45% 20%

Website

Retargeting

Telemarketing

Direct Mail

BY97THE NUMBERS % % % 81 80 The percent of B2B marketers who say that business decision-makers are likely to have a preferred vendor in mind before the purchasing group is established. In addition, 89 percent say the most important thing businesses want to experience from a vendor is that they understand their needs. (“Group. Mind.

Set. – How Group Dynamics Impact B2B Decisions” by B2B Marketing and gyro)

The percent of B2B marketers who cite email as the most effective tactic for engagement toward the end of the buying journey, followed by 50 percent who cite websites and 45 percent who cite telemarketing.

Nearly 59 percent say email was also their top choice for engagement at the top of the funnel, followed by search at 56 percent. (“Demand Gen Report” by Content Demand, Integrate and Selling Simplified)

The percent of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers a personalized experience. (“The Power of Me: The Impact of Personalization on Marketing Performance” by Epsilon)

CANVAS P7

Perspective | Leadership | Insights

CORNER OFFICE

BY JEFF BUSH

This year I hope to [Insert your goal here]

I

magine closing your eyes, throwing a dart at The Wall Street Journal to pick a stock you had to invest your entire savings in. You can’t look at the price until the last day of the year. Nervous? Interestingly, this is how most businesses plan. They choose one time a year, develop a plan and put it in a drawer. The only time they review it is following year, hoping they hit their goal.

This approach is not a good investment strategy, nor is it a good business planning process.

"Hope is not a plan." How many times have you heard that saying? But here's the thing - your life is only limited by the work you don't do. You work to achieve - the manifestation of executing more consistently and methodically. Are you ready to achieve your goals? Are you prepared to get your business back on track?

Try this strategy. A more fluid business planning approach is more realistic in the "real world" versus the one-and-done way you've always planned. Business planning should be a living, breathing process that follows a cycle of brainstorming, winnowing, executing and meaBy changing suring, which naturally leads the focus of the to the next planning opportunity. This process can be as goal to an action short as weeks or as long as statement, it years. Each part of a business changes the way follows different timelines and the planning process for each your organization should match. views its role in Just like New Year's resolutions that fall away quickly executing its part because of a lack of an exein the process. cution strategy, business plans succumb to the same fate. Why? Because these methods lack a quantifiable execution and measurement strategy, which is pivotal in the planning process - the part of the process where most fall short.

Whether you're well on your way to achieving your business goals and ready to shoot for something bigger, or you've fallen short of expectations and you're looking to get back on track, a measurable execution strategy must be deployed and continuously redeployed through the process.

The first step in any execution strategy is to define the issue in sufficient detail such that anyone in your organization will intuitively understand the incremental activities necessary to achieve the goal. If you cannot break the goal down into actionable steps, continue to refine your goal. A goal is only actionable when it's evident to everyone in your business what those actionable steps are.

The most straightforward example is a sales goal. Most business plans will state a specific numeric goal, for example, "$50,000 in product sales." But if your organization doesn't understand the connection of that goal to its unique job duties, it will likely never happen.

Instead, restate the goal to something more actionable, "Maintain 100 percent client retention of profitable clients while sourcing, vetting and closing one new client that will average $50,000 sales each week."

If the goal is restated in such a way to that every department of your company understands its role in achieving that goal, it is much more likely to happen. A sales goal is not

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CANVAS APRIL 2018

going to get a person in accounts receivable to change his behavior.

Arguably, an overly zealous receivables person could be detrimental to your goal by collecting in such a way that drives clients out the door.

By changing the focus of the goal to an action statement, it changes the way your organization views its role in executing its part in the process. It focuses a goal into a philosophical change with obvious incremental steps. Now list the steps, as few or as many as it takes, but it must be actionable and measurable: • Identify five leads weekly • Qualify three prospects per-week from the leads • Close one client per-week • Reduce new client onboarding time to three business days • Prioritize our customer service model, so you're spending 80 percent of your time with those clients making up 80 percent of our sales. (the old "80/20" rule) Second, you have to do the work. While this seems obvious, the majority of goals find their way to the scrap heap for the most basic of reasons. The work was done intermittently, but honestly, the work was not done.

Someone once said, "What gets measured gets done."

They were right. So, measure your action steps. Use technology to help keep track of your progress. Reminders on your phone work, but some prefer something more visual. Use a spreadsheet program to come up with a customized action tracking sheet.

Finally, you must have a consistent and honest accountability system. Accountability to do the small, necessary steps to accomplish your goal, both in quantity and quality. The fallacy of the spreadsheet of reminders is we can lie to ourselves.

So, how do you manage this fault? Have an accountability partner. Find that person who cares enough about your success that he won't tell you what you want to hear or make you feel better about only half-hearted work. Share your spreadsheet each week and go over every single event. Mutual accountability works well. Find a fellow salesperson, manager, significant other or business owner who is working on their own goals and be accountable to one another.

It has been said, "If success were easy, everyone would be successful." While it's not easy, you have more control over your success than you think. And sometimes, it's just about having a definable goal and doing the work consistently and being honest with the quantity and quality of your efforts.

Jeff Bush, Wall Street’s Washington insider, is a dynamic and insightful speaker on tax and fiscal topics, and the author of “American Cornerstones: History’s Insights on Today’s Issues.” A 28-year veteran of the financial industry, Bush works with executive teams, business owners, and high-income individuals to proactively prepare their organizations to succeed in an ever-evolving marketplace. For more information, visit www.JeffBush.net.

Perspective | Leadership | Insights

CORNER OFFICE

BY JUSTIN AHRENS

What is your Africa?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

T

– Charles Dickens

he first time I stepped off the plane in Ethiopia, I suddenly and dramatically realized the world was a lot different than I had thought during my first 36 years on this earth. That might sound obvious, but for me being in a completely foreign context enabled me to gain an understanding of what I previously could have only imagined.

And not just any foreign culture, such as Paris or Rome – this was a country with some of the poorest conditions on the planet. And my reason for being there was to internalize it so I could communicate it.

As a creative, the challenge of helping others “experience” that very different reality was especially daunting, knowing that most would never get a firsthand opportunity to experience it for themselves.

When I first decided to launch my firm, I wanted to focus on the kind of work I believed in, but, more importantly, I wanted to create a culture that was positive and believed in helping to make the world a better place. No matter how naive it might sound, the reality is that most of us want to make a difference - a positive contribution.

And while there are many ways to approach the subject of culture, our work in Africa – along with other mission-driven work – has made the biggest impact in the way I see, lead and feel at our studio.

It’s all about being open to what presents itself. In other words, as we go about the work, what ideas or opportunities can we reflect on, talk about, participate in, ideate from and push for? In the process of understanding the realities and explaining them strategically, both visually and through our writing, we ourselves experienced a shift in our own consciousness.

Taking it all in — the joy and love, the heartbreak and anger — brought out the best in us and in the work itself. By allowing ourselves to fully experience what was in front of us, we couldn’t help but look at our work – and each other – differently.

In the process of attempting to explain microfinance, for example, we helped develop and pilot new microfinance models. When we wondered how we could use design to help educate largely illiterate rural communities about malaria symptoms and medicine dosages, we were able to partner with several universities to develop innovative ways to accomplish this. One year later we were in the field testing those ideas.

We partnered with a school to develop an illustrated manual for proper sanitation and safe water practices that could work independently of culture. And most recently, we have been able to be a part of creating an event that has helped thousands get safe water in Uganda and the Congo.

You can do this

None of this would have been possible if we had stayed within the confines of our comfortable studio, brainstorming from afar. No real shifts could have been made without getting on a plane and experiencing Africa for ourselves.

Now, I’m not suggesting you have to travel to a foreign land to experience a shift like this, but you definitely must find a way to experience worlds beyond your day-to-day, beyond your own backyard.

The point is to be aware of what fuels your creative output. It’s being intentional about creating a balanced intake of experiences that can shift your world, your teams, and your reality.

Here at Rule29, we have dramatically altered the way we value the work we do. We now understand how important, powerful, and valuable it can be – we have seen the impact firsthand. This has transformed the way we approach the design process. By changing what we see, we’ve changed how we see.

The same can be true for you. When you see the world differently, it influences what you design and the stories you tell. It challenges you to let go of any assumptions you might have. You do this by being purposeful and creating space for that understanding.

Do your research, schedule time for play, and be committed to exploration. Expand your horizons and, over time, I think you’ll experience a richer day-to-day existence and a more vital, engaged culture. I know that I have.

Justin Ahrens is founder and principal of Rule29, an award-winning suburban Chicago-based strategic creative firm. He is a frequent guest blogger, national speaker and author of “Life Kerning: Creative Ways to Fine Tune Your Perspective on Career and Life” (Wiley). Follow him and Rule29 on Twitter – @rule29.

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Perspective | Technology | Insights

CORNER OFFICE

10 creative trends you should know (and one to watch) Digital crafts. Global marches. Cryptocurrency. What do you really see when you look out into the world of design? There are so many possibilities. To help you look ahead, Shutterstock highlighted 10 creative trends to watch – and one for which to be on the lookout.

Where is your design eye leaning?

1. Fantasy

7. Cactus

3. Space

9. Ancient Geometrics

2. New Minimalism 4. Natural Luxury 5. Punchy Pastel

6. A Global March

8. Digital Crafts

10. Cryptocurrency

11. Be on the lookout: Holographic Foil

ways marketing will change in 2018 As we entered the Engagement Economy characterized by technology and customer control, it was often hard to see how marketing was a core function. This year, Debbie Qaqish, principal partner and chief strategy officer of The Pedowitz Group, says we will see this shift expressed in several ways.

Here are five things to look for in 2018: 1. T he CMO will become something of a CCO or chief customer officer 2. M arketing will mine customer/prospect data, create insights and share across the organization for better decision-making 3. Marketing will be recognized as an essential cog in the machine for growth 4. Old paradigms will die 5. The CMO will extend tenure as long as she drives credible revenue growth

“ Email should play an important role in any marketing plan. It has proven time and time again that it isn’t just a desirable channel to have, when done right, it really works in getting astonishing results.”

– Melanie White, head of content and communications for Adestra, on why email should not be discounted in a brand’s marketing efforts

CANVAS P11

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Awards & Recognition Canon U.S.A. Inc.'s parent company, Canon Inc., ranked third among U.S. patent holders in 2017. According to patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, Canon was granted a total of 3,285 patents in 2017. This is the 32nd consecutive year that it has been ranked among the top five U.S. patent holders and, for the 13th consecutive year, ranked first among Japanese companies for the number of U.S. patents granted. The patents granted demonstrate the company’s commitment to using a robust set of intellectual property rights to develop visionary consumer, business and medical solutions.

FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, has recently been named "Vendor Partner of the Year" by Flexo Label Advantage Group (FLAG). Each year, FLAG assesses all the products and support provided by its vendor partners to their membership and recognizes one with outstanding deliverables. Since 2010, independent label converters have looked to FLAG for support in becoming more competitive in the marketplace by leveraging their purchasing potential for group savings; allowing them to uncover new growth opportunities and become more competitive.

Ricoh has been named a "CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree" for the RICOH Ri 100. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories. The RICOH Ri 100, which fits easily on desks and counters, is an ideal fit for environments not traditionally dedicated to print, such as souvenir shops and small businesses. The CES awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES 2018. CES 2018 Innovation Honoree products are featured on CES.tech/Innovation, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, description, photo and URL. Scodix's annual "Scodix Design Awards" includes winners from nearly every major printing community worldwide in every segment, including direct mail, product packaging,

fine arts, and commercial printing. The contest is crafted to identify the most creative work produced by Scodix customers, using Scodix Digital Print Enhancement technology.

The winners include: Self-Promotion Print: First Place Bennett Graphics (United States) Second Place Jujin Packaging (China) Third Place Maison LACK by DLW (France) General Commercial Printing (GCP): First Place Bennett Graphics (United States) Second Place Cards and Systems Solutions (Mexico) Publishing: First Place Guangzhou Dream Works Graphic Arts Co. (China) Second Place Regal Printing (China, Hong Kong) Folding Carton/Packaging: First Place Oriel (United Kingdom) Second Place The Wilkins Group, Fuse Division (United Kingdom) Technology: First Place Jujin Packaging (China) Second Place Overprint SRL (Argentina)

Sappi North America is offering "True or False" – an informative guide about coated and uncoated paper myths and facts. Filled with entertaining urban legends and popular misconceptions, the booklet challenges frequently heard myths such as, "Humans only use 10 percent of their brains" and "Lightning never strikes the same place twice." It also refutes the widespread belief that uncoated printing papers cost less than coated. In addition to comparing costs, performance capabilities, and environmental benefits between coated and uncoated sheets, "True or False" presents an actual side-by-side demonstration of the same image printed with the same press settings on Sappi McCoy Matte and Silk and two comparable uncoated grades, so readers can see the tactile and visual differences for themselves. The concept and design of "True or False" was created in partnership with Kit Hinrichs of Studio Hinrichs. For more information, visit https://sappipops.com/true-false-book-order/.

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Industry news & more

Partnerships Mohawk, family-owned papermakers since 1931, have entered into a strategic partnership with commercial printer Lawton Connect, family owned since 1900, to form Mr. Scratch Off LLC. The partnership has been formed around the introduction of an innovative new technology using HP Indigo printing to produce the first 4-color, scratch-off printed products in the world. Currently, printing for scratchoff products uses single- or multi-color printed images which are covered by a single-color fixed shape, applied with a flexographic press. This new capability allows both the scratch off area and the image beneath to be a multi-color print and fully variable from piece to piece; all using high resolution, HP Indigo printing. For more information, visit MrScratchOff.com.

Printing Industries of America’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Affairs Department and Printing Industries of Utah (PIU), now part of Pacific Printing Industries (PPI) Association, has partnered with the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR). The partnership will offer a training program to Utah printers on reducing air pollution. Additional program partners include the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and Flexographic Technical Association (FTA). Staff from PIA, PIU, SGIA and FTA will educate members of the printing, publishing and packaging industries about the newly revised air pollution control regulations. The program, which will take place in late spring or early summer of 2018, will be open to printing operations in a seven-county area around Salt Lake City at Salt Lake Community College. For more information, contact Jules Van Sant at jules@ppiassociation.org.

Mergers & Acquisitons Xerox, the company that pioneered the computer mouse and other office technology, will come under the Japanese company Fujifilm's control in a $6.1 billion deal. The new $18 billion company – Fuji Xerox – will be headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut and Tokyo, and trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Jeff Jacobson, current CEO of Xerox, will be appointed as CEO of the new company. Fujifilm and Xerox established the Fuji Xerox joint venture in 1962. Fujifilm owns 75 percent of that venture. Fuji Xerox will buy back that stake from Fujifilm, and Fujifilm will use those profits to purchase 50.1 percent of Xerox shares.

Personnel Moves Canon Solutions America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. Inc., has made several key senior executive promotions, including Toyo Kuwamura, promoted from president and CEO, to chairman and CEO; Peter Kowalczuk, promoted from executive VP and GM, to president; and Francis McMahon, promoted from VP to executive VP, Production Print Solutions.

Around the industry Proforma's new Proforma Acquisition Company will directly purchase print, packaging and promotional products companies ranging in size from $5 million to $100 million and more in sales.

Now, print, packaging and promotional products companies interested in selling their business or other strategic transactions can turn to an experienced industry leader with the organizational infrastructure and resources to acquire and manage companies of all sizes. Historically, Proforma has pursued acquisition opportunities of industry companies with sales under $5 million on behalf of its Franchise Owners. Now, through The Proforma Acquisition Company, owners of all sized companies can turn to Proforma when they're ready to sell or find other strategic options.

Printing Industries of America (PIA) has unveiled its newly redeveloped iLearning Center, now a complimentary member benefit for its printer members at no additional charge. The new Center features better content, organization and an improved learning management system that greatly improves the online education experience. All of its core courses are free to PIA's printer member companies and include titles such as: Orientation to the Graphic Arts, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe InDesign for Prepress, Adobe Illustrator for Prepress, Adobe Photoshop for Prepress, SEO Basics, Data Demo: Making It Relevant, Sheetfed Offset Lithographic Press and Building a Data Plan for Variable Data. Additional courses will be added throughout 2018.

The Center also offers important industry certifications like the Improvement Professional in Print (IPP) Certification and newly developed Customer Service Professional (CSP) Certification, a program that provides best industry processes and practices for CSRs in a production print environment. For more information, visit www.printing.org/ilearning.

Idealliance, the global non-profit for the visual communications and media industry, has launched Idealliance Europe, opening new offices in Dublin and Madrid, and expanding an Idealliance global offices network that now comprises nine international affiliates, including units in China, Korea, India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Brazil. The offices in Ireland and Spain bring the number to five of the new international affiliates opened by Idealliance recently.

While offices work independently within their regions to meet the specific needs of their respective areas, they communicate regularly with each other and with Idealliance in the United States to share information and insights. Each office also draws on a network of educators and consultants within its region. For example, Idealliance Latin America can call on any of its 50 consultants to assist businesses in the rapidly growing South American print market.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

LET US KNOW! GET YOUR NEWS HERE.

People news. New products.

Trends shaping the way our industry does business. If you have a news item, CANVAS wants to hear about it. All you have to do is email us the information and a photograph, and we’ll do the rest.

Send your information to michael@thecanvasmag.com

CANVAS P13

Makers’ Corner

Graphic designers and digital print – Opportunity missed

I

recently sat down with a design team to commission a new project exploring the intersection of print technology and paper. The brief was simple: Create a reference book that would demonstrate the current state of digital printing and the range of materials available to print on.

My assumption was that this would be old news for these smart, young designers who are always on the cutting edge. To the contrary, they all fell somewhere between unaware and unimpressed with digital printing. Collectively, they had pigeonholed digital (based on past experience) and thought of it as simple convenience or bottomof-the-print-quality-food chain. To them, this was the ultimate last resort if they chose print.

Full disclosure: As much as I was surprised to see this group so out-of-synch with the current state of digital print, I have believed for years that there was a fundamental disconnect between new digital print and the design world.

How could this brilliant community of creatives have missed the evolution of digital print from questionable quality in the late '90s to category-definingquality today?

With a bit of probing and conversation, it became clear. The disconnect has everything to do with the way printers talk about printing in general and digital printing specifically. To put a finer point on it, printers (and every equipment manufacturer on the planet) spend way too much time talking with designers about equipment "speeds and feeds."

I understand why this is an easy trap to fall in to, but talking press features doesn't help designers understand the quality, beauty and flexibility of digital printing.

It's all a matter of understanding your audience and speaking to them in terms that are relevant and valuable to them.

Here are some simple truths about designers. They love print, not printing presses. They want to be inspired, not instructed on the intricacies of variable data. They love to see samples of beautiful print, not a tour of the finishing department. And they are obsessed with materials, not so-called house sheets.

So, what are some simple steps you can take to close the disconnect gap and prove to designers you and your digital press are an amazing combination that can make their next print project beautiful, effective and memorable? Here are four examples:

By Chris Harrold VP, Business Development & Creative Director Mohawk Fine Papers

>> Visit Mohawk Connects.com

1. Be a source of inspiration Share your work with them. Show off what your press can do and what you have done for other clients. And make sure to bring your A-game. Remember, these are visual thinkers, they're motivated and inspired by well-designed, impeccably printed work.

2. Reframe the discussion Sell your press and skills as rapid prototyping proof device. At Mohawk, we have successfully won a number of large paper specs simply by showing customer files printed on different papers.

3. Show your paper chops You and I know that your digital press can run more than 80 text gloss, right? Show off some texture, maybe even single color print on colored paper. And dare to show the range of materials that a brandnew digital press can print. Trust me, this will be an eye opener.

4. Share your skills Mohawk is launching a new web feature called "Find a Printer," which helps you and your business connect with designers across North America by showing off your work in an easy-to-use web and mobile interface.

Go beyond the equipment list and show them what you can do.

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Whether you run a brand new B2 digital press, an unbelievably cool sheet-fed UV ink jet press or a wide format device, there is a graphic design community who loves print on paper and needs you. Take the time to reframe the discussion and become a source of inspiration.

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE TODAY? Inspiration + Education + Tools right at your fingertips.

The new mohawkconnects.com

CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

PRINTER SERIES

The fifth sense

GPA's Touch Class Specialty fine papers shine the spotlight on feeling

The benefit is in the name. GPA's Touch Class® Specialty Fine Papers is a collection that's meant to be experienced through touch. Sporting a rich tactile feel and a special surface treatment, Touch Class® offers added resistance to fingerprints, water and even oils, far surpassing traditional paper performance.

Originally introduced to the European market by Fedrigoni, GPA is making Touch Class® exclusively available in the North American market in two versions: Nature Touch Class® Cover offers a smooth finish and creamy, natural white shade and Tintoretto Touch Class® Cover is a white sheet with a felt texture on both sides. They are available in 110# cover basis weights, in 19-inch x 13-inch and 20.82-inch x 29.5-inch sheets.

Defined by its sophisticated appearance and superior performance, Touch Class® papers can be used on everything from restaurant menus and museum maps, to wedding

Thanks to Touch Class’ proven press performance and superior printability, users can be sure every piece will look its best.

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"save-the-dates," family photo cards, birth announcements, and more. The papers can be transformed through a variety of finishing processes, including letterpress, folding, scoring, gluing, die cutting, embossing and debossing.

If you're looking for truly dramatic results, you can enhance the sheets with foils or dimensional embellishments. Thanks to their unique surface treatment, Touch Class® are one of the first uncoated papers in the world to perform beautifully with post-press embellishments produced by Scodix and MGI technologies. The collection is also compatible with HP Indigo, dry toner and offset presses.

Thanks to Touch Class'® proven press performance and superior printability, users can be sure every piece will look its best. Because they are FSC certified and acid-free with archival properties, these papers provide added assurance that they are made from responsible sources and will look beautiful for years to come.

For more information or to request sample sheets, call 800-395-9000 or e-mail info@askgpa.com.

Download the CANVAS Buyer’s Guide app Products and resources just a tap away

Your web-to-print solution is here

WEB-TO-PRINT

4over's Printer Bridge delivers the evolution of online printing

To successfully compete in the marketplace, every business needs innovation in its products, services and online presence. Thanks to its new web-toprint solution, Printer Bridge, 4over is providing customers with the necessary tools to help increase profits and streamline growth.

Printer Bridge is a completely customizable website equipped with thousands of preloaded 4over products where the customer can choose which products to offer, how they're configured and what the markups will be.

Printer Bridge is an e-commerce solution designed to help users win new

accounts, acquire customers and grow their existing business online.

This intuitive online shopping experience is accessible on a desktop or mobile device, offering features such as EDDM Full Service, a product design tool for easier artwork creation and ordering, admin tools to help manage sales performance and market visibility, and much more.

And get this – it's easy to setup and use since it requires no web development experience or tech skills to build.

Take part in the evolution of online printing by signing up today and upgrading the way you sell print.

Printer Bridge is an e-commerce solution designed to help users win new accounts, acquire customers and grow their existing business online.

For more information, visit printerbridge.com.

CANVAS P17

CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

PRINTER SERIES

Download the CANVAS Buyer’s Guide app Products and resources just a tap away

Checking Every Box

Why the OnsetM is your short run, high quality print solution

Built for production and reliability, the B1 format inkjet printer is designed to address the evolving needs of the commercial, display graphics, packaging and industrial print markets.

Every print provider has a checklist. You want the most cost-effective way to print one-off or hundreds of pieces. You want to enable the production of on-demand short run work and the endless customization of print campaigns. You want to eliminate prepress costs and reduce waste. And speed – don't forget speed. You want the fastest job turnaround time possible.

Now, if you're looking to check every box on that checklist, you'll need to checkout the smallformat, high quality OnsetM. Built for production and reliability, the B1 format (27.8 inches x 39.4 inches) inkjet printer is designed to address the evolving needs of the commercial, display graphics, packaging and industrial print markets.

Becky McConnell, product marketing manager at FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, says the OnsetM was developed with a focus on consistency and throughput. “This press offers a complete solution for short run jobs.

It enables the production of a broad range of work, but with much faster turnarounds compared to analog processes, creating a profitable solution for short run work.”

If you think that print quality demands from your clients can't be met with inkjet, think again. The OnsetM is driven by Inca’s intelligent features for precise ink droplet placement, coupled with FUJIFILM Dimatix printheads configured in the printer.

The small 7 picoliter ink drop produces crisp 4 pt.

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text and smooth color transitions ideal for close viewing distances.

"Printers can increase productivity and profitability by moving work from traditional offset presses over to the OnsetM. At the same time it can open up new growth opportunities for short run, multiple version, or variable data jobs," comments Greg Pas, director of product marketing at FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division.

"With the ability to print on a wide range of substrates from paper to paperboard and plastics, the OnsetM checks a lot of boxes for many commercial, sign and display, and packaging applications."

Here's a look at some of the other features and benefits the OnsetM delivers: • Scalable, configurable linear print engine architecture built to fit business needs • User-friendly, intuitive touch screen GUI • Robust construction for reliability • iNozzle mapping ensures print quality consistency • Optimized Fujifilm Uvijet inks produce vibrant colors • 7 pL FUJIFILM Dimatix printheads generate fine detail and remarkable quality • Automated cleaning station helps to maintain the printheads without manual operator intervention, avoiding compromising on throughput and quality

CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

Printer of the Year

Download the CANVAS Buyer’s Guide app Products and resources just a tap away

Celebrating 20 Years of Print Excellence

Sappi Announces Final Printer of the Year Call for Entries

Sappi announced that it opened the 20th and final North American Printer of the Year Awards call for entries. As with previous years, winners will be recognized for print excellence and innovation across eleven categories. The Sappi Printer of the Year Awards program has been regarded as the printing industry’s most respected accolade for the past two decades, making its last iteration bittersweet for organizers.

“We are so proud of the work that has been accomplished using Sappi products over the last 20 years. Printers continue to surprise us with awe-inspiring ways to show the power of print,” said Patti Groh, director of marketing communications, Sappi North America. “As we look to the future, we’re excited to continue our evolution and introduce new resources for printers and creatives.”

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To enter, printers can submit any work printed predominantly on Sappi paper and paper-based packaging in the U.S. or Canada between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018adding an extra six months to the eligible submissions window. Entries are due June 8, 2018.

The ultimate “Printer of the Year Award” winner will receive, 5,000 pounds of Sappi paper, $20,000 in branding and marketing support and the chance to join a select group of printers who have been acknowledged as innovators and visionaries in print craftsmanship as previous Printer of the Year winners.

For additional details visit sappi.com/printer-of-the-year

What do you get with our Integrated Labels?

A. No printer cleanup B. Fewer paper jams C. Less cost to be more productive D. All of the above

Get all the above plus complimentary samples and sell sheets at wsel.com/integrated-labels/c.

wsel.com 888.887.6485

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Ricoh USA, Inc., 70 Valley Stream Parkway, Malvern, PA 19355, 1 ©2018 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved. Ricoh® and the Ricoh l of Ricoh Company, Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of

Understanding the new era of marketing

C

arla Johnson started her career doing marketing and business development for architects.

What she noticed fascinated her. Architects start with understanding what emotion they want to create with a space, then reverse engineer that into the design. That’s where she learned her approach to marketing.

So, Johnson, founder of Type A Communications, and fellow renowned

marketing expert Robert Rose had a vision. They teamed up to write “ Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing,” a book that synthesized five years of research with global brands into a set of “better practices” that weave together both the “why” and “how” of navigating today’s changing marketing landscape.

By placing strategy before structure, Johnson and Rose illustrate why the

What are the major changes within marketing over the past decade?

The biggest is the shift from order takers to business strategists.

Marketing has, historically, been the group that takes orders from everyone else in the organization and produces content. Things like a product page, a sales sheet, a company brochure or website.

It was very tactical. But in the last 10 years, we’ve seen a shift in the best marketing organizations. They’re now more involved in co-creating business strategy.

This is because control over interactions with brands is now in the hands of consumers. They can find whatever information they want at any time, and don’t need to rely on a brand to get it.

Instead of customers having to be satisfied with the information a company gives them, they control what information they want, when and where. Marketing has had to shift from being product- and brand-oriented to customer centered. It’s the marketing team that brings the voice Carla Johnson of the customer inside the organization. This is how marketing delivers evidence to show why and how they need to connect with people differently.

A sales rep may insist on more product information, but now marketing has evidence that what customers really want is information on how to solve a problem. Marketing teams now have the evidence to respond.

Have we moved beyond the “noise” and back to where connection and trust matter? If so, how do we develop that trust?

Not yet, but the brands that understand their customers best are heading in this direction. Most companies are still stuck in the attention competition mode. They’re shouting as loud as they can to try and get people’s attention, and they aren’t being targeted or relevant. Just like a person yelling in real life will get everyone’s attention for a short amount of time. After a while, people tune them out, even the few who may be the target for their message.

For those who want to shift, they’ve developed trust by putting customers at the heart of what they do. That means

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idea of content creation management is a core discipline within tomorrow’s marketing strategy and how content-driven experiences can be created, managed, scaled, promoted and measured in today’s business. Their book is your roadmap to get there.

We sat down with Johnson to get her thoughts on why it’s important for the graphic arts industry to start creating their blueprint for success.

looking at how they can add value for customers first, by answering questions and solving problems first. And then, if and when they end up needing a product, the company has created trust. Building trust with a potential customer is no different than building trust with anyone else. If all you do is push yourself on them and insist they do what you want, no one trusts you, pays attention to you or wants to spend time with you. Not friends. And certainly not customers who would have to pay for it.

How can small businesses can develop their brand through purpose?

Every company was started because the founder believed he could do something better than anyone else. When you lead with a narrative that’s about that difference you want to make in the lives of your customers, you create a relationship built on trust. It’s also incredibly powerful for small businesses, because brand purpose is the litmus test for making decisions. With every decision, ask if it reinforces the brand’s purpose. If the answer’s yes, move forward. If not, invest the money another way.

We have more attention to purpose in branding now because of Millennials. They care less about money and more about making a difference in the world around them. They want to buy from brands that stand for something, which is where articulating a brand’s purpose comes into play.

You talk about brands acting like media companies. Can you tell us why?

With information at people’s fingertips, customers conduct their own research. They have a question and they’re looking for the best answer. In the past, brands relied on paid (advertising) or earned media (news coverage) to get their message out. But now every company has the ability to publish content.

They’re no longer reliant on a traditional media outlet to decide if it’s newsworthy. We are seeing brands set up their own newsrooms, and publishing content just like a newspaper or TV station would. It’s the same rigor of professionalism as any journalist. Some examples are L’Oreal’s makeup.com site and Pillow Talk, the blog for online mattress retailer Casper.

What’s your advice to anyone in the graphic arts industry with regards to marketing success?

That with anything you do, you must look at your work from the perspective of a customer. What’s the experience that matters most to them? It’s easy to default into what we’ve always done, or what’s comfortable and familiar. But doing that means it’ll be harder and hard to capture people’s attention, which means every day it will take more money to do the things we’ve always done in order to get the same results. We must look at our work through the lens of customers.

Achieve Graphic Greatness.

Take a look at Ricoh’s line of innovative and affordable 5th Color Digital Cutsheet Presses.

Set your business apart with oversized media capabilities, outstanding image quality, support for specialty stocks and substrates up to 360 gsm, plus a 5th color station for Clear, White, Neon Yellow, Neon Pink and Invisible Red* toner.

Deliver an impressive range of high-end capabilities that traditional 4-color digital systems simply cannot match. Go beyond CMYK. Go beyond basic. Go big.

Imagine the possibilities. Proactively offer new applications while building customer loyalty, expanding your base and increasing your bottom line at the same time.

Watch the video, see the samples and be inspired to take your business further.

TakeaLookatRicoh.com/gamechanger

*Invisible Red toner available Spring 2018.

Ricoh USA, Inc., 70 Valley Stream Parkway, Malvern, PA 19355, 1-800-63-RICOH. ©2018 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved. Ricoh® and the Ricoh logo are registered trademarks of Ricoh Company, Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CREATIVE CORNER

H+W’s

Laurel Webster on finding your passion in what you do If you ask Laurel Webster, she’ll tell that the role of design is more than just branding, creating corporate identity and strategy, or devising new publication looks or websites. She views design as a cultural force and believes that every designer must have a passion for the profession.

Webster is a co-founder of Hersick + Webster, a full-service design and brand communications studio with a mission to add a little good to the world through design. Webster and James Hersick built H+W with a collaborative approach that combines their passions, skills and experiences with those of their clients and communities. In these partnerships, they often find themselves designing strategies, conversations, experiences, and more. People look to them for leadership, guidance and help to communicate their own efforts to make a difference.

The firm’s founding is rooted in Design for Good. The duo met because of their interest in making an impact. For many years, they’ve been active locally and nationally with AIGA to expand efforts to use design to tackle bigger social challenges.

After a decade running a traditional firm, Hersick felt like there had to be more to design. When they met in 2011, he was in the middle of transitioning his company and career to focus on designing for social impact. Shortly after, they began working together to build a business model that would allow them to thrive by working with companies and on causes they believe in.

We sat down with Webster to get her take on the ever-evolving world of design and what the future holds for the profession.

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Give us a snapshot of today’s graphic design market?

The appreciation for good design, regardless of discipline, is more prevalent today than it was 20 years ago in America. There is still a lot of ugly and poorly designed stuff in the world, but more and more, people are beginning to take notice of it. More importantly, they are beginning to want, create and expect better design.

Regardless of the community or the industry, the need for good design has never been higher. The individuals and teams we work with recognize that good design builds good businesses, good businesses help build good communities, good communities are good for people. People are the bottom line.

Yep, our outlook on design is very positive.

What are your clients looking for today?

A Swiss Army knife and a little glue. We build deep relationships with our clients. We are their partners, and they rely on us to figure out the best ways to help them solve design challenges regardless of whether or not we’ve ever done what they need before. That works great for us. We get to make sure

Creative corner sponsored by:

the brand is where it needs to be, all the while we get to explore and try new things.

That said, no one can do it all. Our clients often ask us to help them keep their many brand partners aligned and to be a connector to find new solutions, services and collaborators. Selfishly, we like being in the middle of things and facilitating these partnerships – it helps us push everyone to go for great instead of well.

What are your three biggest best practices when working with a client?

No 1 is getting to know them and their “why?” Not just their business, but the person behind the business too. We want to be a good fit for each other. A good relationship is critical to creating honest and impactful work. Behind every organization, there is an underlying passion that launched it into existence. We love getting to the heart of that story. During this time, we often discover what the brand needs to communicate better and it is not always what they initially come to us for. We place a big importance on understanding “why” before we commit to spending anyone’s time or money on a “what.”

No. 2 is to clearly define expectations. We use our proposal/contract as a way to initiate what our clients can expect from us. Design is a journey, and we want them to know that we’re there with them. So, we take the time to explain more about our process, how certain parts may differ from one another, and to detail what we need from them, and what they’ll be receiving from us.

And No. 3 is research and discovery. This is one of our favorite parts of the process. We love to learn and dive headfirst into the details. Discovery takes on multiple forms, but we really enjoy face-to-face meetings that facilitate conversations either with the individual, a team (sometimes multiple teams), as well as their current and past clients. Rather than having them fill out a form, we take the opportunity to build discussions surrounding the project. Whether in-person, online or in a book, we take a lot of notes and accumulate a lot of info. We don’t want to miss anything – you never know what little tidbit is going to be the key to inspiration.

Define print’s role in reaching consumers today.

Everything ebbs and flows. Print’s not going anywhere.

When used properly, it feels personal and special. Digital printing turned most of what we used to print into a throwaway commodity. Then, most of that content went online.

Now, when someone takes the time to print something with quality papers and finishing techniques, it really stands out as unique. Twenty years ago, a two-color card on uncoated paper would have been thought of cheap. Today, that same piece feels special.

What’s the best piece of advice you can offer today’s designers?

Learn how to learn. The creative process is the same today as it was 10,000 years ago. The tools we use and the things we design are always evolving and changing, and always will be.

The biggest thing that concerns us is the lack of full engagement we see in a lot of young, college designers. We can’t do what we do if we lose our sense of curiosity, and the drive to explore, experiment and learn. Always be curious.

What does 2018 hold in store for the sector?

Collaboration and the lines between disciplines will continue to blur even more. Those things are what we live for and they form the foundation of our business. We think that to make really impactful things happen for brands and communities requires teamwork and tearing down silos.

We have big plans to partner with other firms to revitalize our downtown. If being involved in social impact design has taught us anything, it’s that somewhere else, somebody else is doing it, too. We’re not alone, and together we are all working toward designing a better world, one community and one client at a time.

CANVAS P25

PERSPECTIVE

Turning weakness into strength

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M

Cover Story: By Michael J. Pallerino

ost of what Nick Scott remembers

exclamations. The comeback wasn’t easy. He admits that up front. But eventually, his will took charge.

“What’s the one thing you gain from losing everything?” he asks. “It’s perspective. Because it wasn’t about if my glass was half empty or half full. I was just grateful that I had a glass.”

And so, it began. Slowly. Methodically. Scott went back to the weight room. Over the course of a year, he warmed up with the weight that others his age performed as a one-rep max.

In time, his body weight went from 300 to 190. In 2006, Scott entered his first wheelchair bodybuilding competition.

It didn’t matter where he placed, all that mattered was how far he had come.

about the morning of Aug. 17, 1998, comes to him in slow motion.

Hearing Scott describe the circum-

stances surrounding that morning seems surreal.

How else can you explain a routine trip in his Buick Skylark that turned his life every which way but the one he wanted?

A tire blew out. That’s what changed the course of his life. Thrown from the car as it rolled 5 and a half times, Scott plummeted to the ground with a thud. The car’s final roll slammed against his back. And then the lights went out. He tells that story a lot.

When he recalls the event, each and every turn, every second of recall comes to him in slow motion.

Researchers say that when a person is in danger, a brain area called the amygdala becomes more active, laying down an extra set of memories that go along with those normally taken care of by other parts of the brain. In essence, frightening events are associated with richer and denser memories – the more memory you have of an event, the longer you believe it took.

Nick Scott is many things today – professional speaker, author, professional bodybuilder, wheelchair ballroom dancer and personal trainer. You might be interested to know that as a Bodybuilding.com athlete, he travels the world over visiting expos like the FIBO Germany, LA Fitness Expo, Arnold Sports Festival and Mr. Olympia. One of his bosses is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was drawn to Scott’s vivacious attitude and courage.

It wasn’t always that way. Laying in his hospital bed, Scott wasn’t certain he’d ever walk again. Paralyzed from the waist down, he fell into a deep depression. His weight ballooned to more than 300 pounds. A source of constant ridicule by the very friends who were once in awe of his exceptional athletic ability and charm, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go on.

“It took me many years to accept who I am and be OK with who I am,” Scott recalls. “We all have disabilities, but one of mine is visible.”

Scott talks in a commanding voice, interspersing his conversation with a series of gentle and powerful

Nick Scott

“What’s the one thing you gain from losing everything?

It’s perspective.”

– Nick Scott, Bodybuilding.com

The powerlifting competitions came in bunches. He went on to get an associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree. And, even though the doctors told him he would never walk again, he did. With the help of braces, Scott is able to stand up and take several steps from his wheelchair.

“Someone’s opinion of you doesn’t have to become your reality because if you start living your life to please others, you become a slave,” Scott says.

“The two themes that I always tell people they need to follow are motivation and inspiration. For all of the benefits they offer, motivation and inspiration are neither permanent nor automatic.

When something motivates or inspires us, we must seize upon it and let it guide us as we work harder to meet our personal and professional goals.”

Scott says that by capturing these motivational and inspirational moments, you can successfully provide for your family, help your colleagues and support the strategic goals of your company.

Caught looking

He had everything that a baseball craves. The arm. The bat. The speed.

The instincts. C.J. Stewart had it all.

CANVAS P27

The Oyster and the Pearl

ways to lead by example BE A VISIONARY Embrace your vision, surround yourself with peers that share it and encourage your colleagues to embrace this new and improved perspective.

VALUE TIME A precious commodity we cannot stash away, time is the great equalizer since we can never get it back once it passes. Do everything in your power to make the most of each moment.

EMBARK ON AN EXCITING JOURNEY Seize upon opportunities.

Tombstones have beginning and end dates upon them, but the most important character on the stone that defines the person it memorializes is the dash: The dash represents all that happened, all that was achieved.

Source: Nick Scott, Bodybuilding.com

P28 CANVAS APRIL 2018

Today’s young men live in a paradigm where failure means generational detriment. Through baseball, we can tangibly demonstrate to them the role that failure plays in development.

– C.J. Stewart, L.E.A.D.

As a 9th grader, he had his first workout with the Chicago Cubs. He went on to get drafted right out of high school.

It didn’t work out that time. After he walked away, Stewart ended up attending Georgia State University, and then DeKalb Junior College in Atlanta. He failed out of both schools.

The Cubs came knocking again, so he officially signed a professional contract. He played for two years before being released.

That’s where Stewart’s baseball story should have ended. Admittedly, there was so much he didn’t understand about the developmental process. The game was just bigger than anything he had imagined as a kid growing up in Atlanta. It required more of him than just picking up his glove and running onto the field. The truth? Stewart failed because he lacked core values, discipline and accountability.

Failure. That’s a word that Stewart uses a lot with the young players he instructs today. The new course his life took began with his desire to give young baseball players the mental and physical tools they needed to achieve their goals – on and off the field.

It started with AT-BATS, a proven, trademarked, comprehensive system of professional training and development designed to improve baseball performance through identifying and improving specific areas in the development process. Its success can be seen his stable of students, including vaunted Major Leaguers like Chicago Cubs’ Jason Heyward, former Pittsburgh Pirate one-time League MVP and San Francisco Giant Andrew McCutchen and St. Louis Cardinal Dexter Fowler, to name a few.

“I just grew tired of being me,” Stewart says, reflecting on the days following his exit of the game. “Failure is an inherent part of baseball, but it can ultimately lead you to success in the game.”

There is more to C.J. Stewart’s story.

In the summer of 2008, he and his wife, Kelli, created L.E.A.D., a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization designed to help level the playing field for disadvantaged, Black boys in Atlanta. L.E.A.D., which stands for Launch, Expose, Advise and Direct, helps develop ambassadors who help launch student-athletes toward educational opportunities after converting their raw talent into the skills required for entry into college athletic programs.

“Today’s young men live in a paradigm where failure means generational detriment,” Stewart says. “Through baseball, we can tangibly demonstrate to them the role that failure plays in development, using our games as the testing ground for the core values that we’re teaching them.”

The lesson that Scott and Stewart teach us is that we all aspire to greatness and strive to do amazing things in one way or another. To get there sometimes means finding that silver lining in a very dark cloud. It’s about what Scott calls embracing the “why” factor.

“It is the answer to the ‘why?’ when you take a certain path and do things in a certain manner that defines your purpose, outlines your plan and illustrates the end result,” Scott says. “Think of a child learning to ride a bike. They are not concerned with the amount of effort it takes to get on the bike. They will probably fall once or twice. The only thing that concerns the child is the ‘why?’ Why are they on the bike? To conquer the challenge, learn from it and to move forward.”

Audien participa BUSINESS

PERCEPTION

COMMUNICATION

P30 CANVAS APRIL 2018

Feature Story: By Jennifer Morrell

ence pation

R

emember the days when branding your product or service involved a cowboy, sitting on a horse, wearing a 10-gallon hat and holding a cigarette? Seems like forever ago. Today’s savvy consumers demand stimulation through every sense imaginable. Sound, touch, feel and engagement are not only popular concepts for brand management, but necessary ones as well.

It's all about the experience – and today's marketers know it. Successful brand engagement means you are tapping into your consumers' emotions. The concept of audience participation has morphed into a paramount step toward reaching – and keeping – your customers. Simply put, brand engagement is the forming of a bond or a loyalty between a consumer and a brand. And while it's a part of the brand management pie, you can make the case that it's the most important one.

Deb Gabor believes that the brands capable of giving their customers ways to interact with them are the ones people are talking about. “Articulating your brand and bringing it to life, and having lots of one-on-one connections with your audiences, takes place in several different forms,” says Gabor, CEO of Sol Marketing. “These include digital marketing and content marketing through the internet, as well as real-life events – if your brand exists in places other than online - and the management and activation of all the various touch points that exist around your brand.”

Gabor says a brand exists in a 360-degree space. Consumers should to want to eat, drink, live, smell and further experience a brand in every environment. That one-on-one engagement gives customers the option to interact with a brand and feel it is specific to them.

Kristin Marquet describes brand engagement as the consumer's emotional attachment to a brand, and she says continuous brand engagement is important in developing and maintaining a loyal client base. It requires the use of multiple touchpoints with consumers.

“It's important to have multiple touchpoints that are consistent, because it allows the customer to experience the same messaging and same level of service, from the first encounter to the last,” says Marquet, founder and creative director of Creative Development Media.

Perfecting the art of the long engagement

Be the real deal

EXPERIENCE

PROMISE

Look around and you'll see that consumers are getting smarter when it comes to organic, authentic content. More often, audiences are able to discern true content from “fake news.” Gabor says the idea is to make your content seem as authentic as possible, and not too overtly salesey.

“In the world of fake and not-fake news, people are increasingly skeptical of the content they consume,” she says.

“Authenticity is going to become more important as audiences become more sophisticated in their consumption of content.”

Today's consumers have a wide variety of platforms from which they can consume content. “Audiences are going to engage with content that is original and unique, which means canned, generic content will fall by the wayside,” Marquet says. “If brands want high engagement, producing top-notch content is critical.”

The role of content marketing in the brand engagement equation is huge. It's about educating and entertaining your customer through compelling content, which strengthens the brand and results in greater customer loyalty.

“Customers will purchase more and spread positive reviews,” Marquet says. “This is especially important with

CANVAS P31

Audience participation

3

ways to build brand engagement

1. Understand who your ideal customer is and where your brand fits into their lives.

2. C hoose consistent engagement strategies that are meaningful and relevant. Create opportunities for the audience to engage multiple times, and engage your audiences’ senses through experiences. The more touchpoints, the better.

3. Show your customers you’re in it for the long run and that you care about them by providing superior customer service and offering valuable content.

– Kristin Marquet, Founder & Creative Director, Creative Development Media

4

Measuring success

Assessing the success of audience participation means measuring outtakes versus outcomes. Measuring clicks, views, time spent online, etc. – these are outtakes.

“An outcome involves how behavior, attitude, and perception have been changed, and it's hard to measure,” Gabor says. “They are a little like advertising and awareness generation, in that the path between an activity and a purchase isn't a direct one.”

Companies really have to understand what they're trying to measure and what behaviors they're trying to change, assuring the right metrics are in place to match their purpose. “Audience participation is rarely about selling stuff,” Gabor says.

Brand risk

Source: Sol Marketing & Creative Development Media

“Audiences are going to engage with content that is original and unique, which means canned, generic content will fall by the wayside.”

their target audience,” Gabor says. “The audience knows they are in the right place when they consume Moxy content.”

Millennials since so many rely on the reviews of their peers and other customers for product and service purchases.”

Gabor cites Moxy Hotels, Marriott International's answer to 30-something travel, for going about audience engagement the right way. The company started a YouTube series in July 2017 called “Do Not Disturb.”

The webisodes are set in a Moxy hotel room and aim to connect to millennials, who would be the hotel chain's prime guest and customer. Moxy's target audience is able to see themselves in a Moxy hotel and feels that they are – or could be – part of the content. The tone of the series has been compared to Jerry Seinfeld's “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and Zach Galifianakis' “Between Two Ferns.”

The hotel brand hosted a huge “coming out” launch party, partnering with the Millennial-approved fashion brand, MADE. “Moxy has done a good job of making experiences highly tailored to

Companies often choose the strategy of associating their brands with people who already bond with their target audience.

While this tactic can be wildly successful, it also can be a slippery slope.

When you're choosing how to go about the process of aligning your brand, be thoughtful, deliberate and strategic about that alignment. “A company has to assure the [person they align with] doesn't get into trouble or develop a negative reputation, etc.,” Gabor says.

“It's important to ensure they align with the beliefs of the person.”

Sometimes, the person with whom you align your company can be perfectly fine, but the wrong fit for your message. Who doesn't remember Pepsi's 2017 ad, aimed at the “Join the Conversation” movement, with Kendall Jenner as the spokesperson? The company took a lot of immediate criticism as a result of casting Jenner, leaving Pepsi ad execs looking out of touch and tone deaf to the country's racial and gender-related issues.

In the end, you must assure the brand risk is worth the brand engagement reward.

areas where you should focus your brand engagement strategy

1. PERCEPTION Involve consumers and their attention intensely with your brand so it occupies their time and a place in their minds.

2. COMMUNICATION Draw consumers into a two-way (or more) conversation related directly or indirectly to your brand.

Source: KeySplash Creative Inc.

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3. EXPERIENCE Motivate consumers to be part of or participate in brand experiences.

4. P ROMISE Reinforce the brand promise to consumers.

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Feature Story

I

f you ever wanted to swim with the sharks then heed the lesson of the goldfish. As the Director of Marketing at Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, Shana Krisan has been instrumental in setting the business’ foundation for the emerging and rapidly-growing franchisor. And when she thinks about campaign success, it starts and ends with her school of franchisees... and there are many.

Over a decade ago, Goldfish Swim School was founded in Birmingham, Michigan in order to provide swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Today, Goldfish teaches more than 85,000 students per week with over 80 franchised schools open or in development in more than 26 states and Canada. In addition, they were recently recognized on the “Entrepreneur Franchise 500” as #1 in their category for the second year in a row.

What Marketers Must Consider Before Launching a Campaign She says, “Working in the franchise space, our goal is to always provide support and scalable solutions to help our franchisees grow their local businesses, while simultaneously protecting the Goldfish Swim School brand. We provide franchisees with many different marketing channels and solutions to market their locations, knowing that they know and understand their markets and how to customize the materials better than anyone else.”

In the last couple of years, there has been a swing in spending from the CIO office to the CMO office. Gartner has continued to predict that marketing departments will spend more than their IT counterparts, and recent studies reveal that almost half of B2B marketers will enjoy larger marketing budgets in the coming years.

So, while more and more brands believe they need to ramp up their marketing investment, determining how they allocate their funds, accounting for results, and figuring out how to keep their budgets robust all provide a challenge. In essence,

having the money to invest is wonderful, but getting started is nearly impossible these days.

Eddie Yoon, the author of “Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy, and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth” & Founder of EddieWouldGrow, believes success with any campaign begins with the people that know you. According to Yoon, “Most important is ‘who’. The DMA says that the response rate for direct mail is ~5.1% for a house list where you already have a relationship vs. ~2.9% for prospects you don’t know. Any lever that gives you a ~2x lift is the one to focus on.”

Numbers certainly matter. As in, “How many of these things are we going to print?”

However, given the importance of “who,” it’s uncanny how often marketers blast out countless pieces of material without any real relationship. Yoon states,”Marketers need to be precise by sending it to their superconsumers - who are the most passionate and profitable people in the category. Not brand superconsumers - but the category superconsumers.”

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Baiting the Hook Marketers have to consider the idea that the world seems more focused on results rather than relationships these days. As Krisan puts it, “We are in a high-touch business that is all about relationships and our franchisees understand that very well. The acquisition of one new child can result in three or four children within that family, neighborhood or school classroom coming to their local Goldfish Swim School. We have to be accountable for those relationships in all of our marketing channels. Our marketing, print or otherwise, is designed to build relationships with parents.”

So, if a marketer can figure out the “who,” then what determines success and what are the critical considerations for any campaign?

Determining Success

According to Elton Mayfield, Co-founder, ER Marketing, one of the most recognized and awarded B2B agencies in Kansas City, “I think this is critical to determine success up front. Sometimes it’s as simple as a response rate, a click rate or the number of phone calls. The key is to determine the success metric up front so everyone knows how to define it. Deciding what success looks like after the campaign is never a good idea.”

It can sound a bit remedial to talk about setting objectives, but the considerations for a brand owner or campaign manager are numerous. In addition, they typically have the added bonus of internal politics and bottlenecks. Consider the financial personnel wanting a specific return on investment (ROI) or the legal department wanting to read and reread every piece

of communication in order to protect the brand. The challenges faced just to initiate a campaign are enormous.

The overall objective of a campaign determines the channels and medium of the campaign. For example, Krisan explains “The print tactics used will vary depending on what the franchisee is looking to achieve; whether it is driving new memberships, contributing to the member experience, announcing a new location, or hosting a community event.”

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The combination of defining your “who” and establishing the proper goals allows marketers to start to use tools such as print in the most targeted of manner. As Yoon professes, “The best use of direct mail is to understand the story of your superconsumers, find consumers and markets who are close to becoming super, and then use direct mail to double down and accelerate their evolution.”

So what about print? When a brand owner decides that the message translates well within the haptic nature of print, the considerations are either different or potentially more difficult. According to Mayfield, “‘Dear Valued Customer’ isn’t very valuable.” In other words, the data has to be clean. In addition, he believes that you must find a way to track the activity or tie it back to some sort of measurement.

“Emails get missed at a higher rate than print does. We’ve found across all audiences that the physical inbox has less clutter and every piece is viewed versus our digital inbox that is constantly overflowing.”

– Elton Mayfield, Co-founder, ER Marketing

Considerations

Scalability may be a variable that matters.

Goldfish Swim School, for instance, is a rapidly-growing franchise and any campaign they embark on needs to be accessed and used by multiple locations with ease for both the franchise office and franchisee end-user. Krisan says to ask yourself, “Will the proposed piece meet and exceed their needs, and what options must we include for imagery, messaging and offers?”

How long materials last and their sustainability is a consideration. Does a piece of signage need to be used over and over again or is the piece something that could be referenced repeatedly? Aligning the campaign with a company’s environmental concerns might play a role early in the structure of a campaign.

Overall, simultaneously providing value to the marketplace and the core mission of the brand is taken into

account when designing a campaign. The budget may rest in marketing’s corner, but the campaign manager needs to assess if it is costeffective for all stakeholders.

Relying on partners like print service providers allows brand owners the chance to collaborate on things like substrates for signage or collateral marketing pieces.

“We have an amazing partner in Suttle-Straus, our print/ marketing software platform provider. On top of that collaboration, we also look to them to provide the most cost-effective way to produce materials depending on quantity, personalization, size, deadlines and variable content,” says Krisan.

Print’s Role

ER Marketing is a B2B agency that coordinates a lot of trade shows for clients and consistently sends direct mail to attendees prior to a show.

Mayfield says, “We always have a higher activation than a similar email sent to the same audience.” He believes that print is starting to play a major role and needs to be considered at the forefront of more campaigns. “Emails get missed at a higher rate than print does. We’ve found across all audiences that the physical inbox has less clutter and every piece is viewed versus our digital inbox that is constantly overflowing.”

Print offers a chance at a deeper connection with their audience. It may be tougher to measure, but touching something creates emotion. According to Krisan, “Kids are curious – they explore their world through touch, play-based learning, visual, and tactile experiences.

Research shows that is how kids learn best and why we use our holistic philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, in everything we do. We will continue to use print to engage children in our content, curriculum and characters with books, games, wide format creations, and more. We plan to continue to develop our relationship with parents through direct mail, social media, co-branded marketing, and collateral materials that meet our high-quality brand standards and deliver our message of water safety.”

Results

Marketers need to start investing in results. Successful marketing is wellplanned marketing, and successful marketing delivers demonstrable ROI. To swim with the sharks, marketers need to make sure their objectives are clear and that they have factored in the internal and external factors that can help or hinder success. Otherwise, they will be sleeping with the fishes.

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MARKETING

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Feature Story: ByFeature Linda Bishop Story

“I

need help,” said Dylan, who dropped a thick stack of estimates on Stacy’s desk.

How asking trial closing questions can help sales pro save time and make money

The newest person on the Big Print sales team, Dylan had interned there while working on his marketing degree at a local college. His strong work ethic and eagerness to learn impressed Big Print president, Richard, who offered Dylan a full-time job as a customer service representative after graduation. While Dylan took the job, he made it clear that his ultimate goal was a sales job. After two years in customer service, he received his opportunity.

Stacy was a seasoned sales pro and one of Big Print's top performers. Since the company didn't have a sales manager, Richard asked Stacy to mentor Dylan during his first year in sales. She agreed and discovered she enjoyed her new role.

Stacy flipped through the stack of estimates, which were all for Asking the same customer, though the trial close type of projects and the quantities varied. After scanning the questions last quote, Stacy looked at Dylan is a natural and smiled, "It looks like you've part of found a really good prospect. the selling Now all you have to do is convert this company into a customer." process. In "I agree," said Dylan, who fact, once dropped into the chair across the you start desk. "I need to move past quotto look ing and get a project to produce, but I'm worried about pushing for them too hard. I'm not sure how I should in sales approach Kristie, the buyer." calls, you’ll "Before I dive into closing, I like to test the waters by asking discover trial close questions," Stacy said. you’re "When I get the right answers to already my questions, I know the prosusing them. pect is ready to buy."

Dylan looked intrigued, "Can you teach me how to do a trial close?"

"Sure," Stacy said. "Let's get started."

The Challenge

You talk to a prospect. They listen politely. You hit the halfway point in the meeting. At this point, how do you know if you're making any headway? Is your message hitting home? Is the buyer interested in buying, or just being polite?

To succeed in sales, you must know where you stand. To find out where you stand, you have to ask trial close questions.

Asking trial close questions is a natural part of the selling process. In fact, once you start to look for them in sales calls, you'll discover you're already using them. So, here is your challenge.

What would make trial close questions more effective for you? How could they help you speed up sales cycles, focus on real opportunities, close more deals and make more money? Keep reading for answers.

Verbal commitments win sales

Trial close questions help you determine where you stand in multiple situations. Here are three examples of situations where sales professionals use trial close questions, along with examples.

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Open and shut...

SITUATION

Question to Ask

Is the client ready to give you an opportunity to quote?

What else would you like to know about my company, so you feel completely comfortable with us?

Will the client give you serious consideration on a project you are quoting?

On this project, do you have any concerns about choosing us as your partner?

Does the client prefer you to the other vendors on a project you are quoting?

We would love to produce this project. What do you need from us to make that happen?

The first question – "What else would you like to know about my company, so you feel completely comfortable with us?" – helps you identify when you're making progress.

Often, buyers who are genuinely interested in purchasing have unanswered questions. You can ask this trial question during the first call to gauge where you stand.

It also works well with followup calls. In fact, you can use it right up to the moment you finally get an opportunity.

The buyer's answer to the question provides clues.

he discusses effective persuasion tactics. One tactic is consistency. Cialdini's research shows that people want to act in a harmonious way, where their thoughts and actions are congruent. To trigger the consistency desire, Cialdini says, "Consistency is activated by looking for, and asking for, small initial commitments that can be made."

For example, when you ask, "What else would you like to know about my company, so you feel completely comfortable with us?" the buyer may respond with,

The buyer's answer to the question provides clues. By sifting through them, you can determine if you're close to cracking the case and making a sale, or still miles away from conversion.

By sifting through them, you can determine if you're close to cracking the case and making a sale, or still miles away from conversion.

Buyers often answer by saying, "You covered everything."

Hmmm! What does that really mean? Do they really know everything they need to know to buy, or are they politely shutting you down?

Remember, the whole point of a trial close is to figure out where you stand. Even if the buyer's body language appears to be oozing interest, nudge until you get a verbal commitment. A verbal commitment is important. Here's why: In Dr. Robert Cialdini's wellresearched book, "Influence,"

"You covered everything."

The vague answer sidesteps a verbal commitment to purchase from you in the future.

Smile, nod and say, "I'm glad to hear that. What type of projects do you see us being a fit for you?"

While you're not asking the buyer to place an order, the question demands specific information. The buyer who says, "I want you to quote on a postcard we're producing this month," is more committed to buying than the buyer who answers with, "Maybe I can use you on a mailing job."

The second answer is not doom and gloom. But it does communicate there's

more work to be done to earn an opportunity.

Improve trial close skills – What's in it for you?

Save time. Make more money. Improve your trial closing skills, and you win both ways. Asking questions to learn exactly where you stand in a sales cycle is a time-saver that stops you from over-investing in prospects who never buy but are too kind-hearted (or too wimpy) to say this outright.

When buyers share specific information, a green light is flashing. Accelerate efforts in these accounts. Determine the next steps. Move forward and close the deal.

As a sales professional, our biggest competitive advantage often is our willingness to change how we think because thoughts drive how we sell. You already use trial close questions. How can you improve your skills to get better results?

Look at the questions you ask. Should you be more specific? Consider timing.

When is it the right moment to ask a trial close question?

How do you sound? Do your questions come off as a natural part of the conversation? Or, do you give the impression that an interrogation is underway?

There are many ways to improve this critical selling skill. Small improvements in how you approach trial close questions can bring big – and often immediate – payoffs.

Take the challenge. Improve, and you're sure to win.

Good selling!

Linda Bishop, a longtime veteran of the commercial printing industry, is the founder of Thought Transformation Inc. (www.thoughttransformation.com), which trains and consults companies and sales professionals on how to sell more and reach their full potential. You can reach her at lindabishop@thoughttransformation.com.

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