CANVAS - April 2019 - "The Shift"

#INKJETMINDSET • THE SOCIAL SQUEEZE • GROWTH SPURT EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

APRIL 2019

Moving your focus from product to customer

SMART CHANGE STARTS HERE

IT WAS A VERY DEFINITIVE DECISION THAT CANON WAS THE RIGHT GROUP TO WORK WITH, not just because of the equipment and what it can do, but really the people and the organization itself.”

—Adam LeFebvre, President, Specialty Print Communications #INKJETMINDSET

Océ ProStream™ series

SEE HOW SPECIALTY PRINT COMMUNICATIONS IS EXCELLING WITH THE OCÉ PROSTREAM SERIES: PPS.CSA.CANON.COM/EXCEL Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ is a registered trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ ProStream is a trademark 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. ©2019 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

APRIL VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 2

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Inside this issue

BOILERPLATE

34

ALSO INSIDE

30

The Social Squeeze

#INKJET MINDSET

What to do with social algorithms and metrics

Living (and loving) the print life

04

Publisher’s Note

A New Recipe

STAT PACK

06

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

12

STRATEGY

14 CORNER OFFICE

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VIP worthy: 3 values of great leaders Collaborate to maximize impact

CANVAS APRIL 2019

Industry news & awards

Brand Owner Council

19 20

16 17 18

Maxing out Convertible Solutions’ Elite Soft Touch

All about Spectro Life. Happens. One. Conversation.

At. A. Time.®

IGNITE BRILLIANCE

22

CANVAS Buyer’s Guide Simply the best

38

4 behaviors to infuse your culture with trust—and fast

SOCIALLY SPEAKING

23

Why it’s time to stop selling print on social media

NEW

PRODUCT ALERT

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Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

CONTRIBUTORS Justin Ahrens Founder & Principal Rule29 @justinahrens

A New Recipe

W

e find ourselves operating in a unique period of time. We have an industry that’s highly conditioned by the values and habits of the Industrial Age, but we are also addicted to the immediate gratification that comes from the Digital or Connection Age. To be specific, our industry is rooted in manufacturing and the industrial mindset prevails. We define our business by the products or solutions we offer rather than the communities we serve. And we still use the engagement recipe that came into vogue 50 years ago. We view customers as consumers, and we devote most of our content to product information and sales support.

We simultaneously live in a world where we are addicted to immediate gratification, while our collective heads are buried in our devices and are forgoing the kind of observation and experience that is inherently human. We have all the tools to keep people out of our inner circle and most often choose to do so.

It is quite the dichotomy when we’re married to technology, yet we’re still trying to use tactics from an analog world. The fact is that the way we engage must change. It demands a new mindset. To be clear, success comes from vulnerability. It’s being able to embrace risk in a world where people have cocooned themselves and have little interest in exposing that vulnerability.

Certainly, success can be defined in a variety of ways, but getting to another level in the post Industrial Age landscape demands a new recipe of engagement.

We are bombarded with loosely defined content, and my guess is that the combination of that noise and the tools at our disposal has created a world where buyers have all the power.

And while the internet is a place for the remarkable, I sense that real success is born from having real yet respectful engagement. Real connection takes a lot of work and a different approach.

Publishing is the way to build a relationship within your target community. Heck, according to B2B Marketing Insider, on average, marketers spend over a quarter of their marketing budgets on content marketing. Content marketing is reportedly on track to generate $313B in revenue by 2019, according to PQ Media’s “Global Content Marketing Forecast.”

Today’s consumers expect to get to know the brands they’re buying from, and the publishing process is a safe and sincere way of affording them that chance. I am always surprised by how many companies are reluctant to invest in content marketing because of how hard it can be to measure results. But when you can marry content marketing with direct response marketing, you’ll be nurturing the kind of sales growth you desire.

Enjoy the issue.

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter, Publisher @MarkRicePotter

Greg Chambers Founder Chambers Pivot Industries LLC @ChambersPivot AmyK Hutchens, Founder, AmyK Inc. @AmyKHutchens

John Waid, Founder, C-3 Corporate Culture Consulting

GET IN TOUCH WITH US @THECANVASMAG

2009 Mackenzie Way, Suite 100 Cranberry Township, PA 16066 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 13, Issue 2. copyright 2019 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2009 Machenzie Way, Suite 100, Cranberry Township, PA 16066. Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2009 Machenzie Way, Suite 100, Cranberry Township, PA 16066. 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% recycled fiber and SFI and FSC chain of custody certification.

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FIND THAT MISSING PIECE THROUGH CONTENT

channeling content & connections conduit-inc.com

STAT PACK

I see forests... lots of them Between 2005 and 2015, U.S. forests grew by the equivalent of 2,740 NFL football fields each day. According to research by Two Sides North America, that’s a total of almost 1.3 million acres a year. The United States grows more trees than it harvests. In fact, there are 20 percent more trees today than there were on the first Earth Day celebration in 1970.

Unraveling the mystery How to find what content works for your sales team 1. How much content is actually being used by the sales team in the field?

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We know—we’ve all heard the news: Content matters. So, if you’re like most companies today, you spend a good amount of time game planning what content (or at least you should) you need for your sales and marketing strategy. How’s that going? According to Showcase Workshop, here are five questions you should ask when it comes to creating and distributing sales-related content:

2. What content specifically are they using?

3. What is converting for them?

4. What are they sharing?

5. What’s the correlation between collateral usage and sales success?

Insights

Human touch 3 ways to better personalize your content

If you want to reach your customers—every one of them—you have to get personal. Today’s successful ABM strategies are content-driven. That means you have to go beyond just using the name of the prospect in an email.

To build deep and long-lasting better connections with your target accounts, you must personalize your content.

According to “7 B2B Marketing Strategies You Need to Know to Build a Better Marketing Plan” by Salesforce and Pardot, here are three strategies that work: BUSINESS: There are many ways to use the business of your buyers to personalize your content. Check out the scope of the businesses in your area. Who are they and what do they offer? This will help you target a thought-leadership piece that grabs their attention.

TIMELINESS: Do any of your key accounts have any milestones? Anniversaries? An annual event?

Acknowledging these with relevant content helps show you care about what’s important to them.

GOALS: What are the major goals of your target accounts? What do they hope to accomplish for their business? Knowing these can give you significant scope when you’re considering how to demonstrate your value proposition.

THE AI EFFECT

Survey examines its impact in the workplace You already know that Artificial Intelligence is the wave of the future. But did you know how much today’s businesses are leaning on its influence? According to InsideSales.com’s “The State of AI for Sales & Marketing,” 15.6 percent of sales and marketing professionals say it is one of the most prominent trends impacting businesses today. The survey, which queried more than 600 professionals across the country, examined how deeply it is ingrained in the sales and marketing landscape. Here’s a look at which departments will benefit most from AI’s influence in the workplace:

51.6% 44.4% 40.5%

Sales Marketing Customer service

31.7% 18.3% 11.3%

Finance & accounting Human resources

THE NUMBERS GAME...

1.8

The amount, in trillions, that the B2B ecommerce market is expected to hit in the United States by 2023. (“The B2B eCommerce Playbook” by Forrester)

82

The percent of buyers who wish that B2B had the creativity associated with B2C. In addition, 81 percent feel they would make better decisions if B2B marketing and advertising was more engaging.

(Propeller Insights and WMH)

170

The number, in millions of tons, of corrugated boxes that were sold in 2018, equaling a market value worth $112 billion. That number is expected to grow at a 3.9 percent Y-O-Y clip in 2019. (FMI “Future Market Insights” report)

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Perspective | Leadership | Insights

CORNER OFFICE

BY JOHN WAID

VIP worthy: 3 values of great leaders

L

eadership. It tends to be an overused word. There are lots of managers in companies, but very few leaders.

Even the ones who call themselves leaders have attributes that leave much to be desired. Great leaders have a few qualities that make them special and their companies extraordinary for people and profits.

So what’s the definition of leadership? Great leaders are not the people who you’re forced to follow—they’re the ones you want to follow. They are humble, care more about others than themselves and understand that it’s not about the leader, it’s about the followers. Most of the best leaders have a dream and turn that dream into reality with others.

So what’s in the DNA of great leaders? What values do they stand for? And what makes them VIPs?

Values

Value lies in the values. Great leaders know they’re responsible for establishing the culture of the company. They know that culture is their No. 1 responsibility and work on it daily.

The best leaders work on the values and behaviors of their people and make sure they work on culture first. Because without people knowing and living the values you stand for, you may be doomed to get people to follow you.

So, the best leaders work on culture first and have unique values that they all know and train on, and it is at the core of how they hire, fire and promote. What are some things you can do today that would make you a better leader? Here are some ideas: • Select or pare down your values to one to three values (no more than that) that are unique to what makes you successful.

• Define how these values should be lived down to details like, “Our people smile with teeth.”

• Hire, fire and promote for these behaviors and make sure to hire people who already believe in them as they are more likely to do what you are going to ask them to do anyway. Emphasize and train the specific behaviors in detail. Success or failure in companies is all about people and how they behave.

Leaders should work on "Why—Culture First" through values and daily behaviors; "How—Structure" second through coaches and paying attention to how to serve the customers; and "What—Strategy" third through managers. Identify your sustainable competitive advantages and when they will be executed to produce results and profits. The best leaders are also master communicators.

Inspiration

Inspire on purpose. Great leaders make sure everyone knows, is inspired by and lives the purpose of why they are there.

Many great leaders talk about the purpose of the company often and make sure everyone cares about why they’re there in the first place.

People in companies don't get frustrated necessarily by what they do; they get burned out because they don’t know why they do it or don’t like who they’re doing it for. Purposedriven companies continually outperform companies that lack purpose.

What is your purpose? Define this transcendent or noble purpose.

• Talk about why you’re in business. What is the ultimate outcome if you do great work? Who will it benefit?

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• Decide what your purpose will be—some made-up examples are, “We Believe in Better Living,” “We Help People Be Better,” and “We Inspire, Inspiration.”

• Communicate and inspire people to live the purpose daily.

Leaders can inspire on purpose if they have a purpose.

Make sure you develop a purpose that others are willing to follow voluntarily.

People

Be in the people business. The best leaders realize that if you don’t put people before profits, you will make fewer profits. The leaders who connect with the front line and have the support of the people who make money are the ones who are willing to follow voluntarily.

There are leaders who care about the money, others about the customers, and still others about people (starting with the employees). The best leaders care deeply about their employees and put them first, knowing that if the employees live the purpose and values (culture), they will be great to customers and produce more profits.

The best leaders are loved by their people, not feared.

They care about each one of them even more than they care about themselves. They know they’re the examples for how they want others to behave. The best ones eat in the employee cafeteria, spend time with the front line, and value them. These leaders are especially adept at communicating with actions before words.

Great leaders are not the people who you’re forced to follow—they’re the ones you want to follow.

Some ways to focus on people first are: • No matter what industry you’re in, you should become an expert in people; because if you think about it, you’re in the people business. First, you must understand your people and need to serve them so they can serve the customer. Most companies are strong in technical skills and weak in people skills.

• Train on people skills and benchmark internally and externally against the best in the business.

• Make your headquarters “the people headquarters” and make sure you focus on hiring for purpose and values.

Make sure your leaders are humble and believe they are and know how to be in the people business.

Want to be the best leader? Become a VIP who focuses on Values, Inspiration and Purpose, and you will also be a VIP for your employees, customers and the bottom line.

John Waid is the founder of C-3 Corporate Culture Consulting, a keynote speaker and author of “Inspiring Isabella— A Little Story for Leaders About Culture-Driven Leaders.” For more information, visit www.CorporateCultureConsulting.com.

CORNER OFFICE

Perspective | Leadership | Insights

BY JUSTIN AHRENS

Collaborate to maximize impact

O

ne of my favorite things about life is that there are billions of us who have different experiences every moment of the day, yet we share many similarities. As human beings, we were created to be in relationship. No matter who you are, you desire community and collaboration at some level. Learning from others’ successes, failures and strategies is incredibly powerful. But in professional communities, the concept of collaboration often goes only so far.

With the proliferation of social media, learning from others has become a common practice at some levels, but the collaboration I’m talking about is something more intimate and specific. It’s about finding others with whom you can get your hands dirty, doing actual, real work together.

Of course, you need to pay attention to the bottom line, You need to pay but money isn’t everything. attention to the At times, it’s wise to “invest” some of your work capital into bottom line, new ways of doing things. This but money isn’t could involve money or time, or it might utilize your experience. everything. At Over time, what allows you to times, it’s wise to enjoy your work more is doing it better—challenging your sta“invest” some of tus quo, innovating, learning your work capital new perspectives, and being invigorated with new processes into new ways of or creative thought. If this isn’t doing things. happening for you, this is more important than you may think.

There was a definite learning curve when I first joined forces with other professionals. As any creative will tell you, collaboration is very much a part of the process in the design industry. We work with copywriters, illustrators, photographers, other internal creatives, our clients and experts depending on what the job requires. But I had never worked with other “competitive” designers or companies.

In addition, there were some very well-known copywriters, illustrators and photographers that I couldn’t afford to work with, so I did the next best thing: I called them and asked them to meet me for coffee, lunch or a drink. I wanted to get together with them and talk shop. Others I stalked at conferences or professional events. I introduced myself and obtained their business cards. Over time, I worked on building a relationship with these professionals. My goal was simple: I wanted to learn from others I respected.

Fifteen years ago, one of my clients decided to start a nonprofit organization to offer teens an alternative to the growing inner city violence. Fortunately for this project, my client

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was well-known, and I thought this would be a perfect project to collaborate with certain professionals I had always wanted to work with. This project was a start-up with no initial funds, so my call was straightforward: “Would you collaborate with me, doing what you do best, for a great cause?” Amazingly, everyone I asked said yes.

Throughout the entire project, I was a sponge. I asked questions, I contributed my thoughts, and I was open to others’ insights and perspectives. In the end, the project turned out better than I could have imagined. I made some great new connections and was able to work with individuals I had admired from afar.

The best part, of course, was that the result helped my client to be successful. I learned some valuable lessons in the process. While there were some bumps along the way, I knew I liked working this way, and I was determined to design a way to do more projects like this.

Since that first project, I have collaborated on hundreds of projects. I have worked with others in my field on paid assignments, and we’ve worked gratis for causes that we felt passionate about. Cause collaboration is a key way to partner with others you admire, especially if your work culture is resistant to this type of thing.

No excuses—give this a shot. Here are some things to keep in mind as you go for it: • Have clear goals and expectations. Make sure everyone is on the same page right from the start.

• Take it seriously. If the collaboration is not treated like real work, whether it’s paid or not, the result will be less than what it could be.

• Trust. You are working with these new friends because they are great at what they do. Let them do their thing.

• Commit to this effort. It’s not always easy at first, but be committed to the process.

• Let the results inspire you. Keep raising the bar for future collaborative work.

• Learn from the experience. Apply what you’ve learned to future collaborations.

Good luck. You will be refreshed by the result, I promise.

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 –­ @justinahrens and @rule29.

Perspective | Technology | Insights

CORNER OFFICE

Fast forward Survey shows what's on marketers' minds What does the future hold for marketers? Don't get them started.

With advancements in technology and strategies, keeping ahead of the curve is paramount. According to Digital Marketing Institute's "20/20 Vision: A Marketing Leader's View of Digital's Future" report, 82 percent believe their company must invest in staff training and development in order to remain competitive. The report, which surveyed more than 200 global executive and senior marketing professionals from around the world, took a deep dive into what's keeping them up at night. Here's a look at five of their top challenges:

54% — Pace of technological change 53% Recruiting the right talent for their organization 49% Difficulty creating engaging digital content 45% Skills shortage with the business 44% Difficulty measuring the effectiveness of digital content

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BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Around the industry Canon Solutions America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. Inc., has joined forces with Barracuda Networks Inc., a leading provider for cloud-enabled security solutions.

The partnership comes on the heels of Canon Solutions America's recognition for a need to provide a security awareness resource geared toward helping customers mitigate risk. The Barracuda PhishLine offering is designed to help customers guard against social-engineering threats through continuous simulation and training for employees. Canon Solutions America customers can take advantage of offerings that can help turn employees into front–line defenders of workplace security by reducing social engineering vulnerability.

In other Canon Solutions America news, the 13th book from its Future Authors Project, "Inside Jokes & Outside Notes," was published recently. The book was written by student participants in the program's Palm Beach County, Florida group. The program originated through a public-private collaboration between Canon Solutions America and the School District of Palm Beach County. It has since expanded to other areas of the country. Since its inception in 2006, more than 500 students in Palm Beach County have benefited from the program.

Future Authors was created to help students learn about the processes of writing, editing, and digitally publishing books.

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association’s (SGIA) Women in Print Alliance is now an official advisory council with 17 female leaders representing different facets of the printing

Personnel Moves Roland DGA has named Andrew Oransky as its new CEO. Oransky, who also is president, will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the Irvine, California-based company.

In his expanded role, he will assume overall responsibility for company strategy and performance and will report directly to the board of directors at parent company Roland DG. Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends has named Eric Zimmerman its director of Wide Format Printing advisory service.

Zimmerman will be responsible for forecasting, market analysis, research and custom consulting related to wide format digital printing, including graphics and technical applications.

SA International (SAi), a leading provider of software solutions for the signmaking, digital printing and CNC machining industries, has promoted Gudrun Bonte to VP Product Management.

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industry. Since 2016, the Women in Print Alliance, which includes suppliers, executives and educators, has supported and advanced women serving the industry through mentorship, education and personal and professional development.

Elaine Scrima, VP of Operations at GSP, has been named chair of the advisory council. Other members include: Fran Biderman-Gross, CEO, Advantages Erin Blank, Creative Services Manager, Heidelberg Lori Campbell, COO, The Label Printers Ann Crum, Executive Director, Phoenix Inkjet & Colour Solutions Denise Gustavson, Editor-in-Chief, Wide-Format Impressions Jaime Lynn Herand, VP of Graphic Operations, Orbus Exhibit & Display Group Lane Kathryn Hickey-Wiggins, President & CEO, Dprint Cheryl Kahanec, CEO, Quantum Group Laura Maybaum, Market Segment Manager, Nazdar Ink Technologies Adrienne Palmer, Editor-in-Chief, Big Picture magazine Tiffany Radar Spitzer, Printer & Technical Manager, Roeder Industries Heather Roden, Strategic Account Manager, Zund America Xiaoying Rong, Professor, California Polytechnic State University Rachel Rossman, Director of Development, Printing Industries of Ohio • N. Kentucky Kristin Lanzarone-Scribner, Owner/Operator, WrapStar Pro Nona Woolbright, Associate Professor, Clemson University

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

Industry news & more

Awards & Recognition The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) has created a Suppliers and Manufacturers Council (SMC), an elite group of industry leaders who will advise the association on issues and concerns related to the future success of their companies, their customers and the printing industry. The SMC also gives members an opportunity for peer-to-peer interaction and advice in selected areas, including event participation, access to customers and new markets, industry research, legislative affairs and advocacy, training programs and talent acquisition.

The group is designed to represent the convergence taking place in the printing industry. Members include executives from segments including commercial print/publications, in-plant printers, package printing, wide-format and graphics, garment decoration and functional printing.

Andrew Oransky (SMC Chairman), President, Roland DGA Corp.

Danny Sweem, CEO, The M&R Companies Kimberly Daugherty, President, Advanced Color Solutions Carleen Gray, CEO, Stahls’ Heather Poulin, Director, Strategic Planning & Business Development, Ricoh USA Ken VanHorn, VP, Marketing & Operations, Mimaki Chris Raney, President, Baumer HHS Ken Ingram, President, Screen Americas Frank Tückmantel, VP, Corporate Marketing, EFI Michael LaBella, Commercial Director, Inks & Industrial Colors, Sensient Larry Moore, VP, NA Partner Programs, Esko Michael Abergel, Executive VP & Managing Director, MGI Scott Fisher, President, Fisher Textiles Eric Tischer, President, Verseidag Kay Fernandez, Senior VP, Marketing, Konica Minolta Michael Sanders, Director, Printable Textiles & Finishing Technology, Top Value Fabrics Jacki Hudmon, Senior VP, New Business Development, Komori David Wilkins, VP, Sales & Marketing, Xeikon Display graphics firm Cushing has been named "Illinois Family Business of the Year" in the Small Business Category. The award, presented by the Family Business Center at Loyola University, Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business, recognizes companies with an exceptional commitment to family enterprise in Chicagoland and the surrounding suburbs. Cushing earned the achievement in the small business category. It celebrates community involvement, sustained business growth, and involvement from multi-generational family

members. The third-generation firm started as a blueprinting company one month before the stock market crash of 1929.

Despite challenges, the company found success building relationships in the (AEC) architecture, engineering and construction industries. Today, the display graphics firm is designated as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and works with an array of businesses. Services include wayfinding, business signage, marketing collateral and all facets of environmental branding.

Canon U.S.A. Inc. has been ranked No. 3 in the IFI CLAIMS Patent Services by being awarded a total of 3,056 patents in 2018. This marks the 33rd consecutive year that Canon ranked in the Top 5 for number of U.S. patents awarded and the 14th consecutive year that it was the top recipient of U.S. patents among Japanese companies. Additionally, and new this year to IFI’s patent analysis, Canon ranked second in Ultimate Patent Ownership. This separate analysis tabulates the world’s largest current patent holders, which includes parent companies and their subsidiaries. Unlike IFI’s annual Top U.S. Patent Recipients*, the broader ranking measures the size of a patent owner’s global portfolio based on the number of active patent families around the world covering a single invention. Canon secured the second spot, outranking IBM, with 34,905 active patent families.

Roland DGA Corporation has been awarded a "2018 Top Workplaces" honor by the Orange County Register. This marks the eighth time Roland DGA has received the honor from the region’s largest newspaper.

The selection as a Top Workplace is based solely on information obtained from anonymous employee surveys administered by Energage, LLC (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), a top provider of employee-based engagement tools. The surveys take into consideration meaningfulness of work, leadership strength, training, workplace flexibility and diversity, social responsibility, and other key elements that contribute to employee satisfaction. The surveys were completed by 40,564 employees at the selected large, medium and small-sized companies throughout Orange County.

Each employee responded to 24 statements that define their workplace environment and, based on those responses, a total of 140 companies were chosen as “Top Workplaces” for 2018.

Printing Industries of America has announced the winners of its "2019 Best Workplace in the Americas (BWA)" award and the "Safety Shield" designation.

The "Best Workplace in the Americas" award winners were evaluated on human resources benchmarking categories that recognize companies that embrace the most sought-after qualities for today's work environment: Communication & Culture, Employee Resources & Benefits, and Safety & Work Environment. The "Safety Shield" designation winners were evaluated on the importance of focusing on safety practices in the workplace. Winners included: "Best of the Best" designations: American Packaging Corporation Communicorp, Inc. Hopkins Printing Midland Information Resources MOSAIC SeaChange Print Innovations Suttle-Straus VistaPrint "Best Workplace" designation: Boutwell, Owens & Co., Inc. CJK Group Corporate Communications Group Digital Print Solutions Disc Graphics, Inc. GPA Graphic Visual Solutions Hammer Packaging Inland Kendall Packaging Corporation MBI Direct Mail, Inc. Phototype Ripon Printers Royle Printing Runbeck Election Services, Inc. Smyth Companies, LLC Steinhauser Incorporated Syracuse Label & Surround Printing Tailored Label Products The John Roberts Company Transcontinental Robbie, Inc. Vox Printing Weldon, Williams & Lick, Inc. Worzalla "Safety Shield" designation: American Packaging Corporation CJK Group Communicorp, Inc. Disc Graphics, Inc. GPA Hammer Packaging Hopkins Printing Midland Information Resources MOSAIC Ripon Printers Smyth Companies, LLC Suttle-Straus Syracuse Label & Surround Printing Transcontinental Robbie, Inc. Vox Printing Worzalla

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SPONSORED BY ASSOCIATION OF PRINT TECHNOLOGIES

STRATEGY

Brand Owner Council Driving print packaging standards

A

package is a more than just a container for a product. It’s an essential element of a brand’s identity.

For brand owners, keeping the signature design elements of their brands consistent throughout the packaging supply chain is mission critical. For large Consumer Products Companies (CPCs) that print packages all over the globe, this task is especially challenging.

With variation between suppliers—in materials, environment, and processes—many CPCs develop their own custom specifications for supply chain partners in order to maintain brand consistency. This forces the packaging printer to follow different sets of rules (and sometimes, workflows) for each CPC it serves.

This isn’t an efficient or cost-effective way to operate. The fact is that it’s possible for everyone in the packaging supply chain to achieve consistent product using a common methodology based not on custom processes but on best practices and ISO standards.

For brand owners, keeping the signature design elements of their brands consistent throughout the packaging supply chain is mission critical.

This is the work of the Brand Owner Council (BOC). Administered by Association for PRINT Technologies, the BOC launched in January of 2017 as a forum for brand owners to meet and discuss solutions to issues of concern in the packaging industry. Its members include some of the world’s largest CPCs, including 3M, Barilla, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, The Kraft Heinz Company, P&G, Pepsico, Petsmart, and Snyder’s Lance. The Council’s mission is: • To provide a forum for a brand owners (users) group to discuss and develop best practices that will align their business partners with a common methodology to deliver consistent design intent on packaging.

• To empower brand owners to contribute to the development of standards that improve communication across their suppliers.

• To benefit printers and measurement equipment manufacturers (saving them time and resources) by providing requirements and evaluation criteria spelled out in a common fashion by their customers (CPCs).

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The BOC’s first product, released in the fall of 2017, is a set of guidelines, a schema, that brand owners can provide to their supply chains specifying proper viewing conditions; instrument calibration and verification; and defined, repeatable workflows. The schema is based on the developing international technical report ISO/PRF TR 19303-1: “Graphic Technology—Guidelines for Schema Writers—Part 1: Package Printing.”

It lists requirements and expectations for each member of the package printing supply chain, including brand owners, designers, prepress (premedia), printers, and converters.

As an example, the schema recommends that a design/comp house has the following operating conditions: • Viewing conditions compliant with ISO 3664:2009 • Metrology instruments compliant with ISO 13655:2009 (specific aperture, optics, and Delta E settings) • Software compliant with raster/vector format • Proofing or design prints compliant with ISO 12647-7 contract proofs or-8 design prints •F ile Format PDF/X-4 2010 (ISO 15390-7) with images raw or TIFF with aim profile embedded • Files preflighted with Ghent Workgroup 2015 or later packaging specifications • Defined SOP for processes The schema also includes recommendations that related standards don’t address, such as suggested frequency for updating devices like spectrophotometers and human vision testing for those responsible for assessing color.

With its clearly defined roles and responsibilities, the schema can not only protect brands but also assist printing companies and CPCs by providing one clearly defined set of expectations. Ultimately, the result is a best-in-class resource that provides alignment for the brand owner’s supply chain.

You can find the schema at printtechnologies.org/schema.

For more information, contact Debbie Orf, dorf@aptech.org.

First published in LeadingPRINT magazine, Spring 2019.

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CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

MID-VOLUME UV FLATBED PRINTER

Simply the best

How the Acuity LED 40 Series can help boost your bottom line

Where should you begin when it comes to Fujifilm's new Acuity LED 40 Series? Do you start with the variety of productive print modes? Light and white ink options?

The LED UV curing system?

To be sure, the demonstrable environment benefits of the Acuity LED 40 Series are many. And if those qualities are not enough to catch the eye of today's print service providers looking for innovative solutions for customers in the sign and display graphics industry, there is much more.

For starters, the mid-volume UV flatbed printer can output on substrates such as canvas, wood, tile, glass and heat-sensitive films. It's the kind of appeal that printers need in today's ever-competitive landscape.

The Acuity LED 40 Series, the newest addition to the highly successful, renowned Acuity platform, offers superior print quality and application versatility with rigid or flexible substrates. Designed to be a cost-effective printer for growing print service providers as well as existing Acuity customers considering an upgrade, the Acuity LED 40 Series provides production capacity speeds up to 548 square feet per hour, and the double bed offers speeds up to 568 square feet per hour.

“The Acuity LED 40 Series delivers superior print quality,” says Ramona Serafino, associate product marketing manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation,

Graphic Systems Division. "A variety of ink options along with an LED curing system demonstrates excellent environmental benefits with significant cost benefits to users."

The standard model enables users to print on media or objects of any size up to 49x98 inches, while with the X2 (double bed size) model increases to 98 x 121 inches. The 40 Series also features an added benefit of instant-on for immediate printing, eliminating the need to wait for the printer to warm up, which is an added benefit to customers who are not involved in all-day production runs.

The Acuity LED 40 Series utilizes a new LED ink by Fujifilm, Uvijet KL, and is available with four, six or eight color channels. Users have the option to add light inks and varnish for stunning, highvalue applications, and also upgrade to Fujifilm’s brightest white UV ink, ideal for backlit and fine art applications.

Additionally, all of Fujifilm’s Uvijet inks are GREENGUARD Gold certified, a stringent certification benchmark with regard to sensitive individuals such as children and the elderly, ensuring the output is suitable for use in environments including schools and healthcare facilities.

Inside the Acuity LED 40 Series As a member of the Acuity platform, the Acuity LED 40 Series offers a number of elements adapted from the Acuity Flatbed series: • Zoned Vacuum Flatbed — Six dedicated vacuum zones tailored to common media sizes reduce the need for bed masking. The double bed has a seventh zone. Adjustable vacuum strength allows for optimum handling of different materials.

•P neumatic Registration Pins — Minimizes setup time, allowing for quick, easy and accurate positioning of material and loading in perfect register. Standard bed version has five pins; the double bed version has 10 pins, which can be controlled both automatically and manually.

• Compact Footprint — Built to fit in the tightest production spaces.

P16 CANVAS APRIL 2019

• Roll Media Option — A compact roll-to-roll unit extends its versatility. High-quality images can be printed on roll media.

• Double Bed Continuous Production Model Option — Expand the standard bed from 98.4 inches x 49.2 inches (2.5 m x 1.25 m) to double bed size of 98.4 inches x 121.3 inches (2.5 m x 3.08 m) for printing larger images. Includes dual registration points, so it can set up in one zone while printing on the other zone for nonstop printing.

• Automatic Maintenance System (AMS) — Automates primary printhead maintenance to take as little as 25 seconds. This reduces the need to use the manual vacuum device to carry out daily maintenance.

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

Maxing out

INKJET COLOR DIGITAL PRESS

Why the Océ VarioPrint i-series provides the best in peak productivity

For printers wanting to create opportunities to grow their business, the Océ VarioPrint i-series is the perfect option.

Available in either the i300 or i200 model, the Inkjet color digital press combines the reduced costs of inkjet with the media and application flexibility of sheet-fed production.

That means today's print shops have myriad options to max out their potential, including cost effectively running monochrome and color print jobs on one engine, moving mono applications to higher-value/higher-margin color products and extending the crossover point for digital print versus offset, which helps more pages migrate to digital print.

Adding the Océ VarioPrint i-series to your equipment portfolio gives your print team the opportunity to:

Enjoy peak productivity

The VarioPrint i-series prints up to 294 letter images per minute, while the i200 digital color press prints up to 194 letter images per minute (or more than 8,820/5,820 duplex letter sheets per hour). The printer targets heavy production volumes of 1-10 million pages per month and supports a large variety of paper sizes up to 13.9-inch x 19.7-inch (B3) format. Up to 12 paper trays feed a broad range of standard offset and inkjet substrates from 16 lb. bond to 110 lb. cover.

Proven Océ VarioPrint 6000+ input and output technologies help enable a white-sheet-in, finished-application-out workflow required to meet the demands of today's shorter

run, fast turnaround print marketplace. Reliable high-speed sheet-fed inkjet production printing is powered by Océ iQuarius technologies, a range of innovations that allow for robust, high quality prints on sheets of paper, at high speed.

Superb quality

Leveraging printhead technology from the proven Océ ColorStream inkjet web presses, the VarioPrint i-series color inkjet printer provides 600 x 600 dpi output with drop size modulation to deliver 1,200 dpi perceived image quality.

Automated inline quality control detects nozzle failure and automatically applies compensation to help maintain quality.

Maximizing uptime

Uptime is crucial to meet today's demanding SLAs. For Océ VarioPrint i-series color inkjet presses, uptime is enhanced by automated maintenance routines which help secure uninterrupted production, simultaneously helping maintain print quality, productivity and uptime. Engineered with “Sense and Support” maintenance, the Océ VarioPrint i-series printer helps minimize unplanned service activities and optimize planned maintenance.

DrivePress efficiency

The scalable, high performance PRISMAsync controller allows users to plan jobs ahead of time and provide adequate information to help keep the machine running without unplanned stops.

CANVAS P17

CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

COATING

Convertible Solutions’ Elite Soft Touch Paper Never Felt So Good

Did you know sensory perceptions to your customers are just as important as visual perceptions? The sensation of touch is considered the most important stage of processing visual information and forming perceptions. The combination of eye-catching graphics with interesting and tactile surfaces leaves a lasting impression with your customers. Convertible Solutions’ Elite Soft Touch coating not only impresses with outstanding print quality, it also gives products a memorable, velvety, soft feel.

From a production standpoint, it doesn’t get any more efficient. Avoid costly, time consuming post press laminations and coatings that require extended drying time and increase waste. The Elite Soft Touch coated products are pre-coated and ready to print. It's also resistant to finger prints, scratching, and rubbing to ensure products look as great in the market as they do off the press. With options compatible for dry toner and HP Indigo presses, Elite Soft Touch is ideal for any digital project and can be applied to virtually any paper substrates.

The MutliLoft® Elite Soft Touch adds even more options with layering up to 64pt thicknesses. The creative possibilities are endless with Convertible Solutions’ great lineup of products.

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Convertible Solutions’ Elite Soft Touch coating not only impresses with outstanding print quality, it also gives products a memorable, velvety, soft feel.

To find out more information on the Elite Soft Touch products and all of Convertible Solutions’ unique product lines, visit www.convertiblesolutions.com or contact us at 866-832-0217.

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All about Spectro

SINGLE-PLY SBS

Sappi's packaging experience will leave you breathless

Get your Spectro on in these categories

And because Spectro achieves a lower High impact at a lighter weight. If basis weight in higher calipers, it creates you're looking for a paperboard a product that feels substantial, while sigdesigned that can deliver superior nificantly reducing paper and distribution quality and eye-catching packagcosts—an added bonus in today's evering, Sappi North America's Spectro is here. Spectro is a singleply SBS with enhanced Manufactured within the tightest optics that's perfect for tolerance standards in the industry, highlighting dynamic and Spectro’s uniform printing surface vibrant images. delivers minimal variability within and Defined by its smooth and uniform surface, Specacross production runs. tro features a proprietary competitive landscape. Manufactured coating that's engineered for brilliant within the tightest tolerance standards in color reproduction, sharper details the industry, Spectro’s uniform printing and better ink holdout. Whether surface delivers minimal variability within you're using UV, aqueous or specialty and across production runs. coatings, hot foil stamping, embossIf you're looking for the Sappi Expeing, special effects, or varnishes, rience in your graphic and packaging Spectro has the surface for the most applications, give Spectro a try today. demanding applications.

• Luxury Goods • Premium food & beverage • Cosmetic & perfume • Health & beauty care • Covers (books & magazines) • Greeting cards, folders, lottery • Calendars • Shopping bags • POS material • Menus • Direct mail • Pharmaceutical & OTC • Confectionery • Fashion & lifestyle • Consumer electronics

For more information, visit sappi.com or call 800-882-4332.

CANVAS P19

CANVAS BUYER’S GUIDE

ONLINE PROGRAM

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Life. Happens.

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Your life is a direct reflection of the quality of your conversations.

For leaders who desire to not just meet their goals but exceed them, The Power of Profitable Conversations is the perfect online program for you.

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Profitable Conversations

By AmyK Hutchens

4 behaviors to infuse your culture with trust—and fast AmyK Hutchens is an author, speaker, biz strategist and cool aunt.

With an “International Speaker of the Year Award,” an Amazon best-selling book and a globally popular online communication program, she’s still keeping it real. To learn more about AmyK, visit www.amyk.com/ppc.

T

rust is a concept most companies tout as one of their core values. The word trust sounds good at the annual employee retreat; it looks great on a plaque and it seems like a no-brainer when you read it on the back of a brochure. In reality, it’s often just a B.S. buzzword. Oh sure, leaders nod in professional approval when they hear it, but then they go out and behave in a manner that makes everybody mistrust the manager.

Business owners will often say, “Trust is established with behavioral consistency.” In other words, if you behaved appropriately yesterday, today I’ll trust you to behave appropriately tomorrow. But consistency of behavior only works for creating a culture filled with trust when it’s a behavior you desire, and even then, some consistent behaviors still won’t get you there.

For example, someone may be consistently charismatic yet unreliable, hence not leading to trust. Even worse, what if two of your team members behaved obnoxiously or inappropriately yesterday and today? In fact, what if they were downright jerks yesterday and today? Then I only trust they’ll be jerks tomorrow, too, which means I don’t actually trust them.

Predictive behavior is not how you establish trust across your company’s culture.

Trust requires four specific behaviors. Not surprisingly, these behaviors are related to emotional intelligence and interpersonal communication, and they’re all about vulnerability.

Establishing vulnerability-based trust requires: 1. Asking for and accepting help Asking for help isn’t always easy. Especially for Type A go-getters who possess talent in multiple arenas. But the world is vast; information is coming at us rapidly and you can’t be brilliant at everything.

Stop trying to be a know-it-all, and Trust requires instead, become highly skilled in a four specific few domain areas that light you up. behaviors.

Not Maintaining domain expertise is a surprisingly, valued commodity, and when you combine your smarts with others’ these behaviors areas of expertise, you collectively are related generate stellar outcomes that to emotional most often cannot be achieved intelligence and alone. Being able to contribute in an appreciated and valued maninterpersonal ner builds trust fast. And asking communication, isn’t the whole equation—nice try. and they’re Once the person you asked for help agrees to lend you their supall about port, you must accept their offer. vulnerability.

Nothing like being dismissed or uninvited to hinder trust.

Question hack: How safe is it for people to ask for help in your organization? [How might it get safer?]

2. Offering help and expertise without judgment Larry from marketing just stepped into your office. He needs help with planning for his department’s quarterly budget.

You sigh. For such a brilliant guy, why can’t he understand numbers? You pull out your pen, channel your best condescending tone and begin to walk him through it again. “As I said

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last quarter….” Wow! Oh-so-not-helpful. Now Larry is embarrassed, and he hates your guts. Remember that everyone has a role to play. Everyone is hired to solve different problems, and when we respect one another’s diverse talents, we build trust.

Question hack: What are the strengths or areas of domain expertise for each person on your team?

3. Apologizing for missteps It sucks to be wrong. It’s painful when we screw up. And yet, we still do it. So own it, sincerely apologize for it, and then move forward. This goes for others’ mistakes too. Stop with the grudge holding, stop with the false assumptions. Pete made a mistake and said he was sorry. You don’t need to plan your revenge. Sarah was a little too blunt in the meeting yesterday.

She apologized. Stop imagining her demise. We’re human. We screw up. And if you haven’t apologized, go do it.

If you haven’t received an apology, go ask for it. And if this area of emotional intelligence makes you very uncomfortable, then start simply with, “Hey, Laura, it’s been several weeks but it’s still bothering me and it’s really important to me. I want to apologize for what I said in our last sales meeting. I don’t think you’re an idiot. I was frustrated by our lack of results and I reacted. I was out of line. Not cool. I hope you’ll understand that I’m working on this. I know I need to get better. And I’m truly sorry.” Find your words and make sure you mean it.

Question hack: What misstep did you take recently, and who needs to hear you own it?

4. Relating to others’ experiences We live in a diverse world. Thank goodness. Embrace diversity and you will create opportunity. Amen! We also have a great deal in common—our humanity. When we recognize shared feelings, fears and experiences that make us laugh and snort, or grip our heart in panic, or cause our palms to sweat, we know we’re not alone. It’s not about venting together; it’s about honoring our indistinguishable humanness even when our circumstances are not identical. Finding common ground in our collective journey helps people bond, reach out and develop trust.

Question hack: What drives you?

Successful entrepreneurs know that meeting and exceeding audacious, wildly awesome goals is going to require a trustinfused culture—a culture filled with teams who perceive vulnerability as the cornerstone of what they will build.

SOCIALLY SPEAKING

By Matthew Parker

Why it’s time to stop selling print on social media social media whom you want to connect with. It saves you from wasting time with inappropriate connections.

More importantly, it makes the right prospects more interested in you because you have said that you specifically want to connect with people like them. Remember, you can always change and reword your profile at a later date and focus on a different type of person that you want to connect with.

T

here are a lot of people like you. Search for the term “print sales” on LinkedIn and you'll find that there are more than 9,500 other people who use this term.

If you are in the business of selling print, you have a lot of competition on social media.

So how do you stand out? The answer is simple: Stop selling print.

Visitors who visit your social media profile and see just another print sales person will ignore you. Instead, turn conventional social media thinking on its head. Stop talking about yourself. It is far better to make your profile all about the people you want to connect with.

Tell prospective connections why they should connect with you. What’s in it for them? How can you help them? Spend your time in your customers’ world.

Here are a few quick tips on how you can do this: Have a job title that tells people the results that you achieve for them It’s time to ignore whatever is written on your business card. It is not interesting to the average prospect. Instead, use the job title space to create something that will interest them. That means telling them the results that you create for your clients.

Remember, the results are not good quality print delivered on time. The results are increased prospects or

Few sales people want to sell print to everyone. If you’re happy to have anyone as a customer, you need to refine your sales approach—and fast. revenues for your clients. They are better branding exposure or more footfall through the door. Or reduced costs from more efficient packaging solutions. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.

Say what sort of people you are looking to connect with and why Few sales people want to sell print to everyone. If you're happy to have anyone as a customer, you need to refine your sales approach—and fast. It is far better to focus on a specific target audience.

And, if you are looking for a specific type of person, tell your audience on

Create a story or a case study that focuses on this type of person People like stories. They are memorable. Can you talk about an incident with a client, similar to the sort of prospect that you are looking to connect with, that you can turn into a story? Your prospects will gain a much better idea of what it is like to deal with you. They will enjoy finding out about you and will be more likely to connect.

If you're looking to connect with people at a more senior level, you may be better off creating a case study. This is a more formal way of explaining what you do. Again, it focuses on results.

Your prospects will learn how they might benefit from connecting with you and working with you. It can be a powerful advertisement for both you and your company.

The time spent creating it is very worthwhile because you can use it in so many other places. Feature case studies in brochures, on your website and as sales email and letter content.

Now you're standing out from the crowd These are the sorts of things that interest your potential prospects. When they see your social media profile, they're more likely to stop and find out more.

As a result, you’ll find it much easier to connect with them and eventually, sell them your products and services.

Best of all, you won’t have to compete with the other 9,500 people saying that they work in print sales.

Matthew Parker is the Champion of Print at Profitable Print Relationships. He speaks globally at print events and is the author of "How To Stop Print Buyers Choosing On Price." Parker also trains and mentors printing companies as well as produces content for them. As a buyer of print, he was sold to by more than 1,400 different printing companies, so he knows what works for customers and what doesn’t. Download his free e-guide to using social media to sell printing and similar services at http://profitableprintrelationships.com/social-media-printing-marketing/

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PERSPECTIVE

P24 CANVAS APRIL 2019

Cover Story: By Michael J. Pallerino

MOVING YOUR FOCUS FROM PRODUCT TO CUSTOMER I

n a speech made at the

November 1996 COMDEX

computer trade show, Intel chairman Andrew Grove

boldly proclaimed, “We need to

look at our business as more than simply the building and selling of

personal computers. Our business is the delivery of information and lifelike interactive experiences.”

Grove's comment hinted at what the future would hold: Technology changes consumption. In their book, "The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre and Every Business a Stage," Joseph Pine and James Gilmore expanded on that assumption, stating that more companies would increasingly go around retailers to connect directly with the end users. Manufacturers would be required, they said, to "experientialize" their goods by embedding them into their users’ lives.

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The Shift

"The Experience Economy" hit the business world in 1999—years before focusing customer experiences became hip. Today, the book is a blueprint for how B2C industries created customer experiences to build customer engagement, loyalty and marketshare. "Work is still theatre," they said, but rather than performing, businesses "set the stage for helping the customer to learn to act."

When a consumer buys a service, he purchases a set of intangible activities carried out on his behalf.

But when he buys an experience, he pays to spend time enjoying a series of memorable events staged by the brand—play-to-engage in a personal way, if you will.

“ Providing a great customer experience is a bit of a genie in a bottle. If all your competitors are providing an average experience, consumers come to expect this.”

— Andy Budd, CEO, Clearleft

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Because today's brands need customers to survive, every brand's ultimate goal is to increase its customers' portfolio. The most efficient way to do that is by ensuring each person's happiness and satisfaction. Shachar Shamir says this type of engagement cannot be achieved unless the brand puts its own clients first and develops a business model based on a customer-centric viewpoint.

"It may sound corny, but I feel that we're finally living in an era where material possessions are less important than individual experiences," says Shamir, co-founder and COO of inbound marketing agency and HubSpot Partner Ranky, which helps brands reach their goals using inbound tactics like content marketing, SEO, Lead Gen, CRO, social media marketing, and more.

Research in hedonic psychology—the study of happiness and joy—shows that experiences are more meaningful than physical products, as the enjoyment you get from them (beyond your core utility), lasts longer. "So the buzz you get off buying a new TV fades quickly, while the experience of a great meal with friends lasts much much longer," says Andy Budd, UX Designer and CEO of strategic design and innovation consultancy Clearleft. "As we move away from a purely materialistic world and search for more meaning and joy in our lives, experiences become increasingly important."

Customer-centric mindset

If your brand has a physical location, it’s easy to dial up the experiences your customers have. On a basic level, you can invest in great interior design and

exemplary customer service. You can also look at tying digital and physical channels together into a more customized and holistic experience, or you can learn from other businesses that provide great experiences, and roll these into your own.

For example, many traditional brands are starting to build coffee shops into their stores. This allows customers to linger longer, with the goal of building a better brand experience. Apple took a different approach, borrowing the idea of the hotel concierge and applying it to a shopping experience instead. It also tried to minimize wait times by allowing customers to check out on their mobile phones.

Burberry's flagship store in London took the customer experience up a notch by using technology in more interesting ways. It employs digital changing rooms, where the mirrors will record customers doing a 360-degree twirl and then play the video back to them. This gives the shopper a perfect view of what their new outfit looks like.

"All of these experiences are potentially noteworthy and have the ability to create deeper and more meaningful relationships with customers," Budd says. "It’s really about being hospitable. Of anticipating customer needs and meeting or exceeding them in a way that demonstrates you care."

The key is in the process. And while striking a perfect balance between product design methodologies and perfecting customer experiences is an art form, brands must make sure they don't steer too far to one side or the other in the process.

2,740 NFL football fields per day! ny od for making paper and ma wo e vid pro ich wh ts, es for Did you know that U.S. and 2015! fields per day between 2005 ll tba foo L NF 40 2,7 by w gre other products, Love reading in print? You’ll love it even more knowing paper is made from natural, renewable and recyclable wood.

Source: UNFAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005-2015 Two Sides is a global campaign promoting the unique renewable and sustainable qualities of print and paper.

Discover more great #PaperFacts at twosidesna.org

The Shift And to be sure, there can be challenges. The first is that creating experiences rather than products is a somewhat abstract goal. That's because you don't have the concrete means and data for evaluation you have when you're selling a product that simply doesn't work efficiently enough. To achieve a "positive experience" goal, brands must be creative from the get-go.

"Finding new, attractive ways to engage your audience is not an easy task," Shamir says. It takes creativity and out-of-the-box thinking to stand out from the competition. Additionally, the entire company's philosophy needs to change, and that isn't easy either, especially for big, traditional companies that are used to operating in the exact same way for years."

The key is to have your employees—in every single department—act and work for a higher purpose than just creating a product that does its job. "The goal is to create experiences that will last and engage users in different ways than before," Shamir says. "When you do, you not only create a valuable user experience but build trust and faith in the product and, ultimately, in the brand."

Success at the highest level can be found in places like the aforementioned Apple and Burberry, and brands

“The newly identified offering of experiences occurs whenever a company intentionally uses services as the stage and goods as props to engage an individual.”

– Joseph Pine & James Gilmore, authors of “The Experience Economy”

like Nike and Disney, which have built merchandising expositions to bolster brand image and stimulate buying.

Creating great customer experiences takes time, money, talent and a good deal of will. This can often be difficult to achieve in brands that are optimized around delivering a consistent product or service, while keeping costs to a minimum. "Providing a great customer experience is a bit of a genie in a bottle," Budd says. "If all your competitors are providing an average experience, consumers come to expect this. Once one brand puts their heads above the parapet, consumer expectations change, and if you don’t follow suit, you can find yourself lagging behind."

As Pine and Gilmore preached in "The Experience Economy," all commerce is moral choice and every business is a stage for glorifying something. What does your brand glorify?

The answer may not help you accept what is next, but it will certainly help guide what you do today.

"The newly identified offering of experiences occurs whenever a company intentionally uses services as the stage and goods as props to engage an individual," Pine and Gilmore said. "While commodities are fungible, goods tangible and services intangible, experiences are memorable."

1. Listen to your customers 2. Remember: Customer perception is reality 3. Make your customers part of the solution

9

ways to be more customercentric

4. Map your customer's journey 5. Monitor customer interactions 6. Get your data together 7. See your customers digitally 8. Define your customer experience strategy 9. Empower and reward your employees Source: McorpCX

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FIND THAT MISSING CONNECTION THROUGH CONTENT

channeling content & connections conduit-inc.com

BUSINESS

P30 CANVAS APRIL 2019

Feature Story: By MJ Pallerino

LIVING (AND LOVING) THE PRINT LIFE

S

taying ahead of the curve—you hear that phrase a lot these days.

Depending on who you are and what you do, it means different things to different people. When Adam LeFebvre and his team at Specialty Print Communications (SPC) use the phrase, it hits at the very heart of who they are.

Staying ahead of the curve is a way of life for SPC, with a commitment to serve a marketplace that is constantly changing in every way: technology, customer solutions, buying and selling, consumer behaviors, and the list goes on.

Over the years, SPC has methodically built a reputation as a company that is not shy about reinvesting in the technology and people needed to get things done. As one of the industry's foremost solutions providers for direct marketers, the Niles, Illinois, company is known for the unique and complex formats and applications it creates for its national client base. To date, it produces more than one billion mail pieces annually, much of the business coming from enterprising online retailers.

SPC's dominance in the direct mail arena can be summed up by a phrase that is highly visible on its website: "Moving at the speed of efficiency." In the direct mail game—one where customers demand and live and die by ROI—SPC knew early on that investing in inkjet was the way to win. So, after a more than three-year trek around the world (they met with six different manufacturers) looking for the right fit, SPC added an Océ ProStream™ roll-fed inkjet press from Canon Solutions America to its portfolio.

As one of the first in the world to house an Océ ProStream™, the decision, Adam says, was easy. To be the best, you had to invest in the best. "We're in the direct mail business. The applications that we produce for our clients are really varied, so it's super important for us to have a broad offering and the right equipment for the job.

“ Inkjet is an art. Just like litho, the best guys in the business are not just pushing the button and waiting to see what comes out.”

– Adam LeFebvre, President, SPC

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#InkjetMindset The crucial pivot

Over the years, SPC has methodically built a reputation as a company that is not shy about reinvesting in the technology and people needed to get things done.

AT A GLANCE The Océ ProStream™ Series Here’s a look inside the technologically sound Océ ProStream™ inkjet printer: PRINT TECHNOLOGY: Océ DigiDot drop-on-demand, piezoelectric INK: Pigment-based polymer ink with Océ ColorGrip PRINT RESOLUTION: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi with multilevel drop size modulation resulting in a higher apparent resolution PRINT SPEED: 262 ft/ m (80 m/m) (equals 1,144 letter size duplex pages per minute or 112 B2 duplex per minute1)

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With marketers counting on more and more data, inkjet enables us to find use for all of that data, converting it into usable, highly leveraged marketing materials that provides better ROI than traditional offset ever could."

That was the key. In the days before going inkjet, the SPC team found itself without an option to produce high volume fully variable jobs at cost-effective pricing, either having to turn down jobs that were too big or split them up.

"There's a pretty good demand out there for these types of jobs," says Brad Lane, SPC's strategic account executive. "But we found that there were some where we just had to say no. We don't have to do that today."

In a time when too many other printers are still evaluating their mission statements, SPC's vision is laser sharp.

The $100 million juggernaut serves a broad wealth of Fortune 100 and larger companies in the e-retail, financial, insurance loyalty program, retail and travel market segments.

The road to Specialty Print Communications started somewhat inconspicuously with a three-person company Adam launched in Plano, Texas, in 1996. A third-generation printer (both his father and grandfather were in the business), Adam slowly started to see that the print game as his family knew it was changing.

In 1997, Specialty Printing Company, as it was then known, moved back to the Chicago area and acquired the equipment of a small sheet-fed printer.

That's when Adam's father, Paul, joined him at Specialty. The two have been working together ever since. "It was always the plan for me to go work for LeFebvre Intergraphics, the company my grandfather started as LeFebvre Printing," Adam says. "My dad grew to a pretty serious player in the commercial web space."

But when LeFebvre Intergraphics ran into financial strain while Adam was finishing up college, it became apparent the company would be sold or closed (it closed in the second half of 1997). "So technically, my dad came to work for me instead of the other way around, but it’s always been a partnership," he says.

In 2009, Specialty was able to acquire many of the assets at a liquidation auction of a letter shop that was going out of business. That he made the move during the height of the recession only added to his genius, or madness, depending on your take.

Adam saw something in direct mail, even though SPC had never done anything in the area before. There was something in the process that he found attractive—developing a program that could help a client get results and build relationships. It was intoxicating.

Before that, the company was in the syndication business, producing oil and credit card inserts. "At some point, we knew that was going to end," Adam recalls. "Thank goodness we knew before it actually did. So, we decided we were going to be a direct mail supplier. At the time, I was not quite sure how far along that spectrum we would be able to push ourselves."

What a difference time makes. Today, Adam says that SPC is having fun trying to break the paradigm of direct mail greatness, pushing itself to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of how it helps its clients. "I can tell you this, it's super exciting," he says. "We love doing what we do."

More than anything else, that SPC can call itself a bona fide marketing service provider is a testament to all of its efforts. "That is something we have always strived for," Adam says.

"Everybody in the industry talks about how you have to go above and beyond customer expectations and don't sell on price, etc., but for us, getting to that point proves how ingrained we were

in the process. It's about being able to help your customers' customers."

That said, Adam is quick to point out that despite its prowess in all things direct mail, SPC is still very much an "inkon-paper" company. And that's a good place to be. "It's always about, 'How can we make things better for our customers?' The competition is super strong.

We need to always be in the position to provide our customers with new ways to spend their marketing dollars."

Leading the charge

In a time when more and more printers are trying to find their way, SPC is perfectly positioned to lead the way.

"I'd like to say that the process was organized and complex, that there is a formula and we did it right," Adam says.

"But there's not. What we do is listen to our customers, all day, every day. We ask them things when they're not talking to us. What do you need? What do you want? Where do you want to go?"

Next, SPC dives in and figures out where the fit is. That is where the inkjet mindset came in. It was a little different—a new frontier that Adam knew SPC had to explore. "I saw it as part of the future. Toner is great. It's slow. It's expensive. It was a matter of wanting to be relevant. It's about relevant personal marketing, and here's a faster, better, more reliable way to do it. So, if you want to know why you need to get into an inkjet mindset, that's why."

When it comes to direct mail, Adam's take on this is different from most printers. "In our world, we're not focused on what type of print our customers want to produce. We're looking at what they want to achieve with their marketing.

Once we know that, we can choose the right type of production and output device to achieve just that."

Adam says SPC is lucky to be at a scale that it can produce with so many different technologies. It doesn't have to force fit its clients onto equipment that might not be perfect for their objectives. Inkjet technology is the newest effective output, but it’s not right for everything.

"You simply have to have more than one tool in your toolbox to do what we do," he says. "And I love the new inkjet tool."

SPC engages with customers who look like they have a project that is right for inkjet. The discussion begins with the objective, the desired ROI, clarifying the size of the target market and then the big question, "What about data? Do you have it? Can you access it? Can we help you analyze what you want to say and to whom you want to say it?"

All of that information is put into its secret super computer and is moved to execution. As for inkjet, Adam's praise can crash through the ceiling.

"Inkjet is an art. Just like litho, the best guys in the business are not just

Buzzworthy Why printers are talking about the Océ ProStreamTM 1000 Word is that the capabilities of the Océ ProStream™ 1000 are worth checking out. Designed for use on a wide range of media, the sophisticated, innovative output of the ProStream 1000 is helping today’s print service providers expand their capabilities and enter new markets.

Why? For starters, the Océ ProStream Series is a new breed of fast, high-productivity continuous feed inkjet press that combines the vibrant colors of offset with the variable-data versatility of digital printing. The production printer is ideal for applications printing at 1200 x 1200 dpi running at a speed of 262 feet per minute (80 m/min) at 22 inches (565 mm) web width. This press does not require external primers or coaters nor does the speed need to be slowed down to achieve 1200 x 1200 output on offset coated papers.

Boasting outstanding quality, the ProStream 1000 uses an innovative polymer ink set to support a broad substrate range, including coated or uncoated media from lightweight to 9 point and beyond. This continuous feed press fits seamlessly into workflows, allowing easy integration into existing PDF workflows, IPDS and PDF DFE, plus it boasts an intuitive, modern user interface.

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pushing the button and waiting to see what comes out. We work with customers on color curves, stocks and then have some incredible finishing options that are pretty unique in the marketplace. All along this journey, we said that inkjet was not going to put us into a new marketplace, it was just going to enhance the marketplace that we were already in."

It's all about having an #InkjetMindset.

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BRANDING

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Feature Story: By Greg Feature Chambers Story

GROWTH SPURT Why you have to treat convergence right

I

n a recent interview, I was told the printing industry is going through a massive change and its members, when looking into the future, saw a world of convergence. Not being familiar with the context, I looked it up. Convergence, I discovered, is what happens when a print service provider expands from their core business into adjacent markets to grow.

That’s all I needed to hear because I’ve thought a lot about this (I refer you to figure 1.1, the New/Existing Customer/Product grid). Quickly, along the X axis, products (or services) range from your existing products on the left to new products on the right. On the Y axis are customers, ranging from new on the top to existing on the bottom.

I use this grid to talk about growth opportunities and rank them on a scale from 1 to 4 on ease of implementation, speed, and profitability.

For example, No. 1 on the lower left is selling more of your existing products to your existing customers. It’s easiest because your people know the customers, it’s fast because customers know you/your products, and it’s profitable because you’re good at what you do.

Think of Starbucks adding a premium coffee line to their menu. The customers know Starbucks, they know coffee, and an innovative new coffee line ramps up quickly and profitably. For comparison, No. 4 is the most difficult because it’s all new to your people, making adoption slow—the customers don’t know you/your offering, and it’s hard to be profitable because delivery isn’t optimized. Think of a startup company with no customers, no brand name and no profit. That company may end up relying on investors to survive.

Convergence is in growth area No. 3. It’s not as easy as No. 1, but it’s not as hard as No. 4. You’re adding a new product or service to your existing customer base.

Your people know the customers but your customers don’t associate you with the product and your operational history is lacking. It won’t be easy, but there are steps you can take to maximize growth in this area. I’ll give you three.

Growth is a challenge and when you try to grow under stress, it’s even more challenging.

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The ABM Effect 1. YOU NEVER ASKED.

A large CPA firm approached me, concerned one of their service lines wasn't growing as expected. It was a new service introduced to existing customers without success. When we dug into the sales process, we found a lot of very smart people applying deep insights and critical thinking to the market, creating a product and jumping in. I ask, "Where is the customer in this?” and get met with blank stares.

My first piece of advice will make it easier on your people to enter a new market, it will increase the speed of customer adoption, and it will impact profitability. Start with the customer. Call it market research or client surveying, but think of it as "getting the what from the who."

Ask your customers to help you understand how they would make a purchasing decision for this new product or service. Investing your time and money up front by involving the customer from the beginning will save you ten times your investment on the back end. The reason is because it allows you to pivot early.

No matter how smart you are and how well you know your customers, if you're bringing a new product to them, you need to approach them as humble servants and get insight

interested customers to use the product for free than you’ll be with discounting.

The reason is because while your customers know you well, they only know you for your current offerings. When you add a product or service, they think "good, that will save me money from my other vendor." They will see no differentiation. Like the market research suggestion, I want you to forget about immediate profits, and focus on holding value in the future. To speed up growth, do the work for free, but couple it with research. After your first free customers use the product, you want to learn: • Their state before making the decision to use your product • What they wish they knew at the start that they know after using the product • Where you fell short of expectations • How they'd describe your new product to peers It's expensive, but you’re investing in future profits. Their answers to the questions will give your marketing people insights on how to market the product, they will tell you how to improve operations, and they'll provide you with testimonials.

Don’t discount; give it away.

3. OPTIMIZATION CAN WAIT.

into how they think about this new product. If done well, your customers will teach you how to make your offering stand out and give insights on the fastest path to their adoption. Without their input, a new product can languish and cost a fortune in wasted time and energy. To prevent waste, all you have to do is ask.

2. WHAT IF IT WE GIVE IT AWAY?

To speed up sales cycles, one tactic salespeople use is a discounted price. My second bit of advice is to give your product away instead of discounting. It sounds dramatic but bear with me. In the near future, you’re counting on this new product to be a profitable addition to your company’s offerings. Those projections are based on providing either a unique enough product that you get a better than average price, or having the ability to deliver the product efficiently because, "We already have the people/facility/knowledge."

All your sales team has to do is go sell it.

As Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Next thing you know, close rates are lower, and the selling prices aren’t as high as expected because your people are discounting in order to meet quota.

When offering a new product, you're better off getting

You’re a strong and efficient company.

This works in your favor when selling existing products to existing or new customers, but it's a problem when selling new products. My last piece of advice is to focus on incremental improvements versus optimizing operations. Draw distinctions between your best right now and your next best, versus third party comparisons.

I worked with a fast-growing financial startup excellent at providing streamlined service to their primary market.

They brought me in because a new division was struggling to meet projections. Although they were technically a startup, I pointed out that their old offering was something they had done for almost a decade. They knew the market, the market knew them, and everyone was happy.

The new offering was something related but different and the metrics used to measure progress weren't made for a startup. They were offering it to the same companies, but had new buyers, procedures, and underwriting. Once we stopped trying to optimize delivery, we got closer to projections.

Once we started measuring our internal best effort and improving on that instead of comparing it to the old service, they were back on track. The big data and math models didn't apply in this new world because we were after new outcomes. That mental shift made all the difference and thinking “optimization can wait” will help you, too.

The idea behind selling new products to existing customers is straightforward on the surface, but to be successful you need to change your frame of reference. Three ideas make it easier for your people to implement, speeds up top line growth and adds more profit over time.

First, spend as much time learning about your target customer as possible; second, hold onto your future margin by using free samples; and third, put off optimizing your operations. Growth is a challenge and when you try to grow under stress, it's even more challenging. Use my growth grid to frame your discussions and approach convergence in its own best way.

Good selling.

Greg Chambers is a sales and marketing consultant. Companies hire him to help design sales and marketing practices that are an exact fit for their organizations. His latest book, “The Human Being’s Guide to Business Growth” from BEP is on Amazon. He can be reached at chamberspivot.com.

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Audience participation Baiting the Hook EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

Open and shut...

APRIL 2018

MISS

A puncher’s chance EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

Channel Crossing M u l l i g a n!!

OCTOBER 2018

AN ISSUE?

Turning weakness into strength

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Bank on ‘em (really, you should)

DECEMBER 2018

Future Forward Anatomy of a Campaign Winning the Marathon

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Concocting the recipe for good storytelling

AUGUST 2018

Transparency Night moves

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The two sides of content strategy

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Data Hunters Culturally Speaking

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Clear. Concise.

Confident.

BENEFITS

WHY DESIGNING STRATEGY IS JUST THE BEGINNING

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MISSION

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Why ‘good’ is great for business Let paper do the heavy lifting

OCTOBER 2017

THE CANVAS MAG.COM

BUSINESS

P38 CANVAS APRIL 2019

Feature Story: By Jennifer Morrell

The

Social Squeeze

What to do with social algorithms and metrics

M

ention social media and watch what kind of response you get. Start talking about algorithms and metrics and it's a whole different conversation. Truthfully, the discussions depend on your audience.

The thing about social media is that it keeps changing. Just when marketers think they've concocted the perfect strategy for cutting through the clutter and creating a memorable experience in 1.7 seconds, everything turns. That's especially true when it comes to updates in algorithms and features, which can alter user behavior and buyer habits.

The key to maintaining any type of sanity on social begins with understanding and respecting its power.

Start with users. Today, many social programs are witnessing steady growth in user numbers. Take Instagram, which since 2014 has experienced year-overyear increases of no less than 100 million in monthly active users. Between September 2017 and June 2018, that number jumped by 200 million. At Instagram, the number of monthly active users is hovering around 1 billion, while LinkedIn posted 590 million users (260 million of whom are active on a monthly basis) and Twitter with 326 million monthly active users.

Next, you have to know what your customers want from their social experience. That means strategy.

According to Sprout Social's "Sprout Index," 80 percent of social marketers say their game plan revolves around increasing engagement. The study, which queried more than 2,000 social marketers and 1,200 consumers, broke down their approaches to structure, goals and content.

For example, posts with links to more information are the most preferred type of social media content, with 30 percent stating that's the content they like to see most. In addition, 18 percent preferred graphics and images, while 17 percent liked videos, the study found.

But some social thought leaders like Scott East say you have to temper your approach to engagement. While engaging with your audience matters, it's not the only measure of success. "We recommend looking at engagement in different ways," says East, CEO and co-founder of MSIGHTS, which provides cloud-based marketing data integration services to some of the world’s most sophisticated global advertisers.

If you truly understand social media, you know that content is only one part of the equation.

You can post all of the content you want, but people must engage with it for it to matter.

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The Social Squeeze that algorithms are often adjusted in response to the habits and wants of the user, so take the change as an opportunity to meet them where they are."

Since the year is just starting to kick in, Kombol says that there have been no early bombshells in the way of social algorithms. But still, with social media innovators like Instagram and Facebook, you can expect some challenges this year, especially as they continue to identify their value to consumers.

"Anyone skilled in social media marketing knows to Algorithms, metrics, oh my! embrace the changing nature of the platforms," Kombol If you truly understand social media, you know that content is says. "From surprise algorithm upsets to the shifting popuonly one part of the equation. You can post all of the content larity of platforms, everything can warp in an instant, and you want, but people must engage with it for it to matter. good marketers are not only aware of that, they’re prepared for it."

Two years ago, Kombol admits to losing on a friendly bet on Snapchat. Convinced that Instagram would never be able to keep up with Snapshot, she was wrong. That's why keeping a close eye on how social works with every medium – Danica Kombol, CEO, Everywhere Agency in the channel is critical.

Her advice: Research, read, project and prepare. Pay close attention to updates, listen to That's where properly evaluating how your algorithms and the conversations happening on social media between real metrics come in. An algorithm is how social media platforms users, and establish a responsive and dynamic, cross-platfilter, rank and organize the content people see based on form strategy that can adapt to sudden changes. Invest in a specific set of criteria, while metrics is the use of data to high quality content—outsource it to designers and creators, gauge the impact of activity on a brand's revenue. if needed—and know your brand voice through and through.

Simply put, each social media network has a unique set of "The brands that survive on social have solid gold creative technical elements, intricate logic and usage analytics that presences that evolve in meaningful, intentional ways with the make up the algorithm that delivers content to its users. These needs and wants of their followers top-of-mind," Kombol says. algorithms are managed by software engineers, data scien"They’re also conversational and accessible. Be prepared. Be tists, content strategists, and others. creative. Be available."

"Your data shows you what’s actually resonating, what to What's the best advice for understanding social algostop wasting time on, and how you can be more intentional rithms, metrics and why they matter? Perhaps East sums it up in reaching your audience," says Danica Kombol, CEO of the best: "Social media provides marketers incredible opportuEverywhere Agency, an influencer marketing firm that helps nities because of the tactic's unique ability to target, curate brands build content-driven campaigns and strategies. messaging and utilize detailed metrics and data for analysis.

Kombol says that marketers must track what consumers are As part of your marketing mix, social has the ability to condoing (and how they respond) with content. That makes metnect with prospects and customers in a more personal way." rics the bread and butter of your strategy. "Creative counts Understanding the process helps keep your brand from when you can prove your results and the metrics allow us to being squeezed out. show, in real time, how consumers are reacting. Keep in mind For example, while engagement with a brand's social posts is a way to measure the initial connection and gauge interest level for different content, you must complement with engagement on the brand's site-side content to measure pull through. "Ultimately, you want to drive people to your website to build a direct relationship," says East, who also cowrote "The Cuttlefish Marketer: The Five Essential Traits of the Modern Marketer."

“ From surprise algorithm upsets to the shifting popularity of platforms, everything can warp in an instant, and good marketers are not only aware of that, they’re prepared for it.”

ways to use social media algorithms to your advantage P40 CANVAS APRIL 2019

1. Create content that encourages interaction: Ask a question, which encourages participation.

2. Tag relevant people: If you share an article, tag the author and/or publication. If you’re sharing a piece of content that you know a certain user will like, tag them. If you share a case study, tag the customer or client.

3. Know your buyer personas and share targeted content: Use a social media calendar to plan content for each of your audiences. The more your content relates to a specific group, the more likely they are to engage.

4. Make sure your profile is credible: Every section of your profile should be filled out and up to date.

5. Build a relevant network: When your network is relevant to your industry, your content has a better chance of appearing in feeds and being shared by followers or connections.

6. Use the 80/20 content approach: About 80 percent of your content should be native/owned.

7. Utilize analytics: Analytics will tell you what kinds of content are performing well with your audience so you can replicate successful posts and identify optimal posting times.

8. Engage, engage, engage: Higher engagement leads to stronger presence in feeds.

Source: Prosper for Purpose (www.prosperforpurpose.com)

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JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT INKJET COULDN’T GET MORE AMAZING

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By pushing the envelope of inkjet technology, the J Press 750S invites you to rethink what you can do using the world’s fastest full color B2 sheetfed inkjet press.

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