Canvas Magazine | True Colors | October 2016 by Conduit, Inc.

IN THIS ISSUE

Practicing the art of consistency EMPOWERING MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDERS

Building your content model Hitting the mark with direct mail

OCTOBER 2016

g n i l l e t y r o t s r y u t i o c y i t e n n e fi h t e u D a h g u o r th

BEYOND INDUSTRY

LIVES INSPIRATION THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

Explore a world of new connections, groundbreaking ideas, and inkjet inspiration, all in one place. Join us at thINK 2016, the second annual conference of the Canon Solutions America Production Print customer community. This remarkable event brings together members of thINK — the largest independent production inkjet user group — from Canon Solutions America customers and leaders to solution partners and print industry experts. Experience the collective power of this dynamic, collaborative community at thINK 2016.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. SIGN UP TODAY AT: THINKCONFERENCE.THINKFORUM.COM OCTOBER 10 – 12, 2016 Waldorf Astoria, Boca Raton Resort & Club

CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, INSPIRATION

877-623-4969 CSA.CANON.COM

Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. © 2016 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

OCTOBER VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 10 • PRINT EDITION

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Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

ALSO INSIDE

24 16 30 36 CREATIVE CORNER

Creative director Amy Graver on the essence of perfect design

BOILERPLATE

Publisher’s Note: Nobody is perfect

STAT PACK

STYLIN’ & PROFILIN’ Tips to maximize your LinkedIn account

CORNER OFFICE

08 10 11

CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

You can’t be afraid to evolve 8 steps to maximizing your managerial delegation effectiveness Book rec: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent

STORIES IN THE DARK Brands increase content efforts despite lack of immediate return

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

12 13

Industry news & more!

14 15

Canon’s imagePRESS C10000VP

Industry announcements

MSP

How Highcon is transforming the post-print market

That Ho-Ho-Ho time will be here before you know-know-know it. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you get ready now with splendid products from Western States Envelope & Label .

Request your copy of our Holiday Product Guide at wsel.com/holiday-products/c or quickly scan the code:

888-887-6485

wsel.com

cservice@wsel.com

Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note

BOILERPLATE

NOBODY IS PERFECT

We invest so much time and energy into arranging life, but things constantly are shifting and changing. Our success, happiness and overall self-worth seem to depend so much on circumstances and people. Sometimes, we feel like we have the best intentions, or that we are good people and good things should just happen to us. It reminds me of what Jerry Seinfeld’s sitcom mother used to say to him, “How can anybody not like you?” But people don’t always perceive us the way we think they do. There is no guarantee that someone will like you. There just is no such thing as a sure thing in life. We may feel like we have it all figured out or that we are truly special, but life has a funny way of reminding us that we aren’t. The great philosopher Socrates claimed that knowing what he didn’t know was what made him wise. While other philosophers had laid claim to knowledge, he was the only one wise enough to realize that the world was far beyond comprehension or mastery.

The market demands the kind of seller who is willing to listen and has no sense of entitlement. In fact, the world demands those kinds of people. We all know people who proudly announce their competence or make sure they take credit for the smallest successes. In turn, many of these same characters are quick to point blame or make excuses when failings occur. Regardless of their bravado, no person is perfect, nothing is absolute and vulnerability goes a long way. My point is that nobody has it all figured out. Nobody is 100 percent likable. And nobody is fallible. So there is no need for bravado, but rather there’s tons of room for humility and understanding. The market demands the kind of seller who is willing to listen and has no sense of entitlement. In fact, the world demands those kinds of people. So stop trying to figure it all out, lift up your heart to others and embrace the challenges ahead. And spend some time with this issue of CANVAS. The cover article, “True Colors,” embodies some of what Socrates espoused. The sellers no longer have all the answers, and the buyer is in control. So being sincere and investing in long-term relationships is key. In our second feature, “Stories in the Dark,” we discuss the need for brands to tell engaging and enlightening stories to become more relevant. I hope you enjoy this edition of CANVAS.

Warmest regards,

Mark Potter, Publisher @MarkRicePotter P4

CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

CONTRIBUTORS

Linda Bishop, President, Thought Transformation @Linda_Bishop Justin Ahrens Founder & Principal, Rule29 @justinahrens Eric P. Bloom Founder & President Manager Mechanics LLC @EricPBloom Amy Graver Principal & Creative Director, Elements @elementsdesign

GET IN TOUCH WITH US @THECANVASMAG

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

THE CANVAS TEAM MANAGING EDITOR michael j. pallerino CREATIVE DIRECTOR brandon clark SALES/MARKETING mark potter

EDITORIAL BOARD lisa arsenault McArdle Solutions gina danner NextPage tom moe Daily Printing dean petrulakis Rider Dickerson david bennett Bennett Graphics

PUBLISHED BY CANVAS, Volume 10, Issue 10. copyright 2016 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors. CANVAS magazine is dedicated to environmentally and socially responsible operations. We are proud to print this magazine on Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry-leading, environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and SFI and FSC chain of custody certification.

STAT PACK

CUTS LIKE A KNIFE Why direct mail is more precise and to the point

Quick – what’s the goal of every single marketing campaign? You said to get somebody to take action, right? According to InfoTrends’ “Direct Marketing Production Printing & Value-Added Services: A Strategy for Growth” study, the best way to incite action is through direct mail. The study, which surveyed more than 1,800 consumers, 50 direct marketers and 20 print service providers, spotlighted why direct mail is an integral part of the media mix and why it must be a focus for PSPs in the future. Here’s why:

82% 66% 62% 56% P6

OF DIRECT MAIL IS READ FOR A MINUTE OR MORE OF DIRECT MAIL IS OPENED OF CONSUMERS WHO RESPONDED TO DIRECT MAIL IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS MADE A PURCHASE OF CONSUMERS WHO RESPONDED TO DIRECT MAIL WENT ONLINE OR VISITED THE PHYSICAL STORE

CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

The percentage of marketers that say it is not appropriate to use emojis in communications with clients and customers, according to The Creative Group’s “Business Etiquette: The New Rules in a Digital Age” report. In addition, 57 percent say using emojis is not at all appropriate when communicating with a supervisor. The report surveyed 400 marketing and advertising executives who work in the United States.

DID YOU KNOW?

More B2B marketers are tapping in to the world of marketing analytics in an effort to improve ROI and try to more efficiently allocate their marketing dollars. And, according to Regalix’s “State of B2B Marketing Metrics & Analytics 2016” report, 60 percent say they’ve witnessed a sales increase of between 11 percent and 50 percent due to the strategy. The report surveyed more than 500 B2B marketers worldwide.

THE LEAD GENERATORS Why content marketing and email still work Businesses say content marketing and email marketing are the two most effective digital channels for generating sales leads, according to Ascend2’s “State of Lead Generation” report. Interestingly, the report shows that improving lead quality was the most cited answer for both the “most important goals” (77 percent) and the “most significant barriers to success” (53 percent). The data was culled from a survey of 244 owners, executives, salespeople and marketers from B2B, B2C and hybrid firms. Here’s what respondents say are among the most effective online tactics used for lead generation:

Content marketing Email marketing Social media marketing Landing page/ website optimization

SEO

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CORNER OFFICE

Perspective | Leadership | Insights BY JUSTIN AHRENS

You can’t be afraid to evolve any of us reach points in our careers where we become comfortable. That’s not inherently a bad thing. Enjoying your work is as satisfying as dipping Oreos in ice-cold milk. But it’s dangerous to be overly comfortable in the sense that you don’t pay attention to fresh opportunities, or contentment turns into staleness and a lack of desire to try new things. Why? Because our world seems to be speeding up and changing at an ever-increasing rate. Consider social networking, cellphones and the way we consume information. Overnight, technology has changed the way we do so much, including reading, connecting, conducting business, overthrowing dictators, and so on. Being aware of what’s going on in the world is crucial to being a viable employer or employee in today’s world. Many people have created jobs or businesses around social networking. They have become an invaluable resource to their companies and clients. Others have stayed in touch with world events to the point where their bosses now consult with them on international trade or perceived trends. Their personal interest in these topics has helped them develop a workplace advantage. Allowing these factors to change your work description, or even your career path, is both scary and exciting. Evolving can be subtle or dramatic, but it needs to be intentional. We are responsible for creating an atmosphere and the discipline for evolutionary opportunities to happen. This can take endless forms and can be somewhat dictated by the stage of life you are in. For many of us, new software and technologies that affect our jobs are coming out every few months. To stay relevant, consider going to free seminars, talking to peers and attending conferences in your industry. If using these technologies is not part of your day-to-day life, consider supplementing your experience by listening to podcasts, doing personal projects and reading blogs to make sure you understand the concepts at least minimally. If technology is something that comes easy to you or isn’t a concern, you may need to focus more on other aspects of your job, such as managing people or growing the business. Allow yourself time and opportunities to be inspired by people, to read books, to watch movies and to listen to music – even though these activities take time. Plan your time and be creative to make sure it happens.

Creating your new ‘to-do’ list

You can do several different things to accomplish this. Schedule time to read, even if it’s during the workday. Lunch is a great time to close your door and read a book on your smartphone or e-reader, or go out for food and take your book along. Go to a few conferences a year to network, to meet with others or to speak to groups. Encourage people at work to share their music and what they’re listening to for consistent exposure to music that you otherwise might miss. Organize mini film festivals at home or through Netflix, or take in double- or triple-headers at the theater. The key is to understand what inspires you and encourages you to evolve, and then plan time to make sure you’re being nourished in those areas. Remember, a healthy diet of inspiration and new things is crucial to your career development and your soul. Start by thinking about which areas of your job you believe are the most valuable to stay on top of. Is it technical skills? World events? Personal inspiration? Social skills? Trends? The answer may be all of these at some level, but don’t let that intimidate you. Just attending a few key industry conferences, reading blogs or following some leaders on Twitter can really keep you informed. Ask yourself what you must do physically to continue to evolve. Maybe it’s developing a following on Twitter, speaking at a conference or becoming a blogger. There has never been an easier time to develop a voice professionally. The best mind-set is to always think of yourself as a lifelong student. This encourages you to have a craving for learning new things (without writing those daunting term papers). Someone very close to me had a career in warehousing. In the area where we lived, there were many major corporations that had warehouses. Because the area was considered a shipping hub, theoretically he was in a great profession. He began to notice that there was a rising trend to hire more and more migrant workers, and he started resenting some of the communication barriers he was having. P8

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The key is to understand what inspires you and encourages you to evolve, and then plan time to make sure you’re being nourished in those areas. I encouraged him to take classes and learn a second language. My advice was, “Embrace the future; make yourself more valuable by being able to communicate with the majority of your workers so you can do your job, but also so you’ll become more valuable in the marketplace.” Sadly, he resisted. He was too comfortable in some ways and too fearful in others, and he let that paralyze him. Not capitalizing on that one opportunity left him out of work for years. The industry has passed him by, and he’s now doing something else that he doesn’t enjoy as much. People experience many different scenarios, but the formula is often the same: Instead of being open to evolving or exploring a new change, individuals resist it and stay in a comfortable (or fear-based) cocoon – and then, BAM, they become obsolete. Don’t let this happen to you. You are never too old or too experienced to learn new things, so kick the old habits to the curb and try new things as much as you can.

Justin Ahrens is founder and principal of Rule29, an award winning suburban Chicagobased 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.

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CORNER OFFICE

Perspective | Leadership | Insights BY ERIC BLOOM

8 steps to maximizing your managerial delegation effectiveness ere’s one of the great things about being a manager – you can delegate. This may sound rather cavalier, but it’s true. As a manager, to do your job efficiently and effectively, you must delegate. If you don’t, you’ll be overworked and your staff will be underutilized. Delegation gives your staff the ability to learn new things and grow as professionals. Like all management activities, delegation must be done in a thoughtful, ethical and forward-thinking manner. To that end, consider the following eight tips when delegating tasks to your staff, contractors, vendors, and others:

1. Clearly define what can and cannot be delegated

Be mindful of what you should delegate. For example, specific tasks may contain proprietary information that should not be shared with your team. There also are tasks that they may not be qualified to perform, thus setting them up for failure. Lastly, don’t just dump unwanted activities on them. They’ll eventually figure this out, which will hurt your credibility as a manager. Delegation is a powerful tool to maximize your team’s productivity, enhance their skill set, help them grow professionally and free you up to perform higher level tasks. All that said – make sure you’re delegating the right tasks for the right reasons.

2. Create a prioritized delegation plan

Now knowing what to delegate, your next step is to develop a plan outlining what task should be delegated to which staff member. When determining who gets which task, consider the following: • Who is fully qualified to perform the task? • Who could perform it with proper instruction and mentoring, and enhance their skill set? • Who should not be given the task because of their professional weaknesses and/or specific political situations/reasons? • Who deserves the task based on seniority, past performance and relevant considerations? Delegating the right tasks to the right people is not always easy or popular, but if you do it with transparency, fairness, consistency and for the good of the company, your staff will learn to respect your decisions.

Like all management activities, delegation must be done in a thoughtful, ethical and forward-thinking manner. 3. Provide clear instructions and define specific expectations

There is nothing worse than being delegated a task, not given instructions on how the task should be performed, not told what is expected, working diligently to complete the task, and then being told it isn’t what they wanted. Give specific instructions as to what must be done and your expectation of the final result. This combination of instructions and expectations provides the correct framework and establishes criteria as to how your employee will be judged when the task is completed.

4. Provide a safety net

When delegating – particularly if it’s a new experience for the employee – you must be willing to provide an appropriate level of management support to help ensure success, for both the employee and the task. A safety net is an environment of help and protection by: • • • •

Providing the needed resources and training Allowing time to properly perform the delegated tasks Helping employees navigate company politics Providing instructions on how tasks should be performed

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5. Let go and allow people to do their work

If you delegate a task, and then micro-manage it to the extent that you have actually performed the task yourself, it’s not delegation. And you shouldn’t totally divest yourself from the delegated task because, as the manager, you’re still ultimately responsible for all work performed within your department. The trick is to walk that fine line between being overbearing and non-participatory.

6. Be mentoring and instructive

Provide direct instruction and advice. This type of task-based instruction is a “learning moment.” Your level of instruction and advice should be based on the combination of the person’s specific experience, and the task difficulty and political ramifications.

7. Give credit to those doing the work

Adhere to the philosophy of “it’s the team’s success or my failure.” This will cause you to raise the visibility of your staff’s good work within the organization, which motivates them and helps instill loyalty toward you. This approach also helps remind you that you’re ultimately responsible for team growth, and your department’s productivity and performance.

8. Actively solicit feedback from your team

Asking members of your team if they believe you have delegated the right tasks to the right people has the following advantages: • Helps you grow by learning how you’re perceived as a manager • Helps improve your team’s performance by providing insights on better ways to delegate and support your staff • Shows your staff you’re willing to accept their suggestions For those not comfortable delegating tasks, be willing to go outside your comfort zone. Your willingness to do this will enhance your department’s productivity, enhance your managerial ability, and help your team expand their knowledge and skill. Eric P. Bloom is founder and president of Manager Mechanics LLC, a nationally recognized speaker and author of “Productivity Driven Success: Hidden Secrets of Organizational Efficiency.” He also is a nationally syndicated columnist, certified executive coach and an adjunct research advisor for IDC.

Perspective | Technology | Insights

WHAT WOULD STEVE JOBS DO?

CORNER OFFICE

BOOK REC

Among the many qualities that business leaders and thought leaders like to reference when they talk about the Steve Jobs way was his ability to close out a presentation with a proverbial bang. Whether he ended a keynote speech with his patented, “And one more thing,” shared a personal story or delivered a jaw-dropping statistic, Jobs was the master of “leaving them with wanting more.” One of his patented moves was to ask the audience a thought-provoking or impactful question. If you do it right before your presentation ends, you’ll have them pondering the answer for the rest of the day. Try one of these:

Imagine six months have passed. How has your company evolved? If you don’t overcome a problem your company is facing, how will it affect your business? Can you afford to ignore the disruptions impacting your industry?

Superbosses:

How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent By Sydney Finkelstein

Instead of building a homegrown audience, clever marketers leverage others’ authority, influence and reach. But remember that influencer marketing is not a transactional deal but an ongoing relationship. Spend time understanding your influencer and their goals.” – Bryan Eisenberg, co-founder and CMO of IdealSpot, on the importance of relationships to influencer marketing

Football coach Bill Walsh. Restauranteur Alice Waters. Television exec Lorne Michaels. Fashion pioneer Ralph Lauren. What do they all have in common? At first glance, other than leaders in their respective fields, not much else, right? But take a closer look, and you will see that they share a common approach to finding, nurturing, leading, and even letting go of great people. It is why author Sydney Finkelstein calls them Superbosses. The acclaimed professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, speaker and executive coach Finkelstein spent 10 years researching her subjects to deliver her book. What she found is that while superbosses differ in their personal styles, they all focus on identifying promising newcomers, inspiring their best work and launching them into highly successful careers. In addition, they expand their own networks and build stronger companies. In a time when finding and keeping the best talent in our industry is paramount, Superbosses could be the blueprint you use to find your way.

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BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Mergers & Acquisitions 4over has acquired ASAP Printing

Corp. as a new subsidiary. The acquisition

Industry news & more

Awards & Recognition Exceptional Specialty Products/Case Paper Co. has won a coveted Benny award for its 2015 holiday promotional box in the

expands 4over’s network to 16 locations

Cards category at The Printing Industries of America’s (PIA)

in North America, enhancing its local

“2016 Premier Print Award Competition.” The Benny, named after

market presence.

Benjamin Franklin, recognizes the most outstanding best printed pieces submitted from around the world in each category.

Around the Industry Highcon completed the first installation of a Highcon Euclid II+ digital cutting and creasing machine in Latin America at Hera Printing Corp. The Highcon digital cutting and creasing solutions transform cutting and creasing from an analog to a digital workflow, which helps streamline the finishing process. The digital finishing technology offers a solution to the key trends seen in the industry: shorter runs, on-demand requests, supply chain complexities and competition – the need for differentiation. The machine combines the patented DART (Digital Adhesive Rule Technology) to create the digital crease lines, with a unique high speed and high quality laser solution for cutting and etching.

Personnel Moves

Canon U.S.A. Inc.’s imagePRESS C10000VP and the C8000VP

have won the European Digital Press Association’s (EDP) 2016 “Best cut sheet color A3+ printer over 200,000 A4/month” award. The Canon imagePRESS C10000VP/C8000VP is the newest and fastest series of Canon toner-based sheetfed digital color production presses. Delivering offset-like, vibrant and stable output quality, the presses feature a high resolution of 2400 x 2400 dpi at print speeds of up to 100/80 letter-size images per minute in color. Combining proven imagePRESS features and new technologies, they have been engineered to deliver production excellence for the business advantage of its users. In other Canon U.S.A. Inc. news, it has led the 301k to 999k color duty cycle segment in the U.S. market for six consecutive quarters, from Q4 2014 to Q1 2016, according to InfoTrends’ Quarterly Tracker. In the first quarter of 2016, Canon accounted for 64.5 percent of the U.S. market share, with the next closest competitor making up 17.8 percent. The number represents a 7.3 percent increase in share from

Quad/Graphics has named two executives to its board of directors, including Steve Fuller, former senior VP & CMO of L.L.Bean Inc., and John Fowler, vice chairman and executive VP of Global Strategy & Corporate Development of Quad/Graphics.

Q4 2015, where Canon made up 57.2 percent of the segment U.S. market share. When totaling results from the beginning of Q4 2014 through the end of Q1 2016, Canon has accounted for more than half of the U.S. market share for the color 301k to 999k duty

Going green Canon U.S.A. Inc. has made two executive moves, including the promotion of Nobuhiko Kitajima to VP and GM of its business imaging solutions group, and the appointment of N. Scott Millar as VP and GM of corporate human resources. GPA has named Julie Shakoor as its business development manager. Shakoor will help GPA’s customers in northern New Jersey and the New York metro area advance their businesses.

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Fujifilm’s state-of-the-art production facility in Tilburg, the Netherlands, which manufactures a number of Fujifilm products, including printing plates, now is entirely powered by wind energy. Partially powered by wind since 2011, Fujifilm, in partnership with Dutch energy supplier Eneco, has succeeded in powering its entire Tilburg operation by wind power. The wind turbines that drive the plant’s manufacturing capability are located on-site and in nearby Zeeland, and the 100 gigawatt hours of energy they generate for the Fujifilm facility is enough to power 30,000 homes.

Industry announcements

Got Mail

New virtual exhibition celebrates 200 years of postal partnerships

WHAT’S GOING ON? LET US KNOW!

It's a story worth telling. For more than 200 years, the partnership between the U.S. Postal Service and private industry has helped Americans and U.S. businesses stay connected. And thanks to “America’s Mailing Industry” – the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum's new virtual exhibition – companies like Western States Envelope & Label are lauded for their efforts. The Butler, Wis., company is an ideal example of how the postal service has forged lifelong partnerships. Founded in 1908, Western States serves a national market of printers, distributors and mailing service providers, and operates five plants, including one label plant. The virtual exhibit (http://postalmuseum.si.edu/americasmailingindustry/) helps convey the connections that Western States and other companies have made through the years. It offers stories of the mailing industry that focus on how companies, entrepreneurs and multigenerational family businesses, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, have helped to create and enhance commerce and communications channels throughout American history. Just how important is the postal service's impact? For starters, it pumps more than $1 trillion into the U.S. economy and employs nearly 8 million people. The sector touches myriad industries, including direct marketers, publishers, nonprofits and public entities, and helps distribute materials for print shops, ad agencies, software vendors and transportation providers, etc. “We are absolutely thrilled to be part of this exhibit,” says Tom Rewolinski, Western States' president and CEO. “We’re proud to share our strong history and reputation in this memorable format.”

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.

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MSP PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

VARIABLE DATA DIGITAL IMAGING

Simply the best

Offset-like quality from Canon’s imagePRESS C10000VP

Speed. Usability. Functionality. Canon U.S.A. Inc.’s imagePRESS C10000VP Series tackles the demand for the flexibility of digital output that meets offset print quality and color consistency requirements head on, representing the value and quality synonymous with the imagePRESS brand.

In today’s highly competitive print landscape, the imagePRESS C10000VP Series provides the edge you need to exceed your customers’ expectations. Built to deliver the relentless throughput print professionals expect in high-volume environments, the imagePRESS C10000VP combines the best of image quality, productivity, broad media choices, superb reliability, proven in-line finishing options and integration into a wide variety of workflow solutions – all without sacrificing one feature for another. From customized direct mail, to make ready automation, in-line and near-line bindery, the imagePRESS C10000VP is engineered to run a wide range of media types and weights without sacrificing overall productivity.

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Along with supporting a monthly duty cycle of up to 1.5 million letter images, the imagePRESS C10000VP offers a host of unique and proven technologies that help produce consistent and vibrant images on a wide variety of standard and specialty media at full-production speed of 100 images per minute. Its modular architecture allows each business to select feeding and finishing options that match their business needs. In addition, the PRISMAsync Color Print Server’s embedded G7 calibration helps achieve high quality and predictability – even across multiple engines or locations – following a uniquely simple and fast process. The imagePRESS C10000VP – the first DFE to obtain the Idealliance G7 Certification – already is gaining global recognition. For example, it recently was named the European Digital Press Association’s (EDP) “2016 Best cut sheet color A3+ printer” award, which recognizes the new technical abilities the series brings to the end user. For more information, visit enablingcreativity.usa.canon.com

Download the MSP Resource Guide app Products and resources just a tap away

Leading the way

PACKAGING

How Highcon is transforming the post-print market

At drupa in Germany earlier this year, Highcon showcased a full range of digital finishing products, from entry level, to top of the line production capability, all based on the company’s core cutting and creasing technology. All over the world, Highcon has been supplying the constantly growing requirements of hundreds of brands by leveraging digital finishing capabilities for a wide range of applications. At the upcoming thinkMSP 2016 in Atlanta, attendees will hear about the Highcon portfolio from Eastern Regional Sales Manager Paul Lattimore, who joined Highcon after 19 years in a variety of sales leadership roles with HP Indigo. “Having watched the transition of pre-press and print from traditional to digital workflows over the last two decades, I see finishing as the next chapter of digital transformations to happen,” Lattimore says. “Traditional die cutting and creasing could be the most labor intensive and costly portion of the manufacturing processes within the explosive packaging marketplace. Again, Highcon will lead this transformation.” Founded in 2009 by Aviv Ratzman and Michael Zimmer, Highcon (www.highcon.net) has developed a truly innovative digital cutting and creasing solution that continues to transform the post-print market. The Highcon product range includes:

Highcon Beam – digital cutting and creasing for mainstream production The Highcon Beam extends the digital finishing revolution to mainstream production. With a speed of up to 5,000 sheets per hour, this breakthrough machine was developed as a robust solution to the challenges facing folding carton converters and print service providers.

“Having watched the transition of pre-press and print from traditional to digital workflows over the last two decades, I see finishing as the next chapter of digital transformations to happen.” – Paul Lattimore, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Highcon Highcon Euclid III - application versatility made possible by digital cutting and creasing The Highcon Euclid III addresses today’s operational challenges and answers tomorrow’s growth needs by opening the door to countless new opportunities in high value applications and markets; from packaging and commercial print applications to Web-to-Pack and even 3D modeling.

Highcon Pulse – digital cutting and creasing in a B2/29 in. format The Highcon Pulse brings the digital post-print revolution to print service providers and converters with a seamless integration into existing B2/29-inch sheet size workflows. The company’s digital cutting and creasing technology enables an in-house controlled digital system that delivers improved responsiveness, design flexibility and entry into a wide range of applications in numerous markets.

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CREATIVE CORNER

Creative director

Amy Graver on the essence of perfect design

Don’t get Amy Graver started on the power of design. Or maybe you should. She lives it. Breathes it. Writes about it. That’s why when her clients are looking for the most awe -inspiring ways to use it in their promotional, marketing and communications initiatives, Graver is the first one to jump on the pedestal. As the principal and creative director of Elements (www.elementsdesign.com), an award-winning graphic design and communications firm in Branford, Conn., she oversees each and every project that comes through the studio. Her highly sought-after work has been recognized and awarded internationally by publications like Print, Package Design Magazine, Communication Arts, HOW Magazine, and more. The author of several books, Graver also is co-founder and past VP of the AIGA Connecticut chapter and past president and board member of the Connecticut Art Directors Club. We sat down with her to get her insights on why great design rules.

What are your clients looking for in the design process?

Our clients are looking for involvement and transparency. They want a deeper understanding of how we work together. I believe they are looking more closely at our design process as a deciding factor when selecting a firm. We have been working on our process for years and have a proven track record for its success. But design is a fluid process, and we are constantly reacting and responding to our clients’ needs and feedback.

What are people looking for in design today?

This is a generation that likes customization, from designing its own Converse sneakers, to selecting the appropriate message on a Coke can. For example, we have had a few packaging clients that have utilized customized on-demand printing for specialty labels. I also am seeing the increased use of 3D printing. It’s exciting to see the creative uses that are already being done for this emerging technology. It’s really starting to hit the mainstream. Design trends are usually slow to develop, stick around and peak for a year or two, maybe three. And, just like that, they quietly fade into the next trend. Right now, we’re seeing a lot of geometric shapes in the form of “low poly,” which refers to the polygon mesh in 3D graphics.

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Another trend still going strong is handdrawn and creative typography. I absolutely love this trend. I have also noticed a bolder use of colors, including neon. During the Olympics, I fell in love with the neon yellow/ green (volt) Nike RN Fly Knit sneakers. I’m also seeing bright hues in ombre treatments of colors, which I think used at the right time, on the right project, is beautiful. And the use of watercolor either as a background, fills for shapes or simple illustrations.

There is no replacement for a printed piece. How could a digital medium ever substitute for the personal interaction of handing someone your business card?

What’s your take on the power of print?

There is no debate that digital media has forever changed the landscape of print. I think some may quickly say that there is no longer relevancy for printed materials, but that’s simply not true. There is no replacement for a printed piece. How could a digital medium ever substitute for the personal interaction of handing someone your business card? How can a digital brochure ever replace the sense of gravitas and the legitimacy of a printed brochure that you can flip through again and again, absorbing the information? There is a tangible, intimate connection created by a printed piece that you can hold in your hands. Print has the ability to engage your senses, let you savor the words and images, and linger in your memories in a way that digital never will.

How do your clients use print?

My agency handles a lot of branding and packaging design work, but we also have several clients with ongoing large print projects, such as corporate brochures, direct mail campaigns, magazines and annual reports. Print is a component in all of their work. Even with our social media work, clients will ask for printed pieces to support their online efforts, such as postcards to request reviews on social channels.

What design trends do you see coming down the road?

They continue to evolve. I see a lot of negative space being used creatively and many uses of geometric shapes. I think you will see custom illustrations and animation making a surge as well. In typography, I am starting to notice the start of “letter stacking” – really large use of type from left to right, and then the continuation of the word or sentence onto the lines below it. One printing trend I think you will see more of is the H-UV ink technology, which dries the ink as it is being applied, allowing both sides of a sheet to be printed in a single pass. This speeds up the printing and bindery steps, because it eliminates days of waiting for ink to dry before binding. Also, digital printing has grown up. Gone are the days of shiny toner. While the quality has greatly improved, I’m still an off-set or letterpress fan.

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SALES

Define your storytelling through authenticity By Jamar Laster

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Cover Story

t’s a question the firm often hears from leads: “Why is designing a logo so expensive?” For Alyssa Young, director of digital marketing at Graphic D-Signs Inc., a Washington, N.J.based advertising agency, it would’ve been easy to answer that oft-heard question with an old-school sales presentation for prospective clients, complete with charts, graphs, spreadsheets, facts and figures and other sales hooks. And taking such a tack could’ve worked. But Young and her Graphic D-Signs team decided on a different approach – one that actually involves the voice of other clients. The agency developed an electronic booklet containing client testimonials describing what rebranding – something that often involves logo design or redesign – accomplished for their businesses. “Instead of a sales pitch, we decided to let our clients do the ‘selling’ by telling their own stories,” Young says. “It’s proven to be effective.” While the campaign wasn’t designed for a single client, the lesson still resonates: The hard-selling approach isn’t necessarily the best when crafting a campaign meant to engage on deeper, more intimate levels with customers. “Consumers today don’t want to be sold to,” says John Sternal, director of public relations and social media for Merit Mile, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based advertising, interactive and public relations agency. “They want you to engage with them. The days of the ‘hard sell’ are quickly coming to an end because consumers don’t respond to those tactics anymore.” Today’s consumers rely on trust to dictate the companies or

“People are drawn to stories and they remember things because of stories. That’s ultimately going to drive sales because it’s earned media.” – Michael Coughlin, Founder & Creative Director, Digital Blue Creative

people with whom they will do business, and such trust can’t be attained by antiquated methods centering on strict selling. Rather, it’s attained by creating campaigns that are authentic; provide useful content; and can tell a brand’s, product’s or company’s story.

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True colors

Why trust is earned

The reality of today’s customers is that they are more informed than ever before because of the ease of access to information online. They’re also a skeptical bunch. Young says that can make it tough for marketers employing a hard-sell approach, so building trust starts with building a campaign that speaks to the buyer’s journey. “It consists of three stages: awareness, consideration and decision,” she says of the journey, also called the “sales funnel.” “Campaigns that address consumers’ questions and address their needs in these stages will help move them along to convert to a customer.” Michael Coughlin, founder and creative director at Digital Blue Creative, a Boston-based digital advertising agency, likes to use the term “earned media” when describing effective campaign strategies that garner the attention and trust of today’s consumer. He says traditional “paid media” strategies are outdated due to a number of factors, including search-engine and network saturation. So marketers should focus on building authentic campaigns as a way to break through all the clutter. “The companies that try to shove [a message] down your throat get negative backlash [from today’s consumers], Coughlin says. “The companies that create content that’s compelling or a story that’s compelling, they attract people based on the quality of the work that they do. I think brands that are authentic will attract customers rather than having to chase them down.”

“Consumers today don’t want to be sold to. They want you to engage with them.” – John Sternal, Director of PR, Social Media, Merit Mile

Content is king

Trust doesn’t just happen overnight – earning it is a gradual process that, when complete, results in a consumer who is comfortable and has minimal apprehension. Young says feelings of empowerment can be developed, with consumers feeling that any resulting buying decisions were made “for the right reasons, not because they ‘were sold.’” “This way, [consumers] are less likely to second-guess whether it was the right choice,” she says. “They’re also more likely to remain loyal – as long as the company delivers on its promises – rather than using the company once and moving on to another provider for the next promotion they encounter.” Today’s marketers can achieve the “non-salesy” approach via various avenues, such as content marketing. Some tools that can be employed include blogs, which offer the advantages of frequency, timeliness, inexpensive production and ease of distribution. Sternal says regardless of the outlet, consumers have to find the content useful for it to have maximum effect. “Content can come in the form of written content, video content and audio content, and any marketing vehicle that leverages engaging, educational and entertaining content will have great impact on a consumer.”

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True colors Count Coughlin among the biggest proponents of video content. In fact, video is prominently featured on the Digital Blue Creative website as a tool to spread the firm’s message to prospective clients. The company even created a video campaign for StudentUniverse, which provides students with exclusive travel deals and discounts around the world. The campaign, called “Experience More,” was filmed on local New England beaches and other natural environments, all with the intention of showing students exploring the world, sharing the experience with friends and trying to maximize life experience through travel as a young person. “Our goal with the campaign was to build that emotional connection, which would lead people to sign up for StudentUniverse and become part of that experience,” Coughlin says.

Telling a story

Those in the know say telling a story can be very effective for brands, and the tactic has even replaced the delivery of promotions and offers. “Storytelling is more engaging and sincere, and consumers respond more favorably to storytelling,” Sternal says. “Social media allows consumers to play an active role in a brand’s story, which is why they are so fond of participating in a brand’s community.” To realize the power of storytelling, you need not look further than the movie box office. Hollywood often uses storytelling to trigger emotion, which leaves a lasting impression on moviegoers. Those people, in turn, spread the word about powerful, memorable productions, resulting in box-office blowouts. “People are drawn to stories and they remember things because of stories,” Coughlin says. “That’s ultimately going to drive sales because it’s earned media. People are willingly sharing something without being paid to do it. So storytelling can grow your brand from nothing to something.”

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“Storytelling is an opportunity to paint a picture of a scenario to which the consumer can relate, and to demonstrate that the company understands its customers’ lives, concerns, needs.” – Alyssa Young, Director of Digital Marketing, Graphic D-Signs Graphic D-Signs’ Young says storytelling should only be used intermittently, and for longer-form content marketing pieces. “Storytelling is an opportunity to paint a picture of a scenario to which the consumer can relate, and to demonstrate that the company understands its customers’ lives, concerns, needs, etc.,” she says. “The brand voice can shine through very nicely too, and it allows for healthy variety in messaging.” Today’s marketers should be wary of how long it may take to convey a message, so they should commit the requisite amount of time, while also exercising patience. Says Young, “For consumers on the go, suffering from information overload, it’s often best to get to the point, answering their questions directly and quickly.”

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MARKETING

ALIGNMENT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION ENHANCES THE BRAND

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Feature Story

By Michael J. Pallerino

“Consistency is found in that work whose whole and detail are suitable to the occasion. It arises from circumstance, custom and nature.” – Vitruvius

n their book, “The Art of Consistent Management,” authors Pin Arboledas and José Ramón wrote that companies wanting to survive today’s everchanging business climate must obey three related laws. The first is to achieve minimum levels for effectiveness and efficiency. The second is to know that the degree of effectiveness may decrease if efficiency increases. The third, and perhaps most critical, is to understand that the way to increase effectiveness and efficiency together is through consistency. Practicing in the sacred art of consistency is something that should be visible in everything you do – your culture, leadership, sales and marketing, production, branding, and how you interact with your customers. Being consistent can help you measure the standard of your brand, create and enforce accountability, establish and maintain your reputation, and keep your message relevant in the eyes of your employees and customers. A consistent business system, Arboledas and José Ramón write, is one whose actions generate learning, which in turn cause performance to be increasingly more effective and efficient. The key, as any successful brand will tell you, is to maintain consistency across every touch point in your organization. That means continually keeping tabs with your company’s internal and external standards, accountability, reputation, messaging, delivery, etc. “Internally, we think about and talk about consistency,” says Christie Kimbell, VP, Marketing & Strategy, at OneTouchPoint. “What we are really talking about is commitment. Consistency is an outcome of clearly defining what your organization stands for and continuously delivering on those tenets. If the underlying commitment to excellence, quality, values, etc., isn’t there, then your organization will have a strong disconnect from what it aspires to be versus what is actually being delivered.” OneTouchPoint, a single source, marketing execution services provider, works closely with its clients to design and deliver communication across multiple touch points, while increasing the return on their marketing investment. Its customer base includes a slate of Fortune 500 companies in the manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, non-profit/associations and retail industries, including Canon Solutions America (CSA).

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The art of consistency “We live in a complex world that has a lot of distractions and competing demands,” Kimbell says. “For an organization to create consistency, everyone must know what the objectives are and be willing to make the necessary trade-offs to deliver on those objectives.”

Keeping the pieces together

Sometimes, when David J. Neff observes the people and cul-

tures he works with on a daily basis, he sees how easy it is for brands to lose their way when it comes to consistency. The consultant and co-author of “IGNITE: Setting Your Organization’s Culture on Fire with Innovation” believes that today’s brands are more fractured in their messaging than ever before.

“What we are really talking about is commitment. Consistency is an outcome of clearly defining what your organization stands for and continuously delivering on those tenets.” — Christie Kimbell, VP, Marketing & Strategy, OneTouchPoint “I see it happen a lot,” Neff says. “Between different groups running email, social media, investor relations, ecommerce and customer service, it can be hard to speak from the same page.” What is the key? Neff says you must have a clearly defined process, with a clear RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Informed and Consulted). You also should plan across the organization, so that when questions arise, people know who to contact and who’s in charge. He believes that brands must continue to exude consistency in forward-facing channels such as email, digital marketing, social media, and customer service. “Often, enterprise-level organizations always look at customer service last when it comes to this message consistency,” he says. “But when it comes down to it, who is helping your customers in their greatest time of need? It’s not your merchants. It’s not your salespeople. It’s not your social media people. It’s your customer service reps.” Even as customer service becomes more reliant on outsourcing or technology (think chat bots), it must remain just as important. “Ignoring it is a crucial mistake,” Neff says. As an example about keeping your messages aligned, Neff cites the 2015 recall by Blue Bell Ice Cream due to a fatal listeria outbreak. In the throes of the recall, there was a huge disparity in what was being said among Blue Bell’s customer service and public relations teams, and its customers on social media. “It’s fascinating how a simple lack of message in consistency can change your perception in the eyes of your customers,” Neff says. “Of course, they were able to recover and re-launch perfectly after the recall.” Neff recommends that every company take a long, hard look at the areas that they need to maintain consistency in. Once those areas are audited, clearly define and map out a process. How do you actually get it done? How do you fix the gaps to make it a consistent process? “Clearly identify and define your RACI for each task,” he says.

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The art of consistency

Stop, look and listen!

ways to keep your brand consistent

Soft drink manufacturers switching the formula of their market leading drink. Athletic footwear makers straying into the casual game. Fast casual burger chefs going all poultry. When a consistent message helps a consumer identify you with what you offer, why change? It’s a question Wayne Schoeneberg hears often. The Certified Professional Coach and bestselling author of “No Clients? No Job? No Problem!” says that practicing consistency tells your customers that you are in it with them and you will work to please them. “I always say, ‘Stop, look and listen!’ Figure out what you do, and stick with it. Hone your message to realistically fit your product or service. You must set your priorities in such a way that

1 2

Clearly design your key priorities Align incentives and recognition around achieving the priorities

everything is coordinated. It keeps you from having to re-educate people about who you are and what you do.” Schoeneberg says that consistency in product or service is the most critical area for today’s brands. Customers make repeat purchases relying on what they received last time. What they are looking for is to replicate the last good experience they had. “Consistency in product, service, message and reputation is what appeals to the universe of that business’ customers,” he says.

“You must set your priorities in such a way that everything is coordinated. It keeps you from having to re-educate people about who you are and what you do.” — Certified Professional Coach and author Wayne Schoeneberg Ultimately, consistency is about trust. OneTouchPoint’s Kimbell says that when an organization is consistent, employees, customers, and prospects know what to expect and believe that the company will continue to deliver. “That’s what really builds trust and confidence. It’s just like sports, you can have a player

Transform your priorities into commitments (promises your company is going to keep)

Communicate the “why” to employees and customers – Why these priorities? Why they are important/meaningful/ market-worthy?

Relentlessly look for failures – focus on where you aren’t keeping your commitments and encourage those situations to be brought to light and continue to refine

6 7 8

who has unbelievable talent, but if he swings wildly between being a star and making mistakes, the coaches (or fans) never know who they are going to get, so its safer sometimes to use someone who isn’t as talented but is more consistent.” And when it comes to driving consistency, Kimbell believes the company and its messaging follows the art of leadership. “Leadership is critical, because if team members are left to decide what’s most important, they may have different, and even competing priori-

9 10

Focus on your customers’ needs Run yearly audits of the process Make sure the right stakeholders (management, employees, customers) are interviewed Map the current process to identify gaps Repeat this to stay on top of the process at least once a year or more

ties,” she says. “When there is clear-mindedness on what will, needs, and can be delivered, you create consistency in the organization.”

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Sources: Christie Kimbell, VP, Marketing & Strategy at OneTouchPoint; Wayne Schoeneberg, Certified Professional Coach and bestselling author of "No Clients? No Job? No Problem!"; David J. Neff, consultant and author of "IGNITE: Setting Your Organization’s Culture on Fire with Innovation"

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COMMUNICATION

P30 CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

Feature Story

STYLIN’ & PROFILIN’ Tips to maximize Your LinkedIn Account By Linda Bishop

rue story. One of my daily habits is to look at updates from my connections on LinkedIn. Not too long ago, I saw an announcement from a designer letting her network know she had taken a new job. The designer was a former customer of one of my clients. A sales professional named Ben had called on her, so I dropped him a note to let him know about the job change. Ben reacted and sent out a congratulatory card, followed by a request for a meeting. The designer obliged, set up the meeting, and introduced Ben to her boss. Quotes followed, and Ben quickly converted his new prospect into a customer. LinkedIn is a powerful selling tool, and your profile is a showcase for your personal brand. Many buyers periodically look at your profile, and so do many prospects before that first critical meeting. If you haven’t updated your profile for more than a year, there is no better time than now to refresh it.

Picture power Take a look at your picture. Does it project an image that buyers want to see? People are superficial. We can make snap judgments. Everyone wants to buy from someone who is friendly and professional. Is that how you look? If you’ve uploaded a low-quality, unsmiling selfie taken in bad lighting on a bad hair day, it’s time for a re-do. I had my picture taken by a professional, and it was money well-spent. You also can upload a second picture in a horizontal format that goes behind your face shot. To see how this can be used, check out Trish Witkowski’s, the chief folding fanatic at Foldfactory. She has an excellent profile shot, and uses the secondary horizontal picture as a way to showcase her expertise in folding and design formats.

Headline News A headline is an old newspaper term. Newspapers have been around since the 1600s. Ben Franklin published one in Colonial America. USA Today, which first published in 1982, reports that more than 3 million people read the print edition daily.

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Stylin’ & profilin’ In every newspaper ever printed, the headline had one important purpose: to interest people in a story and entice them to read more. On your LinkedIn profile, you have a headline. In 120 characters, you have an opportunity to describe yourself in a way that draws potential buyers into your story and interests them in reading more. Most people include their title and company. That’s fine, but consider these examples to see how to enhance this opener with a few well-chosen words. •

Bob Smith, Account Executive versus Bob Smith, Account Executive, BigPrintCo. Responsive Print & Mailing Expert

•

Barb Jones, Account Executive, BigPrintCo versus Barb Jones, Account Executive, BigPrintCo, Former Designer. Passionate about print and getting your project right.

Your headline serves as an introduction. Your title provides insights into what you do. The name of your company communicates whom you work for. Beyond that, it’s good to share a brief insight on what you stand for. Words like “responsive” and “passionate” give glimpses into what you view as important within the scope of your job.

Follow your customers. Follow your prospects. Watch to see what they post and what is new with them. The summary I once had the opportunity to hear Viveka von Rosen speak. She wrote the book, “LinkedIn Marketing in an Hour a Day.” Von Rosen taught me that when I wanted to update the summary for my profile, I should use hers as a guide. She starts her summary by asking, “Are you converting contacts into clients on LinkedIn?” The rest of her summary answers that question. For a sales professional, asking a question as if you’re speaking directly to a buyer is a great way to start. Questions to consider include: •

Are you looking for a printing professional to help you save time and money?

•

Do you want to work with a sales professional who prides himself/herself on product expertise and responsive service?

•

Would working with a proactive communicator who can provide end-to-end printing solutions make your job easier?

Once you ask the question, answer it using words and phrases that resonate with buyers. The goal is to describe your expertise so buyers read your summary and say, “That’s what I’m looking for.” Include

credentials,

because

they

demonstrate

legitimacy

and expertise: •

Years in the industry

•

Relevant certifications

•

Awards won

•

The number of years you have served and retained key clients

•

Education that is relevant to the position you now hold

P32 CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

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Stylin’ & profilin’ Wrap up by stating what you help people do, achieve or accomplish. This can be a line or a paragraph. Include your contact information and a list of specialties. Specialties are specific keywords that would be of interest to potential customers. Here are some ideas of what you could include: •

Print expert

•

Direct mail

•

Variable data

•

Print on demand

•

Cross-channel communications

•

Mailing & fulfillment

•

Online ordering

•

Marketing

•

Marketing automation

Professional expertise Since you’re setting up a profile to help you sell, not to find a new job, you don’t need to gush about your past experience. A couple of lines on your current and previous positions will be fine. The word picture you paint should show progression over the course of your career. Increasing job responsibilities shows progression. You demonstrate progression when you make the move to leave a small firm to sell for a larger company with more capabilities. Buyers skim this information, mostly looking to see how long you have been at your present position, and if you have worked for other companies with which they are familiar.

Skills Every LinkedIn user has been asked to endorse people within their network for specific skills that represent real-world expertise. Dean Petrulakis, senior VP of business development at Rider Dickerson, is a social media savvy sales professional in Chicago. On his profile, he has these skills listed: •

Integrated Marketing

•

Marketing Communications

•

Direct Marketing

•

Advertising

•

Digital marketing

•

Account Management

•

Variable Data Printing

•

Brand Development

•

Offset Printing

•

B2B

What else? There are plenty of other categories: Education, Honors & Awards, Volunteer Experience & Causes, LinkedIn Groups, Projects and Additional Information. By taking the time to fill them out, you provide potential buyers with a nicely detailed picture of you.

In 120 characters, you have an opportunity to describe yourself in a way that draws potential buyers into your story and interests them in reading more. In the upper right corner of your page, you will see a miniature picture of your headshot. Periodically, click here. Go to Privacy & Settings, and review what people inside and outside your network can see when they visit your page. Once in a while, it also makes sense to download a list of all your contacts, including their email addresses. To accomplish this, follow these steps: •

Click on the small headshot in the upper right corner of the page

•

Click Privacy & Settings

•

You will land on the Account section with information listed under a section called, “Basics.”

•

Go down to the “Basics” section and find “Getting an archive of your data.”

•

Click on the link and follow the prompts to get a list of your contacts.

And here’s one last piece of advice: follow your customers. Follow your prospects. Watch to see what they post and what is new with them. People buy from people. Today, many prospects and customers are savvy about social media. They will look at your profile, so it pays to invest the time in a profile that is an effective advertisement for your personal selling brand.

Occasionally, you get endorsed for skills that you do not wish to display on your profile. No problem. Skills can be deleted when you choose to edit your profile. Should you endorse others in your network for skills when they pop up on your home page? Sure, if the person has the skill set and you believe they would find value in the endorsement.

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

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MARKETING

P36 CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

Feature Story

Stories in the

DARK

Brands increase content efforts despite lack of immediate return By Charles Lunan

hen the online mattress company Amerisleep asked for help with its content marketing in 2014, Brian Honigman could have rolled his eyes and winced. After all, the purpose of a good mattress is to put people to sleep, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the last thing the company wanted to do on its blog.

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Stories in the dark But Honigman knew Amerisleep probably was laying on more

Thanks to the blog’s broad topic, the writer has been able to

than enough good material to sustain a content marketing cam-

generate up to five articles per month on topics ranging from tips

paign. Moreover, as a young company with limited resources was

for sleeping on airplanes to how to reduce the impact work-relat-

pioneering a new business model – selling mattresses online and

ed stress has on your sleep. The articles provide a steady stream

shipping them to customers via Federal Express – the company

of original content for Amerisleep’s Facebook and Twitter pages,

needed to find a way to establish its credibility.

which had garnered more than 76,000 likes and 10,900 followers,

That made it an ideal candidate for content marketing.

respectively, as of Labor Day.

“Not every client is Coca Cola or Amex with a big sexy brand and tons of money,” says Honigman, a social media and content market-

STILL THE KING

ing consultant, Forbes contributor and adjunct professor at NYU.

While marketers will debate how to measure return on investment

“But, there is always a story within an organization that is of interest

in content marketing, there is no denying they are embracing it

to the customers you are trying to reach.”

anew. PQ Media estimates companies spent $13.7 billion in the

In the case of Amerisleep, Honigman zeroed in on the role good

United States in 2015 with technology companies, consultants and

sleep plays in health. He worked with a freelance writer to come up

publishers to create, leverage and re-target their “content assets.”

with a list of article ideas, and then pitched some to the Huffington

The figure includes spending on so called “native advertising,”

Post and Lifehacker.com in exchange for links back to Amerisleep’s

which essentially is unmarked advertorial content indistinguish-

blog, Early Bird. “We wrote about different ways people could get

able from “normal content.” Debate over the ethics and efficacy

a better night’s sleep,” Honigman said. “We changed the conver-

of native advertising notwithstanding, PQ Media expects overall

sation from ‘three things wonderful about our mattress versus our

spending on content market to continue growing in the 10 to 15

competitors,’ to ‘this is why a good night of sleep is important and

percent range for the next few years.

how it fits into a full life.’”

"Content marketing should grab your attention and immerse the reader in a story that is emotionally compelling or entertaining." – Gary Kayne, Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina School of Journalism

A content marketing plan you can use If you want to be a successful content marketing strategist, follow this formula:

strategize

Leverage

Content marketing is more strategy than tactic. If properly executed, it will drive your marketing stack. Before starting the creative process, ask the usual questions: Who are we trying to reach and why? Designate core themes that will drive the creative process, discuss which media and channels might best achieve those aims.

Creating quality content is expensive, so it’s important to think about how you can leverage it during the creative process. Consider how you can excerpt it to feed your social media channels, repackage it for an infographic or update or repurpose it to extend its use.

audit Review your existing marketing assets, staff, brand ambassadors and channels to see how your in-house resources and skills stack up against your initial strategy. Identify staff with the skills and desire to support or lead your strategy. The audit may be a good time to bring in a creative consultant to help align your resources with your goals, engage and oversee freelancers, produce content and train staff.

tell stories Content marketing is less about running up page views, likes and follows, and more about building trust and expanding the world’s view of your brand and its capabilities. One of the best ways to achieve this is by telling stories about people using techniques – suspense, irony, humor, victory, redemption – that have engaged readers for millennia. People stories over product ones are more inherently authentic. The challenge is telling them in a way that engages the readers and makes them want to learn more. P38 CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

innovation Frequent experimentation is important, particularly for newbies to the game. Write down the list of media and channels – infographic, long-form storytelling, blog, e-newsletter, video, podcasts, micro-site – you want to use in your first year and integrate that into your quarterly marketing calendar.

measurement Before implementing your strategy, benchmark a few key metrics for your site, including overall traffic, average time spent on site, average number of social media shares, and sales referrals and conversion rates. This will enable you to evaluate the overall impact of your content marketing efforts on brand awareness and the ongoing performance of individual pieces of content and distribution channels.

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Stories in the dark Of course, using content to create an aura of authority and trust

Content marketing proponents place the blame squarely on

around a brand is nothing new. The French tire company Michelin

poor creative execution. “If it’s not engaging and compelling, en-

began publishing its restaurant guides more than a century ago

tertaining, emotional or funny, it’s ignored,” Kayne says. “Content

to establish itself as an authority with motorists. The strategy has

marketing should grab your attention and immerse the reader in

returned to favor in the last five years, however, thanks to two

a story that is emotionally compelling or entertaining.”

overwhelming forces: demographics and technology. By most estimates, Millennials, or those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, now control 25 percent of consumer

Native advertising appears to have failed to deliver on this critical front, according to research from Chartbeat, which analyzes web traffic to help brands monetize their content.

spending in the United States. But with 10,000 Baby Boomers

In a recent survey, the firm found 24 percent of readers were

retiring every day, their influence has reached a tipping point.

scrolling down on sponsored content on publishers’ sites com-

Regardless of whether you think Millennials are more skeptical of

pared with 71 percent who did so on normal content. Contently.

advertising than preceding generations, there is no doubt they

com, which also helps brands create, distribute and optimize the

are doing a better job avoiding it.

content, described the data point as a “damning indictment of the quality of sponsored content at large.”

DO YOU WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED? They have ad-blockers on their Chrome Browsers and their cell

DOUBLING DOWN FOR THE LONG RUN

phones. They stream TV shows, so they don’t have to watch ads.

Interestingly, another Contently.com’s survey of 601 marketers

They read news online, so they don’t have to see the ads. Gary

showed a growing number of brands doubling down on content

Kayne, an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina

marketing, rather than backing away. In many instances, they are ex-

School of Journalism, says Millennials love a good story.

panding their in-house staff and investing in long-form storytelling.

“They grew up being told and read stories by their parents and are

While smaller brands can rarely afford such “brand journalism,”

the most-entertained generation, ever,” Kayne says. “So, content

Honigman has helped many launch effective and sustainable con-

marketing is the best way to reach them as they don’t perceive it as an “in-your-face” ad. When done right, it’s storytelling at its best.” Juniper Research estimated this spring that ad blockers will cost digital publishers more than $27 billion by 2020. Though chronicled for more than a decade, consumers’ inexorable migration online has caught some of the largest advertisers in the world flat footed. For example, U.S. department stores have announced plans this year to shutter hundreds of stores in coming years to raise cash needed to accelerate their “digital transformation.” In many instances, the high-end brands they sell have beat them to the punch by

tent marketing campaigns. He often starts

While marketers will debate how to measure return on investment in content marketing, there is no denying they are embracing it anew.

building digital marketing platforms that

with what has come to be known in the business as a content marketing audit. That starts by asking clients who they are trying to reach and why, followed by an evaluation of what types of media and channels will best reach them. Then, he evaluates the client’s staff to see if any of them have the bandwidth and skills needed to sustain an effective content marketing strategy. “I usually recommend they begin investing in two to three channels so they are not overextending themselves but are also experimenting,” he says. “If they are not reaching their goals, they can move on to another channel.” Most clients outsource creative until they

push content directly to customers via opt-in channels ranging

can gauge return on investment, which can be measured by track-

from emails and e-zines to social media.

ing the lift in social media shares, traffic, read times and conversions

The North Face has become a master at using content gener-

each piece of content generates.

ated by its roster of mountain climbers, skiers and other brand

“Sharing and having their content responded to is way more

ambassadors to fuel engagement online. Last year it generated

important than just simply numbers,” Kayne says. “If you’re too

4 million engagements just by sharing images – including many

focused on conversion rate, you will never win. The content mar-

from customers – on Instagram. Parent company VF Corp. has

keting strategy must be long-term – not short-term results fo-

made replicating that success across its other brands, which in-

cused. It’s about forming a relationship with the customer that’s

clude Vans, Timberland and Wrangler, a core pillar of its direct-

authentic – not just about getting them to buy.”

to-consumer strategy.

POOR EXECUTION Of course finding content as compelling as a summit of K2 can be challenging when marketing business insurance or mattresses. But that, of course, is the job of the marketer and many judge themselves to be failing. Surveys by Contently.com and Content Marketing Institute have shown about half of marketers don’t think their content marketing is effective.

P40 CANVAS OCTOBER 2016

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