GAMA 26

Print: The New Opportunity

Pushing the Envelope

The Color Black

GRAPHICADVISOR

ISSUE TWENTY SIX

Heighten Your Knowledge in Three Key Areas

Your logo here

ISSUE TWENTY SIX

Your logo hereMARKETINGADVISOR Heighten Your Knowledge

in Three Key Areas


Pushing the Envelope

The Color Black

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x Cut through the clutter. Remember

the days when you opened your mailbox

and catalogs, brochures, newsletters and

postcards tumbled out? Today there is

simply less postal mail, so your printed

pieces get noticed. Let the competition

fight it out in the Inbox; you will have the

prospect’s attention as he interacts with

your printed collateral.

x Add credibility. In a time of economic

uncertainty, print collateral tells the reader

that your company plans to be around

for the long term. Your message is so

important it deserves to be preserved in

a physical form rather than simply being

posted on the vaporous Internet. The

consumer trusts that if you put it in print

you’re going to stand by your word.

x Stay connected. Customer retention

was the reason targeted mailings, such as

custom magazines and newsletters, were

developed in the first place. More and

more, people are tiring of 24/7 electronic

connectivity; so make sure the prospect has

your information at his fingertips when he

unplugs from digital devices. Print never

runs out of power.

x Print makes sense. You can see and

hear electronic messages at the same time;

it’s like getting two exposures for the price

of one. But what about the other senses?

Print is the clear winner in the categories

of touch, smell, and taste. We like to feel

special papers and finishes, and cut out

things of special interest and save them or

pass them along. Smell, which is handled

by the same part of the brain that handles

memories and emotions, has been used to

create a brand impression for years. Who

can pass a scratch-and-sniff insert without

scratching and sniffing? And there is no

better way to get prospects to taste your

product than by mailing a sample to try at

their leisure.

x You can’t hide from print. The same

developers who introduced the electronic

platforms that have revolutionized the way

we deliver our messages are developing

technologies to empower consumers to

avoid these same messages. Think TiVo and

spam filters. The mail carrier, on the other

hand, has to deliver your mail. High quality,

creative print pieces will capture your target

audience’s interest.


Companies have been wooed to invest more dollars in electronic marketing

by the promise of comparatively low-cost campaigns that can be tracked

and measured easily, leading pundits to conclude that print is a dying

element of the marketing mix. The truth is that print remains important. We

print all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons. It’s just that our relationship

with print has changed. The marketer’s challenge is to find a way to

leverage print to tap into a whole new world of opportunities.

Print versus e-marketing isn’t an

either/or choice. Much of what we

print is also available electronically.

One isn’t wrong and the other right.

Some information just needs the

pace of print. Thanks to innovations

in print technology, it has never

been easier or less expensive to

get high-quality printed materials in

the hands of your target audience.

Five good reasons to tap into print opportunities...

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An ill-conceived envelope

marketing strategy that fails

to motivate the recipient

to open it is like mailing money out the door.

Carefully consider every element, including

physical dimensions, copy, layout, and design.

Anything outside of the standard #10

envelope, either larger or smaller, will set your

piece apart. Make sure the envelope is at least

¼” larger than your largest insert. Steer clear

of window envelopes unless it’s the only way to

achieve personalization. Smooth, heavier stocks

show off your color designs, while textured

stocks, such as linen or laid, offer a high-

end feel. Explore the myriad of options now

available, such as vellum, glassine, and polybag-

type envelopes.

Technology has advanced to the point that

you can place dynamic messaging on the front,

back, and even inside of the envelope. It’s a

money-saver because envelope messaging

minimizes postal weight by reducing the insert

count. Your copy should provoke curiosity, but

not give everything away. The goal is to pique

interest so the recipient looks inside, but there

should be something more—new information, a

special offer— as a reward for opening it.

The envelope should be clean and well-

designed, but that means different things to

different marketers. Some, concerned that

documents with too much visual flair will be

dismissed as “junk mail,” choose plain white

envelopes imprinted with the corporate logo

to lend credibility and seriousness. The other

extreme is the marketer who uses starbursts

and call-outs that shout, “Open now!” The best

strategy is somewhere in between—a mix of

bright colors, interesting textures, vivid imagery

and bold messaging to grab attention quickly.

While it’s important to keep the design cohesive

with your other printed materials, using the

same envelope design for multiple mailings may

work against you. Even a friendly prospect might

assume he’s already heard the message inside.

Personalization increases response

rates, whether it’s through variable-data

messaging, using a legible script font, or actual

handwriting. Postage stamps add another

personal touch but may not be practical

for larger mailings. Studies show that one-

third of Standard Mail goes directly into the

wastebasket. If your piece doesn’t get thrown

away, you’re still in the game.

An envelope has the best chance of getting

opened if it’s delivered on Tuesday, the lightest

postal delivery day, or on Wednesday, the

second lightest day. Stay away from Mondays,

the heaviest delivery day. Six weeks is a good

interval between mailings—you want to stay

fresh in your prospect’s mind without becoming

a nuisance.

The abundance of creative options makes

envelopes a versatile vehicle for presenting your

message. Put these precious communication-

carriers at the top of the list as you plan your

next direct mail campaign.

Marketers thoughtfully develop the

inside components of a direct mail package. But

the best letter, replete with features and benefits and a measurable call

to action, is worthless if it’s never read. The envelope is the key tool that determines

whether your direct mail gets opened or tossed.

EnvelopeP u S H I n g T H E

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T here are two basic categories of

black: plain black and rich black.

Plain black is created solely using

black ink. If you create a color swatch in

Illustrator or InDesign and set the K (black)

slider to 100%, you’ll get plain black. (See

Figure 1.)

Rich black is created using some com-

bination of process colors. In color theory,

there is no such “color” as black; it’s what

you get when you combine the three

colorants—cyan, magenta, and yellow—at

full saturation. If you create a color swatch

with the C, M, and Y sliders all at 100%

(keeping K at 0%), you’ll see that you get

black. This is rich black. But if you look

at Figure 2, you’ll see that it doesn’t look

entirely black; it’s more of a very dark gray.

In fact, it’s tonally different than plain black

(see Figure 3). In practice, when rich black

is used, some black ink is added to the

CMY mix.

There are practical reasons for paying

attention to which type of black you are

using. Different applications use different

types of black. Here’s an example: drag

out a square marquee in Photoshop and

fill it with black by selecting Edit>Fill, and

choosing “Black.” If you check the Info

palette, you’ll see that by default “Black”

in Photoshop is actually C=75, M=68,

Y=67, K=90 (see Figure 4).

More importantly, if you type some text

in Photoshop, then select black from the

extreme corners of the color picker, you’ll

get a rich black (see Figure 5).

In InDesign and Illustrator, on the other

hand, the color swatch called “Black” is

actually a plain black (C=0, M=0, Y=0,

K=100).

using rich black rather than plain black

can cause aesthetic or even physical prob-

lems during the printing process. Since

a rich black uses more ink than is really

required, you run the risk of oversaturating

the paper (and even if you do want a rich

black, you should never make anything

C=100, M=100, Y=100, K=100). using

rich black and plain black interchangeably

can give your document an inconsistent

look, especially where typography is con-

cerned. If you are setting black type and

use a rich black instead of a plain black,

you run the risk of even minor registration

errors ghosting and blurring your type.

That said, you may want to use a rich

black in certain instances. A rich black—

also called a “warm black”—does have a

warmer feel than plain black. Rich blacks

also vary in the levels of the constituent

colorants—more cyan and/or magenta

tends to boost the “warmness,” while

more pure black tends to “cool” it down.

Aesthetically, you may desire a warmer or

cooler black.

So, just as we would never think of the

color “red” or “blue” without some kind

of qualification, so, too, should we never

assume that all black is created equal. As

always, though, it’s worth checking with

us to see if we have any advice or cautions

regarding the use of rich vs. plain black.

Figure 1. A plain black is created using only black ink.

Figure 2. A rich black is created using come combination of cyan, magenta, and yellow.

Figure 3. Rich black (left) can be tonally different than plain black (right).

Figure 4. By default, “Black” in Photoshop is a rich black.

Figure 5. In Photoshop’s color picker, even what you might think would be plain black is actually rich.

The Color Black Can be a

Gray AreaIn the graphic arts, the color “black” isn’t quite so

black-and-white, and being unaware of the

“shades of black” can lead to printing problems.

MARKETINGADVISOR

Printer NamePhasellus porttitor elit

In hac habitasse plateaDonec tempor nonummy

MAILING INFO HERE

QR CODE FPONeed a QR code? Call Great Reach

Communications at 978-332-5555

About This IssueAbout UsOne or two small paragraphs about

you and your company. One or two

small paragraphs about you and your

company. One or two small para-

graphs about you and your company.

One or two small paragraphs about






you and your company.

Programs used:InDesign CS

Illustrator CS

Photoshop CS

Paper used:What paper did you use to print this

issue?

Ink used:What kind of ink did you use to print

this issue?

Coating used:What kind of coating did you use to

print this issue?

Computers used:iMac

Press used:What kind of press did you use to print

this issue?

Bindery used:What kind of bindery did you use to

print this issue?

GRAPHICADVISOR

Printer NamePhasellus porttitor elit

In hac habitasse plateaDonec tempor nonummy

MAILING INFO HERE

About This IssueAbout UsOne or two small paragraphs about











you and your company.

Programs used:InDesign CS

Illustrator CS

Photoshop CS

Paper used:What paper did you use to print this

issue?

Ink used:What kind of ink did you use to print

this issue?

Coating used:What kind of coating did you use to

print this issue?

Computers used:iMac

Press used:What kind of press did you use to print

this issue?

Bindery used:What kind of bindery did you use to

print this issue?

QR CODE FPONeed a QR code? Call Great Reach

Communications at 978-332-5555

Think you’re being more

effective by switching from

traditional to digital media?

Especially in the 18–34-year-

old demographic? Think again! Two recent

studies suggest that 1:1 printing may be far

more effective, even among this coveted

age group.

A recent study titled “Finding the

Right Channel Combination: What Drives

Channel Choice” conducted by ICOM, a

division of Epsilon Targeting, surveyed over

2500 u.S. and 2200 Canadian households.

It found that consumers overwhelmingly

preferred to learn about marketing offers

via print media than online sources.

While we might expect this from

older consumers, this survey targeted

18–34-year-olds. In every category

surveyed, with the exception of travel,

these younger, more tech-savvy consumers

overwhelmingly preferred print over online

media for marketing communications.

1:1 Print Builds Trust

Why? One reason is trust. According to the

survey, 36% of u.S. respondents across all

age groups trust the mail more than email.

This is up from 29% in 2008. While only

19% said online information “can’t be

trusted” in 2008, that percentage increased

to 25% this year.

Even personalization cannot overcome

this mistrust. While email and online can

be personalized, consumers often complain

that online advertising is ubiquitous and

inescapable. The use of cookies to track

their behavior can also result in highly

irrelevant suggestions (“Other people who

bought Natural Remedies for Headaches

also bought Dancing with the Stars Cardio

Workout!”). The result is a high level of

mistrust and annoyance.

By contrast, the intentional, highly

targeted use of personalization in print is

non-intrusive and the relevance is clear.

1:1 print also tends to be geared more,

not to the short-term sale, but to

relationship-building.

1:1 Print Is More Relevant

Could this be in part why traditional

advertising (both print and other media)

is seen as more relevant than online

media? In a separate survey of more

than 1,200 people conducted for ad:tech

London by Zussi Research, 69% percent

of respondents saw traditional advertising

as relevant to them, compared with 45%

for online. Respondents also described

online marketing as chaotic. This creates a

high level of annoyance, even when online

media is targeted.

Compare this to

print, which consumers

perceive as requiring

a greater

investment by

the marketer. For

this reason, it earns their trust and respect

more than e-media. Consumers appreciate

this type of purposeful investment in the

marketer’s relationship with them. It creates

a sense that they are valued.

Ready, Set, Capitalize!

So while you may want to expand your

marketing to include a multichannel

approach, don’t make the mistake of

replacing print with alternative media.

Instead, personalize it!

Capitalize on consumers’ positive

perception of print to differentiate yourself

as a company that cares about your

customers in a way that consumers often

perceive online advertisers don’t. Then

build on that perception with relevant,

personalized communications they’ll

remember and respect!

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Think E-Media Beats 1:1 Print? Think Again! (Consumers Love Getting Mail.)

TYPe of offeR PRefeR MAIl PRefeR oNlINe

Personal care 62% 22% Food products 66% 23%Over-the-counter medication

53% 21%

Insurance services 43% 21%Financial services 44% 19%Travel 34% 42%

Source: “Finding the Right Channel Combination: What Drives Channel Choice,” ICOM (2010)

1:1 printing may be far more effective than digital media, even among the coveted 18-34 age group.

GAMA 26

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