PROforma Pow-Wow

Reference Guide for Wide & Grand Format Printing

2010-02-25T15:12:27-05:00

I am posting this guide so anyone who needs to purchase wide format printing for their company/organization will quickly and easily understand it. I will be posting this information over the next several days.

Content to be discussed:

- Wide Format Inkjet Terminologies

- Wide Format Laminating

- Wide Format Mounting

- Grand Format Inkjet Terminologies

- Grand Format Finishing Options

- Wide Format Photographic Imaging Terminology

- Photographic Imaging Finishing Options

- When do Wide and Grand Format Prints apply

Wide Format Wide Format Inkjet Terminology

Definition: Inkjet Printing

Street Verbiage = HP Prints or HP’s

Wide Format HP Printing is any full color or black and white print that is larger

than 18” wide and does not exceed 59.50” wide. It is the process where ink “jets” spray ink onto the selected substraight (paper, vinyl, fabric) and allowed to dry prior to finishing.

Wide Format Printing is normally produced as 4 color process.

Note: New technology allows us to print in 6 colors, see notes below on 6 colors.
Note: Process Color is defined as the culmination of 4 primary colors that when maxed create all needed colors. C– Cyan Y– Yellow M– Magenta K– Black
Note: The Fifth and Sixth Colors used in a 6 color application are Light Cyan & Light Magenta
Note: HP Printer Paper only comes in one thickness which is equals to 60# offset cover stock.

The HP’s print on a variety of papers including Matte’, Luster or Gloss.

Wide Format Laminating

Definition = Lam or Encapsulation

Lamination: the process of covering any print on both sides with a polyethylene

base plastic film

Encapsulation: laminating both sides of a print and leaving a 1/8” clear boarder

around the outside

Over laminating: only laminating 1 side of a print.

All HP Prints (except the HP 9000 prints) must be laminated w/ Matte’, Luster or Gloss

laminations. This is to protect the print and add shelf life to the product.

Note: All laminations are 99% crystal clear with a 1% drift to yellow.

Lamination Gages

1.75 mil / 3.00 mil / 5.00 mil /10.00 mil

Seal 60” Laminator Image

THE POWER OF INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

2010-02-12T10:00:00-05:00

A study by The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE) Foundation confirms the impact of incentive programs offering tangible rewards. In addition to increasing work performance an average 22%, such programs also help create positive emotion in the workplace, which greatly influences commitment to a work task, according to Mike Hadlow, president of SITE Foundation. “Incentive programs may be the single most important performance improvement tool available to executives today,” he says.

Payback You Can Measure

Non-cash rewards achieve three times the return on investment when compared with cash-based programs, according to a study by World at Work (formerly the American Compensation Association).

While both types of programs will boost performance, the “extra” increases you get with non-cash rewards can turn a good return on investment into an exceptional return.

Why Cash Doesn’t Work?

2010-02-09T14:00:00-05:00

Make Your Incentive

Dollars Do More!

Research supports the benefits

of tangible rewards over cash

What’s the better motivator, cash or merchandise? When asked, program participants often say they prefer cash. But time and time again, studies show that participants work harder for tangible rewards.

For example, a study conducted for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company compared the performance of two groups of participants: one rewarded with cash, and the other rewarded with merchandise and travel. Both groups recorded a performance improvement in response to the incentive offered; however, the group receiving tangible rewards had results nearly 50% higher

A major drawback of cash is that it lacks “trophy value.” When 1,010 people were asked in a survey how they spent their last cash reward, cash incentive or cash bonus, close to half responded “bills” or “do not remember.” These answers (detailed below) underscore the limited impact of money as a motivator.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Limitations of

Cash Incentives

In a poll conducted by American Express Incentive Services, 17% of American employees surveyed said they had received a year-end cash bonus from their company; yet a full 32% of those who had been rewarded monetarily admitted the bonus did not impact their work performance.

In a separate study of incentive planners, 68% of respondents said cash bonuses can have a negative impact if they are considered to be too small; three of five respondents said that merchandise and travel are better rewards because they are more like a gift; and three of five respondents said that cash rewards tend to be perceived as part of an employee’s compensation pack.

Source: The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives

_____________________________________________________________

How Much can an

Incentive Program

Improve Performance?

Research indicates that a well-designed incentive program offering non-cash rewards will increase performance an average 22%. Team incentives increase performance by as much as 44%.*

The key to success is in program design: targeting the right behaviors, offering rewards that are meaningful to your audience, and executing and tracking flawlessly. It’s critical to choose an incentive supplier with know-how. Let us put our expertise to work for you!

*Source: Incentives, Motivation and Workplace Performance

Research and Best Practices (International Society of Performance Improvement)

2010-01-12T19:44:39-05:00

I'm at the PPAI Trade Show now in Las Vegas. This is the largest trade show in the promotional industry. I plan on posting video of new products and/or ideas that may work for YOU! Keep coming back to see what's happening!

Hot New Products for 2010!

2010-01-05T13:38:17-05:00

Susan Freiberg

Innovative Marketing Tools - Part 1

2009-11-03T11:15:00-05:00

Let’s talk about ways you can build traffic

You have a retail business and business traffic has slowed. You decide you need something to drive traffic to your business, but what.

Consider TrafficTickets™. It is an Innovative Marketing Tool to drive consumers into the new your retail establishment. The benefits will be:

Increase sales

Improve brand awareness at point-of-sale

Acquire, retain and cross-sell customers

Sell product/brand, launch new products/services, seasonal promotions, branch openings, trade shows

Effective anywhere you need to drive customer traffic

The TrafficTickets System is your Ticket to the Highest Traffic levels You Can Imagine!Once customers arrive at your establishment they will be told electronically, visually what they’ve won --but only after they come to your point-of-sale display!

How it works!

Everyone’s a winner

TrafficTickets™ are distributed to consumers through direct mail and newspaper inserts or

handed to consumers in-store and at marketing events

Customer has to come into the retail store find the sponsor’s POS display to insert their game

ticket and see what prize/discount they’ve won

The game piece activates a light on the display which indicates which one of the five

prizes/discounts they’ve won

Turnkey service includes production, distribution and fulfillment.

Features & Benefits

Response Rates are an Incredible 10% to 35+%!

VALUE. Consider your ROI with response rates as high as 35% and Cost-effective Promotion

Materials!

SATISFACTION. More than 95% of those who have used the TrafficTickets System say

they will use it again and are Extremely Satisfied with their Results.

ULTRA HIGH RESULTS. The results speak for themselves, with 10% - 35+% B2B and

B2C response rates.

– Compare to Scratch Off Promotions: 1%-3% or FSI’s 1%

BUILT-IN SECURITY.

– Our system prevents fraudulent copying, or printing by utilizing a specially patented ink process and multiple game card positions - creating a totally secure environment.

DATABASE BONUS.

– Barcodes can be added to the TrafficTickets for data collection and verification. This enables you to capture valuable consumer data for future use.

Applications

TrafficTickets fill the need that businesses have had forever…ATTRACT

ATTENTION & DRIVE TRAFFIC!

B2B:

– Trade Shows and Tabletop Shows

– Open House/New Product Invitations

– Seminar or Event Attendance

– Appointment Generation

B2C:

– Individual Retail Stores, Headquarters & Malls

– Grocery, Convenience Stores & Gas Stations

– Car Dealerships

– Banks

– Restaurants & Fast Food

– Sporting Events, School Events, Golf Courses

– Hotels & Motels

– Real Estate

For Examples of what you can expect, see Case Studies page

All About Promotional Products

2009-10-28T09:45:35-04:00

Considering a promotional item for your next marketing effort? The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) recently conducted a study of end-buyers and promotional products they received, and the findings may help steer your decisions.

If you are wondering whether or not the promotional products you distributed had a shelf life, you will be happy to learn that 81 percent of promotional products were kept by the recipient because they were considered useful. And most of the recipients – 62 percent – did business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it. Promotional products work!

Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently – on average, nine times per month. In fact, bags deliver the most impressions (think about how many people see the bag as the recipient uses and travels with it) with an average of 1,038 impressions per month.

The study also concluded that the average cost-per-impression of an advertising specialty item is just $0.004, making it less expensive per impression than nearly any other type of media!

What kinds of promotional products are available?

There are literally tens of thousands of different types and styles of promotional products. In many cases, it is even possible to obtain custom items that aren't found in any catalog. Examples of common promotional items include apparel, pens, calendars, coffee mugs, key chains, desk accessories, and memory sticks, but the sky is the limit when it comes to finding a unique product that can set your company apart from the competition. The chart below gives some insight into the most commonly owned advertising specialty items – use one of these or call us to brainstorm how you can branch out and distinguish yourself!

New Page on Proforma Pow-Wow

2009-10-21T01:27:08-04:00

Today we've launched a new page on our site -- Case Studies -- that gives examples of how different marketing needs and issues have been addressed by individual companies. We hope that you'll be able to use this information to learn more about the latest trends in the marketing industry. We also think that these case studies might spark an idea or two for your next marketing campaign!

Visit the new page by clicking here.

Trade Show Planning: Get the Best ROI

2009-09-30T09:46:06-04:00

With marketing budgets constantly being scrutinized, the importance of maximizing the return on your trade show investment is more important than ever. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI):

Eighty percent of trade show attendees pre-plan a “top ten list” of exhibitors they will visit, but only 20 percent of exhibitors do pre-show promotions (CEIR)
Exhibitions are more effective in generating leads and orders, introducing new products, promoting brands, increasing company awareness, and entering new markets than advertising, direct mail or public relations (CEIR)
Trade show attendees are 52 percent more likely to stop by an exhibit and 20 percent more likely to remember the booth if a giveaway is staged at that booth (PPAI)

As we all know, coming up with great ideas that set your exhibit apart and attract trade show attendees are sometimes hard to find. Planners also need to keep in mind that even best ideas fall flat if messaging is inconsistent with other marketing strategies employed by their company on a regular basis.

Building a successful exhibit

What follows are some initial guidelines/things to consider as you build your successful trade show exhibit:

Decide on a traffic building tactic to get the attention of your attendees and create a “buzz” about your booth throughout the trade show.
A successful trade show promotion begins before the show. Take advantage of mailing lists offered by show organizers to pre-promote your exhibit.
Create an attractive exhibit that highlights your company’s professionalism and offerings. Decide on apparel for your staff that adds to the overall uniform look of your display and acts as a walking reminder of your company as employees wander the trade show floor. Also consider which prizes and giveaways will attract your target audience and have life after the show. A pen might get thrown in a drawer, but a unique premium item can become a desktop display that keeps your business top-of-mind.
Close the circle of communications after the show by following up with leads you gather at your booth.

While there are many books and online resources available to help you plan for your next trade show circuit, we think the best place to start is at Proforma. Give us a call at 800.554.2920 to learn more about our experience developing successful trade show strategies for our clients and what we can do for you.

Interactive Marketing: Tapping into the Potential

2009-09-23T10:05:22-04:00

If you’re not integrating interactive tactics into your marketing mix, you could be missing a big opportunity. More and more frequently, marketing dollars are shifting away from traditional media to the interactive arena, and with good reason. When faced with budget reductions and the need for immediate sales in recessionary times, interactive tools offer lower cost, higher measurability, and better results for direct response.

If you’re looking to reach a younger demographic, interactive marketing is especially important. It is one of the best ways to connect with hard-to-reach buyers age 35 and under.

A $55 billion business

Interactive marketing expenditures will reach
$55 billion within the next five years.

This means that these expenditures will represent
21 percent of all marketing spending.

Source: U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecast (Forrester Research)

Top interactive tactics

Search engine marketing
Internet display advertising
E-mail marketing
Social media
Mobile marketing

Online promotions that work

WebDecoder®

WebDecoder® products (created using a unique patented printing process) conceal a hidden message that can be viewed only on a website, in-store monitor, or digital television. When positioned over a computer screen, the game piece reveals a prize message, icon, or other marketing information designed to generate immediate action.

MobiDecoder™

MobiDecoder™ gives you potential access to nearly 50 million active users of the mobile Web. Incorporating patented hidden image technology, it delivers a digital game piece that the consumer must bring to a retail store or event location for decoding. Multiple key codes can be used in a promotion to track responses back to specific advertising media and/or distribution outlets, providing valuable data for evaluating ROI.

VirtualDecoder™

VirtualDecoder™ lets you connect with a consumer without having to print and distribute a physical game piece. Targeted participants learn about the promotion via e-mail, direct mail, radio, or other traditional media and are directed to visit a website. After providing their registration information, participants are shown a virtual game piece on their display screen. Using their mouse, participants drag a virtual decoder over the embedded hidden image area to reveal a prize or value offer.

Online Games

Online games, like this one developed for Act II popcorn, get your targeted audience involved in a fun and impactful way. Aimed at increasing sales in the commercial vending channel, the game offered a chance to win $1 million. To play, consumers had to register online with the freshness code found on their product package. Results were outstanding, with sales growing from 12 million to 16 million units during the nine-month promotion period.

Do more with less money

As budgets shift to interactive from traditional media, overall advertising spending is decreasing. Marketers are focusing on tools that drive immediate response and sales, according to Shar VanBoskirk, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. “As interactive grows, marketers’ need to invest in mass media advertising diminishes,” she says. “You can do more with less money,” she continues.

Strategy continues to be key when making the transition to some of the interactive media options we have highlighted here. We can work with you to design an interactive promotion that is strategically aligned with your marketing objectives to offer the greatest possible ROI. Call us today at 800.554.2902 to learn more!