The North Carolina Public Transportation Association (NCPTA) hosts an annual training conference and business partner expo. It’s a time when vendors and systems collaborate to inform, update, collect new ideas and make the transit world a better place. The event offers possibilities for improving administration and operations, showcasing everything from scheduling software to vehicles of a surprising range of shapes and sizes.
My beloved daughter, and only child, turned 34 on October 9. Her birthday took me back to 1985 when I worked in telecom. Exciting times - expanding service from 13 cable channels, i.e. the networks, HBO, CNN, Nickelodeon, ESPN and C-SPAN to an unbelievable 400-450 MHZ bandwidth of up to 60 channels. Okay, so I’m dating myself (and loving it!).
One of the most embarrassing and gut-wrenching experiences for a Marketing Manager is to be handed a copy of company materials with the brand so disfigured it is unrecognizable.
Let’s face it, when your organization distributes print across the State, the country or the world, you need a system that gives you the power to: (1) Efficiently organize and update content, (2) Preserve brand integrity, (3) Manage and track usage and volume, (4) Avoid obsolescence and waste from unused stock, and (5) Ensure the polished image you designed remains intact, regardless the media.
In most businesses today, space comes at a premium. Desks are crammed together with co-workers close and the closet at the end of the hall is full of stuff. Add to that the jumble of materials needed to go to more than one trade show per year and you’ve got some serious space management issues. In fact, several of our print communication customers require us to call before we make any deliveries because they simply have no extra room.
My beloved daughter, and only child, turned 34 on October 9. Her birthday took me back to 1985 when I worked in telecom. Exciting times - expanding service from 13 cable channels, i.e. the networks, HBO, CNN, Nickelodeon, ESPN and C-SPAN to an unbelievable 400-450 MHZ bandwidth of up to 60 channels. Okay, so I’m dating myself (and loving it!).
There is a lot of talk in the marketplace about Portals these days. Many websites offer a space to set up and account and login so you can check on orders and track your shipments. Libraries want you to use your library card to sign in on their website to access more of their services. Heck, your Urologist probably has one he wants you to use. But is the portal your printer offers good for you or good for them?
Some projects are best suited as a digital communication while others really should be printed. Some programs could benefit from both printed pieces and digital resources. With ever-increasing sales targets and tight marketing budgets we need to get this right. These tricky questions can be answered more easily by breaking the decision down into smaller parts.
Understanding the customer’s needs is critical to moving them through their customer journey in their relationship with you. Like any relationship, it's based on communication - a two-way conversation with your customer. Let's face it. We’re not very good at it. And that's because we aren’t that good at listening. Discovering their pain points, and challenges as well as communicating your ideas, or solutions requires not only hearing but actively listening to the customer.
As consumers, we have never had access to as much information as we now have. Whether buying a car or selecting a service provider, in just a few clicks we can evaluate costs, benefits, features and reviews and then make good choices quickly. All this product information is readily available, easy to interpret, and quick to access. For consumers, more data typically equals better decisions.
For marketers, not so much.
Specialization in marketing teams often leads to print and digital marketing strategies becoming misaligned. Tech savvy, data-focused marketers managing digital media including social, paid, content, etc., and designers, wordsmiths, layout-conscious artists preparing catalogs, brochures, and other print items. Centering the strategy around the customer experience makes it easier to keep strategies aligned.
