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Case Studies

Real world examples of how Advertisers Printing can take your print strategy to the next level.

Earth Day Preview: Sustainability in Printing Practices

Taking Action: Responsible Disposal of Electronics In honor of Mother Earth, and our upcoming holiday celebrating her, Earth Day, we want to share a proud moment that happened last weekend. Our Director of Sustainability, John Heaney M.S., led by example as he orchestrated the responsible disposal of 11 skids of electronics. Instead of simply discarding them into a landfill, John ensured that these devices were properly recycled, diverting potentially harmful materials from polluting our planet. Championing Sustainable Practices John’s commitment to sustainability extends far beyond this single act. He consistently champions environmentally friendly practices in every aspect of our business operations. Whether it’s implementing energy-efficient solutions, promoting recycling initiatives, or encouraging sustainable supply chain practices, John is at the forefront of driving positive change. Inspiring Environmental Responsibility What sets John apart is his genuine passion for making a difference. He doesn’t just view sustainability as a corporate buzzword or a checkbox on a CSR report. Instead, he sees it as a moral imperative—a duty to safeguard our planet for future generations. Leading the Way John’s dedication to walking the walk inspires all of us to do better. It challenges us to reevaluate our own actions and strive for greater environmental responsibility in everything we do. By following John’s lead and committing to sustainable action, we can create a brighter, greener future for all. Conclusion: A Beacon of Environmental Stewardship As we reflect on John’s exemplary leadership, let us all be reminded of the power of individual action. Each of us has the capacity to make a difference, no matter how small our role may seem. Thank you, John Heaney, for not just talking the talk but walking the walk—and inspiring us all to do the same.

April 11, 2024

What Does Responsible Marketing Look Like in 2024?

Sustainable Green Printing & Dialed in OmniChannel Marketing for 2024.

September 6, 2023

Environmentally Friendly Printing Will Grow Your Business

Climate change, deforestation, and calls for environmental sustainability are hot-button topics in our current social and political lives. What used to be a matter of debate is now considered an urgent global crisis. Environmentally Friendly Printing Our environment is quickly changing with the help of environmentally friendly printing we can change the world. And, believe it or not, it affects how businesses are interacting with their consumers. Most notably, environmentally friendly businesses are now being praised by customers for taking a stand in the fight for a clean and sustainable environment. Environmentally Sustainable Companies Are Preferred According to a Nielsen report titled Sustainability Sells: Linking Sustainability Claims to Sales, one thing is clear: “Customers prefer working with and supporting environmentally sustainable companies.” Businesses around the world are beginning to convert to more environmentally friendly practices to take advantage of the monetary and reputational benefits that doing so can bring. But how can your company support this cause when you also rely on print marketing to succeed? Partnering with an environment-first print company for your creative marketing and promotional needs allows you to support the noble cause of protecting our beloved planet. As a bonus, it leaves a positive impression on your customers and can even boost your profits. Environmentally Friendly Companies Are Looking at the Facts There has never been a better time to work with environmentally friendly companies to meet your marketing and brand awareness needs. According to the aforementioned Nielsen report, “Brands that are able to strategically connect (sustainability) to actual behavior are in a good place to capitalize on increased consumer expectation and demand.” Consider these facts: Over half of consumers are willing to pay more for products from environmentally conscious companies. 70% of consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a public stand on social and political issues. 87% of consumers say they will switch brands if a different brand of similar quality supports a good cause. So why are consumers favoring environmentally sustainable companies and choosing to support them through their purchases? The answer lies in the benefits of operating as an environmentally friendly company. Saving Money with Recycling Recycling keeps our environment healthy, but there are some real, tangible benefits for businesses as well, especially in the printing industry. More companies are recycling unwanted material; in doing so, they’re opening the doors to huge savings. Special access to exclusive government grants and an improved company reputation are just a few additional benefits of going green. Environmentally friendly printing companies tap into these benefits by recycling ink, paper, metal plates and other materials throughout their operations. All of this can easily be done without sacrificing the quality of a print project. At Advertisers Printing, we target an ambitious 85% landfill avoidance and continually strive to limit our waste and consumption with comprehensive recycling of ink, paper, metal plates, and other materials throughout our operations. In addition to tackling recycling in house, we also offer programs to help our customers recycle unwanted products to support clean and efficient production processes. Partnerships like our School Share Paper Donations program help schools recycle and repurpose paper goods that are no longer being used or needed. Eco-Friendly Printing is Trading Carbon for Cleaner Ink Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility, many of which are man-made chemicals In simple terms, they evaporate easily—at room temperature—and can contribute to global warming via the greenhouse effect. Ink high in VOCs can also be harmful to the health of print workers operating the presses if not properly handled That’s why Advertisers Printing aims to keep use as few VOCs as possible for eco-friendly printing: for example, our new LED-UV press uses inks that contain no solvents and are 99.5% VOC-free. In addition, these inks are instantly cured (dried), which eliminates any greenhouse gas or health concerns. Energy Efficiency at Its Best Using energy more efficiently is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and meet the growing energy demand. The official Advertisers Printing environmental policy encourages regular improvements to our facilities and vehicles to enhance energy efficiency and utilization. Increasing energy efficiency saves unnecessary costs and allows us to focus our resources on providing the absolute best service to our customers. Incorporating environmentally friendly resources such as our fleet of seven Prius hybrid vehicles and the addition of 25kW solar panels on our roofs reduces waste, helps keep costs down, and has proven time and again to be far more efficient and cost-effective than traditional energy use. Partnering with a Sustainable Print Company Although completely transforming your current business into an environmentally friendly organization is ideal for the planet, it may not always be feasible for numerous reasons. As an alternative, partnering with an environmentally friendly company such as Advertisers Printing can shine just as much of a positive light on your own business as going green yourself. Advertisers Printing is one of only 50 U.S. printing companies to have earned SGP (Sustainability Green Partner) Certification, the industry standard for excellence in sustainable operations. As a full-service, sustainable printing company that offers assistance from initial project planning to final distribution, we have decades of experience printing materials ranging from professional business cards to annual reports. Contact us today to learn more about our sustainable print services by speaking with one of our print strategists. Let us help you bring your print vision to life in an eco-friendly way!

March 18, 2021

Sustainably Sharing the Magic of Print with the RMGT 9-Series

At Advertisers Printing, we constantly seek ways to reduce our environmental impact and increase our social responsibility. Our journey to become one of the most sustainable printers in the United States began in 2002 when we earned our Sustainable Green Printing Partnership certification (we are one of less than 60 SGP-certified offset/digital printers in the world). Since then, we’ve proactively implemented policies, procedures, and equipment that keep us in the top 1% of sustainable printers, and our recent acquisition of the RMGT 9-Series is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of our environmental initiatives and how the RMGT will help elevate our company and clients to the pinnacle of sustainable printing in 2021 and beyond. Why Is the RMGT 9-Series an Achievement in Sustainable Printing? In addition to enhancing our print quality and speed to market, our new RMGT enables us to print products with the lowest carbon footprint in an incredibly efficient way. Some of its most notable green features include: Reduced energy consumption – Besides being a time-saver, the RMGT’s one-pass perfecting saves time and energy by eliminating the need for a second pass. At 25 x 37 inches, it also uses 70-80% less energy than a conventional UV-IR 28 x 40 inch full size press while still delivering a standard size 16-page format. Low material waste – The RMGT’s “compact” size compared to other presses in its class means that consumable use (plates, blankets, and ink) is cut by 1/3, and make-ready (setup) paper spoilage is lowered by up to 80% on every job. Advanced UV/LED curing – Not only does the RMGT’s GEW LeoLED MLA (Modular Lamp Array) curing technology provide major speed and quality benefits, it also enables greener printing in the following ways: Reduced ink waste = no need for daily ink wash ups (saving over 1,000 lbs of wasted ink annually) Zero ozone emissions = no exhaust ventilation necessary, healthier for our staff Low heat generation, = less HVAC energy used for climate control in our facilities Light-emitting diodes = LED uses just 10% of the energy compared to a conventional arc lamp UV system (90% energy savings) Long life span = last about 15,000 hours versus 1,000-3,000 hours for conventional arc lamps Instant on/off power = eliminates the need for a large amount of standby power when the press is off So, why are we telling you all of these details about our new RMGT 9-Series? Because in our core values, we have a responsibility to communicate our ongoing commitment to sustainability to our employees, clients, vendors, contractors, and visitors – an SGP requirement. That means every time we enhance our operations to become even more eco-friendly, we want to let you know so you can feel good about choosing us as your trusted printing partner! The Advertisers Printing family believes that it’s absolutely essential to work safely, protect our community’s health and welfare, and preserve the environment all while delivering the highest quality products and superior service to our clients. In What Other Ways Is Advertisers Printing a Sustainable Company? Plenty of companies say that they are environmentally conscious, but how many have tangible evidence to back up their claims? We live in the “Show-Me state,” after all! Our team not only talks the talk, but we walk the walk – every single day. Our sustainable initiatives include: Sustainability presentations – We’ve given environmental talks at WashU, Georgia Tech, St Louis University, Canon Corp, Missouri Botanical Garden, SGP, and AIGA, among others. We are available and ready to present to your organization, too. 12-prong recycling program – We employ a comprehensive system for recycling ink, paper, metal plates, and other operational materials. Energy efficient facilities – The roof of our facility is blanketed by 25kW solar panels (offsetting energy expenditure by 20%), all of our interior lighting is LED, and our service fleet includes an EV Chevy Bolt and four Prius hybrid vehicles used for sales and deliveries. Clean inks – We only use inks that contain very low or zero volatile organic compounds, and the LED/UV process eliminates the need for aqueous coatings (a consumable). Weekly waste pickups – Our company has made such drastic solid waste reductions that we require pickup only once a week. School share paper donations – Another way we help paper goods avoid landfills is by repurposing paper at schools across the St. Louis region. ‘Know before you throw’ program – To assist our clients in becoming more sustainable, we provide them with scheduled recyclable material pick-ups and waste reduction consultations. As a result of the above efforts, our team has been recognized as some of the world’s foremost experts in sustainable printing. We work with prestigious, forward-thinking cultural organizations such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Art Museum, and St. Louis Symphony, as well as large corporate clients including Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Bayer, and Ameren, all of whom are attracted to our reputation for sustainability. And, in addition to our Sustainability Green Partner affiliation, Advertisers Printing is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and the Forest Stewardship Council. We take environmental behavior very seriously: our Sustainability Director holds a Masters in Sustainability from St. Louis University and sits on the Board of SGP. Interested in using the RMGT 9-Series to create a stunning and eco-friendly print project? Or want to talk about how we can help your organization become more sustainable in 2021? Contact us today to speak with one of our print strategists – we can’t wait to hear from you!

December 15, 2020

Print vs Digital: Rebirth of Print Media in the Digital Age

Comparing print vs digital, which one is more popular? Many are surprised to hear that print is becoming increasingly popular with millenials and younger generations, but the proof is in the data. Millennials are chastised for being glued to their phones, yet print media still holds an important place in their daily lives. Even people from the older generation, while they increasingly shop online, are much more likely to trust information in print media than information published in digital formats. Research has found a significant difference between communicating through tangible, printed materials and communicating through digital materials. Though the working world has shifted to computers and cloud services, many of its industries still rely on print media for marketing, communication, and other important functions. Printed Media Offers Comprehension and Reward It’s easier to comprehend information when it’s delivered through printed material—not because the information on a digital screen is more difficult to read but because your mind is less likely to wander and become distracted when you’re looking at printed media than when you’re browsing digital content. In fact, Scientific American discovered that most screens interfere with the navigation of text, causing stress and exhaustion when used for reading comprehension tests. In addition, scrolling through digital media has been found to be mentally draining, meaning the reader must move and comprehend text at the same time. In terms of reward, print media outperforms digital media. Temple University published a study that looked at 3D printed images of participants’ brain activity. The study showed that paper advertisements activated the ventral striatum area of the brain more than digital media did. This specific part of the brain is strongly associated with reward and reinforcement. So it’s easier to not only comprehend information through print but also engage with whatever content is presented to you. Education and Societal Benefits It’s no question that increasing literacy around the world greatly improves society as a whole. Many companies are dedicated to improving literacy. Kodak, for example, is reaching global communities through its Print for Good initiative. While it seems that most of us can access the internet, a whopping 4.9 billion people cannot. The only way these people can learn is through print media, and Print for Good’s mission is to provide these people with print to help them learn how to read. By learning to read, they are able to enter the world of education and are given seemingly endless possibilities for their working future. Even workplaces, though mostly plugged in, are creating print materials to educate their employees. As said above, it’s been proven that retention and comprehension is improved through print, and that helps ensure return on investment with these kinds of programs. Sustainable Print You might be questioning this headline for sustainable print–how can paper products be more sustainable than digital ones? The reality is that power cannot be recycled, but paper can. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that recycling paper provides “multiple benefits, including: extending the wood fiber supply; reducing greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding methane emissions; contributing to carbon sequestration; reducing energy needed for paper production, and saving landfill space.” Furthermore, as a renewable resource, paper can be regrown or replenished in one or two human lifetimes. As long as you are purchasing from sustainable companies, you are receiving paper that comes from well-managed forests or farms that are dedicated to replanting trees at the rate of four times more than they harvest. Leisure Imagine yourself heading to the park or the beach and bringing your favorite book along with you. There is still something wonderful about the smell of a fresh paper book and the crisp turn of a page. You can pass down a book to a child or loan it to a friend. And each read preserves unique memories that are entirely your own. Especially in a time where our eyes are mostly straining to look at screens for work, the joy of printed material becomes much more appealing. Final Thoughts Every industry has its own marketing goal, and print media can play a crucial role in that area. Research has proven that print is still an important and sought-after media in today’s world, regardless of what it’s used for. Millenials are reading more than previous generations at the same age, as well as appreciating the experience of physically owning a book. By 2020, 50% of the workforce in America will consist of millennials. Now is the time to realize the crucial role that print media plays in every aspect of life and take advantage of the various ways it can be used to promote your company and business initiatives in a way that’s more intriguing and readily comprehensible. Contact Advertisers Printing, a St. Louis Printing Company today for more information about the importance of printed materials.

June 14, 2018

Best Practices for Greening Print Marketing

These days, it’s all about going green. For some people, it’s a personal and philosophical commitment. For others, it’s important for their brand image. Whatever your reason for greening, the question is the best way to go about it. This white paper will look at some easy best practices as they relate to print marketing.

November 10, 2015