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Case Studies

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

Partner Stories | Customer Service

Co-founder of The Normal Brand, Jimmy Sansone, shares how Advertisers Printing’s focus on quality, honesty, and quick turnaround has significantly impacted their operations. Additionally, being centrally located in St. Louis, MO has provided strategic advantages for distribution. Even though company has over a century of history we still carry the enthusiasm and agility of a startup, committed to enhancing print strategies through unmatched precision and reliability. “It doesn’t feel like a 100-year-old company. It feels like a brand new company that all they’re trying to do is deliver for their customer. If print materials are a part of your strategy, Advertisers is going to make that strategy better.” – Jimmy Sansone.

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Why You Should Collaborate With a Print Strategist When Planning Your Next Project

Whether it’s your first time working with Advertisers Printing or your fiftieth, our team is always fully on board with helping you achieve your vision of gorgeous and effective print communications that garner attention and reach your goals. That’s why we highly recommend tapping into the deep expertise of our print strategists when you are in the initial planning phase of your next print project. By leveraging their knowledge about the latest innovations in print, you’ll end up with phenomenal finished products that elevate your brand and better align with your other avenues for business growth. When you reach out about your next project, you don’t have to have all the details figured out – our print strategists bring significant value to the table when they are included in the planning process to help you brainstorm ideas, make technical decisions, and devise strategies for achieving your goals! Here are a few ways our print strategists support your print communications for maximum success. Print Strategist Factor #1: Asking The Important Questions When you engage with one of our experienced print strategists, they will ask you some questions up-front to help get a better picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. For example: Who is the intended audience for your print communications? What action do you want them to take after viewing your message?   For what period of time will each piece be used?  How will your print communications be distributed?  What quantity is needed for this project? How will you track the success of your print campaign? Oftentimes customers come to our print strategists with a concept of how they want their project to look and what the desired outcome should be, and then our team is able to build upon their ideas and talk through the details until a solid plan is in place. Then it’s onto checking artwork files and beginning the first stages of our comprehensive quality control process.  Print Strategist Factor #2: Providing a Custom-Tailored Experience At Advertisers Printing, our clients range from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. The number one thing that all of these relationships have in common is our unwavering dedication to providing a bespoke experience for each and every company that chooses us as their trusted printing partner. No matter the size, industry, or mission, our top priority is the success and satisfaction of our clients.  Drawing from that mindset, our print strategists get to know your business – and you – inside and out in order to engineer your projects so that they achieve their full potential. They will also assist in fine-tuning the specs of your project to make the most efficient use of our paper stock, inks, etc. to save you time and money in ways you may not have thought of. Our team loves sharing knowledge and educating people about the best techniques and materials that modern printing has to offer. Unsure of the difference between cast-coated and gloss paper? Want to experience what reticulated varnish feels like? Curious about different metallic inks? Our print strategists will mail or even swing by your office to deliver print samples so you have an accurate idea of the options you have to work with.  Every one of our print strategists is a creative problem solver who will go above and beyond to get you what you need. Our team is adamant about maintaining the quality of your project through each stage of the process while respecting your time by beating deadlines and keeping everything on schedule. Print Strategist Factor #3: Assisting With Marketing Strategy Another way in which Advertisers Printing isn’t your average print shop is that, in addition to our skills in the art of printing, we’re also able to tie our print projects into a range of high-caliber marketing solutions. Whether you need help on the front end with list acquisition and client profiling or you’d like to set up lead scoring and triggers to identify hot prospects, our print strategists will work with you to design a path toward direct, measurable results.  Our team can get you set up with the Advertisers Connects platform which helps track the effectiveness of your direct mail, follow up with prospects via social ad retargeting, and show you campaign results 24/7 on a digital dashboard. The platform even enables you to install a pixel on your website so you can automatically send bounced visitors a personalized direct mail piece. Afterwards, our print strategists will ensure that you’re able to see your post-campaign results such as improved engagement, boosted revenue, or increase in brand awareness.  Print Strategist Factor #4: Incorporating Relevant Mailing Requirements Our print strategists recognize that most people aren’t experts on the ever-changing rules surrounding direct mail marketing and associated postage costs/regulations. Many printing companies don’t offer in-house mailing services – we do. No matter if you’re looking to do a flat or dimensional mailing, small run or massive campaign, our team can help you understand the process and navigate the complexities of mailing print communications.  Your reliable print strategist will make sure your project is aligned with the best method for distribution, confirming that it meets the necessary requirements/regulations for faster delivery and lower postage costs. Our team will also carefully assess your mailing list, checking that it’s clean, certified, and free of any duplicate records. If you’re looking to send a campaign across a variety of states and zip codes, we even have access to special USPS commingling discounts that allow you maximize postage savings on your direct mail efforts.  Ready to strike up a conversation about how we can help bring your vision for eye-catching print materials to life? Our print strategists are eager to collaborate with your team and start planning a beautiful print project that will support your goals for business growth. Contact us today and we can schedule a time to chat. Let the brainstorming begin! 

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Connecting with Print Media: How to Reach Your Customers

As we continue to adapt to living and working in the “new normal” of a world affected by a pandemic, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: things will never go back to exactly how they were pre-COVID. Many workers will never go back to the office (74% of companies are shifting some employees to fully remote) and we will continue to spend more time “plugged in” (4 out of 5 Americans have increased their screen time this year) because of the pandemic. While opportunities for safe in-person interaction certainly exist, it’s obvious that the global health crisis is pushing people even further into their already digitally-saturated lifestyles of video meetings, countless hours logged on social media, and trying to leverage the latest technology to get more done while juggling family responsibilities and home life. So, how can your business stand out and foster genuine human connection when it’s starting to feel like we’re living in the Matrix? Start building relationships through print media! Read on for 4 benefits of using print materials to market your business in 2020 and beyond. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #1: Print Produces an Emotional Reaction When was the last time you were captivated by a display ad blinking alongside an article you were reading on your laptop? Exactly. To compare the emotional reactions produced by print vs. digital, a joint study from the United States Postal service and Temple University measured a study group’s heart rate and brain activity while they viewed the two types of ads. In the end, participants chose to examine the print ads longer than the digital ads, and their vitals showed that print literally made their heart beat faster and got them more excited. But here’s where it gets really interesting: the custom print ads also triggered major activity in the area of the brain (“ventral striatum” is the fancy science term) that is responsible for desire and decision making, which can signal a greater intent to purchase. Whether we chalk it up to our caveman instincts or our increasing numbness to the virtual realm, print makes people more engaged and more likely to buy. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #2: Print Is More Trustworthy In the era of clickbait headlines and online “fake news” capable of duping even our sharpest friends, people see print as inherently more reliable and honest than what they see Retweeted and shared across the wild west of the World Wide Web. According to a study by MarketingSherpa, 82% of consumers trust print ads, the highest level of trust compared to all other advertising channels. That being said, just because print is the most trustworthy advertising medium doesn’t mean that you should abandon your other marketing channels altogether: Around 70% of marketing decision-makers say that combining digital and direct mail boosts web traffic, resulting in higher conversions and a better ROI. Think implementing an omnichannel marketing campaign sounds difficult and time-consuming? An all-in-one solution such as Advertisers Connects can help you enhance your marketing results without having to coordinate all of the necessary elements on your own. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #3: Print Stimulates the Senses We engage with the outside world with all of our senses, but the messages we receive on a computer or phone usually only engage our sense of sight, sometimes sound (“Where is that  auto-playing video ad coming from?!”) And when you’re on hour 12 of staring at a screen, that sense can become a bit dulled, to say the least. With the latest advancements in printing technology, physical marketing materials such as direct mail postcards can be upgraded to become a three-dimensional, tactile experience. According to marketing research conducted by University of Wisconsin and Kent State University, tactile sensations can make consumers feel more connected to a brand or product, and increase the likelihood of them deciding to buy. Imagine flipping through your usual mail stack when suddenly you feel the scales of a lizard, and look down to see an invitation to check out a new exotic reptile store in your city. That’s a marketing piece you’re not likely to forget, which brings us to our next benefit… Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #4: Print Is More Memorable So much of the digital world today is specifically engineered to distract and command your attention right away, and it takes a significant amount of brain power to ignore such diversions. Neuromarketing firm TrueImpact found that direct mail takes 21% less mental effort to process than digital ads, plus it’s much more memorable. The firm also discovered that, when asked to cite the company name of an advertisement they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among people who were exposed to a direct mail piece than a digital ad. And with modern printers that offer a wide range of paper options, custom die cutting techniques, spot colors, specialty substrates, finishes, and structural designs, you’re guaranteed to find something that will appeal to your customers and help keep your brand top-of-mind. Ready to start cutting through the noise with a print marketing campaign that will make sure you stand out from your competitors? We’re ready to help! Contact us today to speak with one of our print marketing experts about creating a one-of-a-kind direct mail campaign or print marketing project.

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Three Things You May Not Know About Direct Mail

There are hundreds of blog posts published every day about the latest trends and insights surrounding various marketing channels: how the new social media algorithm update will affect your PPC ads, why your SEO strategy should be different this month than it was the last, what new technology will take your email marketing to the next level, etc. While such articles are all well and good (and we read many of them), we’ve noticed that one major marketing channel receives far less attention than it deserves: direct mail! Whether your company has never tried direct mail before or it’s a key component of your overall marketing strategy, we’re willing to bet that we have at least one nugget of needle-moving knowledge that you didn’t know about. Let’s take a look and find out. Surprising Direct Mail Trend #1: It Appeals to Younger Generations Millennials and Gen Zers, the youngest of the six living generations, are often categorized as digital consumers who absorb the vast majority of their daily information via screens. While there is no question that these two cohorts enjoy using technology to make their lives easier, there is also a growing body of evidence that suggests they have a more favorable attitude toward print communications than one would suspect. For example, a recent report from the United States Postal Service discovered that 90% of millennials think direct mail advertising is reliable, and 87% say they like receiving direct mail. The same report also found that 50% of millennials say they ignore digital ads, while only 15% ignore direct mail. Although direct mail-specific research has yet to be conducted for Generation Z, an in-depth study of Gen Z behavior by MNI Targeted Media uncovered some interesting data: 83% of Gen Zers choose physical newspapers when looking for trustworthy content, 70% say their generation should unplug more, and 60% prefer brick-and-mortar stores to shopping online. Action Tip: Avoid digital fatigue by taking an integrated approach when marketing to younger generations that encompasses the best of modern digital and print solutions. Surprising Direct Mail Trend #2: It Motivates New Movers to Spend According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 10% of Americans (32 million) moved from one residence to another last year. While that may sound like a statistic that’s primarily of interest to realtors and moving companies, there are some supplemental numbers that reveal why new movers present an intriguing marketing opportunity for companies in other industries: Their lives are changing: U.S. Census Bureau questionnaire data discovered that the top four reasons Americans move are that they want a new or better residence (16.4%), they want to establish their own household (12.6%), they have a family-related reason (11.1%), or they have accepted a new job or job transfer (10.3%). Their wallets are open: V12 Data found that new movers spend more in the first 3-6 months ($10,000-$12,000) on their new home than they will in the next 3 years, with an annual market spend of $170 billion. Their loyalty is shifting: Speedeon Data determined that new movers are 90% more likely to become repeat customers after trying a new brand post-move. Action Tip: First time marketing to new movers? Try a smaller dynamic mail campaign with a low minimum to test and refine your strategy for maximum ROI. Surprising Direct Mail Trend #3: It Gets More Engagement Official USPS data shows that overall mail volume in the United States has decreased by nearly 40% since 2006. Despite that decline, the most recent response rate report by the Association of National Advertisers found that direct mail response rates for prospect lists have risen to 5%, all the way up to 9% for house lists. That’s a 194% increase for prospect lists and a 194% increase for house lists since 2006! The same ANA report also found that email, paid search, and social media combined offer a 1% response rate, while display ads average a response rate of just 0.3%. Studies also show that the average American receives 120+ emails per day and views up to 5,000 ads per day, while the average American household receives fewer than two pieces of marketing mail per day. Action Tip: A/B test PPC ad campaigns to experiment with different offers across your top demographics and when you determine which one performs the best, scale with a direct mail campaign. Eager to incorporate some of these trends into your direct mail strategy, or just want some advice on what to do next? At Advertisers Printing, we’re not just a commercial printer – we’re also your trusted partners who are fully dedicated to helping you achieve your unique business goals. Contact us today to speak with one of our print marketing experts on how to best execute your next direct mail campaign or print marketing project.

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3 Easy Ways to Increase the Impact of Your Printed Marketing Materials

In the last few years, research has proven that print is still alive and kicking. In fact, one study recently found that print advertisements are easier for readers to understand, more persuasive, and more attention-grabbing. With so many positive statistics hinting that you should incorporate print into your marketing strategies, you have no reason not to give it a shot! Let’s take a look at three easy ways your organization can increase the impact of your printed marketing materials. 1. Focus on Quality Over Quantity in Your Print Marketing Strategy Given how frequently people open and read direct mail, it may be tempting to bombard their mailboxes with advertisements of all kinds. But before you instruct your team to completely turn your efforts from web to print, consider how your email inbox might look right now. Saturated with junk offers and “buy more” emails, right? Likewise, nobody likes to open their mailbox and find piles of spammy ads—so how are you going to stand out from the generic print that other companies send? The best way to take advantage of an impactful print marketing strategy is to focus on quality, not quantity, while still leading with online marketing efforts. Emphasizing quality in print will show your customers that you don’t cut corners and understand what they want to see (which communicates information in a manner that your customer understands and appreciates). 2. Be Intentional About Your Custom Print Design Even if you spend big bucks on high-quality paper and other snazzy printing features, a poorly designed piece will quickly turn off any customer. If you don’t have a team member who knows their way around Photoshop or InDesign, we recommend consulting with a professional to help you realize the vision in your head. While designing your piece, you also want to resist the temptation of dumping every flashy new printing trend onto one canvas. In other words, you should be deliberate about how you design your marketing piece—consider the layout, colors, fonts, and how you want your customers to interact with whatever you’re sending. The idea is to make your custom print designing engaging, interesting, and comprehensible—otherwise, it’ll go right into the trash without a second thought. 3. Partner with a Reputable Full-Service Printer Partnering with a reputable, full-service printer that has years of experience is your best bet for producing impactful print marketing materials. In fact, some printing companies even have marketers and designers on staff who can guide you through the entire process—from concept to print—so you aren’t creating a product blindly. Advertisers Printing is here to help you better connect with today’s customers. We’re 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 bound books, compelling posters, and even banners. If you can dream it, we can help you print it. Contact Advertisers Printing, a St. Louis Printing Company today for more print marketing tips and tricks.

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