The Earth Moved in Virginia and Wiki Makes Earthquake History!
At a Printing Industry staff meeting in Pennsylvania on Tuesday August 23, the earthquake shook the building for a few long seconds. As most people recounted, the tremor was fast and not much happened even while buildings in DC and other places were evacuated for safety and security reasons. We later learned that the quake made Virginian history as the epicenter while it was felt in a dozen states and several provinces in Canada. Damage was recorded; but in light of huge devastation in other earthquake sites, I will not discuss the damages associated with the earthquake. But a different kind of history was made in the Internet realm. Only eight minutes passed before the 2011 Virginia earthquake was written up in Wikipedia. That is amazing! Here is the Washington Post article talking about this and the people involved. http://prnt.in/ZSa According to the WP article, over 80K people viewed it at publication. Newspapers can never really compete with these numbers! Alvaro Duran is one of 88K regular volunteer contributors to Wikipedia and he was the first to write a quick sentence and a link to the US Geological Survey. Later he and others added to the page and the Wikipedia link is over 7 pages long. Here is the Wikipedia link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake While I am regularly amazed at the recent disclosures of social media’s role in flash mobs, rioting, anti-government rallies, this nearly instant update to Wikipedia gives us a continuing picture of the transformation of the Internet and communication. I bet for Alvaro Duran, a master’s degree student, his role in this story will be one of his milestones in his career. Cheers for his role in making written history! Wikipedia shares the spotlight in this history of the VA earthquake. ...
read moreAsk Dillon! Resources that Outline the Tolerance for Quality
Dillon Mooney, Technical Consultant at Printing Industries of America, answers some of the frequently asked questions he receives through the technical hotline. In this episode, he answers the question, “Are you aware of any resources that outline the tolerance for quality in the printing industry?” We’re very excited to be able to present these bite-sized chunks of information for your viewing pleasure. We have more in the works and, if these are are well received, will consider doing more of these in the future....
read moreFrom the Integrated Print Forum Blog – Top 10 Risks of Social Media
Peter Muir wrote this piece on our Integrated Print Forum Blog. Peter, along with many other leaders in the social media field, will be presenting at the Integrated Print Forum this October at Printing Industries of America’s head quarters in Pittsburgh, PA. 1. Something gets posted you don’t want others to see. Is it a corporate secret, comments of a disgruntled employee or an upset customer because of a lack of customer service? If you don’t already have one, a brief internal social media policy should cover what can and can’t be said along with how it could be said by those inside the organization. It should be flexible enough to encourage passion for customers and the brand but should also make sure the brand remains an asset. If the comments are from outside the organization they should be quickly judged to determine constructive criticism or inappropriate behavior and appropriate steps should be taken to deal with them in a timely manner. 2. You create a social presence but no one is participating. Social media should start with a strategy and part of the strategy should include audience, content and appropriate channel(s). It takes time to grow a community. You may think you’re talking to yourself but really you can be honing your message to your customer while you also spend time listening to what is important to them and include it in your community content. The time you take working at establishing your social media standing can also be used as an ongoing case study to discuss what you’ve learned with your customers. 3. You’re trying to be social but the topic gets sidetracked or even hijacked. Simply ask, “Why?” Perhaps there is something else more important you could or should be covering. One of the first rules of social media is that it’s not about you. Or perhaps you can suggest covering the new topic in next week’s discussions where you can research it further and get more input on it. The point of social media is that you don’t have direct control of the message but the more involved you are in social media and are aware of your business and customers, your ability to influence the message increases. 4. Some people don’t tolerate change. As your social media community grows and expands its reach there is a possibility of alienating your core followers. You need to consider your core first before diluting your approach to please the masses you’re not currently connected to. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but if you include the core in your growth and choices for growth it’s often easier for them to deal with change. Also remember, there are some people who just don’t want to change. If they are your target audience, what about creating a core group just for them? Consider the impact on you resources and the benefits of keeping them happy while still addressing a larger potential community. 5. Social media channels and content can open up breaches of security. Viruses, malware, identity and brand theft can all occur with or without the use of social media. You should consider good IT practices to avoid the possibility of software and hardware security breaches. Some recommend being vague with content to avoid brand or identity theft. You need to...
read moreBrad Evans Shows how to Test for UV Adhesion Problems
In this video, Brad Evans shows three different ways to test UV adhesions problems. Find it informative? Enjoyable? Want to see more videos like this? Let us know in the comments. Also, visit http://www.printing.org/labservices for more information on what we can help you with. We just finished filming a series of videos with Dillon Mooney, our technical consultant, so look for those in the coming...
read moreCongress Exempts Children’s Books & Paper-Based Printed Materials from CPSIA; Industry Wins Freedom from New Environmental Regulation!
The high-stakes debt ceiling debate and votes may have stolen all of the media attention this week, but another very critical piece of legislation: a revision of the burdensome, flawed Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which called for costly environmental testing and safety certification of children’s books and other printed materials. On Monday, August 1st the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation (H.R. 2715) by an overwhelming vote of 421-2 to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). (The two recorded “Nay” votes were Reps. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH; 9 Reps were recorded as “Not Voting.”) The bill not only provides much needed added flexibility and discretion to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to implement this law, it also excludes children’s books and paper-based printed materials from onerous third-party testing and certification requirements now in place for any and all products marketed to children under 12 years of age. The Senate followed suit that night and passed the House bill by voice vote, clearing the way for President Obama’s signature. The President is expected to sign H.R. 2715 into law in short order. This is a big win for the industry! While all children’s manufactured products received a measure of general relief from CPSIA, “ordinary books” (see legislative definition below) and “paper-based printed materials” were only one of two product categories to gain a FULL exclusion from the environmental and consumer regulation. (Youth ATV/bicycles was the other category.) We’ve spent two years before the Consumer Product Safety Commission and in the halls of Congress providing environmental data, explaining print manufacturing processes, and urging lawmakers to take action to exempt what we considered an unintentional consequence of the original law passed in 2008. Prior to the votes, Printing Industries issued a Key Vote Alert to all lawmakers. Even if your company does not print books or paper-based materials for the “12 years of age & under” market, the fact that books and paper-based printed materials were being regulated by yet another entity and had its environmental stewardship once again called into question – this time regarding the use of heavy metals. Achieving a total exclusion for books and paper-based printed materials from this massive environmental and consumer regulation goes a long way to reminding lawmakers that the printing & graphic communications industry’s products are sustainable, safe and leading edge when it comes to environmentally-sound manufacturing. Printing Industries of America extends a thank you to member companies who worked tirelessly alongside our Washington, DC team to advocate the industry’s position on Capitol Hill. We also extend a special thank you to our Congressional champions, bill sponsors Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Senator MarkPryor (D-AR) and leadership and members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee. Additionally, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) had offered stand-alone legislation to exempt books from CPSIA. If your lawmakers are among this group of champions, please be sure to send an e-mail or letter thanking him or her for taking action on this important issue and arriving at a common-sense, bipartisan compromise to remove books from the regulatory morass that has been CPSIA. Also, please note that this was a rare moment of true bipartisanship! Therefore, ALL Printing Industries of America companies should take a moment so send a note of thanks to lawmakers for supporting our...
read moreOld Spice Guy vs Fabio OR Ultimate Marketing Guide
This is a serious decision … sort of. My usual check on the Social Media Field Guide RRS feed or my Inbox (not sure which … it may have been both) led me to discover free content from Hubspot and David Meerman Scott who is now the marketer in residence for Hubspot. First, I find Hubspot a terrific example of content development & distribution marketing and I have enjoyed all the Meerman Scott ebooks/books. So to discover the two are working together, I knew I was on to something good to review; and, better yet, learn more on marketing. Then I received a Tweet about the Old Spice Guy vs Fabio ad campaign. Now, I was in a quandary … which should I check out first? (Full disclosure: I find Mustafa definitely cool but feel guilty checking out his videos on the job!) The Old Spice Guy ad campaign example has been used in Julie Shaffer’s and my book, Social Media Field Guide, so I am compelled to do an update on anything happening with Mustafa (p. 20 in SMFG). Did I mention that this relieved my guilt? I recall Fabio from years past, but I was not a particular fan of his. But the ad campaign pitting the two of them against one another … very, very clever. Given that I decided to work on this project at home, my decision was to review both items for my blog entry! Ultimate Marketing Guide by Hubspot and David Meerman Scott First things first—download this free guide which is actually an interactive PowerPoint or webinar. The guide is an excellent quick read of some major points and questions that I see/hear regularly from members. There are 15 “episodes” with easy “how to” titles and quick answers that get to the point. Since there are 34 total pages in the guide with half the pages in “titles,” you can read this fast and take a few notes. Meerman Scott encourages you to Tweet this “webinar,” and share it. I had “takeaways” on every page. Yes, it was not all new, but it is good to be reinforced with some information. Check it out. My favorite episodes were: #7 related to “How to Learn from Companies Outside Your Industry (reinforced what I believe) and #14 “What is the Future of Social Media Marketing”… definitely liked the analogy between formerly using “e-business” and now “e” has disappeared and it is all about business. Moreover, “social media marketing” will morph into “marketing” with no distinction but social media tools will be another channel in the total marketing plan. Don’t delay, there is a “how to” episode for everyone! Ok, now to Old Spice Guy vs Fabio … what can I say? It is cute, I think the final scene with Fabio and a balloon says it all. Don’t feel guilty; check it out. The campaign is very engaging and if someone asks why you are watching you can say that you are “learning from another industry” campaign. Enjoy! ...
read moreVICTORY! House Votes to Exclude Books from CPSIA; Passes H.R. 2715!
BIG news! BIG victory! A bipartisan, expedited compromise bill to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 2715) has passed the House of Representatives this afternoon. This legislation EXCLUDES ORDINARY BOOKS & PAPER-BASED PRINTED MATERIALS from third-party testing and certification under CPSIA (books w/ “inherent play value” like plastic parts or stuffed animals would still be regulated). The vote passed by a vote of 421-2. We are now onward to the Senate! Prior to the vote, the limited debate included supportive-only floor speeches from Subcommittee Chairman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Subcommittee Ranking Member Butterfield (NC) (who also spoke on behalf of Rep. Ed Towns’ (D-NY) championing of the books exclusion provision), Representative Rehberg (R-MT – who spoke only to his pet issue of ATVs), and E&C Cmte Ranking Member Waxman (D-CA), who noted that it had been a “long, hard road” but did support this compromise legislation. The only other industry receiving an exclusion was the ATV/bikes industry, which had been the other signature industry lobbying for exclusion from this regulation. All other manufacturers and products received some relief from the general expansion of authority and discretion provided to CPSC to implement the law. The bill, which had originally been set for action following August recess, was expedited to address a recent controversial 3-2CPSC ruling that would have left current merchandise on shelves to be removed or discarded by August 14th. This legislation would make the lead levels prospective rather than retroactive as to not disrupt products currently in the stream of commerce. This is a BIG WIN! We now move onward to the Senate, where the bill up for a vote tonight does NOT have the exclusion for books but only for ATVs/bikes. We do not expect a conference committee to hammer out differences between the House and Senate on these bills. Instead, it’s our understanding that once the Senate passes its bill, the House may offer a substitute amendment and send back to the Senate to accept. The goal would be to keep the book exclusion intact. Given the strong bipartisan vote that just occurred we stand a good chance of it remaining in the final version. We will continue to lobby to the conclusion of this...
read moreAugmented Reality for Print
I sat down with Julie Shaffer the other day to talk a bit about augmented reality’s role in print. Before this conversation I can’t say I imagined there was a bright future, but Julie was quick to bring up a few good examples. We recorded that conversation and you can listen to that below. Let us know what you think! Discussing augmented reality and print. #integratedprint...
read moreWhy the Integrated Print Forum?
Today, more than ever, marketers are building campaigns using a mix of traditional and new media, and for good reason. Recent studies, like The 2x Cross Media Multiplier Effect, by Outsell, Inc., show that combining print, events and digital media makes for a far more effective marketing message than using any one type of media on its own. As an industry, printers have always served the advertising, publishing and marketing communities, so now we have to follow this trend and provide a wider mix of solutions to them. Many printing companies have already taken the initiative to change their brand and add a wider range of services to their portfolio of offerings — things like mailing services, promotional products, customized e-commerce sites services or personalized marketing campaigns that mix print with web or mobile destination pages. Others are just taking their first steps down this path and could use some guidance as they move forward. Regardless of where a company might be on this transitional path, there is always more to learn and room to grow. That’s where the Integrated Print Forum comes in. The Integrated Print Forum is for anyone who wants to learn everything there is to know about integrating print with other media to enhance their company’s product offering and build new revenue streams. We’re holding the inaugural Integrated Print Forum at Printing Industries of America headquarters near Pittsburgh, PA — if you’ve never visited, we have a fabulous facility. The entire program is dedicated to offering real strategies around all the hot new business options, with a focus on providing tactics to take back home and implement immediately. Topics on the agenda include mobile marketing best practices, integrated marketing program management, real options for augmented reality, marketing automation, social media for business, personalization and maximizing a database, staffing for the future, e-commerce and doing business in the cloud. The marching orders for all of our presenters is that by participating in any session, an attendee will discover a new idea or technology, consider a fresh strategic direction and learn realistic tactics for business growth. We have some great speakers on the lineup, including Lon Safko, author of The Social Media Bible, Michael Schneider, CEO of Mobile Roadie, and Ethan Boldt, Chief Content Manager at DirectMarketingIQ. Check out the session descriptions to learn more. Since everyone learns differently, the sessions will be presented in different ways, including interview-style conversations, roundtable discussions, and real hands-on labs for folks who learn by doing. And for anyone that wants an in-depth look at what some of the vendors in the digital print/integrated marketing arena have to offer, they can jump into a sponsor’s how-to lab. The opportunity to network will extend into the evening, as the group will be joined by folks in the local entrepreneurial community on Monday evening, for our Social Soiree – where we’ll talk social media while, well, socializing! Moderating the discussion is entrepreneur (and jazz singer extraordinaire)Jessica Lee. Demystifying some of the buzzwords everyone is hearing and putting real strategies behind transforming a printing company into a multichannel solution provider is what the Integrated Print Forum, and this website, is all about. I hope you’ll join our community and the conversation— we’d love to hear from you! Note: Julie Shaffer talks with Dan Tallarico about Integrated Print Forum in...
read moreTwo New Social Media Book Reviews Added!
Check out the latest books reviewed by Mary Garnett. The books selected were Problogger: The Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income and The Thank You Economy. Problogger: If you have started a blog, you already know the challenges associated with creating content, gaining traffic to the blog and earning money for your efforts. The magic three are difficult if not impossible. To earn a six-figure income for blogging adds an amazing feat to the list. Yet the authors Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett are doing that and more. If you have any level of interest in blogging, or even just writing solid, attention-getting content, this book is for you. Click here for Problogger. http://prnt.in/Z5U Thank You Economy. If you are a fan or have heard of the author, Gary Vaynerchuck, you will enjoy this book as well as learn from his suggestions and examples. Every printer or small business owner can profit from the guidelines of this book. Gary is an example that was highlighted in Social Media Field Guide: A Resource for Graphic Communicators Gary is well known for his achievements in catapulting his local family-owned wine store into a national darling and in his demonstrating a sterling example of the impact of social media on a small business. Click here for The Thank You Economy....
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