A Custom Market Research Case Study: Uncovering Brand Awareness in Digital Printing Technology
You have big goals for your company. How much do you know about your customers, your products or services, your competitors, and the market you serve? There’s a high value in big data insights that provide a clearer focus, helping you determine where your company stands and where you need to go. Yet, if you are like the majority of companies, you don’t have professional custom surveying, analyzing, and reporting capabilities in-house. That’s why more and more companies are turning to our Economic and Market Research department at Printing Industries of America for custom market research services. In this market research case study, learn how Magner Sanborn, a full-service advertising and brand design agency, worked one on one with their market research team to find vital solutions for their digital printing client. Custom Market Research Case Study Background: An industrial commercial press manufacturer had a problem. Their agency, Magner Sanborn, as Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research described, “wanted to leverage their brand, but first they needed to know where they stood in the market.” Magner Sanborn partnered with the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research team to determine the current market awareness of their client’s digital printing technology in the commercial printing industry. The team developed a baseline brand awareness benchmark in each of the major channels of the commercial printing industry to measure the progress of various advertising campaigns over the next twelve months. Method: Magner Sanborn “started the conversation with a well-defined marketing problem and primary study objectives,” Gleeson said. “In most cases we help companies better define their marketing problem and hone in on their research objectives. However, Magner Sanborn came to Printing Industries of America to take advantage of our knowledge of the printing industry. We helped them craft an online survey to collect the necessary intelligence to meet their primary study objectives.” After the data was collected, the team worked with Magner Sanborn to develop the necessary banners and crosstabs to present the findings to their client’s senior management. Results: Magnor Sanborn met their goal to establish a benchmark for brand awareness and consideration for their client. They are now able to measure their progress against these metrics. Their client “is now more motivated to have an active and visible role in 2014—to build the brand and drive sales,” said Jill Hulswit, account supervisor at Magner Sanborn More insights—Read the full interview with Jill Hulswit of Manger Sanborn to learn more about how you can leverage custom market research to reach your business goals. Find out how the research team works with you to develop a custom strategy, how data is analyzed, and to what measures they will go to get the job done. Want to learn more about Proprietary Print Market Research Services? Just contact Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research at 800-910-4283, ext. 756 or by clicking here....
read moreA Custom Market Research Case Study: Uncovering Brand Awareness in Digital Printing Technology
You have big goals for your company. How much do you know about your customers, your products or services, your competitors, and the market you serve? There’s a high value in big data insights that provide a clearer focus, helping you determine where your company stands and where you need to go. Yet, if you are like the majority of companies, you don’t have professional custom surveying, analyzing, and reporting capabilities in-house. That’s why more and more companies are turning to our Economic and Market Research department at Printing Industries of America for custom market research services. In this market research case study, learn how Magner Sanborn, a full-service advertising and brand design agency, worked one on one with their market research team to find vital solutions for their digital printing client. Custom Market Research Case Study Background: An industrial commercial press manufacturer had a problem. Their agency, Magner Sanborn, as Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research described, “wanted to leverage their brand, but first they needed to know where they stood in the market.” Magner Sanborn partnered with the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research team to determine the current market awareness of their client’s digital printing technology in the commercial printing industry. The team developed a baseline brand awareness benchmark in each of the major channels of the commercial printing industry to measure the progress of various advertising campaigns over the next twelve months. Method: Magner Sanborn “started the conversation with a well-defined marketing problem and primary study objectives,” Gleeson said. “In most cases we help companies better define their marketing problem and hone in on their research objectives. However, Magner Sanborn came to Printing Industries of America to take advantage of our knowledge of the printing industry. We helped them craft an online survey to collect the necessary intelligence to meet their primary study objectives.” After the data was collected, the team worked with Magner Sanborn to develop the necessary banners and crosstabs to present the findings to their client’s senior management. Results: Magnor Sanborn met their goal to establish a benchmark for brand awareness and consideration for their client. They are now able to measure their progress against these metrics. Their client “is now more motivated to have an active and visible role in 2014—to build the brand and drive sales,” said Jill Hulswit, account supervisor at Magner Sanborn More insights—Read the full interview with Jill Hulswit of Manger Sanborn to learn more about how you can leverage custom market research to reach your business goals. Find out how the research team works with you to develop a custom strategy, how data is analyzed, and to what measures they will go to get the job done. Want to learn more about Proprietary Print Market Research Services? Just contact Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research at 800-910-4283, ext. 756 or by clicking here....
read moreA Client Story: Leveraging Custom Market Research to Reach Business Goals
The latest Custom Market Research Case Study told how the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research team developed, analyzed, troubleshot, and delivered solutions for Magner Sanborn, a full service advertising and brand design agency. Fully aware of the value of big data insights, Magner Sanborn “wanted to leverage their client’s brand, but first they needed to know where they stood in the market,” according to Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research. Jill Hulswit can tell you how she and her associates did just that. As account supervisor at Magner Sanborn since 2008, she is responsible for maintaining client relationships and managing projects internally for her company. The goal was to determine the current market awareness of their client’s digital printing technology in the commercial printing industry. Unfamiliar with the industry, they partnered with the Printing Industries of America’s Economic and Market Research team, tapping into their industry expertise to craft a survey relevant to the target market. What market information did they uncover? How can companies use custom market research from Printing Industries of America to reach their goals? We asked Ms. Hulswit to share her experience. Q: What was the challenge your company was facing, and what prompted you to contact the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research department for a solution? Jill Hulswit: We needed to gauge levels of awareness and interest about a client brand in order to provide guidance for their 2014 marketing activities and a benchmark to measure against in the future. The client’s market is a very niche, hard-to-reach audience: industrial-commercial press manufacturers. We were on a tight timeline and could not identify or purchase reliable lists of OEM contacts. So we contracted Printing Industries of America to help us with development of a respondent list—plus, we leveraged their services and expertise to code and send the survey, manage response, and deliver crosstabs for our final analysis. Q: How did you and your researcher, Ed Gleeson work together from the start of the project? JH: Ed is great. He listened to our needs and the challenges we were facing in this project and helped work through issues with custom solutions. We didn’t have all of the answers at the beginning, because that’s the nature of research—there’s no telling who or how people will respond. But as we ran into hurdles (i.e., super compressed timelines and very low response), Ed worked with us to find solutions and get responses—in some cases, this meant manual work and personally calling qualified respondents. There was never a concern about whether we’d be able to get this job done, it was just a matter of figuring out how. In the end, we got there; Ed delivered enough responses (176) from the right people so that we could provide statistically reliable metrics and analysis to our client. Q: Can you describe how you worked with your researcher throughout the project? And as a company not directly involved with the printing industry, were there any modifications that had to be made? JH: Ed was very responsive and easy to work with. Our team developed the survey draft, questions, and quotas. But Ed provided recommendations on copy that helped us to be more in line with industry-speak. Plus, we jointly reworked problematic questions to ensure we...
read moreA Client Story: Leveraging Custom Market Research to Reach Business Goals
The latest Custom Market Research Case Study told how the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research team developed, analyzed, troubleshot, and delivered solutions for Magner Sanborn, a full service advertising and brand design agency. Fully aware of the value of big data insights, Magner Sanborn “wanted to leverage their client’s brand, but first they needed to know where they stood in the market,” according to Ed Gleeson, director, Economic and Market Research. Jill Hulswit can tell you how she and her associates did just that. As account supervisor at Magner Sanborn since 2008, she is responsible for maintaining client relationships and managing projects internally for her company. The goal was to determine the current market awareness of their client’s digital printing technology in the commercial printing industry. Unfamiliar with the industry, they partnered with the Printing Industries of America’s Economic and Market Research team, tapping into their industry expertise to craft a survey relevant to the target market. What market information did they uncover? How can companies use custom market research from Printing Industries of America to reach their goals? We asked Ms. Hulswit to share her experience. Q: What was the challenge your company was facing, and what prompted you to contact the Printing Industries of America Economic and Market Research department for a solution? Jill Hulswit: We needed to gauge levels of awareness and interest about a client brand in order to provide guidance for their 2014 marketing activities and a benchmark to measure against in the future. The client’s market is a very niche, hard-to-reach audience: industrial-commercial press manufacturers. We were on a tight timeline and could not identify or purchase reliable lists of OEM contacts. So we contracted Printing Industries of America to help us with development of a respondent list—plus, we leveraged their services and expertise to code and send the survey, manage response, and deliver crosstabs for our final analysis. Q: How did you and your researcher, Ed Gleeson work together from the start of the project? JH: Ed is great. He listened to our needs and the challenges we were facing in this project and helped work through issues with custom solutions. We didn’t have all of the answers at the beginning, because that’s the nature of research—there’s no telling who or how people will respond. But as we ran into hurdles (i.e., super compressed timelines and very low response), Ed worked with us to find solutions and get responses—in some cases, this meant manual work and personally calling qualified respondents. There was never a concern about whether we’d be able to get this job done, it was just a matter of figuring out how. In the end, we got there; Ed delivered enough responses (176) from the right people so that we could provide statistically reliable metrics and analysis to our client. Q: Can you describe how you worked with your researcher throughout the project? And as a company not directly involved with the printing industry, were there any modifications that had to be made? JH: Ed was very responsive and easy to work with. Our team developed the survey draft, questions, and quotas. But Ed provided recommendations on copy that helped us to be more in line with industry-speak. Plus, we jointly reworked problematic questions to ensure we...
read moreAvoid These Mistakes when Entering the 2014 Product of Excellence Award
“I wish we would have saved our pieces!” We occasionally hear this exclamation as the BIA Product of Excellence Awards draws nearer (the 2014 entry deadline is February 21, in case you were wondering!) Aside from forgetting to save your year’s best examples of flawless postpress craftsmanship, many of you in binding, finishing, and custom lose-leaf manufacturing have questions about how to submit your entries. So, we have put together seven mistakesthat can bemade when entering the 2014 Product of Excellence Awards—and how to avoid them. We can’t wait to see your entries! Here’s hoping your craftsmanship is deemed the “best of the best” in 2014! #1: Not checking the production date Only submit pieces produced between February 2013 and February 2014. If they were not produced in this time frame, they are not eligible for entry. #2: Choosing the wrong category Look carefully at the categorydescriptions and choose the appropriate subcategory for each piece. This way judges can recognize its best attributes, and you increase your chances of winning. However, judges reserve the right to move an entry to a different category if they feel it better meets the criteria for that category. To help you identify the right category, consider: The equipment used to produce the piece The type of process used How the piece is used See more on rules and judging. #3: Providing incomplete details Be sure to complete all information on the entry form. If your product entry forms are not completed thoroughly, they may not qualify for the contest. #4: Missing submission forms Attach an entry form to each piece you submit. Remember to submit two copies of each entry and attach the entry form to one copy. This way, the judges can properly identify your pieces and in which category they belong. #5: Stapling the entry form to your piece When attaching the entry form to your piece, place it inside the piece, use a paper clip, low-adhesive tape, or other non-damaging binding agent. Please do not staple! Staplingthe form to your piece can cause imperfections and disqualify it from the competition. #6: Sending pieces in late It can take some time and deliberation to choose which pieces to submit. Start early, because the deadline for entries is February 21, 2014. In early March, we will begin judging your pieces. If you have any last-minute questions, don’t hesitate to contact Mike Packard, Director, Binding Industries Association, at mpackard@printing.org. #7: Not entering the Product of Excellence Awards It may seem like a no-brainer, but if you don’t enter, you can’t win! Honorees get a one-up on the competition because their success is published industry wide. You will not only receive a plaque to display, but also: – Inclusion in press release announcing all winners to the media – Listing in The Binding Edge magazine, garnering a readership of 14,000 – Company name and link on www.printing.org/poeawards – Recognition in Printing Industries of America: The Magazine sent to industry execs And, since no great honor is complete without an official ceremony, winners will have the opportunity to stand up and be recognized at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference where you can accept congratulations from your peers. Get more details on the BIA Product of Excellence Awards. Remember to enter your best graphic finishing and...
read moreAvoid These Mistakes when Entering the 2014 Product of Excellence Award
“I wish we would have saved our pieces!” We occasionally hear this exclamation as the BIA Product of Excellence Awards draws nearer (the 2014 entry deadline is February 21, in case you were wondering!) Aside from forgetting to save your year’s best examples of flawless postpress craftsmanship, many of you in binding, finishing, and custom lose-leaf manufacturing have questions about how to submit your entries. So, we have put together seven mistakesthat can bemade when entering the 2014 Product of Excellence Awards—and how to avoid them. We can’t wait to see your entries! Here’s hoping your craftsmanship is deemed the “best of the best” in 2014! #1: Not checking the production date Only submit pieces produced between February 2013 and February 2014. If they were not produced in this time frame, they are not eligible for entry. #2: Choosing the wrong category Look carefully at the categorydescriptions and choose the appropriate subcategory for each piece. This way judges can recognize its best attributes, and you increase your chances of winning. However, judges reserve the right to move an entry to a different category if they feel it better meets the criteria for that category. To help you identify the right category, consider: The equipment used to produce the piece The type of process used How the piece is used See more on rules and judging. #3: Providing incomplete details Be sure to complete all information on the entry form. If your product entry forms are not completed thoroughly, they may not qualify for the contest. #4: Missing submission forms Attach an entry form to each piece you submit. Remember to submit two copies of each entry and attach the entry form to one copy. This way, the judges can properly identify your pieces and in which category they belong. #5: Stapling the entry form to your piece When attaching the entry form to your piece, place it inside the piece, use a paper clip, low-adhesive tape, or other non-damaging binding agent. Please do not staple! Staplingthe form to your piece can cause imperfections and disqualify it from the competition. #6: Sending pieces in late It can take some time and deliberation to choose which pieces to submit. Start early, because the deadline for entries is February 21, 2014. In early March, we will begin judging your pieces. If you have any last-minute questions, don’t hesitate to contact Mike Packard, Director, Binding Industries Association, at mpackard@printing.org. #7: Not entering the Product of Excellence Awards It may seem like a no-brainer, but if you don’t enter, you can’t win! Honorees get a one-up on the competition because their success is published industry wide. You will not only receive a plaque to display, but also: – Inclusion in press release announcing all winners to the media – Listing in The Binding Edge magazine, garnering a readership of 14,000 – Company name and link on www.printing.org/poeawards – Recognition in Printing Industries of America: The Magazine sent to industry execs And, since no great honor is complete without an official ceremony, winners will have the opportunity to stand up and be recognized at the 2014 BIA Annual Conference where you can accept congratulations from your peers. Get more details on the BIA Product of Excellence Awards. Remember to enter your best graphic finishing and...
read more3 Core Beliefs Essential for Successful Continuous Improvement
Creating a high-performance culture and an active program of continuous improvement results in better quality, efficiency, and a competitive advantage that’s hard to match. It can also earn you a 2014 Managing for Improvement Award. For Western Graphics, a 50-employee commercial printing company in St. Paul, Minnesota, and its CEO and owner, Timothy Keran, performance excellence is never an afterthought. Its constant striving to get better is what has allowed the company to prosper. An innovator who has spearheaded his company’s successful CI efforts, Keran was recently honored as the 2013 recipient of Printing Industries of America’s Managing for Improvement Award for creating real and lasting improvements for Western Graphics. How can executives lead their companies to higher performance levels? Here are the three core beliefs that Keran has instilled at Western:personal continuous improvement, engagement,andgoals and values. 1. Look first at your personal continuous improvement efforts. Keran knows that accomplishing continuous improvement is more than just collecting plaques on your wall. Successful leadership starts from within. He focused on developing himself over the last 20 years in the industry. Then, turning his concentration to his employees and his company values, Keran was able to create a strong culture that incubates positivity and drives the company’s continuous improvement initiatives. For these reasons, Keran was selected as the 2013 Managing for Improvement Award recipient. 2. Make sure your employees are engaged. Western’s employees are motivated to help clients reach their goals and objectives because Keran has ensured they have an active voice in the company. Employees are expected to submit improvement ideas to which management listens carefully. The company wants to know what employees are thinking and keeps them focused on improvement—they receive brief daily performance reviews and quarterly one-on-one coaching conversations with management. For these reasons, if you work for Western Graphics, chances are you enjoy your work and will go above your requirements to truly “own” each project and delight your customers. 3. Make sure your corporate mission, goals, and values are clear. Defining your company’s mission and values tells your employees and your customers who you are and what they can expect from you. It can empower employees who can be given more decision-making freedom with the caveat that they make decisions consistent with the corporate values. Western Graphics clearly articulates its responsibilities to its customers: 1) Help them reduce their print spend 2) Lower their time spent on managing print 3) Improve their print effectiveness These goals have focused Western’s improvement efforts. The application of Lean management practices has helped the company drive wasted time and resources out of its processes. The results? Because of their improvements in the last five years, Western Graphics has completed more than 2,000 employee-initiated projects and demonstrated striking improvements in rework, lost-time accidents, and sales per employee. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Managing for Improvement Award. The deadline is February 7, 2014. Visit the website to learn more about the award and 2013 winner Timothy Keran, CEO and owner, Western Graphics. The winner will be recognized at the 2014 Continuous Improvement Conference, March 30–April 2, in Dallas,...
read more3 Core Beliefs Essential for Successful Continuous Improvement
Creating a high-performance culture and an active program of continuous improvement results in better quality, efficiency, and a competitive advantage that’s hard to match. It can also earn you a 2014 Managing for Improvement Award. For Western Graphics, a 50-employee commercial printing company in St. Paul, Minnesota, and its CEO and owner, Timothy Keran, performance excellence is never an afterthought. Its constant striving to get better is what has allowed the company to prosper. An innovator who has spearheaded his company’s successful CI efforts, Keran was recently honored as the 2013 recipient of Printing Industries of America’s Managing for Improvement Award for creating real and lasting improvements for Western Graphics. How can executives lead their companies to higher performance levels? Here are the three core beliefs that Keran has instilled at Western:personal continuous improvement, engagement,andgoals and values. 1. Look first at your personal continuous improvement efforts. Keran knows that accomplishing continuous improvement is more than just collecting plaques on your wall. Successful leadership starts from within. He focused on developing himself over the last 20 years in the industry. Then, turning his concentration to his employees and his company values, Keran was able to create a strong culture that incubates positivity and drives the company’s continuous improvement initiatives. For these reasons, Keran was selected as the 2013 Managing for Improvement Award recipient. 2. Make sure your employees are engaged. Western’s employees are motivated to help clients reach their goals and objectives because Keran has ensured they have an active voice in the company. Employees are expected to submit improvement ideas to which management listens carefully. The company wants to know what employees are thinking and keeps them focused on improvement—they receive brief daily performance reviews and quarterly one-on-one coaching conversations with management. For these reasons, if you work for Western Graphics, chances are you enjoy your work and will go above your requirements to truly “own” each project and delight your customers. 3. Make sure your corporate mission, goals, and values are clear. Defining your company’s mission and values tells your employees and your customers who you are and what they can expect from you. It can empower employees who can be given more decision-making freedom with the caveat that they make decisions consistent with the corporate values. Western Graphics clearly articulates its responsibilities to its customers: 1) Help them reduce their print spend 2) Lower their time spent on managing print 3) Improve their print effectiveness These goals have focused Western’s improvement efforts. The application of Lean management practices has helped the company drive wasted time and resources out of its processes. The results? Because of their improvements in the last five years, Western Graphics has completed more than 2,000 employee-initiated projects and demonstrated striking improvements in rework, lost-time accidents, and sales per employee. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Managing for Improvement Award. The deadline is February 7, 2014. Visit the website to learn more about the award and 2013 winner Timothy Keran, CEO and owner, Western Graphics. The winner will be recognized at the 2014 Continuous Improvement Conference, March 30–April 2, in Dallas,...
read moreYork Mailing strengthens board with two appointments
The retail flyer, media inserts and quality catalogue printer’s board originally consisted of chief executive Chris Ingram and chief operating officer Mike Newbould. However, it has now appointed private equity veteran Richard Connell as chairman following an introduction by the Business Growth Fund (BGF) Talent Network. Connell has worked for 3i, Invesco Asset Management and Montagu Private Equity and subsequently chaired several institutionally-backed companies, including Dignity, CVS, Mercury Pharma and Cory Environmental. His appointment follows the announcement in July that York Mailing had secured a £10m investment from the BGF in return for a minority equity stake. York Mailing chief executive Chris Ingram told PrintWeek: “This is something the BGF likes to see as part of their investment strategy but from the original shareholders point of view is an excellent way of adding significant strength to the board.” In addition, York Mailing has appointed Judith Donovan CBE as a non-executive director. Donovan is chair of the Royal Mail Strategic Mailing Partnership and a former vice-chair of Postwatch; she founded her own marketing agency in 1982 and grew it to over 50 staff and £12.5m turnover before selling to her management in 2000. Ingram said: “I have known Judith Donovan for several years and hold her in very high regard as a leading DM operator.” He added that York Mailing did not intend to make any further board appointments. Commenting on the group’s growth strategy, which recently saw it acquire Lettershop Group, Ingram said: “We are always looking at any opportunities that we feel could benefit our customers across the group but have no specific targets at this point in time.”...
read moreEssentra acquires Dakota Packaging
UK-headquartered Essentra, which changed its name from Filtrona in June this year, bought the €15.2m-turnover business as part of a targeted growth strategy in the pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging market. The deal follows the FTSE 250 firm’s £160m acquisition in March of Contego Healthcare, now Essentra Packaging. Dakota, which employs around 100 staff at its 7,430sqm manufacturing plant near Dublin airport, will become part of Essentra’s packaging and securing solutions division. The site produces high quality cartons for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in Ireland. “The acquisition of Dakota underscores our ambition to be the premier provider of creative and secure packaging solutions to our customers and end-markets of choice,” said managing director of Essentra’s packaging and securing solutions division, Alison Evans. “Our plans represent a significant investment in our capabilities in Ireland and will ensure we have the best operational footprint and necessary space to meet the growing needs of the healthcare and consumer packaging industries we serve, under our new Essentra Packaging identity.” The acquisition forms part of a restructure of Essentra’s Ireland operations, which looks likely to effect the closure of the firm’s facility in Waterford, 160km south of Dublin, with the loss of all 50 jobs. Evans confirmed that Essentra had yesterday entered into a 30-day consultation with employees at the plant. The company intends to centralise production in Ireland to the Dakota site. Evans said: “It is with regret that we are entering a consultation regarding the possible closure of the Waterford site. It is in no way a reflection on the quality or commitment of our employees, but a consequence of the need to ensure we act in the best interests of our customers and other stakeholders.” Trade union Unite labeled the move “industrial vandalism”. Speaking following a meeting of Unite members in Essentra, union official Brendan Byrne said that the proposal to close the Waterford site had come as a bombshell to workers, their families and the wider local community. “Unite is convinced that a programme of targeted investment in the plant could transform the Waterford operation into a trail blazer in the packaging sector, and we will be putting forward argument in this regard during the consultation period,” he added. “Closure of the Waterford Essentra plant would be nothing less than an act of industrial vandalism.” Essentra, headquartered in Milton Keynes, operates 42 manufacturing facilities around the world and employs around 5,500 staff globally....
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