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 this ShafferIPFInterview.