The Fine Print

No, we’re not referring to the printed matter in small type. We’re talking about the fine art of print, ink on paper, the moveable type that shares information quickly and helped shape our history.

Okay, okay without sounding too esoteric, the question continues to be: to print, or not to print amidst a wide range of traditional and non-traditional media.

The research is clear: print marketing outperforms other forms of marketing and can generate even greater results when used in combination with other media. Hint: the key is how our brains capture and process information:

1. Reading on Paper is Slower and Deeper

When people read content online, they tend to read very quickly, skimming the information for key ideas. In contrast, when people read information on paper, they read slower and more deliberately, allowing them to take in more information and understand it at a deeper level.

2. Paper-Based Reading is More Focused

Frequent interruptions from advertisements, notifications, applications and other on-screen components make it difficult for readers to focus on the material. Print materials don’t offer the same distractions, meaning readers can stay focused on the content.

3. Print Readers Comprehend and Remember More

Being able to slow down and focus while reading means print readers achieve better comprehension and recall than those who read the same material online. Studies have found that the multisensory experience of holding and manipulating paper while reading helps form connections between the content and more abstract ideas.

4. Print Marketing Makes Products More Desirable

Multisensory connections also make it easier for readers to visualize doing, feeling and experiencing the concepts, situations or products they are reading about, especially in advertisements. This can increase affinity for the brand or products being advertised. Digital-only campaigns do not generate the same response.

5. Print Leads to Purchases

Increase in brand favorability and purchase intent via print magazine ad exposure is seven percentage points greater than through online advertising, and three percentage points greater than television advertising. Brand favorability and purchase intent are the metrics most closely connected with purchasing behavior.

6. Print Works in Combination with Other Platforms

Print can help boost results when used in combination with one or more other channels. Combining print and television advertising can produce results two times greater than television and online combined. The combination of all three types of media can produce even better results, furthering the idea that print is a cornerstone media that drives results.

7. Print Boosts Recall of Other Media

People better recall television advertisements when print ads are part of the overall campaign. They are better able to associate brands with advertising messages when exposed to print.

8. Print Continues to Raise Awareness Over Time

Television and online campaigns show diminished returns after four exposures. Print marketing, on the other hand, continues to improve ad awareness and persuasion at five or more exposures. That makes print an ideal platform for long-term campaigns.

As a leading print, mail and marketing partner, we acknowledge that we are an advocate for paper. However, we also recognize the role paper plays in creating a rich multi-media experience that spans print, social media, video, online and other channels. Print can drive people offline, online, with augmented reality and QR codes — things that didn’t exist in the past. They all work together to enrich the experience for readers and generate greater ROI for marketers.

And those are results worth the paper they are printed on.

Corporate Giving: It's In The Backpack

Break out the crayons. Pull out the paper and pack a backpack.

Each year, school supply lists grow, and families in need struggle to find a way to ensure their children will be able to go to school with their necessary supplies.

Enter PCIOI, faster than the homeroom bell can ring. This #PCIOIpowerhouse knows just how to rock that schoolhouse – and its growing list of supplies.

We kick-started our newly launched corporate citizenship program with a Backpack Drive, benefiting Second Chance Youth Outreach, which supports the inner-city youth of today with the programs, support and resources they need for a second chance for their families.

We provided the backpacks; our employees provided the supplies and the students provided miles and miles of smiles.

Our weeks-long efforts delivered more than 190 backpacks that will go toward helping the students of Second Chance Youth Outreach excel in the 2017-2018 school year. According to Executive Director Miguel Mendez, prior to our call of support a few months back, he did not have any funding in place for a backpack drive. He had no idea that one call would have afforded his organization so much – and that’s in large part due to all of our employees.

By providing a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies, the kids can show up to school ready to start the new school year on the same level as their peers and excited to learn. Through their efforts, our employees demonstrated that there is no more powerful force than the human spirit.

We are the #PCIOIpowerhouse, helping to build our South Florida communities.

There’s a Business Case for Business Continuity

5…4…3…2…1…no, that’s not the countdown from Mission Control, but it very well could be. Companies today face an unprecedented number of potential exposures and they must be armed and ready for the punch.

Having a Business Continuity plan in place, especially if you are a B2B provider (like we are), to help mitigate those risks is more than smart business; it’s the right thing to do to promote corporate resilience in the face of potential disruptions to the business,

A business continuity plan should include executive succession planning, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery. This will ensure your company has critical back up and resiliency in the hours, and days, after a threat.

Here we offer up a few reminders as to why a plan should be part of your business’ master plan:

1. It’s about the business – Businesses should look beyond its service portfolio and communicate the plan to clients. Chief among these is having the right technology and security systems in place to protect both physical and intellectual property
2. It’s about planning and practice – A plan is only helpful if it works. We’ve got ours on repeat, especially now that hurricane season has started. A pre-defined business continuity plan maximizes the chance of a successful recovery by eliminating hasty decision-making under stressful conditions.
3. It’s knowing who’s on first – and knowing what’s on second (noooo, it’s not the Abbott + Costello shtick; there’s nothing funny about business continuity). Having clearly defined roles help bring a daunting task down to size.
4. It’s about reflecting your company's culture – Clients demand uninterrupted access to critical data. Having safeguards in place, and testing them each year to make sure they are effective and flexible, is the cost of doing business in today’s on-demand marketplace.
5. It’s more than technology – Along with having data colocation, businesses should consider having other details in their continuity plan for facilities, equipment and inventory.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Dare we suggest that if you keep these tips in mind when planning your plan, you’ll be business-continuity-game-strong when the need arises…and we sure hope it doesn’t.

#PCIOIpowerhouse

Blog That

It’s a Momtra we’ve held onto since Kindergarten: go in there, introduce yourself to everyone and connect with one or two friends.The same is true about blogging – although one or two friends can easily be communities of like-minded people who want to hear your story. It’s important for brands to put their best face forward, reach across the World Wide Web and start an open and honest dialogue with consumers. Blogs provide that opportunity to take an offline conversation – online – in an effort to deepen the connection with our customers (we’re hoping you’ve got that loving feeling for ours)!

At a recent brand activation for a client (it didn’t hurt that it was a blogger conference), we had the opportunity to make genuine, direct connections with other leading brands and put a friendly face behind them. We also discussed trends and shared best practices and hosted social gatherings via live stream interviews.

So where are we going with this? Well, if your company doesn’t already have a blog, start one. And if it does, get on there more often and get a conversation going.  We leverage ours to showcase recent projects and discuss what’s new in the PCIOI world. Admittedly, we, too, need to do it more often. Lest we not forget that blogs create opportunities for sharing. Whether your audience likes it, emails it or Tweets it, they are validating your content – and validating you as a thought leader. 

So go ahead. Dish it. Tell us what you want to see and hear. These blog posts are not about us. They’re about you.  Wanna collaborate? Comment below. Need help blogging? We’ll help power one up for you.

In the meantime, don’t mind us; we’ll be brainstorming our next post.

#PCIOIpowerhouse

You Need GREEN

Nah, not that kind of green. While that one can help improve your bottom line, the bottom line is THIS GREEN will make right by you, your business and our community – and who doesn’t love Mother Earth?

Truth is when employees feel connected to a purpose beyond profit, they can improve the company culture, as well as the bottom line. According to a National Environmental Education Foundation study, companies that approach employee engagement by creating a culture of sustainability saw gains in talent attraction, employee productivity, community recognition and brand strength.

And while we are no change makers, we do like to lead by example and help our clients make the right choices when it comes to eco-friendly and sustainable papers. As the first company of its kind to be triple certified in South Florida, we are proud to offer FSC, SFI and PEFC papers and to support industry-leading sustainability efforts. As a family of brands, we leverage energy-efficient equipment and forward-thinking technology that save on printing inks and processing chemicals. Our robust recycling program covers items from toner cartridges to printing plates to, of course, paper. We use non-toxic chemicals, vegetable-based inks and paper that is sourced from well-managed forests and processed in mills that adhere to strict environmental standards.

And while we celebrate Earth Day every day, we have marked the day each year by gifting our employees seeded cards, orchids, lucky bamboos and the like. This year we made our mark in green by planting two trees with a special plaque to commemorate the day.  We also produced a brochure entitled “Rethinking How We Work: Eco-minded Solutions for Today’s Business” that was featured as an insert in The Miami Herald.  It’s also a direct link to the Green section of our website, so check it out.

So remember, while making green is important, being green can mean the future of your business.

You Talking to Me? Yes, You.

We’re 13 days into the New Year and with that comes the inevitable (and dreaded), “Where are you on your goals and objectives setting?” question #sorrynotsorry

Truth be told, we’re all just getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, but setting new goals, new strategy and quite possibly new tools for customer engagement is a priority. Ever heard the saying: “What gets measured gets done?”

It’s time to get to work, people, and we can help. We are visual storytellers and welcome the opportunity to help you tell yours through a variety of brand communications that spark conversation, drive relevance and build engagement. Enter Variable Data Printing (VDP) and social media.  

1.   Be there for your customers…literally. Newsletters are a great way to regularly engage customers. Personalized content and images can create highly targeted, highly relevant pieces. And that means a higher ROI.

2.   Be in their mailbox (and by that, we mean take it back old school). Direct mail that shows you know and care about them and their preferences is a great way to keep them engaged. This means identifying data points like their age, hobbies or purchasing habits. Above all, remember that engaging customers is not a one-time deal. It is a commitment to developing a relationship that is cultivated over time.

3.   Social media is also a great way to showcase company culture and tell stories behind new products or services. In addition to opening the lines of communication, it also offers the benefits of analytics, which help brands zero in on their target audiences and figure out the effectiveness of their messaging; and drives customer loyalty, which rewards them for staying in touch

And there you have it, folks. We challenge traditional thinking and timelines by streamlining the creative and production processes into one schedule – and complement it with a portfolio of fully-integrated services that help make the impossible, possible. #score

Yeah, we’re basically the undisputed, single-source solutions provider for all your print, mail and marketing needs, so forgive us when we tell you, we have our own to-do list to tend to now…and you’re up next.

That’s right. We’re talking to you.

#PCIOIpowerhouse