Post on 18-Dec-2014
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Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
(c)2011 Margie Dana 1
TThhee SSuurrpprriissiinngg NNeewwss aabboouutt TTooddaayy’’ss PPrriinntt BBuuyyeerrss
Margie Dana Founder, Print Buyers International
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About Margie !! Former corporate print
buyer (15+ yrs) !! Publisher, Margie’s
Print Tips, weekly e-newsletter, since ‘99
!! Founder, Boston Print Buyers, now Print Buyers Int’l (PBI)
!! Producer of 6 annual print buyer conferences
!! Book author, Print Buying Made Simple and Put It on Paper!
!! Leading source of buyer trends, motivations, practices
!! Columnist/blogger for Printing Impressions
!! Speaker, consultant
Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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Services o! Web site audit & consult o! Content generator (AKA writer) o! Sales team educator & motivator o! Analysis of promotional materials to
improve effectiveness o! Development of customer communication
strategy o! Speaker
@margiedana
My job
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Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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Freshest of research 6th Annual Print & Media Conference, co-located with Graph Expo 9/13 – 9/14 -! 100 sr.-level attendees, 25 states -! Breadth of industries -! 2-day program with 16 sessions -! Daily Brainstorming session, most valuable
content -! Program reflected mix of relevant issues
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Who were they? !! Sr. Project Manager !! Production Manager !! Manager, Strategic Sourcing !! Sr. Print Buyer !! Assoc. Director, Product
Quality !! MarComm Procurement
Specialist !! Production Specialist !! Marketing Coordinator !! Sr. Manager Procurement
!! Ass’t Dir./Prod. Mgr, Creative Services
!! Sr. Art Director !! Buyer !! Production Analyst !! Production Coordinator !! Dir., Marketing Production !! Print Channel Specialist !! Comm. Manager !! Project Manager !! Print Buyer
Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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…and more titles !! Manager, Marketing
Projects !! Manager, Bus. Services !! Digital Media Specialist !! Production Analyst !! Graphic Designer !! Creative Services Mgr. !! Communications Project
Leader !! Inventory Buyer !! Director, Marketing Projects
!! VP Marketing !! Senior Print Buyer !! Custom Media Solutions
Business Manager !! Director, Marketing
Production
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Who they represented !! Colleges/universities !! Publishers !! Insurance/financial services !! Manufacturers !! Retailers !! Casinos !! Restaurants !! Scientific !! Food markets !! Clothing retailers !! Pharmaceuticals
!! Design groups !! Educational testing !! Automotive manufacturing !! Medical nonprofits !! Coffee roasters !! Printers !! Ecommerce printers !! Cataloguers !! Nonprofits
Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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Audience traits !! Very experienced (9+ yrs) !! Some part of Marketing –
but not all !! Very little uniformity or
standards in corporate titles
!! They represent the universal “society” of print customers
!! Very willing to share information with one another
!! Do not tend to throw printers under the bus.
Relaxed group discussion…
No better way to gauge mood,
challenges, key issues of this unique market.
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Are their glasses half empty/full?
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Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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Steel yourselves… I smelled
in Chicago.
Hope
Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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Lo & behold! Print matters. !! It remains their #1 marketable skill –
and they are very proud of this. !!Volumes are down – but not out. !!Hungry for more print education. !!Need help in answering, “Why print?” !!Print’s their first love. Wanted no
part of being steered elsewhere.
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What keeps them up? 1.! Ability to articulate why print should
be selected in media mix, and why it’s a green choice.
2.! Keeping current w/print technology. 3.! Selling their own value upstream in
an effective & consistent way. 4.! Sourcing unusual products or
products new to them.
Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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What are non-issues? !!Printers as MSPs (Marketing
Services Providers) !!Obsessing about the demise of print !!Sweating the small stuff – like their
job titles !!Being victimized. They are in print to
stay.
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What do they want? Printers who… !! Educate me & my staff on new technologies you
offer !! Educate me when I’m unsure of my options !! Have my back when I don’t think through these
options !! Represent me more than your company !! Make me and my company look good !! Understand my company !! Are confident enough to offer suggestions on how
to improve my specs
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…and printers who !! Give great customer service !! Treat me as an important customer !! Keep me up to date on the latest technology !! Bring me ease & peace of mind !! Above all aim to make my customers happy !! Who are consistent in quality, service & pricing !! Who understand my distribution process & quality
needs
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We have a duty to this market
Help print customers educate their marketing colleagues &
managers about the ROI, value & sustainability of Print.
We need to educate them first.
We need to prove that Print isn’t Evil or necessarily pricier then
e-media.
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Status of 2011 print buyers Hungry for tech education? ! Hungry for multi-channel strategies
& implementation help? ! Hungry for newest print technologies? !"
Hungry for ideas to impress managers? !"
Hungry for education on sourcing & evaluating service providers? !
Hungry for more educational content on your sites? !
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How to earn their business Publish educational content
regularly: "! Emails "! Blogs "! Articles "! Newsletters "! Videos "! Educational sessions
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@margiedana
10 action items for printers 1.! Make listening to customers a priority. 2.! Make sure your database of customers &
prospects is current, accurate, maintained. Get customers’ OK to send them informational emails or corporate blogs.
3.! Get sales & service reps to document customer issues (complaints, file problems, knowledge gaps). Recurring topics # fodder for content: blogs, newsletters, web stuff.
4.! In 3 months, using those topics, develop a short list of educational sessions or webinars. Survey customers about interest and delivery preference.
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Action items for printers 5.! Commit to sending customers a monthly e-
newsletter. 75/25 balance of info/promo. Produce a schedule of topics, assign work internally or hire a pro. Need not be long.
6.! Create a corporate Facebook page. Make it someone’s responsibility. Develop your FB strategy and build out the content.
7.! Create a corporate Twitter account. Make it someone’s responsibility. Develop your Twitter strategy and build out the content by (in part) repurposing content from newsletter, emails, FB content. Use Twitter to establish your expertise.
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Margie Dana at 2011 Print Management Conference
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@margiedana
Action items for printers 8.! Develop a prospecting protocol. Researching
someone’s industry must be #1. 9.! Compile written descriptions of new and/or
innovative technologies, equipment or services. Don’t presume customers understand processes & benefits. Again, more fodder for content you can repurpose in blogs, newsletters, emails, articles. Make sure customers get this information. Make dept. heads responsible for documenting these processes.
10.! Review your web site for content, images, overall personality. Is it an accurate online presence of your firm? Is it stale or current?
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A printer’s web site in 2011 "! Who’s who "! Social media buttons so
visitors can connect "! Current equipment list in
plain English "! Your blog "! Customer newsletter –
short & sweet is fine "! News items
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As opposed to this… "! Petrified news items "! Photos of equipment or
buildings & not people "! Hidden leadership "! Obscure content !"! Total absence of
educational content "! No newsletter "! No blog "! No glossary "! No “how-to” tips = NO REASON TO LINGER!
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Printer’s Content Calendar Daily Twitter, FB post, LinkedIn Weekly Blog post Monthly eNewsletter Quarterly Magazine (mailed) Annually Update web site As needed News releases
Bonus points! Videos
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The penultimate slide - What have I said that surprised you?
- Do you recognize any of your customers in these trends?
- What is your first step to serving these common customer needs?
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Thank you! Get in touch.
Margie Dana mdana@printbuyersinternational.com www.printbuyersinternational.com
SSiiggnn uupp ffoorr MMaarrggiiee’’ss PPrriinntt TTiippss oonn oouurr ssiittee!!
118 Arlington Road Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617/730-5951 Twitter.com/margiedana