IC_July/August 2012

36
158:16< +)6),) ;/, 4(92,;05. (5+ 05-694(;065 :6<9*, -69 047905;()3, 796+<*;: A Tristan Communications Ltd. Publication Volume 19, Issue 4 -XO\$XJXVW 8=3DBCAH =4FB Get caught up on the latest industry news 4 8<?A8=C @ 0 Stahls' Canada's Sean Oakley answers your heat printing questions in our latest Q & A edition 4 5A4B74=8=6 D? H>DA 2><?0=H ;>6> ?0AC ! Mark Venit examines the fundamentals of typography, colour and second marks when redesigning your logo 6 BC0H8=6 8= C74 <>=4H Is cash flow a problem for your business? Ten ways to better your cash flow are outlined by the authors of Cash Flow for Dummies® 10 WHAT'S INSIDE Turbo Charge Your Custom Garment Business By Ted Stahl 1MI\ 9ZQV\QVO ,WV\QV]ML WV 9IOM ! .UIQT 6IZSM\QVO ,WV\QV]ML WV 9IOM 2742: >DC C74 ;0C4BC 50;; 50B78>=B BC0AC8=6 >= ?064 ! Do you want to sell more T-shirts? What about more jackets, uniforms, sweatshirts or caps? is article discusses specific marketing ideas for businesses that offer custom heat printing services, but has many takeaways for any type of garment decorator. EXPAND YOUR NICHE Do you already have a niche? To be successful in any business, you need to find a need in the marketplace and fill it. e list of items that can be imprinted using a heat press or mug heat press is constantly growing. anks to new developments in adhesives and heat press technology, it’s easier than ever to quickly (and profitably) heat print full colour logos and specialty logo effects like reflective, rhinestones and metallic on caps, nylon jackets and bags, performance wear, spandex and even neoprene garments. ere are also hundreds of promotional items that can be easily personalized with a heat press. If you live in a larger metropolitan area, your niche might have to be something quite unique; if you live in a smaller area, it can be a bit broader. .`XIVL aW]Z UIZSM\ VQKPM Ja WNNMZQVO I _QLMZ ^IZQM\a WN K][\WU PMI\ XZQV\ML Q\MU[ \W aW]Z K][\WUMZ[ Step Up Your Email Marketing Game Create Email blasts that will have your clients interested, engaged and informed By Adriano Aldini, Imprint Canada W ith social media and mobile marketing garnering so much attention, you wouldn't be alone in think- ing that email marketing is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t agree. Email marketing still provides you with a direct line of com- munication to your customers. In fact, with a solid content- based approach, email marketing can be more effective than ever thanks to social media, not in spite of it. Why? Because it allows you to combine conversations that you want your clients to have about your business and services, together with informa- tive content that your audience will be receptive to. e traditional e-blasts you've probably been sending to your client database for years - in hopes of spreading the word about your latest promo - will have much more success if they're created to leverage the power of the evolving social media landscape. Of course you want your clients and customers to know about your latest and greatest deals, but if you expect them spread the word about you and your company, you need to ensure your content is fostering real relationships and warrants a broader appeal than simply announcing you are discounting golf shirts for a limited time. Email marketing works because: -X EPPS[W JSV XEVKIXMRK ERH MW HEXE HVMZIR -X HVMZIW ERH WYTTSVXW WEPIW -X LIPTW FYMPH JEQMPMEVMX] [MXL ]SYV FVERH ere are a vast array of email marketing services and solu- tions out there for you to choose from - some are free, others are available for monthly fees based on the volume you are sending.

description

Fall Outerwear Issue

Transcript of IC_July/August 2012

A Tristan Communications Ltd. Publication Volume 19, Issue 4

Get caught up on the latest industry news 4

Stahls' Canada's Sean Oakley answers your heat printing

questions in our latest Q & A edition 4

Mark Venit examines the fundamentals of typography,

colour and second marks when redesigning your logo 6

Is cash fl ow a problem for your business? Ten ways to

better your cash fl ow are outlined by the authors of

Cash Flow for Dummies® 10

WHAT'S INSIDE

Turbo Charge Your Custom Garment BusinessBy Ted Stahl

Do you want to sell more T-shirts? What about more jackets, uniforms, sweatshirts or caps? Th is article discusses specifi c marketing ideas for businesses that off er custom heat

printing services, but has many takeaways for any type of garment decorator.

EXPAND YOUR NICHE Do you already have a niche? To be successful in any

business, you need to fi nd a need in the marketplace

and fi ll it. Th e list of items that can be imprinted using

a heat press or mug heat press is constantly growing.

Th anks to new developments in adhesives and heat

press technology, it’s easier than ever to quickly (and

profi tably) heat print full colour logos and specialty

logo eff ects like refl ective, rhinestones and metallic

on caps, nylon jackets and bags, performance wear,

spandex and even neoprene garments. Th ere are also

hundreds of promotional items that can be easily

personalized with a heat press.

If you live in a larger metropolitan area, your niche

might have to be something quite unique; if you live

in a smaller area, it can be a bit broader.

Step Up Your Email Marketing GameCreate Email blasts that will have your clients

interested, engaged and informedBy Adriano Aldini, Imprint Canada

With social media and mobile marketing garnering

so much attention, you wouldn't be alone in think-

ing that email marketing is a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, reality doesn’t agree.

Email marketing still provides you with a direct line of com-

munication to your customers. In fact, with a solid content-

based approach, email marketing can be more eff ective than

ever thanks to social media, not in spite of it. Why? Because it

allows you to combine conversations that you want your clients

to have about your business and services, together with informa-

tive content that your audience will be receptive to.

Th e traditional e-blasts you've probably been sending to your

client database for years - in hopes of spreading the word about

your latest promo - will have much more success if they're created

to leverage the power of the evolving social media landscape.

Of course you want your clients and customers to know about

your latest and greatest deals, but if you expect them spread the

word about you and your company, you need to ensure your

content is fostering real relationships and warrants a broader

appeal than simply announcing you are discounting golf shirts

for a limited time.

Email marketing works because:

Th ere are a vast array of email marketing services and solu-

tions out there for you to choose from - some are free, others are

available for monthly fees based on the volume you are sending.

the new & innovative fall collection from Ash City

TO SEE THE ENTIRE NEW FALL COLLECTION VISIT ASHCITY.COM

Scan here to view our fall collection video.

Success is measured in

many waysA very long time ago, I read a passage stating that

successful people shared common characteristics, work

habits, life habits and general approaches to life.

By success , I am referring to much more than just wealth;

health, happiness, and personal achievements are just a

few additional components of success.

One person in particular that continues to be a role model

for me is a friend of mine who works as a salesperson in

the Canadian millwork industry. Every time I see this

individual, he has a smile naturally emblazed upon his

face. His cell phone must ring from the time he turns it

on in the morning to whenever his head hits his pillow at

the end of his day.

Whether it's his work, his home life or his social network,

he is constantly - and I mean 24/7 - providing to peoples’

needs.

Whether someone needs a job, fi nancial assistance, work

to be done, a favour, information, a contact - you name it

- once he hears that someone has a need to be fulfi lled, he

gets involved. I have seen him come through for strangers

at all hours of the day, both on weekdays and on week-

ends. Just recently, for example, he had a newly arrived

couple from overseas employed within a day of him get-

ting involved.

My friend believes in a sense of purpose where the core

principle is entrenched in altruism by doing things for

others. He provides assistance and solutions to peoples'

needs, and he makes it easy for people to learn to help

themselves.

At any given time of the day, he can tell you just about what

each of his top customers are up to both in their work and

social life. You see for him, selling is about giving and then

giving some more.

Recently, his boss admitted to him that he really doesn’t

know how he produces as much as he does in sales because

he never really overtly "sells". My friend tells me his cus-

tomers call him seeking help on matters in and outside

of the workplace and they willingly give him sales orders

when in need of his company’s off erings.

My friend has competitors but knows he is genuinely liked

by his clients. On his frequent visits to them, he researches

their needs - not just regarding work - but on everything

so that he is up to speed on what they require in order to

help where he can.

He off ers his time and

attention, just like he

does to his closest friends

and family. He does this

instinctively, by the way,

and not necessarily by

design; these habits come

naturally to him.

From the outside look-

ing in, I realize that for

him, everyday passes

with another contact

developed, more goodwill

developed, another net-

work built. From there, it

becomes a matter of time

until he reaps the bene-

fi ts of the sincerity of his

actions and behaviours.

My friend lives a very

happy and fulfi lling life,

and whenever I ask him

how he is doing, his

answer never strays from,

“life is great!”

For all these reasons, I

consider my friend to be

a true example of what it

means to be successfull,

both in business and in

life.

TM

JULY/AUGUST 20121 TURBO CHARGE YOUR CUSTOM

GARMENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

1 STEP UP YOUR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

4 IMPRINT Q & A4 INDUSTRY NEWS

6 FRESHENING UP YOUR COMPANY'S LOGO

10 STAYING IN THE MONEY

20 WEARABLES SHOWCASE

28 AD SPECIALTY SHOWCASE

31 SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT SHOWCASE

34 CANADA'S WHOLESALE SALES NUMBERS

Imprint Canada is published six times per year by Tristan

Communications Ltd. Th e contents of this publication may

not be reproduced either in part or in whole without the

consent of the copyright owner. Th e views expressed in this

publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Request

for missing issues are not accepted aft er three months from the

date of publication.

TRISTAN COMMUNICATIONS LTD.Publications mail agreement no. 40025740Return undeliverable mail to:

190 Marycroft Avenue, Unit 16,

Woodbridge, Ontario, L4L 5Y2

Email: [email protected]

ISSN: 1480-1884 GST Registration #: RT892913294

IMPRINT CANADA

PUBLISHER Tony Muccilli : [email protected]

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTAdriano Aldini : [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMark L. Venit, Sean Oakley, Ted Stahl,

Tage Tracy & John A. Tracy, Adriano Aldini

MARKETING COORDINATORSteve Silva: [email protected]

OFFICE ADMINISTRATORMaria Natale: [email protected]

GENERAL [email protected], (905)856-2600

ADVERTISING SALESTony Muccilli (Toronto)

Tel: (905) 856-2600 Fax: (905) 856-2667

July/August 2012 - Volume 19, Number 4

Follow us:

twitter.com/imprint_canada

IMPRINT CANADA

IMPRINT CANADA

Industry News

Debco's BBQ a resounding successDebco's summer BBQ was a resounding hit, with more than

200 distributors in attendance

to enjoy an aft ernoon fi lled with

food, music, fun and great prizes.

In the midst of an exciting year

for Debco, this event - which was

hosted on July 11 at their head

offi ce in Concord, ON - provided

them with the opportunity to

thank their distributors for their

ongoing support.

"It was a tremendous success,"

said Debco president Stan Gallen. "I

am a believer in always being mem-

orable, and to this end I would have

to say we achieved our goal."

In addition to the great food,

guests thoroughly enjoyed being

treated to live music, provided cour-

tesy of Debco's own Alex Morin.

"Th e results exceeded our expectations," said Kate Fassel, lead

marketing coordinator for Debco. "Th e print shop tours were wildly

popular and the buzz surrounding the ice cream truck can still be heard."

To see more photos from this event, please visit Imprint Canada's

Facebook page.

Whiteridge Inc. adds GTA representation Whiteridge Inc. is happy to announce it has partnered with

GTA-based multi-line supplier marketing agency Promo Expo,

to bring it's fresh and innovative collection to more distributors in

Ontario.

Deidre McCloskey, Whiteridge Inc.'s GTA account manager, will

be working exclusively with Promo Expo staff to service all distribu-

tors' Whiteridge product needs. 

For more information, Promo Expo's Showroom is located at 422

North Rivermede Rd. #14 in Vaughan, ON. 

Kobe Launches "Hoops and Dreams Fund"Kobe Sportswear is proud to establish the "Kobe Hoops and

Dreams Fund" for the members of the Toronto Kiwanis Boys And Girls Clubs.

Th e fund is designed to outfi t and bring together at risk inner city

youths who are part of the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs’ basket-

ball program. It will also encourage eff ective team work and healthy

competition amongst youths from low income families in Regent Park.

“We are thrilled about this opportunity,” said Ian Edward, executive

director, Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs. “Kobe Sportswear

Inc. is not only outfi tting our youth basketball team, but they are

impacting the self-esteem and confi dence of our youth.”

“Kobe Sportswear is committed to supporting initiatives that will

help shape the next generation of Canadian athletes and scholars,”

said William Chen, marketing director, Kobe Sportswear Inc. “We

want to encourage everyone to show their Red and White spirit, by

helping to support this program.”

From July 9 to August 31, Kobe Sportswear will donate $1 for every

select Red and White product sold towards the “Kobe Sportswear

Hoops and Dreams Fund”.

For more information, please visit www.kobesportswear.com/

hoopsanddreams.

IMPRINT CANADAQ. What is the best way to ensure consistency in your

placements when applying heat transfers?

A: On a basic T-shirt or sweatshirt, we suggest 3" - 3.5” down from the bottom

of the neckline for front placement. There are variations for placement: full front,

left chest, and even letter and number placement for sports uniforms. We have

guidelines at stahlscanada.com that have a variety of placement and sizing tips.

Q: When cutting fi ne detail on Fashion Film or Thermo

Film what blade do you suggest: a 45 or a 60, and why?

A: When cutting fi ne detail, it is best to use a 60 degree blade because the

steeper angle allows the blade to cut deeper and limits the blade from dragging

which tends to cause the vinyl to lift in detailed designs.

Q: How do you avoid creases when pressing caps?

A: There are three key ways to avoid creases on caps. First, it is recommended

that you use optional cap platens when decorating caps or other types of headwear.

Platens come in various sizes, ranging from 2.75”- 4” high to fi t diff erent styles of

caps, such as low profi le, visors, and caps with full crowns. Second, be sure to use a cap

press that has a hold-down device. This device helps stretch the cap over the platen,

holding it into place, making the printing surface smooth. Third, always pre-heat

for a couple of seconds to remove any pre-existing wrinkles on the printing surface.

Q: What advice would you give an embroider looking to

get into the heat printing market?

A: Expanding from embroidery into heat printing is an excellent way to increase

your profi t potential. Heat Printing compliments embroidery services since you can

decorate a wide variety of apparel and accessories that may be cost prohibitive,

labour intensive, or just not possible with embroidery. Heat transfer products have

come long way over the years. Today, the technology off ers decorating methods

that are durable, long-lasting, and have a high end look. You can print full colour,

add foil fi nishes, you can add glitter and fl ock textures and more, all at a relatively

low cost. In addition, there are many heat printing products embroiders can use as

alternatives to direct embroidery, we like to call them time savers. One example is

Pro Cap embroidery. These individual letters are embroidered and have a permanent

adhesive. Simply apply with a heat press in a matter of seconds. SimStitch® also has

a permanent adhesive and is made from Perma-TWILL and features a laser etched

zig-zag stitch, which delivers the look of sewing, but in a heat applied product.

Q: Why does my vinyl cutter blade leaves tiny uncut

sections in my designs?

A: These tiny uncut sections can be caused by a variety of factors. First,

check your blade extension. The blade should only stick out of the holder half

the thickness of a credit card. Check the Cutting Strip on the bottom of the cut-

ter to ensure there are no grooves in it. Lastly, check to make sure the Off set on

the cutter is correct for the blade angle being used. Often, operators switch to

the proper angle blade for cutting varying materials but forget that changing

the off set is a critical step when changing the blade to achieve accurate cuts.

Q: When creating artwork for a CAD-Printz transfer

design, what is the recommended contour distance if

you want unprinted media around the design?

A: By selecting outline, we will automatically add a white contour of .05"

around the design.  If you are interested in matching the colour of the item you

are decorating, you can choose the contour outline colour from our colour selection

or enter a Pantone colour for us to target.

Q: Why does my vinyl cutter

blade cut inconsistently?

A: Check your blade extension. The blade should only stick out of the holder

half the thickness of a credit card. Also double check the artwork to ensure that

the fi le does not contain more than one copy of the cut line. Cutting over an area

more than once can cause this issue.

Q: Is CAD-CUT H2O a water-based transfer material?

A: No, it’s called CAD-CUT H2O because the fi nish mirrors that of a water based/

discharge screen print. Experienced screen printers often can’t tell the diff erence

between this decorating method and water based printing.

Q: Any recommendations we should be made aware of

when cutting and applying CAD-CUT H2O?

A: Getting accurate cutting and weeded designs is critical. You do not want

any lifting at the corners or edges of the material as this can impact the fi nished

decoration. Also, be sure that you are achieving the pressure desired for the

look you want; adding more pressure achieves a more saturated print. Seams,

zippers and buttons that absorb pressure from the press can cause inaccuracies

in the print. This is often desired due to the washed out fi nish of the product.

Q: We're applying white transfers on foam koozies but

we can't get a true bright white as there is a lot of bleed

through on the darker colours. Any suggestions?

A: This problem is known as dye migration. Stahls’ Thermo-FILM® is a tried

and true performer when it comes to this issue. A slightly thicker heat transfer

material is ideal for blocking dye migration. For a full colour option, CAD-PRINTZ

digital transfers can be ordered in Sub-Block, appropriately names for blocking

sublimation or dye migration. Remember, ink saturation levels can vary across

koozies and other neoprene based substrates.

Q: We applied plastisol transfers onto polyester shirts

using a pad (to avoid buttons) and covered it with a non-

stick sheet. When we pre-pressed the garment for a few

seconds to remove wrinkles, a box where the pad was

appears. Is there any way to fi x this?

A: This result can be typical of polyester based fabrics, especially those with a

mid to dark colour range. Try reducing the temperature and increasing your time on

the application if possible. Another option is using a fl exible application pad. This

rubber silicone pad helps reduce this “shadow box” eff ect on heat sensitive items.

Bulletin is MovingBulletin has announced that eff ective August 1, 2012, they will

be operating out of their new offi ce located at:

490 Blvd. MontpellierSaint-Laurent, Quebec, H4N 2G7Bulletin would like to thank all of its customers and partners for their

continued support. For more information, Bulletin can be reached at:Tel: 514.279.4581 / Toll Free: 800.463.1483 / Fax: 877.279.9816Email: [email protected]

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IMPRINT CANADA

Industry News (continued )

Freshening Up Your Company’s Logo (Part 2) Typography, Colour, and Creating Second MarksBy Mark L. Venit, MBA

Mark L. Venit, MBA, provides management and

marketing conulting and proprietary research

to apparel graphics companies throughout

the Americas and Europe. He’s the author of

several books and over 500 articles published

in trade magazines and professional journals.

His book, The Business of T-Shirts: A Textbook

for Success in Marketing and Selling Decorated

Apparel, released in March 2011, is available

from Stahls' Canada and from the author.

Venit is engaged extensively as an expert witness, qualifi ed in all U.S. and Canadian

jurisdictions in the areas of trademark and copyright applications, business con-

ventions and trade practices in the apparel graphics industry. A former professor

of advertising and marketing, Venit earned his bachelors and masters degrees at

Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mark Venit can be reached at:

[email protected], 410.641.7300.

In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the evolution of logos

and why a new look and feel for your company’s logo is an

important eff ort. Now we’ll turn to the issues of typography,

colour, and the possibility of creating a second identity to

compliment your new look.

Typography and colour are matters of personal taste as well

as expanded mechanisms for getting your logo to tell a fuller

story about who you are and how you want to be perceived.

TypographyDiff erent fonts give you the ability to convey diff erent attrib-

utes. Fonts can communicate or , they

can be or , they can express or

, ex citement or ,

or , or deference, or

SOPHISTICATION.....or just about anything else you want to

portray. So, whether you opt for creativity or elect a con-

servative cast, think about how diff erent fonts can eff ect

diff erent outcomes for a distinctive look and feel.

ColourOnce you like what you see in black and white, consider

what colour you’d like your company to wear when colour

is a suitable option.

Two-colour logos can be lovely, but not necessarily twice

as good as a monochromatic logo. Using three or more

colours isn’t three or four times as nice, nor will it properly

show in many smaller applications. But there are logos and

names that scream for colour (i.e., Celebration Sportswear,

Rainbow Fashions, et cetera.) Use two, three, or even four

colours to create impact, but always be sure to design your

logo in such a way that it maintains its integrity in all mono-

chromatic applications.

Th ere is no one-size-fi ts-all answer as the issue of colour is

one that comes down to personal taste; like chocolate or vanilla.

When you think you’re done, you’re not; you won’t have

a fi nal logo until you’ve given people whose opinions you

value a chance to weigh in. When it comes to logos, you’re

not looking for “cute,” you’re looking for smart, eff ective,

and you’re looking to make an impact. But your ultimate

decision shouldn’t be democratic; not unless those weighing

in have as much money at risk as you have. Getting input

is good, but this decision is one reserved to the owner(s)

of the business.

Before you embark on your logo mission, refl ect on some

selected recent statistical conclusions compiled a few years

ago (2010) in a review of the logos of the fi rms listed in

Business Week’s top 100 global brands. Th e study was done

by an enterprising blogger, graphic designer Jacob Cass.

94% The brand name does not describe the product sold.

90% The tag line is not included in the logo

84% The font style is clean and clear

74% The logo design uses only one colour (other than black and white)

66% The logo design is rectangular in shape

48% Logo designs include the trademark symbol (™) at the top-right

52% The name is six letters or less

52% The background is fi lled and solid

44% The brand uses upper & lower case letters (excluding acronyms)

Second MarksAs a little boy I met a real, live celebrity who worked near

my Grandfather's house in Atlantic City outside of the Planter’s

Peanut Store on the Boardwalk. Mr. Peanut™ has been hard at

work on Planter’s® product labels since 1918. I still have my

Mr. Peanut drinking cups proudly displayed in my kitchen.

Th e Morton Salt® girl has been holding her umbrella on

packaging since 1916 (the current version had her most

recent makeover in 1968). Leo the Lion has been roaring in

the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo since 1927. Rice Krispies’

Snap, Crackle and Pop® got their working papers in 1933.

Th ese characters could be the Michelin Man’s grandchil-

dren, since he hit the street in 1898. His grandchild could be

Tony the Tiger, who has been working for Kellogg’s Frosted

Flakes® since 1952.

Perhaps your kids – or YOU -- own M & M toys, likenesses

of “Red” and “Yellow,” who debuted as “spokescandies” in 1954

and have gone on to becoming a best-selling toy brand. Th e

Energizer Bunny®, now a 20-something, has grown beyond

merely being a battery company’s CBO (chief bunny offi cer)

to boasting his own line of toys as well.

Maybe your kids have a close personal relationship with

Ronald McDonald®, who fi rst appeared in 1963, portrayed

by Willard Scott who went on to become NBC’s legendary

weatherman. (Scott also played Bozo the clown on Washington

D.C.’s WRC in the late 1950s).

Th e Roaming Gnome® is instantaneously recognized as

working for Travelocity®, though his travel shtick is the result

of his proclivity for being kidnapped. Met Life® is represented

by one smart dog, but Snoopy® is old school compared

another insurance company’s representative reptilian. He

does have a name (Martin) but most of us know him simply

as the GEICO® Gecko. Note though that some see Martin

as a “scab,” however, since he got hired in 1999 when the

Screen Actors Guild went on strike. We also know GEICO

employs cavemen from time to time as well.

Oh, yeah, and Budweiser has Clydesdale horses.

Who knew that long-standing recognition could come

from “second marks?”

A “second mark” is a device that serves in a supporting

role to your logo when the logo might be insuffi cient in cer-

tain applications. Th is second mark could be a mascot, an

anthropomorphic character or some other representation

of your company. It can serve as a spokesperson for your

company in newsletters, advertising, product and package

labels. It also can enhance a mountain of applications where

your logo and identity need reinforcement or a convenient

ready-to-go helper to make your visual image go that much

further when the situation warrants.

You'll fi nd this second mark a convenient way to build your

identity when a logo doesn't do the whole job. Second marks

also can be part of your branding strategies, especially when

used as sleeve or collar icons on the garments you decorate.

Your own second marks not only reinforce loyalty from

the people who’ll wear them, but they’ll also generate mil-

lions of advertising impressions to everyone who sees them.

Hmmmm, what’s that sound I hear? Ahhhh, it must be

the creative wheels in your head spinning!

When a prospect sees your advertising, accesses your

website, calls or visits your shop, or otherwise encounters

your enterprise for the fi rst time, will your company sound

and look engaging and professional? Will the prospect’s fi rst

impression help you close the sale or will it kill it?

If you’re uncertain, it’s likely you need to work on making

those fi rst impressions more positive experiences.

Good luck and have fun making your company look as

good as it wants to be seen.

You CanOrder MillDirect!

Call customer service to open an account today at:

American Apparel—Canada5430 FerrierMontreal, QC H4P 1M2

Tel. +1 (514) 939-0245Fax. +1 (514) [email protected]

americanapparel.net/wholesale

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Medium Stone-Washed Indigo

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IMPRINT CANADA

News

THINK LIKE A CUSTOMER Once you have found the perfect niche, you still need

to promote your business.

However you choose to

market your heat printing

products and services, keep

these questions in mind: Am

I thinking like a customer?

Am I answering their con-

cerns? Am I making sure

they know why they should

buy from me instead of from

someone else?

Your pricing needs to be

clear and any concerns they

may have about quality and

reliability need to be addressed in your marketing pieces or

store signs. You have to be able to imagine that your customer

doesn’t really know what they want to buy. Th ey don’t know

what colour their logo should be, they don’t know how to

get their logo to you, and they don’t know how many shirts

they will need.

Make it easy for your customer. Create a binder that shows

examples of your one, two and full colour designs on all the

colour ways you carry. Explain the diff erence between one

and two colour lettering or numbering on a sign or with a

showroom sample.

Create seasonal displays and put out fl yers with a monthly

special on them. Even if the customer doesn’t want that par-

ticular special, they will be made aware of your heat printing

and apparel decorating services.

ASK FOR THE SALE What’s the biggest mistake most marketers make? Th ey

don’t ASK FOR THE SALE!

It’s true, the world belongs to the askers; ask and you shall

receive. Some people don’t like asking for the sale because

they are afraid the person might say “No”. Even if the person

does say no, think of it as an opportunity to fi nd out. Find

out what you could have done to make them say “Yes!” It

might be something that is out of your control - like they need

12 dozen XXL shirts in lime green by tomorrow. But if it is

something else, maybe there is actions you can take to cor-

rect the situation. However, you won’t know unless you ASK.

Th is is also true for any printed piece of literature you

create—it must contain a “call to action” statement, telling

people exactly what you want them to do, like “Call Today”

or “Schedule an Appointment.”

INCREASE YOUR EXPOSURE What do I mean by exposure? It means letting people

know what you do. Tell the world what you do; don’t assume

they already know. Here’s how:

• Always carry a supply of business cards and give them out to

everyone you meet. Everyone needs T-shirts at some point, or they

know someone who will.

• Consider low-cost advertising in places where business owners

might congregate.

• Print out fl yers and tuck them under windshields of cars parked

outside the offi ce supply or quickie-print store.

• If you know the owner of a printing shop and he/she doesn’t

mind, ask to put a stack of fl yers or a “drop your card” in this bowl

to gather names of other businesses.

• Post your card at the car wash or on other information boards

that have exposure in the community.

• Sponsor a local sports league that includes the privilege of putting

a banner with your store info on the fi elds. Find the leagues that

will give you the most exposure.

• Approach stores that sell performance wear and inform them

that you have the ability to add their logo to the items they sell.

• Do you already have a sign in your store window that says We Print

Custom T-Shirts? If not, that should be the fi rst thing you do aft er

reading this. You might think the name of your business makes it

obvious as to what you do, but you would be surprised. You can also

add words such as “No Minimums”; “Overnight Services”; “Custom

Printing While You Wait”; “We Print on Anything” is also a good one.

SHOW YOUR STUFF It’s your job to make it as easy as possible for your custom-

ers to place an order. In addition to having a sample book

on your counter, here are some other ideas:

• Display your best work on your walls or create a rack of printed

samples you have done for other customers. You can put a sign on

the rack that says “NOT FOR SALE” and this will draw people to it.

Showing samples of your work accomplishes two things: it

shows your quality work, and it demonstrates that you do business

with a lot of people.

• Have your employees wear printed shirts. If you don’t have

employees, YOU should be the one wearing printed shirts. I am

always shocked at how many folks with shirt printing businesses

don’t even have a shirt with their own business name on it.

As an alternative to plain uniform type shirts with a name on

the pocket, allow employees to get creative and create their own

shirts to wear. Encourage them to take current events themes and

trends into consideration.

• Make a photo album. Customers enjoy being able to point to a

garment and say, “I’ll take that, but in a diff erent colour.” Th is way

they feel creative, even if they needed a little help.

If you can’t aff ord to keep samples of actual shirts you have

printed on hand, take a picture of some of the better shirts created

in your store and post them where other customers can see. It’s also

helpful for you to remember the jobs you have done and what the

customer wants when they call in to place a re-order. Th ey assume

you will know!

• Buy a 5XL T-shirt in the brightest colour and print custom logos

all over it. Th e size of the shirt will grab people’s attention and you

can fi t a lot of designs on it to tell a story of what you have to off er.

TAKE SOME TIME TO REFLECT If you’ve always wondered how you could get into the

lucrative safety market, the answer is as close as your heat

press. It’s so easy to add a bit of heat transfer refl ective

material to any item. Th ere’s more to safety than paramed-

ics, fi refi ghters and police.

How many times have you seen people out jogging at dawn

or dusk and thought that they should be wearing something

to make them more visible? Or what about school kids?

Kids around the country are getting ready to go back to

school. Why not run a special on refl ective printing? It’s easy

to add a logo, name, or just a few innocent stripes to a pant

leg, jacket, or backpack.

And don’t forget, if the item already has refl ective material

on it, like a crossing guard’s vest, you can heat print other,

non-refl ective logos on these items to personalize them.

UPSELL AND CROSS SELL We’ve all been asked that very important question in our

lives: Do you want fries with that? Th is question is a classic

in the world of increasing the value of the sale. You should be

ready to ask, “How about trying that in a two-colour print?”

Or “Do you need caps with your logo as well?”

When it comes to up-selling a two-colour design, remind

the customer that all the

pros wear two-colour

numbers and letters in

sports. Displaying gar-

ments with two-colour

lettering is also very

important. Let custom-

ers see what a diff erence

it makes. Selling two

-colour instead of one

is an easy way to double

your profi t on the sale.

THINK BEYOND THE JERSEY OR T-SHIRT ORDER Even if you don’t get the T-shirt or team jersey business,

there are a lot of items you can off er to local schools, teams

and businesses. Here are just some ideas:

• Team uniform sales can be very competitive at the school level,

but don’t forget that you can provide “non-uniform” items to play-

ers (off playing fi eld shirts, caps, water bottles, banners) and all the

items you can provide the fans like: graphically-intensive / “blinged-

out” fan apparel, seat cushions for bleacher seats, scarves for cold

games, window decals to “ride with pride”, et cetera.

• Find out which schools have Student Stores: visit the store and

show them some up to date cool samples of what you can off er.

• Ask if you could set up a table at sporting events: baseball games,

football games, hockey, basketball, et cetera. All you need is a table,

electricity, and heat applied products for the event and to off er

the service of personalized names on existing shirts. A good idea

would also be to donate a portion of the proceeds back to the team.

• Homecoming & Proms: all the kids have shirts with the theme

and the date of the dance as a parting gift – it is the norm now.

• Keep track of who is winning in what sports: all championship

games need a shirt commemorating the BIG WIN! Most schools

hold assemblies the fi rst school day back from a BIG WIN – hun-

dreds of shirts could be sold.

•Swim teams and track meets need not only T-shirts, but also tote

bags and towels that can be personalized for each team or each mem-

ber. Th ink of items that other sports need in addition to uniforms.

ADD YOUR TAG TO EACH SHIRT People wearing custom shirts oft en don’t know where they

came from. If someone asks, make sure you have a reminder

printed right on the shirt. A good idea is to order or create

your own custom printed “apparel or shirt tags” that can

be heat printed onto each shirt purchased. It should have

your business name and phone/web address. Th at is adver-

tising that will last a long time. You can also add washing

instructions to the tag. Your customers will appreciate that

as well. Tagless labels are also a great idea if you are creating

a limited edition line of clothing. You can create a sheet of

consecutively numbered tags if you need to.

OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE Th e custom decorated garment industry is alive and well,

there are opportunities everywhere you look. With a heat

press you are able to create just about any type of custom

look you see, so it’s easy to capitalize on trends and help

people get the on-demand personalization they are seeking.

What Can You Off er That Your

Competition Isn't?Even though you may already be customizing and

personalizing apparel, why not expand your niche and try

off ering the following as well:

Ted Stahl is the Executive Chairman of the Board

of GroupeSTAHL, an international group of com-

panies specializing in heat printing methods.

Stahl is a well-known industry veteran with more

than 40 years’ experience in all aspects of apparel

graphics, from manufacturing and marketing, to

product design and retail operations. Stahl has

played a major role in bringing sportswear graph-

ics into the computer era, with the introduction

of high-tech digital imprinting products, including Stahls’ CAD-CUT® materials,

Drawmate™ software and CADWorxlive.com, a free online art creation website.

In 2010, Stahl was inducted into the National Sporting Goods Association Hall of

Fame. You can follow Ted on his blog: www.tedstahl.com

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News

Every small business owner knows that you can have tons of loyal customers and be an expert at getting new business and still be kept awake at night with cash fl ow worries.

Authors Tage Tracy and John A. Tracy commiserate; they know cash fl ow is an issue that can send good businesses to their graves.

“Cash fl ow problems have a habit of sneak-ing up on a business, especially in a rocky economy,” says Tage Tracy, coauthor along with John A. Tracy of Cash Flow For Dummies®

“If a business is earning a profi t, many business managers simply assume that cash fl ow is satisfactory. But even if profi t is good, cash fl ow can be bad.”

Cash fl ows pose an unending challenge to business owners and managers because they have to be carefully managed.

Th e following are some tips for what you can do to help cash fl ow reboot for your business.

Respect & understand fi nancial statementsTh e bottom line for small business owners

is simple: if you don’t make an eff ort to pre-pare, review, and completely understand your fi nancial statements, then you need to ask yourself why you’re in business in the fi rst place. Th is especially holds true for the statement of cash fl ows, because an abun-dance of invaluable information is available from this most commonly overlooked and mismanaged fi nancial statement.

Plan, do projections, and plan some more Proper planning is essential to the launch,

growth, management, and ultimate success of your business as measured by the ability to generate profi ts and, just as important, to avoid running out of cash.

Having access to sound fi nancial plans structured for diff erent operating scenarios is an absolute must.

Focus on capital and cash - the lifeblood of

your business One of the most common reasons small

businesses fail is that they lack adequate

cash or capital, not only to survive diffi cult

times, but also to prosper during growth

opportunities.

“Remember, one of the greatest losses

a small business can realize is that of lost

opportunity, which has its roots in not being

prepared to properly capitalize on market

opportunities,” explains Tracy.

Th e harsh reality is that this great loss is

never accounted for or presented in any way,

shape, or form on the business’s fi nancial state-

ments. Rather, missed market and business

opportunities lurk in the torturous thought:

"Imagine what I could have achieved!"

Understand your selling cycle Th e length of the complete selling

cycle is oft en much longer than the

aspiring entrepreneur projects and/

or wants to believe.

Th e selling cycle in its entirety spans

the time from the very start of the

process when a product or service

is fi rst visualized and developed to

supporting customers aft er the sale

and developing additional products

or services that may be in demand.

If not properly managed, the sell-

ing cycle generally becomes one of

the largest consumers of cash in a

business. Without fail, almost every

aspiring business owner, at one point

or another, will experience delays in

the selling cycle.

Manage your disbursements cycle To counteract the selling cycle cash

consumption machine, businesses

need to understand that the disburse-

ment cycle (managing expenditures

and cash payments to vendors,

employees, and other creditors) can

be leveraged and managed to be a pri-

mary source of cash for your business.

“Invoke what’s called the matching

principle,” advises Tracy. “Th at is, you

should be able to match cash infl ows

and outfl ows.”

Be creative to generate cash Th e following three areas off er sig-

nifi cant opportunities for creativity

when looking to improve cash fl ows:

1. Turn your assets over more quickly.

Th e more quickly you can turn over

assets, the more quickly they turn into

cash. It’s as simple as that.

2. Leverage your vendors, suppliers,

and fi nancing sources. Th ey don’t

want to lose your business, so placing

just the right amount of leverage on

these groups can result in enhanced

cash fl ows because liabilities off er a

source of cash.

3. Manage external sources of cash

proactively. Proactively manage your

relationships with banks, leasing com-

panies, and even the federal government

to ensure that cash is made available when

needed.

Balance the balance sheet Many businesses overlook the concept of

properly managing the fi nancial structure of

their balance sheet, which has gotten more

than a few businesses in trouble.

Your business needs to strike a proper

balance between making sure that current

assets are fi nanced or supported with current

liabilities, and making sure that long-term

assets are fi nanced or supported with long-

term sources of capital, such as a fi ve-year

note payable or equity.

Every business should strive to achieve

a fi nancial condition that ensures constant

maintenance of adequate levels of both sol-

vency (the ability to pay all just debts) and

liquidity (the ability to quickly access cash

to support business operations).

Understand external capital markets When it comes to external capital mar-

kets, think well ahead. In today’s economic

climate, it takes a long time to identify exter-

nal sources of capital and to secure them. So

plan well ahead to make sure that you’ll have

cash available when needed, because it’s not

a process you can rush.

Protect cash at all times Cash has a unique characteristic unlike

other assets that makes it highly susceptible

to additional risk of loss: Cash is an extremely

liquid and marketable asset.

Always think: CART CART stands for: Complete, Accurate,

Reliable, and Timely. Your company’s fi nan-

cial and accounting information system needs

to produce complete, accurate, reliable, and

timely fi nancial information, reports, data,

and so on - which management can use to

make informed business decisions.

When you have the proper systems in

place and know what to look for, you can

keep cash fl owing, helping you to grow a

successful business.

If you haven't already, it is probably time to

place a renewed focus on properly managing

your cash fl ows.

Staying in the Money 10 Ways to Keep Cash Flow Problems from Hurting Your BusinessBy Tage Tracy & John A. Tracy

About the Authors:Tage C. Tracy is principal

owner of TMK & Associates,

an accounting, fi nancial, and

strategic business planning

consulting fi rm.

John A. Tracy is professor of

accounting at the University

of Colorado in Boulder and

the author of Accounting For

Dummies®

Educational Line-UpEducational Line-Up

For: Owners, managers, and salespeople of companies in business for two years or less and for entrepreneurs considering starting a custom decorated apparel business

Have you taken the plunge and your company is stuck

at the starting line or stalled in neutral? Contemplating

starting a custom decorated-apparel company?

Among the key topics being addressed are: Why

do so many start-up decorated-apparel companies

fail? How and when can you transform your part-

time eff ect into a full-time livelihood that makes you

REAL money? How do small companies become

big, profi table enterprises despite being in environ-

ments with long-entrenched competition and good

ol’ boy networks?

Cut your learning curve by years through Mark’s

insider’s view of the pathologies that impact start-up

decorated apparel companies while learning specifi c

techniques for building your account base and es-

tablishing your own long-term viability.

Mark has personally guided over 100 start-up

decorated apparel businesses to success and profi tability

and you’ll get a solid understanding on who’ll make

it – and who won’t. You’ll take home a solid, workable

game plan designed for immediate implementation,

learn the secrets of lowering your garment costs,

understand when to buy equipment – or reasons to

defer buying -- along with how to buy it smarter and

cheaper. Learn how your company can accomplish

all this in this landmark workshop -- or pay a fortune

in tuition at the School of Hard Knocks.

For: Owners, managers, and investors of custom decorated-apparel companies

Why and how do some custom decorated-apparel

companies thrive and grow even more profi table -- even

during uncertain economic times -- while too many others

constantly struggle just to remain afl oat?

How can small companies become big companies

within just a few years? How do you get your business to

the “next level?” How much will it cost to get it there, and

how long will it take until you can count on a respectable,

sustainable income?

Th e answers to these questions and realistic, attainable

paths to achieving real growth and solid profi tability are

the agenda for this all-day advanced workshop on re-

thinking, revitalizing, and repositioning your company

for the next 3-5 years and beyond.

Designed specifi cally for owners, investors, and senior

managers of decorated-apparel companies experiencing

limited growth -- or retrenchment -- and weak or nonex-

istent profi tability for the past few years, this course will

give you the framework and the tools for diagnosing your

company’s challenges and present achievable solutions

for getting back into the passing lane.

“Survivors” of this course can count on leaving with

clear alternatives, reinvigorated motivation, a founda-

tion for writing a new business plan, and a brightened

outlook for the future for your enterprise.

Industry-specifi c accounting transforms your fi nancial record-keeping into a

powerful tool for seeing in black and white, what parts of your business are making

money and which parts are wasting money.

Among key topics: tracking trends in product sales that alert you to new oppor-

tunities; measuring sales performance by product categories, target audiences, and

by sales representatives; and forecasting purchases to lower garment costs, among

other benefi ts.

Mark Venit, the industry’s management guru, has counseled hundreds of ap-

parel-decorating companies and will share his insider insights and innovative ways to

reduce business and personal taxes along with industry-specifi c operating ratios for

benchmarking key ledger categories. Each attendee will also receive Mark’s own com-

prehensive industry-specifi c chart of accounts for reconfi guring and upgrading your

company’s general ledger.

Th is seminar will clearly identify all of the reasons why you need to be active with

your online social circles. Understanding how search engines are gathering information,

in part, is key to leveraging this massively large database called Th e Internet.

By the end of this session we will answer the questions once and for all: “Do I really

need to be on Twitter? Does Facebook really work for business? If a website is found

online, will it really make more money?

Very few people fully recognize the ramifi cations -- both positive and negative -- that the

Internet is having on our business and our personal reputations. During this session, we will

explore the power of a social strategy for business people.

We will explore how operating systems, web browsers, tool bars and other tools on your

computer are feeding information about your behaviour to service providers and search

engines alike. Bring it all around to leveraging our knowledge of how the internet, as a mas-

sively large database can be manipulated to our advantage as business owners, managers,

and employees.

For: Owners, salespeople, any employees with direct customer contact.Want to turn customers into fans? Working with a slender marketing budget?

Th is 90-minute investment will pay handsome dividends in helping you win ac-

counts and keep your customers from straying to competitors. Laugh all the way

to the bank as the master 30-year marketer opens his bag of tricks on the how-to’s

of dramatically boosting your closing ratio, enhancing your company’s good-will

value, garnering referrals, building your company’s identity, increasing customer

satisfaction, and strengthening account loyalty. And you’ll be pleased to learn that

most of these fi eld-proven, industry-specifi c, giant-killing techniques require little

or no additional outlays of cash!

You may already know that the wearables industry makes up more than 25%

of the promotional products industry, so that means there is an ability to grow by

another 75% with just a little bit more eff ort. During this seminar we will discuss

how to introduce and position your company as a one-stop shop to your clients.

You’ll also learn statistics from the Promotional Products industry that can be used

to grow your business.

For: Owners, salespeople, administrative personnelWhen customers walk in the front door to your show-

room or shop, call your company, or arrive at your website,

do they get an immediate 100% positive impression and

confi rmation that your company is the best place to buy

custom-decorated apparel? Will you likely get an order as

a result of their fi rst encounter with your company? Learn

how to set your company apart from the competition

and build a loyal account base that keeps coming back

for more. You’ll get nuts-and-bolts specifi cs for revital-

izing your image and your bottom line. Topics include:

smarter techniques for handling inquiries; segregating ac-

count types into diff erent marketing agendas; developing

catalogues and websites for market-specifi c customers as

well as general buying audiences; secrets for creating an

irresistible showroom; rethinking your company’s name;

and the magic words for converting price shoppers into

loyal multiple-item customers.

For: Owners, salespeople, administrative personnelCan your production employees perform at higher

levels to lower your labour costs? How can you minimize

mistakes to improve quality and output? How do you

boost administrative productivity to get the work done

faster and better? Learn innovative, fi eld-proven ways to

improve employee motivation, increase staff loyalty, and

connect better wages to heightened performance. Th e

emphasis here is on practical, do-able, aff ordable, bottom-

line improvements that create happier employees and

generate bigger profi ts. Two advanced-level simulation

exercises are included in the program. Attendees will also

take home Venit’s copyrighted Personnel Review System

and Employee Evaluation Scorekeeper.

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Many options support database integration, segmentation,

and various other techniques for improving the targeting

of outgoing messages. You can generate on-the-fl y mass

email blasts, or customize them down to target specifi c

recipient groups.

Best of all, every email campaign you send out will generate

a heap of actionable data and metrics you can use to refi ne

your approach and messages. If you aren't measuring your

results, then how can you know where you need to improve?

Here are some tips to consider to get the most out of your next e-blast:

If content is king, then subject lines are your aceIt all starts with your subject line; eff ectively written ones

are a must if you want your audience to take notice.

If you don't want your e-blast to go straight into your

recipients' trash or spam folder (who does?), then you need

to have an easy-to-read, concise and descriptive subject line

that tells what’s inside rather than one which is trying to sell

what's inside.

How should you write your subject lines so that more

recipients will open your emails? Avoid writing subject lines

that read like headlines for ads, like: "Source Now and Save Money." While these may seem more creative, their open

rates are far less eff ective.

According to MailChimp - the email marketing service

provider with more than 1.9 million subscribers worldwide

that sends about 3 billion emails per month - their Subject Line

Comparison statistics highlight the fact that the subject lines

with the highest open rates (60%-87%) are relatively straight-

forward. Th ese would include subject lines, like "(Company

Name) Sales & Marketing Newsletter" - or - "(Company Name)

Staff Shirts & Photos". Conversely, the subject lines with the

lowest open rates (1%-14%) tended to be on the "salesy"

side, e.g. "Need More Value From Your Promotional Product Distributor?" - or - "Give a Gift this Holiday."

It's easy to assume that subject lines have to jump off the

screen and grab the reader's attention but the reality is that

it's best to avoid common clichés, ALL CAPS, exclamation

points or common industry jargon, and rather focus on

craft ing concise and descriptive subject lines.

Don't Get SpammedIn order to get your recipients to open your emails, you fi rst

need to ensure that you avoid their spam fi lters; nowadays

people get so much junk mail in their inbox that anything

that even remotely resembles spam gets either blocked

automatically or discarded immediately by the recipient.

Spam fi lters look at a long list of criteria to determine

whether your email is considered junk or not. Filters look

for spammy phrases like: “SIGN UP NOW!” or “CLICK HERE FOR FREE STUFF!” and they assign points every

time they see one of those phrases. So if your campaign’s

total “spam score” exceeds a certain threshold, then your

email goes to the junk folder. Certain phrases are assigned

more points than others.

Spam Assassin, the popular spam fi ltering program, uses

the following breakdown: refers to a lot of money (.193 points);

describes some sort of breakthrough (.232 points); sounds like mortgage pitch (.297 points); contains urgent matter (.288

points); off ers a money back guarantee (2.051 points).

Th e spam threshold is diff erent for every server, and the

criteria for defi ning what spam is constantly evolves as spam

fi lters learn more about junk every time someone clicks the

"Th is is spam" button in their email program. Spam fi lters

even sync-up with each other to share what they’ve learned.

Setting ExpectationsIt should go without saying that you should establish what

you actually expect to achieve via your email marketing

plan before you actually start blasting out to your audience.

Like any other marketing initiative you decide to undertake,

you'd be surprised at how clear your objectives become once

you actually write them down and formulate a thought-out plan.

When you set expectations for your email marketing,

you'll have a road map to follow which will enable to you to

better craft an eff ective communication vehicle.

If your goal is to simply build better relationships with

your customers (rather than hard selling them on your ser-

vices) creating e-blasts which contain relevant content that

interests and engages your recipients will work extremely

well here. Use these types of emails to gradually open your

customers up for a sale and to keep them informed of the

distinctiveness of your brand and/or company.

For example, a screen printer could use this format as a

marketing vehicle with which to keep clients informed of

the various specialty printing techniques it has perfected.

Th e campaign could include links to eye-catching images

and cool multimedia content highlighting how the process

was achieved and implemented in retail and promotional

programs would be a great way to keep recipients interested.

Typically, if your recipients agreed to receive informative,

"soft -selling" emails, don’t expect them to be very receptive

if, all of a sudden, you switch things up and start hard-selling

them with promotional off ers. Consistency is key here. On

the other hand, if your audience signed up to be kept abreast

of any special off ers or latest promos, then your subject lines

and content should be tailored accordingly. Th ere's nothing

wrong in this case with saying there’s a limited-time e-coupon

inside as they’re already expecting a “hard sell” from you.

Segregation is GoodSending the same promotional email campaign to your

entire subscriber database is ill-advised. Segmenting your

database into various groups, and creating opt-in lists which

will allow you to develop specifi c content according to the

target base, is strongly recommended if you want your email

marketing campaigns to have any chance of success.

A promotional product distributor could segment lists

based on client category (i.e. academic, fi nancial, profes-

sional, retail, et cetera) and then tailor specifi c content and

special off ers based on the respective needs and interests

of your groups.

Th e more focused the target audience, the more eff ective

your email marketing campaign will likely be.

Get SocialTruly getting to know your subscribers involves taking

the time to learn about their interests and studying their

social media habits so you can eff ectively tailor your email

campaigns to the people, or specifi c groups, reading them.

Th is is the only way you'll be able to share relevant infor-

mation with your readers, and they won’t be overwhelmed

with useless content.

Th e experts at MailChimp recommend targeting your

subscribers on the social media platforms they are most

comfortable with. If only small percentage of your audi-

ence uses Twitter, but most of them interact on Facebook,

then they recommend focusing your energy accordingly.

Likewise, if you have a lot of great pictures of interesting

designs and past work projects, engaging your audience on

Flickr or Pinterest is a good way to go.

Posting links to your campaigns on Facebook or announ-

cing them via your Twitter handle is good, but it isn’t enough

if you want to establish profi table, long-lasting relationships

with your audience. If your email campaigns or newsletters

contain relevant content or engaging information, you will

have a much better chance that your readers will connect

with you via these social networks and help spread the word

about your business and your campaign's focus.

Remember: including relavant content your recipents will

benefi t from will go a long way in ensuring the success of your

email marketing campaigns. If your audience and potential cus-

tomers feel as if you have a truly genuine focus on what interests

them, they will be far more receptive to your messages.

News

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Imprint Canada’s recent Readership SurveyImprint Canada’s recent Readership Surveyhighlighted the following findings:highlighted the following findings:

93.9 % of readers prefer Imprint Canada over any other trade publicationof readers prefer Imprint Canada over any other trade publication

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