Making Print Interactive
There is an emerging cell phone technology that is bridging the gap between print and digital media. It’s called a QR (quick response and) code. It is appearing on printed materials such as business cards and postcards, in newspaper or magazine ads and on signs and billboards.
A QR code works like a UPC barcode except its square and looks a little like terrazzo tile. It can contain a considerable amount of information and most importantly the URL link to a webpage. An example, linking to the home page of www.tech-centre.com is shown at right.
To read a QR Code you need a mobile with a built-in camera and the necessary QR code reader software installed. To read the QR code, simply take a photo of it. This will launch the web browser on your phone and immediately direct you to a webpage assigned to the QR code. This linking from a physical real-world object is known as a “hard link”.
QR-code readers are available for a wide variety of smart phones and several websites allow you to generate your own QR codes free of charge. Although QR codes are not yet widely used, it is expected to increase rapidly as smart marketers find more ways to utilize the technology.
Trans-Promo Marketing
Looking for a low-cost way to increase sales, announce new products and improve customer loyalty? Trans-promo marketing may be for you.
Trans-promo combines marketing information with bills, statements and notices in the form of inserts and printing directly on statements. Businesses, realize they can take advantage of regular communications to reduce advertising costs, sell more products and develop customer loyalty. Sophisticated users tailor messages to specific customer groups and individuals using demographic and previous sales data.
Although many businesses are migrating billing notices and potentially all of their communications with customers to electronic forms, they may be ignoring the value that customers place on a tangible printed statement. It’s especially important to businesses in highly competitive markets where regular customer contact is beneficial.
7 Deadly Mistakes of Restaurant Menu Design
The following is a list of some of the most common mistakes associated with the initial design and updating of your restaurant menu. They are easily avoidable and many are common sense. Call for help on the design and printing of your next menu.
- Hand-written changes on the menu. Digital printing allows for quick and inexpensive menu updates so it is better to reprint when making pricing changes or discontinuing items. Not only is it time consuming making manual changes, it always looks “last minute” and adversely affects the look.
- Misspelled items and text. These errors can be eliminated with careful attention and editing by more than one person. If you design your own menu it is very easy to miss common errors that spell checkers do not detect.
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Marketing Ideas – B2B
25 reasons to start a business-to-business marketing program
1. Create awareness. It’s absolutely essential in today’s volatile market place. People need to know who you are, what you represent and where you can be found.
2. Build brand preference. You want customers to prefer dealing with your business instead of your competitors.
3. Keep customers sold. Guess who your competitor’s best prospect’ are? The more frequently you keep your name in front of customers the less likely they are to forget it.
4. Be number one on your prospect’s number two list. That way you’re the first one to be called when they change suppliers.
5. Be more visible than your competitors. If your competitors have to cut back advertising…opportunity knocks.
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