The difference between offset and digital printing

When you think about it, it’s pretty funny how often we ponder the printing process.

Because we never really do.

Honestly, when was the last time you pulled a lovely catalogue out of your mailbox and said “Wow! I wonder what kind of printing device made this image possible?! Was it digital?? Offset?”

Probably never.

I mean, we do over here at Pel Hughes, but we’re a little bit obsessed with all the ink and media jazz – as a printing company should be!

But in the spirit of education and celebrating the craft we love, we want to introduce you to the two main methods of printing in use today, the way they work, and how they’re different from one another.

Understanding the two might just help you choose the best option for your next printing job, or you might just be funny like us and think printers are cool.

Drumroll, please!

In general, there are two main methods of printing: digital and offset.

The method used for a printing job is chosen based on the volume and consistency a job demands.

Offset Printing

Offset printing (also known as “offset lithography”) dates back to 1875 and is clearly the older of the two methods. It involves the transfer of an image using several large cylinders and ink. The first cylinder holds a metal plate with the image for printing etched into it. The metal plate then is pressed into a rubber or plastic sheet on the next cylinder. This cylinder is then covered with ink and pressed onto the final media – whether that be paper, wood, cloth, etc.

Offset printing is fantastic for large printing jobs (like newspapers and books) because it produces consistent, high quality print. This consistent quality is partially due to the fact that the metal plate never comes into contact with the ink or print media, meaning that it maintains its quality for longer.

Though the process of setting up the offset printer for a job is more time consuming than digital printing, the cost of offset printing actually results in a lower cost per page than digital printing if the job is big enough.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is the newer but no less impressive method of printing.

Put simply, digital printing takes out the middleman: an image is sent directly from a file to the printer. There is no need to transfer the image from the file to a rubber or metal plate – the toner is sprayed directly onto the print media and bound to the paper with heat to create the desired image.

Because digital printing does not require the creation of a plate, it greatly reduces the time needed to print – meaning saved time and money for you!

And because of the lower cost, digital printing is great for small jobs.

 

Not sure which one to pick?

That’s just fine! That’s our job.

Give us a call at 504-486-8646 or shoot us an email to find out how we can help you pick the highest quality, most cost efficient option for all of your printing needs.

How can your company benefit from creative graphic design?

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Ask An Expert: How to Prepare Your File for Printing

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Printing with Pel Hughes: Conventions and Trade Shows

We all know that tourists come from all over the place to vacation in New Orleans, but did you ever realize just how much business is done here in the Big Easy?

It might seem strange, given the…vibe..of the city, but believe it or not, we are home to the country’s 6th largest convention center: The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. This giant building (1.1 million square feet, to be exact) of convention space is also ranked in the country’s top ten facilities holding the most conventions and trade shows annually.

So if you run in the convention circle, chances are pretty good that you’ll find your way down to New Orleans – bummer, right?

Only if you have to lug all of your booth and display materials down here yourself.

Lucky for you, Pel Hughes is a quick four miles from the convention center and ready to print beautiful, high quality materials you need to make a fantastic impression. When you order from us, your prints and displays will be waiting here for you upon your arrival, ready to be delivered wherever is most convenient for you – the hotel, the convention center, you name it.

Oh, and that part is free. You like saving money, right?

To get an idea of what we can print for you, check out this extensive (but not comprehensive) list of common requests:

  • Convention Programs
  • Attendee Directories
  • Intelligent Credentials/ Name Badges
  • Agendas, Sell Sheets
  • Brochures
  • Flyers & Manuals
  • Wide Format Signage/Posters
  • Presentation Folders
  • Order Forms
  • Show Dailies

 

Forget something? Don’t sweat it. We know how to rush an order when there’s a timeline to keep, so you can rest easy knowing we’ve got your back.

Does saving big money and losing the headache sound good to you?

We thought it might.

Contact us for a free quote today:

Phone: (800) 253-0249

Email: jjles@pelhughes.com

 

Why is Brand Consistency So Important?

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”

Consistency is just something that is invariable, like your coffee habit.

And just like your coffee habit, brand consistency is completely necessary for the success of your business. There are endless reasons for this, but at the end of the day, it comes down to trust.

It comes down to your ability to satisfy your customer’s need to feel safe in their decision to choose you over someone else, and the only way to feel safe in that decision is to know that they will get the same product or service every single time.

Every. Single. Time.

Beside the obvious practice of delivering that same end product every single time, you need to signal that consistency through brand elements that are predictable and consistent.

What are brand elements?

  • Name
  • Logo
  • Symbol
  • Package design
  • Characters
  • Spokespeople
  • Signage
  • Jingles
  • Slogans

Clearly, there are a few different brand elements, but they are generally those characteristics that people see, hear, touch, smell (basically experience in any sensory way) in relation to a brand. Their transferability and memorability play a huge role in how well people remember the product or service they represent, but their consistency is even more vital.

When a product has inconsistent brand elements, the consumer is left confused. Maybe the colors on two separate products or service advertisements were close but not the same. Or maybe the logo has too many variations in color and size for the consumer to be able to look at the product or service and say, “ah yes. That’s brand X! They do great work.”

That’s called strong brand recall, and businesses need it.

Instead, your potential customer will be uncertain and go for a safer option, even if your product or service is better.

Consider some of the brands that have maintained the strongest brand leadership in the past 50 years: Disney, McDonald’s, Mercedes-Benz, and others. Think about Cinderella’s castle, the golden arches, and the three-point star.

 

What are your immediate thoughts? Do you know which brand they represent? Do strong mental associations come to mind

The strength and immediacy of your thoughts are proportionate to the consistency of the brand.

Brand Consistency – Get it With Pel Hughes

Pel Hughes knows the importance of keeping your branding consistent, and that’s why we offer the ability to print all of your marketing materials in house.

That’s right. We do it all right here, and that’s after we’ve examined what you’re already doing to diagnose what’s working and what isn’t. Then it’s time to print.

And what better way to keep things consistent than to have the same team on the job for each new marketing venture?

We’ll even monitor your online materials to make sure everything aligns. And when everything aligns, customer recall skyrockets, and so does your business.

Check out what Pel Hughes can do for your brand today.

5 tips to get the best response on your direct mail

Direct mail gets a bad rap, and we all know it. In an ever-evolving world of technology and marketing, there seem to be hundreds of more “glamorous” tools to connect customers with your brand, but businesses still integrate this old school method in their efforts.

Why?

Because direct mail is not dead.

According to a 2016 study by the Data and Marketing Association, the amount of direct mail sent out has decreased, but the engagement it drives has increased by 23 percent. Not only that, but according to the Direct Mail Association, 65 percent of consumers of all ages have bought something as a result of receiving a piece of direct mail. This doesn’t mean people love all direct mail, but they are reacting to better targeting and aesthetically pleasing pieces.

So the question is this: how can you make sure your business gets a slice of that 23 percent?

Here are five tips to keep in mind while forming your direct mail campaign:

  • Know your objective

As with literally any strategy, you have to know what your objective is, and it must be crystal clear. Think of the objective as a guiding light. Without it, you will wander around bumping into things and never really getting anywhere.

An objective is a focused goal. It could be to…

  • Increase sales among _____
  • Improve brand awareness among _____
  • Introduce new products or services
  • Grow market share

Once you know exactly what you are trying to accomplish, you will have a pointed focus. This will result in a piece of direct mail that is purposeful, clear, and cost effective.

Many times, are tempted to target a huge group of people due to a fear of alienating other potential consumers.

But the truth is that without a clear, targeted objective, you are wasting your money by sending out a piece of mail that won’t resonate with anyone.

  • Have a good list

Gone are the days of “send it to as many humans as possible – somebody will bite,” for two main reasons.

  1. They won’t just “bite”
  2. It’s too expensive

If the message and offering is a watered-down blip that will “appeal to everyone” and is then sent to everyone, you will probably appeal to no one.

Instead, use your customer demographic statistics and consumer preference research to whittle down the list of people who will find your offering worthwhile.

To gather the addresses of those who might show interest in your product or service, consider using a direct mail list vendor or broker who has been curating lists of consumers for decades.

If the targeted group you hope to find has not yet been targeted by a previous list, work on developing your own list from people who have bought your product or service before.

  • Have a clear call to action

You can create the most beautiful piece of mail to send to the doorsteps of the most finely groomed mailing list recipients, but if you offer no call to action, you’ve wasted your time.

So think about what it is exactly that you want your customer to do. Do you want them to follow you on social media? To sign up for an email list? To redeem a promotional offer? Figure out what you want their next step to be, and make it clear as day.

If you offer multiple actions, your customer could be confused and do nothing.

Some examples of great CTAs are:

  • “Discover your design style! Find decorating ideas, entertainment tips and help for you next project. Follow Us!”
  • “Like Free Prizes? Like us on Facebook!”
  • “Scan the code with your smartphone for a special coupon download”

    Know your competition

“Keep your friends close but your enemies closer” applies to the direct mail world as well. Take the time to study what your competitors are doing and if it’s working. Avoiding their mistakes and capitalizing on their successes means less wasted time and money for you.  

  • Look good

And here’s where we shine…

If you want people to like what you’ve got to offer, you have to look good. It’s a little vain and superficial, but that’s the deal. A cheesy looking direct mailer will most likely travel right from the mailbox into the recycle bin, but you can do your best to grab the recipient’s attention before this happens.

At Pel Hughes, we offer amazing digital and offset printing services, knowledge of how to manage a direct mail campaign, and so much more. If you don’t believe us, check out what we did for N’tinis and let us know what we can do to help your business today.

Why Direct Mail is (Still) Important for B2B marketing

Our world has gone digital. We receive important notifications by email or text, banking and buying are done mostly online and many prefer talking to friends via social media instead of in-person. That doesn’t mean direct mail is any less effective in a digital age. All forms of print marketing maintain relevancy in our world today. Here is why your company should still implement B2B marketing via direct mail.

Marketing that stands out

Work emails are flooded with spam and inquiries, sent from a mix of legitimate and illegitimate sources. Sifting through them is something businesses often have to do but never want to. Sending direct mail to the right person means they are significantly more likely to receive and read it, as opposed to just hitting “delete” on an email. Sending direct mail with the person’s name on it straight to their mail slot means much more than a quick email blast, and will continue to hold its usefulness for years to come. Also as a bonus, your direct mail won’t get caught in a spam filter the way an email can.

Some marketing doesn’t reach the right people

Any smart marketing campaign begins with knowing exactly who you need to market to. Unfortunately, certain people can’t be reached via email. This could be a higher-up at a company whose email is unlisted or you could be sending an email to a person who already left the company. Sending direct mail can reach these potential clients in a way email never will. Even if the person who left the company never got the mail, their replacement will, and notice you as a provider of something they need.

Easy to track results

Marketing through social media or email makes for difficulty in tracking results due to fighting spam filters, ad blockers, returned emails and many other factors. It’s nearly impossible to tell who was truly engaged in your advertisement. Direct mail makes tracking conversions easy — just offer a special rate or code only through direct mail.

Direct mail continues to be money well spent on marketing. If you know your target demographic and send personalized mail, results will follow.

 

http://technologyadvice.com/blog/marketing/direct-marketing-still-relevant-b2b/

Three Creative Outdoor Marketing Campaign Examples

In an ultra-competitive business world, companies have to do all they can to get and maintain customers. One medium that is often overlooked is outdoor advertising, though this is a mistake given how many people companies can reach with a single billboard or sign that is properly placed and has a great message. Keep in mind that a picture or slogan that people see when just walking or driving down the street can stick in their minds when they hit the grocery store, or begin their online shopping. They might also talk to their friends about it, or share great outdoor marketing on social media. In the latter case, these brilliant campaigns have the potential to reach millions of people.  These examples provided by Business Insider give us a glimpse into effective outdoor messaging.

Tourism Ireland

Taking advantage of the huge popularity of “Game of Thrones”, Tourism Ireland placed signs pointing the way to several areas in the country where the show is filmed to encourage visitors to go there. The signs had a fantastic aged look, and some sported ominous black crows.

Uber

In order to promote their services, Uber placed an ad featuring a real breathalyzer in Toronto. If people who used the device blew over the legal limit, Uber offered them a free ride home. This is not only a brilliant way to get people to remember your brand, it’s a great public service.

Oreo

People are fascinated by the very rare solar eclipse. Oreo place an ad at Piccadilly Circus showing the top half and bottom half of their cookie moving at the same pace as the earth and sun during one of these events.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/creative-outdoor-campaigns-in-2015-2015-5

Seven of the Best Ways to Use Video on Social Media

Social media marketing is constantly being revised to attract potential customers and clients to various websites and products. With these changes has come the use of video.

Individuals on social media like their information quick and accessible. There are dozens of ways to use a video, but only the best will get you the results you are looking for.

#1. Have the video on auto-play

Users of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are quick to scroll through content, and will often not hit the play button for your video. If you want to grab their attention, make sure your video is set to auto-play.

#2. Share breaking news stories

Whether you are selling comic books or hardware, there is always a story that can be classified as breaking news. These videos will capture the viewer’s attention, and then it’s up to your content to keep them engaged.

#3. Pin a feature video to your Facebook page

This allows new clients and customers to get an idea of who you are and what services you can provide. The video can also announce upcoming specials, giveaways, and daily news briefs.

#4. Cover trending topics with use of hashtags

Hashtags attract viewers in the most simplistic of ways while also allowing your video to show up on various social media feeds. This will expand your audience and can increase your overall engagement.

#5. Have a headline that attracts attention

In the 2-3 seconds it takes to read a headline, your video will have already started playing. With this unique combination, you’re able increase the odds that the reader will stick around to see what your video is all about.

#6. Put micro content videos on Instagram

Instagram allows a video to be up to 15 seconds long. This is a great opportunity to give your viewers a peak while attracting them to your website. The average person will decide within the first 5-10 seconds if they are interested in any video. Using a clip on Instagram can help alleviate that issue.

#7. Create a video with bloopers and behind-the-scenes moments

Customers and clients are looking to relate to you, your services and products. By showing them that you’re “real” in a humorous and creative way, you can engage and attract them towards your company.

By applying any of these video techniques, you can vastly improve your social media game.

How Influencer Marketing Can Help Your Brand

According to Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising Poll, “the most credible advertising comes straight from the people we know and trust.”

Influencer Marketing leverages the trust we place in people that we can relate to and whose opinions we value.

So, what IS Influencer Marketing?

Influencer Marketing is a strategy that leverages individuals who have a strong online following, are relevant to your product or service, and can influence potential buyers to act.

How Can Influencer Marketing Help Your Brand?

You’ll Find Better Customers.

A key to successful marketing is reaching the right audience. Good brand influencers are not just individuals with a lot of followers. They are also thought leaders who have credibility when it comes to the particular subject matter and they already have a relationship with the consumers you are trying to reach. There is a massive difference between marketing to an audience that is receptive to your message and marketing to a general audience that your message may or may not resonate with!

It’s Affordable.

While traditional advertising strategies like banner ads, print, radio, etc., may provide a good return on investment, there is still a considerable investment needed. Influencer Marketing is very cost-effective. Some influencers are compensated financially or receive a commission, but that is not always recommended. Most influencers receive incentives like free products or discounts. Often just showing them some love online is enough. Remember, these are thought leaders, bloggers or, other social media users who have a loyal following within their specific niche, so it is appreciated when you share their content or give them shout outs. These relationships can and should be mutually beneficial.

Influencers Will Help Boost Your Online Presence.

Influencers have a loyal fan base. When they begin sharing your content, your message is amplified. Your brand isn’t just exposed to their followers, it is endorsed by someone those followers trust and relate to! Influencers can boost your online presence when their followers become your followers. Influencers are also great for your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy. They generate back links, create shareable content on behalf of your brand, increase engagement, reach, and ultimately improve your site rankings.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kylewong/2014/09/10/the-explosive-growth-of-influencer-marketing-and-what-it-means-for-you/#17f310ea52ac

https://www.business.com/articles/why-influencer-marketing-should-focus-on-relationships/