Even Small Contributions Can Make a Big Impact on Community

by Cynthia Fedor | April 17th, 2012

2012 Ballet Austin GuildEvery now and again, we have an opportunity to pause and step away from the rush of business activities to personally connect with people that make a positive impact in our communities. Last week, I was delighted to attend the Ballet Austin Guild’s Women on Their Toes luncheon and have that chance. Each year, this event takes a moment to highlight the service of individuals that selflessly volunteer their time to ensure the success of local non-profit organizations.

This year’s honorees included:

  • Jarret Crippen with the Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas
  • Griffin Davis of The Trail Foundation
  • Lauren Espinoza of Badgerdog Literary Publishing
  • Jenny Eversole with Hospice Austin
  • Amrita Moor of The Amala foundation
  • Kerri Morrison with New Milestones Foundation
  • Misty O’Neal of Texas Hearing and Service Dogs
  • Mary Ann Parker with the Assistance League® of Austin
  • Jimmy Shields of The Christi Center
  • Ted Whatley with Breakthrough Austin

Their personal stories and action inspires me to find ways that I can make a difference in my community. It all starts with a human element. Whether you’re engaging with people via social networks, through your work, or face-to-face, realize that you can encourage positive change in your community. Read More »

8 Different Uses for Printed Flyers

by Cynthia Fedor | February 3rd, 2012

Say the word “flyers” and most people immediately imagine colorful pieces of flimsy paper, tucked under a car’s windshield wiper, casually flapping in the wind. Others may picture street team members handing out flyers to folks passing by. Sure, these are typical uses for flyers; but this media type has so much more potential.

Check out these simple flyer printing ideas for business… and feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments.

Uses for printed flyers

Print marketing flyers

Business flyers

[From top left to bottom right]

1. Mini-concert poster or event flyer (Credit: Danny PiG on Flickr)
2. Product spec sheet / sales sheet
3. Coupon for services
4. House flyer for real estate / home services
5. Kid’s restaurant menu or placemat (Credit: Denny’s Restaurant Flintstones kids menu, c 1988)
6. Calendar to highlight special events or sales
7. Daily specials
8. Price sheet

Do you have any creative uses for this media type? Share your ideas by posting a comment.

What’s the Difference: Digital Printing vs. Offset Printing

by Cynthia Fedor | October 10th, 2011

What is on–demand, digital printing? Defined, it’s a printing technology that allows for digital files to be quickly and economically printed in short run quantities (short run is considered about 5,000 prints or less). However, what on–demand, digital printing actually is and what it can do for a business is much greater than its definition.

On–demand, digital printing is a powerful accumulation of technologies that will change the way you communicate with your audience.

Before I get into describing all the benefits of using on–demand, digital print technology, I think it would be helpful for you to understand the traditional commercial printing process. In contrast to it, you’ll be able to appreciate the significant advantages of on–demand, digital printing.

The most common technique used for high–volume commercial printing today is color offset printing. It’s a method that prints layers of four, and sometimes six, different colors of semi–transparent ink on top of one another in order to reproduce the original image.

The Color Offset Printing Process

offset printingThe process starts with having the original artwork, image and text, separated into red, green and blue components.  Each of those color separations are then inverted and negatives are produced.  Think of it like a roll of film from your camera.  When it’s developed, the images on the negative are represented in colors opposite to the actual, true–life color values.  In color offset printing, the opposite to red, green and blue is cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively—the three main pigments used in printing to reproduce color images.  In addition, a black separation is made to help “fill in” shadows and improve contrast of the image.

Next, each color separation, or layer, is represented on a plate or screen.  Ink will be rolled onto each of those four screens. Then, the screens will be aligned and, one at a time, each screen will be pressed against paper to transfer the ink and reproduce the original image.

As you can see, preparing and printing the artwork using a color offset process is arduous and time consuming.  There is little room for missteps or errors.  Flexibility to allow slight adjustments in marketing message is just about non–existent. Read More »

How to Not Feel Guilty About Using Direct Mail for Marketing

by Cynthia Fedor | October 7th, 2011

Green MarketingMarketers—especially those who rely on direct mail and print marketing to reach audiences—are becoming more conscious of how they affect the environment. What can we do to reduce our ecological footprint? Should we stop sending direct mail postcards and printing marketing collateral altogether? No. We just need to learn about ways to reduce waste and make choices that benefit business and make less of a negative impact on the environment.

Here are a few things you can consider:

  • Partner with vendors that use ‘green’ materials and processes and are chain–of–custody certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
  • Use a micro–targeted approach to marketing: define a specific goal/objective, target audience, location, duration, and response metrics before starting a campaign.
  • Ditch the spray–and–pray method of direct mail marketing. Use a targeted list, segment based on specific demographic characteristics, and cleanse your list throughout the duration of your campaign.
  • Reduce waste and storage costs by printing marketing materials on demand. Digital printing allows you to print only the quantities you need precisely when you need them.
  • Use direct mail and/or print to capture the attention of prospects. Then continue to nurture relationships online via email marketing or through social media.

Some call this awareness and approach ‘green marketing’. Honestly, I think it’s more than just being respectful of our environment and its resources. These are simple steps you can take to market smarter. You not only reduce the negative impact on the environment, but you also get better results from your campaigns.

Learn how QuantumDigital is doing their part to conserve.

Tips for Printing Killer Restaurant Menus

by Cynthia Fedor | September 1st, 2011

In a recent post, Menu Designs from Around the World, Design Taxi featured visual inspiration from Art of the Menu, a new project that intends to track creativity found in menu designs across the world. UnderConsideration, the graphic design firm that started the project, said this about the often taken–for–granted medium:

“A good menu should make you hungry. It should get your mouth watering. Hopefully it does it in a cool–looking way.”

A menu, not unlike any other piece of marketing collateral your business produces, is an extension of your brand and should reflect your brand’s aesthetic. It—along with the ambiance of a restaurant, the personality of the wait staff, taste and presentation of the food, etc—helps to form your customers’ perception of brand.

Design isn’t the only factor to consider though. Here are a few simple suggestions that can turn your menus into a dynamic, sale–promoting marketing piece: Read More »