Since the doom and gloom appears to be continuing in the media, here’s some affirmations that I’ve collected from my readings over the past couple of weeks:
Yes, customers and businesses are still spending, albeit more carefully
Yes, marketing budgets may be smaller, yet essential items like business cards and letterhead are still in demand
Yes, there are opportunities to add margin and make profits this year
Yes, graphic design and printing businesses can actually grow in tough times
And of course, yes, IBS is here to help with all of this!

On the flip side of staying positive, I’d like to reiterate an opinion piece I read recently that stated the disastrous consequences of your customers seeing you cut back. It was suggested that as everyone likes to be or associate with winners, you could be giving your customers reasons to find alternate suppliers if you are seen to be in trouble. I agree with this line of thought, and as stated above, extend it to always focusing on the positive opportunities that are becoming available in the current economic climate.

So my thoughts this month are taken from a song: “Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative…”

Scott Siganto

You may not be aware of the range of Pantone products we offer for sale. These products help you determine the best colour for your job, and in different variations, allow you to match a specific Pantone colour with its nearest CYMK alternative. Log on to: www.ibscards.com.au/pantone.html to see which one best suits your needs and call us on 1800 062 550 to order yours today!

We’ve had some enquiries about our pricelist, as it says “2008” on the front. Please be assured that this pricelist DOES still apply. We will ensure you are notified if we change any prices. Any clients who have requested a pricelist this year would have received one with a new cover stating '2009', however the prices are the same as those listed in the 2008 version. If you'd like a pricelist, please email reception@ibscards.com.au

Please note that our prices are all-inclusive, meaning that GST and delivery is included in the pricelist. Unlike booking flights, where you may be caught out with a bargain $9 flight, but still be charged $200 for taxes as you confirm your booking, what you see in the pricelist is what you pay. If you’re shopping around, check that you’re comparing the end price, not just part of the package. When obtaining your next quote, ask “what’s the GST and delivery charge going to be?” because with IBS, it’s all-inclusive.

This month’s suggested marketing activity is a direct mail campaign. Direct mail has been used for decades, by some companies, such as Readers Digest, to great success. Now you can utilise direct mail to reach out to prospects and put your company’s product, the printed word, right in front of them.

To start with, you need a database of prospective customers. You can buy such databases from list brokers, or build your own from the Yellow Pages or another local directory. It’s important to ensure you have the correct company name, postal address and if possible, the business owner’s name. A simple phone call to the business will identify this person if you’re building the database yourself.

This information should be saved in a spreadsheet so that you can mail-merge the data into your letter content and onto the envelopes. I personally find the easiest way to do this is to save the database in Excel and use Word for the letter and mail-merging. However you may have different programs, so experiment and see what works best for you.

Next, visit www.ibscards.com.au/selfpromotools.html and download the relevant direct mail content you wish to use. Here a letter is available for every product offered by IBS, so you can test your database initially with one product, and then follow up with another if you wish.

Once you have your database and letter content, you just need to mail-merge it together, print onto your letterhead, stuff into envelopes and mail. It really is that simple!

But here’s the part that so many people neglect to do – follow up your direct mail. Whether it’s by mail, phone, email or fax, contact your customer again. These multiple hits reinforce your company name and by ensuring that the same information is presented, you have greater chance of your message being noticed and acted upon.

Finally, one more tip. With any marketing activity you undertake, you should always endeavour to measure the results. Take time to evaluate whether the activity is working, ask your customers what they think of it, get staff input on how to improve it, and keep track of how much it costs versus the business it brings in. This return-on-investment (ROI) calculation and other qualitative feedback will help you determine whether to repeat the activity down the track or try something new.

Good luck and happy mailing!

You’ve probably occasionally printed swing tags for clients selling merchandise like clothing. But have you considered the possibility of selling swing tags to a travel agent or associated tourism company? You can do this by adapting your swing tags into luggage tags!

Luggage tags
Imagine approaching a travel agency, hotel chain or tourism operator and offering them a unique branding opportunity that helps them stay top of mind long after their visitor has boarded the plane home. You can achieve this with luggage tags, printed as swing tags by IBS!

Our uncoated ‘Economy Class 310’ stock is perfect for this type of product, as the end-user can easily write their details on the back, while your customer’s logo and contact details can be printed in all their full-colour glory on the front. At less than seven cents each, 2,500 luggage tags can give excellent results for such little outlay!

Of course, you can always trial smaller quantities on our ‘Business Class 420’ stock as an initial foray into the market. Then try larger numbers and see your customer’s brand literally travelling the globe!

Did you know that we have design templates for the creation of many of our products on our website? These templates were created to assist our clients who may not be familiar with our file set up requirements. They demonstrate how to set up bleed, where the ‘safe’ area is for text and the standard sizes for our products. Visit www.ibscards.com.au/templates.html to download the templates, along with basic instructions on how to use them.