Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
As a printer in Pennsylvania, I see the concern faced by businesses that are looking for a quick and inexpensive way to direct mail market to prospective customers in certain areas. They worry about researching and purchasing lists also about the size of their direct mail pieces and cost of postage. Every Day Direct Mail (EDDM), a relatively new service offered by the U.S. Post Office, is the perfect solution to this direct mail dilemma. With EDDM, a business can reach customers with a printed mail piece for as low as 17-18 cents per piece. 
EDDM works by zip code and mail carrier route. A business, such as a retailer or physician, can target a direct mail campaign based by zip code and saturate the market around their business, reaching all potential customers. Prospects could even be selected by carrier routes with multiple zip codes to specifically target certain geographic areas while eliminating others, which could be very beneficial to companies, such as a realtor trying to reach certain homes. Retail users can mail up to 5000 pieces per day per zip code. You can also mail as little as 200 in a particular zip code. You can filter by specifying that you’d only like to reach residential delivery points and not other businesses. You can also eliminate PO Boxes.
This U.S. Post Office link will help you begin your EDDM zip code search and see how easy it is to target potential customers. You must also have an active USPC Standard Mail permit number in order to process EDDM. Printers who offer full service direct mail services, including Corcoran Printing, have a mail permit number for customers to use at no charge.
EDDM is great for a variety of printed pieces and allows for much creativity with design and print of your direct mail piece. The printed direct mail piece must be a standard flat, a rectangular with four square corners. It must be taller than 6.125” or longer than 11.5” and smaller than 12” X 15”. The finished piece must also weight less than 3.3 ounces and meet a minimum thickness requirement. EDDM is ideal for oversize postcards and also tri-folds, such as local restaurant menus or salon brochures. Imagine the impact of getting a full color 8.5 X 11 postcard in the mail. It is sure to stand out and get noticed by your prospective customers! Incorporate a coupon, and you’re sure to increase business.
We all love to shop, eat and do business locally. Every Door Direct Mail is one of the most cost effective forms of advertising for any business, especially small and medium sized businesses that rely on local customers. EDDM is also effective for larger businesses looking to target specific geographic areas or promoters looking to advertise special events.
Ideal EDDM marketers:
- Restaurants
- Pizza Shops
- Retail stores and small shops
- Physicians
- Dentists
- Attorneys
- Hospitals/Health clinics
- Salons/Spas
- Auto Dealerships
- Insurance Agencies
- Accountants
- Veterinarians
- Banks/Credit Unions
- Dry Cleaners
- Art & Cultural Centers
- Real Estate Agents
- Landscapers
- Auto Repair Shops
- Pest Control
- Florists
- Car Washes
- Repair Services
- House/Carpet Cleaning
- Amusement Parks/Area Attractions
- Special Events/Grand Opening
- Political Campaigns
- Jewelry Stores
- Pharmacies
- Grocery Stores
The direct mail print experts at Corcoran Printing can walk you through the entire EDDM process, from searching your target zip codes, through design and print, bundling, and delivery to specified post offices. Focusing on specific neighborhoods is an ideal way to increase foot traffic for your business and grow your customer base. Call the direct mail printers at Corcoran Printing toll free today at 800-564-0085 or visit us online at http://corcoranprinting.com/printing/direct-mail. We are experts in EDDM and service customers in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and across the country.
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Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
If you are a retailer or manufacturer looking for a way to increase sales, a full-color printed catalog of your products might be your answer. Retail giants have realized the value of catalog marketing in a digital age in driving web traffic and sales. After eliminating their catalogs, and seeing a reduction in customers as a result, J.C. Penney’s recently brought back its print catalog in an effort to increase sales, according to CBS News. Land’s End saw a similar decrease in sales after reducing the number of catalogs they mailed. CBS reported that most catalog readers spend more money, both online and in the store.
Other retailers have transformed their catalogs, both visually and in terms of content, to enhance the overall customer buying experience. Some now look more like eye-catching coffee table magazines, offering valuable information for the consumer, such as decorating tips and even recipes. They have become much sought-after sources of inspiration and information for the reader, and more importantly have succeeded in increasing website traffic and sales for many retailers.
Today’s most successful direct mail printed catalogs incorporate stylish color photos and some even tell stories. They succeed in catching a shopper’s eye 
and encouraging that important online visit to make a purchase. They are even driving traffic into stores to get certain items that might be featured in the catalog. According to the American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA), 90 million Americans shop from catalogs, with consumers spending an average of $850 per year on their catalog purchases. The ACMA also found that 58% of consumers look at catalogs as soon as they arrive in the mail. If you are retailer, I’m sure you know that getting a piece of this catalog action can help to increase your sales.
Professionally printed catalogs, such as Williams-Sonoma, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware have all focused on improving the look and content of their catalogs. Williams-Sonoma offers recipes and cooking tips, while Pottery Barn and Pier One provide seasonal decorating tips featuring their many products. It’s also enabling retailers to enhance their brand and stay in front of their customers for a longer period of time. Even digital retailers, such as Bonobos and Birchbox, are using catalogs to drive traffic to their websites.
Retailers and others mailed 11.9 billion catalogs in 2013, according to a research by the Direct Marketing Association. This was an increase after years of decline in catalog marketing. Retailers such as Athleta and Victoria’s Secret travel to beautiful locations for photo shoots, showcasing their products in dream destinations that that offers an escape to consumers that flip through their full-color catalogs and truly enhance the customer shopping experience. These professionally printed catalogs and others are building a real connection between customer and retailer.
An article in The Wall Street Journal quoted Bonobos VP OF Marketing as stating that 20% of the website’s first time customers are placing their orders after having received a catalog and are spending significantly more than new shoppers who did not receive the catalog. You can’t argue with these results when looking for a way to increase your sales and expand your customer base.
The most successful brands going into the future will be those that recognize the value of integrating various forms of marketing into their plan. This includes printed catalogs and other direct mail marketing pieces, combine with their social media and online marketing efforts. It’s all about a better customer experience 
and developing a stronger bond with your target market.
Benefits of a direct mail printed catalog
- Develop a closer connection with your customers and stay top of mind
- Drive visitors to your website – Print is a driver of online behavior
- Build sales
- Track ROI
- Better targeting of customers and prospects
- Keep in touch with customers to get them beyond that initial purchase
- Enhance the overall customer buying experience
- Allows you to better express your brand
- Has a much longer shelf life than other advertising
- Will keep a customer’s attention for a longer period of time than other forms of advertising
Five Tips for creating a more effective printed catalog
- Invest in an eye-catching, colorful design
- Showcase your products with beautiful color photos and other visuals
- Provide editorial content focusing on a reason to buy – offer recipes that utilize kitchen equipment or food items you are selling, offer landscaping tips and sample projects that utilize flowers, gardening or landscaping materials you sell, provide fashion tips and suggested pairing for your clothing and accessories or offer design tips that utilize your home furnishings
- Provide a strong call to action to drive people to your website or store with your printed catalog- provide coupons and QR codes
- Track effectiveness of your printed catalog through offer codes
A professionally printed, color catalog offers a window into your brand. Take advantage of this effective marketing method to increase sales and develop a closer relationship with your customers. Other direct mail printed marketing materials, including flyers, postcards and booklets also work well to keep you top of mind with your customers and drive business to your website or store. The catalog printers at Corcoran Printing can help you with your next printed catalog project. Call 800-564-0085 today for an estimate on your catalog printing or other direct mail project or visit Corcoran Printing.
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Monday, April 27th, 2015
According to a study released by the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), foil stamping and other high-visibility enhancements on product packaging can help attract consumer attention faster and keep attention longer than ordinary packaging. This goes for your B2B marketing materials as well.
Foil stamping, embossing and other special printing effects, are already used for product packaging in many industries, such as food and beverages, toothpaste and cosmetics. In marketing, perception is everything, and a product marketed in a foil-stamped package may have a higher perceived quality and value than one in a standard package. In addition to increasing the perceived value, foil also draws attention, which can make a particular product stand out among a crowd of competition.
The FSEA study, which researched the impact of high-visibility enhancements on shelf presence, found that drawing attention with packaging enhancements, such as foil stamping, is critical when trying to ensure a product stands out on a crowded supermarket or retail shelf. Research found that shoppers only view about 50 percent of the products within a category, because of a quick scan of a store shelf, so it is integral for a sale that a product is eye-catching to the consumer and stands out from the competition.
Foil Stamping Success Story
A further study of particular products by the FSEA found that foil stamping definitely increased product sales. In the late 1990’s Gillette launched the MACH3 Razor with foil stamped graphics on the packaging. Although the product had a high price tag that many critics felt was too pricey, the MACH3 became the #1 selling razor in the USA and Europe in only six months. The FSEA study summaries that there are many advantages to foil stamping on product packaging, including getting attention faster and retaining that attention longer on a particular product.
Is it time for you to invest in some attention-grabbing packaging? Foil stamp printing on your packaging could be the next big step in helping your products stand out and increasing the sales of those products. Foil stamping or hot stamping, is simply the application of a foil to paper using a heated die. Foil can be applied to most paper stocks, and the foil stamp experts at Corcoran Printing can help you select the best paper stock for your packaging needs.
Shiny gold, silver and other metallic inks are sure to grab attention in even the most crowded retail spaces. Foil stamping will not only help your product stand out, but it will also add a touch of elegance that will appeal to many consumers. There are a wide selection of foil colors, finishes and effects from which to choose, to help individualize the style of your product packaging.
Foil Stamping Foil Colors and Finishes
Foils come in a wide selection of colors and finishes, from traditional metallic gold and silver, to metallic and matte foils in every color of the rainbow. Metallic foils are the most widely used stamping foils, because they add a brilliant, eye-catching shine. Holographic foils, which add a remarkable shimmer, are also available to help enhance the look of your printed packaging, and foils with pearl effects can add an elegant, pearl-like sheen to your printed piece. Other foil effects, such as marble, snakeskin, leather and wood, can add a distinctive style that will individualize your foil stamped packaging or foil stamped printed piece.
Considerations when Foil Stamping
Foils can be used to make certain text stand out or for specific designs, logos, accents, borders, images or graphics. An experienced foil stamp printer can assist you and your graphic designer with what type of designs are best suited to foil stamping. When beginning a foil stamp project, the stamping should be kept in mind throughout the entire design process. The inside of the letters a, e and o tend to fill in at times, so that should be kept in mind when selecting specific fonts and font size for foil stamping. Also, keep in mind that each die is custom created to the particular design of the foil stamped piece.
Stock selection is also important in the foil stamp process. Weight, finish and coating all play an important part in the overall look and quality of the finished piece. Stocks that are too thin or too porous are not good choices for foil stamping. Uncoated stocks are more ideal than coated. Communication with your printer throughout the entire process will help ensure a high-quality and eye-catching foil stamped piece.
Creative Printing Finishes
In addition to foil stamping, die cutting and embossing will just add to the visual appeal and excitement of your product packaging. The Corcoran Printing foil stamp team can help you understand which additional finishes would best enhance your project.
Get Attention with Foil Stamped Packaging
Foil stamping can really make your product stand out in a store, and is currently being used with many products to help increase sales. The smart use of foil stamping can help draw a customer’s eye right to your package. Marketers and product manufacturers are beginning to understand the important role that packaging plays in the sale of products. A small investment can result in a huge return. On a crowded shelf, unseen is unsold, so visibility is key, and the more eye-catching the packaging, the more visible to the consumer. Most shoppers are hurried and make their decision quickly, so you need to grab their attention and keep it.
Foil Stamped Print Pieces
The following foil stamped printed marketing materials can all help draw attention to your brand in a crowded marketplace and wow your customers.
- Business Cards
- Booklet Covers
- Pocket Folders and Kit Covers
- Stationery
- Holiday Cards
- Invitations
- Jewelry backer cards
- Labels
- Seals
- Annual Reports
- Postcards
- Accountants Tax Covers
- Diplomas
- Certificates
The foil stamp printers at Corcoran Printing in Pennsylvania can help guide you through the entire foil stamp process, from design through print. For more information visit Corcoran Printing today. or call 1-800-564-0085
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