Download a PDF of the magazine article or read the text version below.

When we think of marketing, we often think of it in terms of how we project our image and our message to our customers. Many times, the message gets lost on the very people we depend on most for our success – our sales team.

How can we apply the same principles of marketing and internally focus so that our sales teams benefit from the support and tools we provide? Here are some very simple steps and ideas to follow that should be a component of every corrugated manufacturer’s marketing mix:

1. Listen to your sales team’s feedback: Not only will they provide valuable information from the field, but also they can reveal tools and ideas that will help them keep at the top of the customer’s mind.

2. Sales training: Even to the most seasoned sales professional a little training refresher goes a long way! At Newhall Klein, we are seeing more and more effort put behind on-line training, or e-training programs. We’ve developed several on line training web sites that bring a single, voice and corporate message to the end user, and trains them on:

1. Various product components
2. Product or service capabilities
3. Product and service features and benefits
4. How to sell against the competition
5. Specific industry or brand terminology
6. Print capabilities and what it means to the customer

This allows the user to learn and take tests 24/7, and save tremendous cost on travel to and from live sales training seminars. Regional Managers can track their sales team’s progress. We recommend rounding out the training process with a product promotion to both the sales team and the customer to make sure the messaging is getting out to the field in the most effective way.

3. Consultative assistance through direct marketing: As more and more customers require professional expertise, the sales team has evolved into a more consultative role. You can assist that effort through communicating directly with your prospects and customers through direct mail campaigns or the ever-popular e-blast or on-line newsletter. This can have two major impacts on your prospects and customers:

1. Generates sales leads
2. Pre-promotes your product or service so your sales team has a reason to see the customer or prospect

4. Web Presence: Why having a website is so important! Your website is your most trusted online face to the public, prospects and customers. It’s generally the first place people go to look for your:

1. Address and phone number
2. Product and service offering
3. Order status
4. Delivery radius/miles
5. Who to contact in my area

If a prospect or customer searches for your company or even high level searches such as “corrugated manufacturer” and finds no official website, there’s a chance that they’ll source the business from somewhere else. By having a “home” on the web, you grow the strength of your brand, while serving as a functional resource AND supporting your sales staff because you are easily found.

Another effective web presence for B2B marketers is LinkedIn. It’s the new “word of mouth” marketing for businesses. Sales people can get involved in groups, share information, and generate connections, which in turn generates sales leads.

Marketing is an important and effective component to the internal support of any organization’s sales team, and should be considered when planning goals and objectives and how best to reach them. True leaders understand this as well as understanding the basic principles of selling:

1. Being good at ANYTHING requires skills and dedication
2. All personalities have selling strengths and weaknesses – throughout the diversity of selling tasks know when you can be you, and when you can’t.
3. Just because you have done it a lot, does not make you good – Always be learning, developing, improving, changing, investing, building, growing, and of course closing!

A sales mentor of mine shared this with me: Always remember these three words to live by:

1. Adaptive – Alter your selling behaviors to fit the situation – A sales situation is influenced by you, managed by you and designed by you – but is never about you!
2. Relationships – Don’t sell transactions, create relationships. They are the real dollars in the sale.
3. Persistent – Apply great energy and effort to being SMARTLY persistent.

Happy Selling!

With full stomachs and raging sugar highs, we kicked off two big projects – seven sell sheets and a new website. Through the natural creative process of working on these projects, we began developing a new visual branding system that would soon make an appearance in numerous executions. Without compromising their logo and existing brand equity, we had in essence re-branded the company through the use of a bright new color palette, bold graphics, funky fonts, and fun & quirky messaging.  From there, we were off and running…

We are proud to call Palazzolo’s a client, and we will continue to create fun and impactful marketing solutions for them into the future.

Oh, and Pete, if you’re reading this, send more gelato please!

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Download a PDF of the magazine article or read the text version below.

“A good hockey player plays to where the puck is. A great hockey player plays to where the puck is going to be.” This quote by the great Wayne Gretzky applies directly to our ever-evolving technological age. We can look at our market and see where everyone is now. But where are we going to be and how can we get that competitive edge? Wherever the next destination, QR codes, short for “quick response” codes, are going to help take you there. First, the basics.

What the @!%# Is a QR code?

These boxy looking patterns are like bar codes on steroids. They can hold over 15 times more information than a traditional bar code, and can be read with up to 30% of the pattern torn, dirty, or missing. This technology is the first time anyone has been able to take someone from being offline to being online in a matter of seconds with the sole intention of interacting with the owner of the code.

How Do I Create a QR Code?

Getting a QR code is not only outrageously simple and quick, it’s free. Google search “free QR Code generator” to connect with literally hundreds of sites (we really like this one for its vector output capability). On most, it’s an easy three-step process, after which you have a file to download onto your computer. Then the code is all yours: Print it on your corrugated, slap it on your business card – even your company T-shirts. One business painted a 10,000-square-foot QR code on their roof for people looking at Google Earth.

How Do I Scan a QR Code?

A free application (or “app”) on any smart phone gives you the necessary tools to scan one of these and launch you into whatever information resource or website tag is linked with the code. Newhall Klein has had success with the RedLaser application.

But Why?

QR codes give you the opportunity to reach out to the recipient of any package to engage, inform or even market to them through their own mobile device. Immediately! Targeted! Customized! Free! While overall percentages of people actually using QR codes got off to a slow start, from 2010 to 2011 there was a 4539% increase in scanning and awareness. Already 22% of Fortune 50 companies have incorporated QR codes into their business strategy; it won’t be long before the majority of companies are taking advantage
of this technology.

C’mon: I Make Boxes

As it relates to the corrugated industry, the use of QR codes raises another question:
placement. Is it practical to place codes on corrugate packaging, knowing that their most effective use is immediate interaction? A basic rule of thumb: If the customer touches the box, there is opportunity to provide more information – and better enhance your relationship.

How about placing a QR code next to your company stamp? This could:

• Link to a video about your full range of services, or your website (but linking to something more exciting is most effective)
• Offer educational tips on corrugated
• Cross-sell opportunities

But Why? Part 2 – More Ideas

There are plenty of practical uses for QR codes, which is why many of your clients currently use them.

• Give coupons, promotional information, or time-pertinent return incentives to bring customers right back to your business
• Create a link to join your loyalty program, get on your email list, or sign up for special discounts
• Connect to the social network of your choice, where customers can “Like” your company or “Share” their new purchase with friends
• Link to a current sweepstakes competition you’re running or an “Enter to win” kind of program
• Improve customer service by linking to an online survey asking about your company’s performance and what you can do better
• Direct customers to a YouTube video demonstrating instructions, directions or features in relation to product
• Link to a “tips and tricks” website or blog of other users of the product to help the customer with questions they might have
• For edible or perishable products, show nutrition information or recipe options
• Link to an order confirmation site or the ability to see a receipt of sale
• Use an SKS code (very similar to QR) to encrypt the code for onetime use or enforce a time lock to limit availability of the link
• Dial a predetermined number when scanned, e.g. human resource representative or business helpline

How Do I Make Sure They Work?

• Don’t place them on objects that are difficult to scan – trucks and billboards
• Size DOES matter – don’t make them too small – as a general rule, no smaller than 1.5” square
• Placement should always be on a clean background with a white border
• Always test your QR code to make sure it goes to the right place
• Speaking of the right place, link your QR code to a mobile friendly location to avoid lengthy load times and compatibility issues (flash is NOT supported by iPhone, iPad)

Why Not You?

I just read an article on Mobile Commerce Daily: “Applebee’s Franchisee increases lunch sales by 9.8pc with QR codes.” When placed somewhere such as a restaurant with a captive audience, marketers can keep consumers entertained while they wait. The franchise boasted not only a jump in sales, but gained 5,900 “Likes” on Facebook and 55,000 scans of their codes through this one campaign. Is there anything entertaining you could do? Hint: A marketing agency can help. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. As the awareness and popularity of QR codes continues to grow, opportunities to use this brilliant tool to your advantage will also increase. Right now, as you read, people are scanning QR codes across the world. The only question is whether you are going to get in on the action or not. Follow the puck.

The 3 F’s – Form follows function is known as the 3 F’s of Design.
Form refers to what something looks like, and function refers to how it works (think paper clip).

Space – Space is the area provided for a particular purpose. It may have two dimensions (length and width), such as a floor, or it may have three dimensions (length, width, and height). Space includes the background, foreground and middle ground. Space refers to the distances or areas around, between or within components of a piece. There are two types of space: positive and negative space. Positive space refers to the space of a shape representing the subject matter. Negative space refers to the space around and between the subject matter.

Line – Line is the basic element that refers to the continuous movement of a point along a surface, such as by a pencil or brush. The edges of shapes and forms also create lines. It is the basic component of a shape drawn on paper. Lines and curves are the basic building blocks of two dimensional shapes like a house’s plan. Every line has length, thickness, and direction. There are curved, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, zigzag, wavy, parallel, dash, and dotted lines.

Color – Color is seen either by the way light reflects off a surface, or in colored light sources. Color and particularly contrasting color is also used to draw the attention to a particular part of the image. There are primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. Complementary colors are colors that are opposite to each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors are used to create contrast. Analogous colors are colors that are found side by side on the color wheel. These can be used to create color harmony. Monochromatic colors are tints and shades of one color. Warm colors are a group of colors that consist of reds, yellows, and oranges. Cool colors are group of colors that consist of purples, greens, and blues.

Shape – A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space next to or around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, color, or texture. Shapes can also show perspective by overlapping. They can be geometric or organic. Shapes in house decor and interior design can be used to add interest, style, theme to a design like a door. Shape in interior design depends on the function of the object like a kitchen cabinet door. Natural shapes forming patterns on wood or stone may help increase visual appeal in interior design. In a landscape, natural shapes, such as trees contrast with geometric such as houses.

Tactile Texture

Implied Texture

Texture – Texture is perceived surface quality. In art, there are two types of texture: tactile and implied. Tactile texture (real texture) is the way the surface of an object actually feels. Examples of this include sandpaper, cotton balls, tree bark, puppy fur, etc. Implied texture is the way the surface of an object looks like it feels. The texture may look rough, fizzy, gritty, but cannot actually be felt. This type of texture is used by artists when drawing or painting.

Form – Form is any three dimensional object. Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark. There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes. It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color. It can be illustrated or constructed.

Value – Value is an element of art that refers to the relationship between light and dark on a surface or object and also helps with Form. It gives objects depth and perception. Value is also referred to as tone.

When you hear the word ‘brand,’ you may think of a cool logo, or a catchy tagline (don’t get me wrong, those are powerful components), but a brand is so much more than that. A brand is the visual, emotional, and psychological identity of a company. Whether it’s print, digital, or human touch points, everything is working together to form a (hopefully positive) relationship with customers – and the brand is the foundation of that relationship.

Our experience with Farmers On The Move started with heavy research and situation analysis – in other words, we asked a lot of questions: What’s the climate of the blueberry industry in Michigan and beyond? Who are the major players? How are they marketing themselves? What do consumers and retailers look for in a blueberry brand and supplier? Who are our target audiences?

Through it all, we determined that Farmers On The Move, like any good brand, needed a story. As it turns out, many family-owned farms are falling by the wayside as the younger generations lose interest in the family business – as a result, large amounts of farmland are being sold to the highest bidder. Farmers On The Move represents a new generation of family farmers, who not only provide high quality, local produce, but who are also helping to preserve our farmland.

With research to back us, and a story to build on, we set out to solidify the Farmers On The Move brand. Projects included designing and developing the logo, packaging, website, Facebook page, sales material, POS displays, marketing plan, membership marketing plan, and more. Because we were starting from scratch, we didn’t need to worry about any preconceived opinions of the brand or existing visual elements to incorporate, which was liberating from both a design and strategic standpoint.

In the end, NK established the framework of a strong retail brand. As with all of our clients, the continuation of their identity is fulfilled not only with our expertise and support, but by their own dedication to truly live the Farmers On The Move brand.

Then again, I’m not always one to notice. I tend to learn the office news from status updates rather than conversations occurring around the corner. That’s because sometimes, as a writer, you have to create your own world by drawing on details farther away. Writing, thinking, researching scenarios transports you. To a place that is, hopefully, better.

Then there is the other side of the story: illustration. What makes graphics so magical, and what attracted me to this business, is their immediacy. How long does it take to feel the mood, message and spirit of a work of art? A well-designed ad? Without even realizing it, you form an instant opinion that shapes how you view everything that follows. It’s like magic, and you can’t have effective marketing without it.

Now back to the flip side. Imagine the most captivating illustration with no narrative. Imagine all of those Mad Men and women dressed up on the set, puffing smoke, walking in circles with no story. The show’s success is not only its mesmerizing appearance, but its subtly evolving plot that draws you deeper and deeper until you realize you ended up somewhere entirely different than where you began. Narrative is lasting. While graphics can sometimes do it alone, words are too powerful to omit from the picture.

So how does all of this relate to our work for you? In a writer’s world, the one I imagine at a desk with no backup wardrobe tucked inside, every brand, every point of sale, every ad and campaign is the result of two good friends – illustration and narrative – joining hands and lifting viewers to new heights that are impossible to forget.

Download a PDF of the magazine article or read the text version below.

Design agencies and flexo printers both have the same clients, and both work hard—or should work hard—to accomplish the same set of goals:

• maintain brand integrity
• uphold the packaging component of the marketing plan
• help our client be successful and make money doing it

First, I’ll assert that Newhall Klein is not your typical design agency. I’ve heard and seen the horrors of designs that can’t be printed, with intricate detail and tiny screens that make independent box plant owners go out and hire their own designers. I also understand where the “design firms don’t have a clue” stigma comes from.

Which is why, as Newhall Klein embarked on package design services several years back, I was determined to provide accurate graphics files to all printers for all processes and substrates and to at least be familiar with the basics of printing. I know, enough knowledge to be dangerous, right?

Next, I’ll contend that you have an important role in brand identity. Corrugated often carries the first impression of a brand. Do they confirm that the product inside was worth buying?

Making the Connections

We’ve learned plenty since Newhall Klein got started. In fact, many of you have received our artwork at some point over the past 25 years. Our niche is food and foodservice. Regional and national distributors buy product from hundreds of manufacturers who have relationships with you. We’ve worked with most of the top independent foodservice distributors in the U.S. and Canada, which means we’ve produced artwork for many of the manufacturers whose boxes end up on your machines.

Because we’ve developed literally thousands of files for corrugated printers across North America, I’m in a unique position to discuss the trials and tribulations of working with independents.

I’d also like to shed some light on how collaborating with design agencies can bring new appreciation and respect for each of our industries—and give you a competitive advantage. Here’s a simple breakdown.

1. Good Communication

We’re both in a tough spot. The design agency is the liaison between you and the customer (always in he middle), and you are the final stop that allows the product to be packaged and shipped to market. Pressure to succeed is high. Yet more times than not we encounter pushback on trapping, screening and color. Then, it seems, when our mutual customer threatens to move the business, the printer can accomplish what was originally requested. Time lost in getting our customer’s product to market is significant, and that costs all of us. SOLUTION: Design firms need to get the printer involved earlier in the process—in part to determine what exactly their capabilities are. Printers in turn need to be transparent with their true capabilities up front, and they must understand the importance of brand consistency and integrity. Meeting manufacturer needs and expectations makes for a “sticky” customer, one we want to keep.

2. Good Process

Processes in the corrugated and flexo industries are affected by age of machines, anilox rolls, pricing, etc. We know there’s tremendous variability from plant to plant and machine to machine. Yet we’ve encountered the following situations that appear to be process related:

• Black is used in the first station of the press (from a previous run), but our design calls for lighter colors to lay down first, so that the black traps properly and doesn’t contaminate other colors. We sometimes receive samples from printers where there are not good results, and we have to ask for issues to be fixed the next time. Some of our mutual customers will even reject poorly printed pieces outright. SOLUTION: you know how colors lay down best. Make things happen right the first time, so we don’t lose time in QC, rejections, reprints, etc.
• Skewing or Shifting from one end of the box to the other, resulting in poor registration and variable ink laydown that affects color. SOLUTION: Many printers we work with conduct random pulls throughout the run to help keep them on track with quality.
• Quality of substrate many times enhances the graphics and printability—or makes them worse. SOLUTION: Some of our clients are working in collaboration with prepress providers to build standards and specs around the substrate and plates. In addition printers must understand the properties of various substrates they are using and how they affect print quality.
• Set the machine and let ‘er run. SOLUTION: Don’t. It’s not always “full speed ahead” with higher-end graphics. Please check often.

3. Good Color Matching

Manufacturers want their colors to be spot-on, and printers must be able to deliver. Consistency is crucial to brand integrity. Throw in the fact that many manufacturers don’t understand that a PMS color doesn’t print on corrugated (which is much more absorbent) the same as on a high-gloss coated litho label that may be applied to the same box, and we’re all pulling our hair out. There are simply not enough GCMI colors to get remotely close to some brands, and our clients do not want to design brands limited to GCMI color options—their standards are based on CMYK and PMS. This alone is cause for a lot of back and forth. SOLUTION: As designers, we see it as our responsibility to consider GCMI factors, collaborate with printers and suggest a corrugate PMS alternative when necessary. Some printers we work with have invested in an ink kitchen that mixes single batches of PMS colors.

The Bottom Line

From the clients’ and manufacturers’ point of view, efficient design and printing gets product to market quickly. A must. But brand integrity must be maintained.

Design firms don’t have to be an adversary. They can be a partner in the entire packaging process, and can help you form a strong alliance that delivers excellence in design and printing solutions. The more involved we all are earlier in the process, the better the results—as entrepreneurs, professional problem-solvers and solution-providers.

When your customers discover that your company provides brand integrity along with boxes, big payoffs happen.

You need a team of DIFFERENT birds to knock it out! Embrace others’ differences, strengths, and unique approaches to help accomplish your goals.

Make sure you know your angle. It’s all in the approach. If at all possible, know how you are going to get involved before you get involved.

The need is NOT for speed! Instead, focus on your aim. Everything requires time, and the more you allow, the better the outcome.

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! You won’t always knock it down on the first try, but don’t ever give up on what you believe in.

Every bird has a special burst of strength. Have the confidence to do the best you can every day!

Don’t be a pig! Manners are important both personally and professionally.

Small moves have big impacts. It’s the little things that count the most. Making someone feel special or loved has the ultimate impact.

Use your head (or beak)! Remember you have a brain, and use it… It can do wonders and take you places you never dreamed of!

Bring in the Mighty Eagle! Remember that asking for professional or personal advise or feedback is always okay, especially when it is with someone who has the right experience.

Don’t be an ANGRY BIRD (all the time)! As Martha Washington said, “I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”

One way is to use Illustrator’s Recolor Artwork function (I’m using CS5, but there should be similar functions in previous versions – at least CS4). It’s a pretty simple process:

First, select any objects you’d like to find a PMS color for, and head to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork…

Next, click on the swatch library icon  to select a color book. In this case, I’m using Pantone Solid Coated.

That’s it! Illustrator will match your color to the closest PMS swatch in the color book. By double-clicking on the new swatch , you can browse similar swatches.

If your version of Illustrator is lacking this feature, there’s a handy Illustrator script called CMYKtoPMS that will give you a best guess. Although it doesn’t recolor artwork, it’s simple to use and gets the job done (created by John Wundes). Looks a little something like this:

Did you find this tip helpful? Let us know in the comments section!

Follow other tweeters. It’s one of the easiest things you can do on Twitter. You probably casually follow those who have been retweeted or mentioned somewhere, which is good, but I’m talking about actively seeking out a few dozen tweeters that you’re not already following.

This morning I logged into NK’s Twitter, noticed something interesting in the ‘Who to Follow’ module and clicked Follow. After viewing all the suggestions, I had racked up a good amount of new resources. Next up I decided to browse by interest and searched for a couple relevant topics that I’d like to see more of in my feed. Fifteen minutes later, NK follows over 50 more tweeters than the day before.

In the time it took to write this post, NK gained 16, er…17 followers – hopefully more by the end of the day. Two things are happening: (1) people I subscribed to are following me back, and (2) users with similar interests are subscribing because of who I follow.

It’s as simple as that. Take 15 minutes here or there to add to your subscriptions – could be once a week or once a month. As long as you keep it up, it will not only increase your reach; it will keep your feed diverse and full of new content.

So go out and get ‘em! And while you’re at it, follow Newhall Klein.