What’s New at Navitor Specialty Products? Acrylic Signs!

Posted on February 21, 2019 Written by

In our efforts to bring you a wider variety of products, we’re pleased to announce that acrylic signs are joining the signs and badges offering from Navitor Specialty Products (NSP). And not only is acrylic stock a sleek and fresh way to update your customer’s full color signage, it’s available in six different products!

Why Acrylic?
Our new acrylic stock is a great fit for customers looking for an upscale feel and modern design touches. The clear acrylic is printed in full color on the back of the sign, with the clear stock between the print and the viewer adding depth and shine. It’s a contemporary look that brings full color print to your customers in a whole new way.

Freestanding Signage with Modern Appeal
Is your customer looking for a sleek sign that will add an upscale feel to tabletops, desktops, and more? Full color acrylic desk table tents and pedestal signs are freestanding options that are a great way to display office hours at the front desk, employee names on desktops, instructions for when a lobby is unattended, and much more.

A Touch of Metal with Steel Standoffs
While many of our acrylic sign options are freestanding, full color acrylic desk signs, wall art, and wall signs feature an added sleek detail: stainless steel standoffs. These steel standoffs add a touch of silver tone metal to your customer’s signage and add a subtle, modern framing touch to employee names, company logos, photographs, and the wide variety of other full color designs your customer might create.

Get Coordinated with Badges
Does your customer love the look of these new acrylic signs? They can even add acrylic stocks to their uniform with clear acrylic badges. They’re a great way to add a modern touch to any name badge order, and they’re even better when designed to coordinate with other acrylic signage for a polished and professional look.

Want to learn more? you can check out these new sign and badge options in the new product supplement from Navitor Specialty Products (NSP).

What do you think of these new signage options? We’d love to see your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: News, Print Products

Create a Great Presentation in Less Time

Posted on February 20, 2019 Written by

personalized print sales presentationsYou’ve made it past the initial elevator pitch. Your new customer is interested. You’ve scheduled a meeting. You might be tempted to create a big presentation that will take most of your allotted time.

Then your customer calls. Maybe their day just got a lot busier. Maybe the weather looks like it is going to take a turn and they need to be out the door earlier than expected. Maybe they simply needed to shorten your meeting. It’s time to create a presentation that will pack a lot of sales punch into a limited time frame—and Navitor is here to help! Here are our tips for creating a great presentation when time is tight.

1. Start With What You Know—What Challenge are You Solving?
Whether you’ve had a chance to talk with your customer about the challenges their business is facing or you only know a little bit about the market they do business in, focusing on what need you’re fulfilling is an important way to bring focus to your presentation. If the customer mentioned that they are rebranding, for example, take a moment to discuss how ordering updated stationery pieces can help establish that brand. If they are moving to a new location, talk to them about updating signage. And if you’re going in blind, consider using our vertical market kits as a guide for which print pieces might be a good fit for their market.

2. Get Visual
You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words? When you don’t have time for those thousand words, embracing visuals can be a great way to pack more information into the presentation. Wherever you can, use graphs to illustrate data or diagrams to illustrate concepts like bleed. Not only do these visuals help your prospective customers understand the information you’re giving them, but they do so at a glance. And if your customer wants a more detailed discussion of the data you’re sharing, consider having a printout of the full information on hand.

And speaking of visuals…

3. Use Samples to Reinforce Information
Samples can be a good way to show your customers what final printed pieces will look like, and having print pieces to look at can help reinforce the information you’re discussing in your presentation. They are especially important if you’re going into your presentation without having had much contact with your prospective customer—samples can give them a great idea of what you can do.

4. End With a Call to Action
Especially when time is tight, having a clear next step in place is key to keeping the conversation going. Whether you’re going to call them in a week to discuss their needs further or they are going to send you their designs for business cards so that you can place the order, make sure that you end the meeting with a clear next step.

How do you create a great presentation when time is tight? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

Effective Marketing Strategies For When Budgets are Tight

Posted on February 15, 2019 Written by

There are a lot of ways to approach your marketing strategy. You can lean hard on online marketing. You can advertise on television, on the radio, in magazines or newspapers. But all of these methods can be expensive. So how can you market your business when your budget is tight? Here are some effective—and low-cost—marketing strategies that you can use to get the word out about your business.

Work on your Public Relations
If you can make the news, it can be a powerful way to promote your business without making a big impact on your budget. A news story can help raise your profile in the public eye, and a news story feels more authoritative than an advertisement.

How can you get started? Consider a press release. Even if you only distribute the release to local news outlets, a press release is a good way to spread the word about big news at your business. From new locations to new products, there are a lot of pieces of news that could help you connect to the press. And, if you’re looking to make a splash…

Give Back
Giving back to the community is a great way to create a positive reputation for your business and to make the news. Sponsoring an event like a cancer walk, having a collection jar for the local food shelf at your storefront, or even taking some time as a business to volunteer for a good cause can be a good way to give back and to generate goodwill with customers and prospects.

Use What You Already Have
One of the best ways to save money in your marketing strategy is by using what you already have—and you might have more than you think! When you creatively use your existing resources, you can build a strong foundation for your marketing strategy and make your budget even more effective.

If you have a storefront, you have many promotional possibilities before you. Your storefront’s windows are a place to showcase samples or banners to advertise special offers. Your door and windows are a great place to display your logo and store hours. The sidewalk out front is an opportunity for A-frame signs to bring in walk-in traffic.

Talk to Your Suppliers!
One important thing you already have is your suppliers. From free sales kits and samples to digital resources like catalogs and flyers, your supplier might already offer a variety of pieces you can use in your marketing strategy. Navitor does—and we create new flyers every month!

Use Your Budget for What’s Important
No matter what your budget, saving money by using the previous tips can give you more wiggle room in your budget for more expensive marketing options. For example, using supplier sales tools might allow you to invest the time and money you would have otherwise spent in designing your own flyers in advertisement in a local publication instead.

How do you save money on your marketing budget? We’d love to see your tips and tricks in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

Quiz: Pens, Pencils, and Promotions By The Numbers

Posted on February 14, 2019 Written by

personalized custom promotional pens pencils full color metal lightTake a look at your desktop. If it’s anything like mine, you probably have a cup full of pens, pencils, and markers at the ready for taking notes, signing forms, and more. And chances are that at least some of your pens or pencils will be branded promotional pieces. Your customers might be interested to know just how effective pens and pencils can be at promoting their business.

So, do you know the numbers behind promotional pens and pencils? Take this quiz to find out.

1. Writing utensils like pens and pencils are some of the most effective promotional products around. How many times are pens used every day?
A) 3 to 4 times per day.
B) 1 to 2 times per day.
C) 11 to 12 times per day.
D) 6 to 7 times per day.

2. While writing utensils are lower in cost than many other promotional products, they still have a big presence in the market. Writing utensils make up about how much of promotional products?
A) 5.67%
B) 6.67%
C) 7.67%
D) 8.67%

3. There’s one region of the United States that owns more logoed pens than the average U.S. citizen. Which one?
A) The South
B) The Southwest
C) The East
D) The Midwest

4. Let’s get into demographics. According to a study conducted in the southeastern portion of the United States, who are more likely to own a logoed pen?
A) Democrats
B) Republicans

5. Speaking of demographics, do men or women own more logoed pens?
A) Men
B) Women

6. Of course, the promotional products market is all about value, and that’s about being seen. How much does each impression or viewing of a promotional product cost the company it promotes?
A) 1/20 of a cent
B) 1/10 of a cent
C) 1/5 of a cent
D) 1 cent

7. Let’s go international for the last question! Which of these cities has the highest consumer response to promotional pens?
A) Berlin
B) Mexico City
C) Paris
D) London

ANSWERS:
1) A. Logoed pens are used an average of 3 to 4 times per day throughout their lifetime.
2) C. According to PPAI, pens and pencils amounted to 7.67% of promotional product sales in 2017.
3) D. According to ASI, 68% of consumers in the Midwest own a logoed pen.
4) A. Democrats are more likely to own a logoed pen, with 74% of them owning these pens when compared to 65% of Republicans.
5) B. More women than men own logoed pens in the United States, though the gap is smaller than it was between political parties. 58% of women own logoed pens compared to 54% of men.
6) B. The cost per impression in the United States is less than 1/10 of a cent—that’s a lot of views per penny!
7) D. ASI says that 56% of people in London had received promotional pens in the last 12 months and rated them highly.

How did you do? Did you learn something new about pens and pencils? We’d love to hear about your score in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Misc, News, Print Products, Promotional Products

Rising Demand for More Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Labels

Posted on February 13, 2019 Written by

Every year, the world produces 1.3 billion tons of waste. That’s a staggering amount, especially when you consider that from 2017-2018, the world produced 745.8 million tons of wheat and 479.8 million tons of rice. As a planet, we produce more garbage than we do wheat and rice combined. Holy landfill! By the year 2100, projections indicate yearly waste generation could reach 4 billion tons. That’s enough garbage to fill Busch Stadium from top to bottom four times a day. It makes one wonder if we won’t be living in space by then to escape all the garbage!

To put things bluntly, we have a garbage crisis on our hands here on the blue and green planet. And every small piece of refuse adds to the landfill plight. Recycling and reduction in waste have become paramount. Sustainability of the planet depends upon coming up with innovative ways to reduce the amount of garbage being sent to landfills. Labels are no exception to this endeavor. Consider the vast number of labels on bottles, cans, boxes, and other disposable products. Label backers contribute to the landfill problem, as does material waste from the creation of label stock. Are we destined to become one large landfill divided by ocean water?

Luckily, there are a growing number of green options today for labels and packaging. All of these options help reduce the impact on our planet, while helping boost sustainability. The job of protecting our planet doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of environmentalists. Consumers are looking for options that are eco-friendly and promote sustainability. Curious about label options for eco-conscious companies? Read on.

First, it’s important to consider where the packaging and labels will ultimately end up. Landfills? Compost bins? Recycled? Different stocks and/or adhesives can be chosen depending on the ultimate destination of the packaging and label. For biodegradable packaging, it only makes sense to select a biodegradable label as well. Compostable adhesive labels work well on packaging that is certified compostable. One toss into the compost bin – label and all! These types of labels are becoming more prevalent as the interest in composting rises and the tide slowly turns from single-use plastics.

Earth-minded companies that are committed to using packaging that is recycled are often interested in labels that are the same. Recyclable adhesive labels can be recycled right along with the packaging, and do not have to be removed. This cuts cost, work, and helps drive home branding messages that speak of commitment to recycling.

Newer practices in production allow labels to be created using a reduced amount of materials. Again this help cut waste, which reduces the manufacturing impact on the environment.

At Label Works, we’re committed to broadening our eco-friendly and sustainable label and adhesive options. This includes choosing stocks that come from well-managed forests. This provides environmental, social, and economic benefits. And this doesn’t mean just one or two options. These stocks are all FSC® certified stocks that are smartly sourced with our planet in mind:

  • White Gloss
  • White EDP
  • White Matte Removable
  • White Laser
  • White Laser Removable
  • Direct Thermal
  • White Semi-Gloss
  • 100% Recycled – Produced with 100% Post-Consumer Waste
  • 30% Recycled Semi-Gloss – Produced with 30% Post-Consumer Waste

We also have recycling-compatible adhesives on stocks:

  • 100% Recycled – Meets the TLMI testing protocol RCA LRP 2v5 for recycling compatibility

Offering sustainable label options isn’t where we stop, however. At Label Works, we recycle all cardboard, paper, plastics, and liner waste facility-wide. Our liner waste is shipped to a recycling facility where it is shredded and then burned as fuel at a local facility rather than taking up permanent residence in a landfill.

Want to learn more about ways in which labels have evolved to become more earth-friendly? Contact Label Works to discuss label options that are eco-conscious, while being as impactful as ever.

SOURCES:

Production of Wheat

Production of Husked Rice

Filed Under: Education, Labels, News, Print Products

5 Print Products Perfect for Retail Locations

Posted on February 8, 2019 Written by

It can be easy to think of a storefront in terms of larger print pieces like signage, but signage is really only the beginning of the print possibilities! If your customer works in the retail sphere, they might be missing opportunities to reinforce their brand in smaller ways. Here are five of our favorite print products that are perfect for retail locations.

1. Pens and Pencils
From signing receipts to taking notes, writing utensils will be used a lot at your customer’s retail location, and having a personalized pen or pencil on hand is a great chance to add another touch of brand recognition to customer interactions. Not only are pens and pencils a good addition to the checkout process, they double as great giveaway items when your customer wants to promote their business.

2. Name Badges
Is your customer looking for a way to bring their branding to every customer interaction? Name badges are a good addition to their print order. Not only can name badges be created to match their branding, signage, and more, but they are a good way to bring branding to the table when employees don’t wear uniforms.

3. Plastic Bags
If your customer is looking for a way to add polish to their retail location, there’s nothing better than a personalized printed bag. These bags are a great way to bring your customer’s brand to every purchase. And with full color plastic bags back in our product offering, your customer has even more versatile print options for their personalized bags.

4. Reusable Bags
If your customer wants to encourage their clients to be more ecofriendly, reusable bags are an increasingly popular option that they might want to consider. With a wide variety of tote sizes available, your customer can choose the size that best matches their product selection. Then they can give these bags to top customers or use them to promote their business in the community.

5. Business Cards
Your customer might not immediately think of business cards when they are ordering print for their retail location, but with a little bit of creativity they will find that business cards are a very versatile print piece. They can, of course, leave business cards near their checkout to encourage repeat purchases or tuck a business card into the bag with purchases.

With creativity, your customers could create even more for their business. They could also use business cards to create a punchcard for a simple rewards program—simply choose a lightweight stock for the card and stamp or punch it at the point of purchase. For boutique settings, business cards could be an ideal product tag. For customers who want to make a big splash with big clients, business cards could be a great canvas for a colorful, high quality coupon or referral card. And if your customer works in a store that offers clothing fittings, business cards could be a good way to mark future fitting appointments.

What print products do your customers in retail love? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

Winning Marketing Strategies for When You’re Snowed In

Posted on February 7, 2019 Written by

winter marketing strategies for personalized print like folders stamps pens letterhead envelopes labels or post it notesWhether it’s icy roads or a sudden snowfall keeping people indoors, doing business with customers in the winter can be a real challenge. And, when you’re faced with inclement weather, it can be a challenge to market to your customers as well. Here are just a few marketing strategies that you can employ even if your customers—or you—can’t make it to your storefront in person.

 

“Start Early!”
If your customers order print for a business that has seasonal services, this is the time to remind them that their marketing should start early. For example, if you work with customers in the lawn care industry, they should be laying the groundwork for new customer relationships before the first blades of grass peek through the snow. Talking to these customers about the necessity of starting early is a good way to boost your business and theirs.

Step Up Your Social Media Game
We talked a lot about your social media strategy last month, and there’s a reason for that. Social media is a great way to reach out to more customers—and it works especially well when inclement weather limits your marketing options. Check out our posts on social media strategy and social media don’ts for more information.

Give Your Customers a Call
Your telephone is a great tool, too! If things have slowed down at your business due to the cold weather, consider giving a call to your top customers or to customers you haven’t heard from in some time.

Make Sure Your Emails are Polished
When your customers are snowed in, email might be the primary way that they reach out to you. Polishing up your email format will help ensure that your communications are a professional alternative to seeing your customers face to face. Consider updating your email signature to include your photo or company logo and using fonts that work well with your branding to add style to your everyday emails. You should also work to ensure that any promotional emails like newsletters look good, too—use photographs and be sure to show the best of what your business has to offer.

And speaking of digital promotions…

Online Options
One of the best ways to market to your customers is to give them a way to browse your product offering without having to brave the snow. One in-depth way to do this is to create a website that allows your customer to order online, but there are small ways to give them online options, too. PDFs of product flyers or customized digital catalogs can both be sent through email and ensure that information about your product offering is only a click away.

Want to get started on these simple online options? You’re in luck—Navitor offers free online flyers and digital catalogs. Visit Zoomcatalog to get started on personalizing your copy of the Navitor catalog or check out our free digital flyers for more information.

How do you promote your business when you’re snowed in? We’d love to see your winning winter marketing strategies in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

How to Design a More Effective Brochure

Posted on February 6, 2019 Written by

Whether you design print pieces often or simply advise your customer as they create designs for their print pieces, making that design more effective is an essential part of ensuring that their print order shines. How can you help them design a more effective brochure? Here are our tips.

1. Know Your Folds
Trifold brochures are a classic for a reason, but there are a wide variety of other options that your customer should consider! They might prefer the simplicity of a half fold brochure, the unique look of an engineer fold, or the engaging look of a closed gatefold, or something else entirely. Each fold brings something different to your customer’s brochure, and the way that the piece is folded should be the foundation of any good brochure design.

2. Use Photos for Full Color Flair
From manufacturers looking to highlight the quality of their work to nonprofits looking to show the good that they do in communities, full color photographs are an ideal addition to brochures. Photographs help reinforce the text on the brochure and can be exciting, inspiring, and engaging all on their own.

And speaking of text…

3. Avoid Using Too Much Text
It can be easy to get too wordy on a brochure, but that might not be the most effective way to use text on a brochure. If your customer is creating a step-by-step guide with their brochure, they might want more in-depth text. However, if they are ordering a brochure to introduce new products or to give a preliminary guide to their business, keeping the text simple and short will work better.

Why is keeping it short a good idea? One of the biggest reasons is because it allows consumers to get the information they need at a glance. This will make it easier for your customer’s message to get across. It also makes it easier to keep the message clear—after all, when your customer has to focus in on just the most important information, there is less risk that their message will become muddled.

4. Use Headers
Whether you’re trying to create a compelling cover or guiding readers through the brochure itself, using a good title and headers for different sections can make a big impact. Not only do headers for sections of the brochure make it easy for readers to browse, they also help highlight your customer’s biggest points.

5. Include a Call to Action
What’s the next step? Does the person reading the brochure need to give your customer a call? Is your customer asking for a donation? Including a clear call to action to close out the brochure makes it easy to take that next step.

For more information about the brochure options that Navitor offers, check out our catalog or website.

What makes an effective brochure? Do you have any tips? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Stationery

Product Highlight: Full Color Plastic Bags are Back!

Posted on February 1, 2019 Written by

custom printed full color plastic bagsIf you haven’t sat down with your 2019 Navitor Catalog, you might not have noticed that one of your favorite products is back in our product offering. That’s right—full color plastic bags are back!

What You Need to Know
Full color plastic bags are available now through our catalog. Every bag features full color print on one side and a die cut handle. Your customer can choose from three different sizes of bag to create one that perfectly suits their need.

The Possibilities of Full Color
One of the best reasons to utilize full color is that it’s such a flexible print process. Does your customer want to highlight a product? Full color lets them personalize their bags with a photograph. Do they want to include a colorful logo? Full color print delivers. Are they looking for a way to match their event décor or create something eyecatching to celebrate a sale? Full color is versatile enough to do all that and more.

How Can Your Customers Use Full Color Bags?
Printed plastic bags are a great option if your customer is looking for a product designed for limited use, and this makes them a great way to highlight your customer’s brand as bags for purchases at their storefront. They are also great promotional pieces if your customer wants to connect to a wide audience at their next event—not only are they lightweight, but they are also a practical piece that will be carried throughout an exhibitor hall. That’s not all, though. Full color bags are a creative way to package raffle prizes at a charity event, informational packets for new homeowners, library reading program rewards, and much more.

Want to know more about full color plastic bags? You can check out our catalog for more information.

Are you excited about the return of full color plastic bags? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, News, Print Products, Promotional Products

Three Challenging Customers and How to Speak to Their Needs

Posted on January 31, 2019 Written by

Every customer that comes to you with a question or concern is unique, but many customers have similar challenges. Whether your customer is angry, is asking a question you don’t have the answer to, or is competing with another customer for your time, sometimes speaking to the current situation is as important as their customer service concern. Here are three challenging customers and how to speak to their needs.

1. The Angry Customer
Anger can be a very challenging emotion to handle when you’re working with a customer, and it’s one you’re bound to find at some point. Some customers are angry because their order isn’t coming together the way they wanted it. Some are frustrated because they are confused by the ordering process. Still others are simply having a bad day.

So how can you turn their anger into a more positive experience? Start by using listening and empathy to get them to a calmer place. Listen to how they’re feeling and acknowledge their frustration, and try to keep yourself from getting defensive. This might help calm them down and it will give you a chance to consider why they are contacting you. Then, once you’ve listened, talk things through to ensure that you’ve heard correctly.

2. The Competing Customers
Trying to help two customers at once can be quite a challenge, and when two customers compete for your attention you might find yourself feeling scattered or stretched too thin. It can also leave your customers feeling frustrated.

One of the most important ways to take care of competing customers is making sure that every customer feels that their question or order is important. If possible, set aside some time to focus on each customer, handling one request first and then the other. Apologize to the customer who is delayed and make sure that they have your undivided attention once you are able to address their needs.

And if your customers are competing for your attention because they both have important orders that need to be printed at the same time, consider making yourself a checklist for each order so you can ensure that you don’t miss anything for either order. Not only will this help you stay organized, it will allow you to keep the two tasks from getting tangled.

3. The Customer Who Wants an Answer You Don’t Have
Sometimes you simply don’t have the answers, and that can be frustrating for both you and the customer. However, the important thing is that you try. For example, if your customer wants to know something about the products you offer that you don’t know immediately, tell them that you will seek out the answer and then follow up in the next few days. They will appreciate your efforts and it gives you a chance to find out the information for yourself.

Have you met these challenging customers? How do you turn these customer service challenges into successes? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, Misc, News
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