Want to Start 2020 on the Right Foot? Take a Look Back at the Best of Years Past

Posted on September 27, 2019 Written by

Sometimes the best way to make the New Year a success is to take the best lessons from the past. With that in mind, we’re celebrating the last quarter of the year by highlighting some of our favorite articles from past Insiders. We hope this will let you start the New Year right.

What’s in store for you? In October, we’ll be showing off articles from 2016. November will be looking back at the best of 2017. December will feature the favorites from 2018. Be sure to sign up for the Navitor newsletter to stay up to date, and keep an eye on your inbox to get weekly reminders of these favorite articles alongside new ideas, new product announcements, and more!

To get the ball rolling, we’d love to hear if you have any favorites! Let us know in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Misc, News, Resources

QUIZ: Which Luxury Print Option Are You?

Posted on September 26, 2019 Written by

Whether your customer is looking for a way to reach out to a high-end clientele or simply loves the finer things in life, luxurious print is an appealing way to make their print stand out. And every luxury print option has a personality. From classic print options to something brand new, the print you and your customers use can say a lot about you. So, which luxury print option fits your personality?

1) How would you define luxury print?
A) High-quality materials
B) Elegance
C) Subtlety
D) Standing out from the crowd
E) Classic details that stand the test of time

2) What does your workspace look like?
A) I invest in a sturdy desk and a computer that will last me a long time
B) I have a few pieces of décor that add style
C) I like to keep things clean, so it’s normally pretty minimalist at my desk
D) It changes with the season—I love changing things up
E) I’ve got an antique desk and a few favorite photographs

3) You’ve got an evening to yourself—what would you like to do?
A) A nice dinner is always a favorite
B) Sometimes I enjoy heading out for a drink, but I can be just as happy to stay in and watch the latest movie
C) I keep things quiet
D) Concerts are always entertaining
E) I love a good book

4) What makes you stand out the most?
A) I’ve got a strong presence
B) I am great at showing people what their skills are
C) I’ve got a quiet presence, but I make an impact when I need to
D) I energize people
E) I’m well established, and people recognize me

5) What’s the last thing you wrote by hand?
A) A check
B) A letter to a friend
C) A note to yourself
D) A birthday card
E) A thank you note

ANSWERS
Mostly A’s: You’re extra thick stock. You stand out immediately, but you’re just as practical as you are a presence in every room you enter.

Mostly B’s: You’re foil. You’re as versatile as you are stylish. Colored foils add a touch of fun, while silver and gold keep things classic and elegant—just like you are flexible and love a bit of shine.

Mostly C’s: You’re embossing. You’re subtle, but you’re also definitely stylish. You might not have all the frills of another print option, but you’re classic and dependable.

Mostly D’s: You’re glitter stock. New, exciting, and glitzy, you’ve got a lot of personality and are sure to make a splash.

Mostly E’s: You’re engraving. You don’t mind being a touch old fashioned because some of the best things are tried-and-true.

So, which luxury print option are you? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

5 Creative Uses for Announcements

Posted on September 25, 2019 Written by

Whether your customers use them for “thank you” notes or holiday greetings, they’re probably familiar with their announcement options. However, the announcement can be a canvas for much more! With a wide variety of stocks and print processes available, announcements are an excellent opportunity for creativity. Here are our five picks for creative uses for announcements.

1. Recipe Cards
Whether your customer wants to inform consumers about what they can do with a new product or wants an informational piece for outreach programs, flat announcements make great recipe cards. Print one side with the recipe title and a photograph of the finished recipe for a mouthwatering option or use spot color to create a minimalist and readable design.

2. Information Cards
Does your customer want to inform the public? Announcements are a great option for botanical gardens or zoos that want visitors to take home more information about the things that they have seen. They can be used to highlight individual products at home shows.

3. Mini Menu
Whether your customer wants to create a small menu for a catered event or wants to highlight seasonal options, announcements are the perfect size for small size menus. Full color print allows them to be printed to match event décor or restaurant branding with ease. As an added bonus, announcements are just the right size to set on a plate as an addition to a well-coordinated place setting.

Speaking of menus…

4. Menu Signs
Announcements can be used to create simple table tents for labeling menu items. This makes them a great option for customers looking to name menu items at a catered buffet because they can be mixed and matched or to label products in a bakery display case. They can easily be changed out for seasonal offerings whenever your customer changes their menu—all at an affordable price point.

5. Special Touches for Events
Announcements might be primarily associated with the invitation to an announcement, but announcements can also be a great addition to the event itself. Is your customer planning an event with reserved seating? An announcement printed with the word “Reserved” can be set on chairs or at tables to mark that place. Are they hosting a corporate event? Announcements printed with uncoated stock are a great option for bingo cards or other games.

How do your customers use announcements? How do they get creative with their print order? We’d love to hear more about the creative uses you’ve seen for announcements in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

4 Ways to Use Post-it® Notes in the Holiday Season

Posted on September 20, 2019 Written by

The holiday season is fast approaching—do your customers have the print they need? Not only is the holiday season a great time to order your customer’s tried-and-true favorites, it’s also a great time for them to get creative with their print orders. In that spirit of creativity, we wanted to share a few ways that your customers can use Post-it® Notes during the holiday season!

1. Coupons
Coupons are a great way to bring customers into crowded stores during the shopping season. For coupons that really stick—tucked into mailed orders, stuck to receipts from in-store purchases, or handed out to those browsing before the holiday season—consider Post-it® Notes. Not only do Post-it® notes stick securely and remove cleanly from wherever they are placed, they’ll stay where they are placed until consumers are ready to use them.

2. Donation Drives
Is your customer looking for a way to give back to their community during the holiday season? Post-it® Notes are a fun visual way to keep track of their donation drives. They can be displayed on a wall, used to fill a chart, and be an inspiration for others to donate, too!

Post-it® Notes can also be a good way to show community members what to donate. Personalized with the name of the charity, these sticky notes can be labeled with the needs of a single person in a sponsored family or the needs of the entire family. Post-it® Note adhesive makes them easy to display on walls or bulletin boards for donors to browse and plan their donations.

3. Gifts for Employees or Customers
If your customer wants to use the holidays to recognize employees for their hard work or to connect with top customers, Post-it® Notes make great gifts for employees or customers! Not only are they practical, making sure that employees can use them in the office and customers will use them time and again, full color print allows them to be versatile. Your customer can match them to company branding, event décor, and much more.

4. “From Santa…” Notes
If your customer works in retail, Post-it® Notes could be the perfect addition to their holiday gift wrap station. Adding a “handwritten” note from Santa either inside the wrapping paper or on the outside can be a fun addition to gifts wrapped for children, and the note is easily removed from the packaging when it’s time to play.

Do your customers get creative with Post-it® Notes for the holidays? What’s their favorite use? We’d love to hear more about their favorite uses in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, Education, Marketing, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

4 Marketing Tips You Can’t Live Without

Posted on September 19, 2019 Written by

MarketingWhether your business is large or small, whether you rely on an active sales force or advertise so that customers will come to you, marketing is an essential part of bringing in new customers. And, when you’re marketing, sometimes getting back to basics is the best way to keep your strategy strong. There are many must-have marketing tips—these are four of our favorites.

1. Plan Ahead—No, Farther Ahead
Businesses large and small know the value of planning ahead, but in marketing you might want to plan ahead farther than you think! Thinking several months in advance will ensure that you have the time necessary to create ads, get photographs for social media posts, and get your talking points ready. Not only will this ensure that you are ready, it also means that you won’t be in a pinch if you are approaching a deadline and one of your customers comes to you with a pressing concern.

Need an idea for what to do? Look no further than your suppliers’ marketing calendars. Not only do many of your suppliers—including Navitor—give you a look ahead at what products will be on display in the coming months, some offer free sales tools that you can use to give your marketing a boost.

2. Don’t Just Say What You Can Do—Show It Off
Do you have great quality print? A picture—or a sample—is worth a thousand words. Do you offer a wide variety of products? A digital catalog will show your customers just how wide your selection goes. Do you promise friendly service? Have your smile ready for when customers walk through the door. Showing your customers the value you offer them will help make that value more real and get them more emotionally involved in the purchase.

3. Keep the Audience in Mind—It’s Your Customer
It can be tempting to think about what you want when marketing your business, but remember that anything you send out to your customers has to speak to what they want and need. Your marketing is about showing your customer that the print pieces you offer are the solution to their problem, whether they know it or not. By thinking about how your customer would feel about what you’re saying, you will ensure that you’re always speaking to those needs.

4. Don’t Leave them Hanging—Always Have a Next Step
Having a clear call to action is a common suggestion when you’re building your marketing pieces, and there’s a reason it’s essential. Whether you want your customer to head to your website, give you a call, or wait for your email once you’ve got their order quoted, knowing what comes next will help keep up your marketing momentum.

And what’s your next step? We’d love to see your must-have marketing tips in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Resources

The First Word in Safety: Label Works’ New Reflective Stock

Posted on September 18, 2019 Written by

Labels are an efficient way to call attention to important information in a host of different settings. But what about poorly lit areas? It’s hard to read information that cannot be seen. Do those areas just become no-label zones? Certainly not!

Some labels are necessary even in less than optimal conditions. Low light settings, dark environments, and poor weather conditions can pose a challenge. But at Label Works, we say, “Challenge accepted.” We’d like to introduce you to our Retro-reflective stock! This stock works wonders in dark and poorly lit spaces. Retro-reflective stock renders high visibility even in low light, and also remains visible through poor weather conditions. We like to think that labels have a place anywhere and everywhere – you just need the right tools to get the job done!

Retro-reflective stock is slightly different than true reflective stock. Ready for a bit of a physics lesson? Here we go! Reflective stock reflects light in the same manner a mirror does. Light hits the mirror (or reflective stock) and bounces away at the same angle of entry but in the opposite direction. Imagine bouncing a ball away from you on the floor. The ball will hit the floor but bounce away instead of coming back toward you. The same is true of light hitting a reflective stock. Retro-reflective stock, on the other hand, works with innovative technology to optimize the use of what little light is available. The surface of the retro-reflective stock is covered in very small glass spheres. The rounded shape of each glass sphere creates the retro-reflectivity. Light hitting the surface of the stock is reflected directly back toward the source of the light. Imagine shining a flashlight on an item in a dark room labeled with retro-reflective stock. The light won’t reflect and bounce away. It will be reflected directly back at you, resulting in high visibility of the label. Voila! Label visibility even in the darkest of places!

Now that we’ve touched on the science of the retro-reflective stock, let’s shine some light on the practical applications for this stock!

  • Safety decals
  • Warning and security stickers
  • Hard hat stickers
  • Parking permits
  • Emergency service vehicles, equipment, and tools for Police, Fire Department, and EMTs and Paramedics
  • Outdoor enthusiast organizations and associations, including motorcycling, bicycling, snowmobiling, boating, sailing, skiing, hunting, and fishing
  • Warehouse rack labels where messages need to be easily seen when hit with a beam of light
  • Security and Warning applications
  • HVAC, Well and Pump
  • Shelving labels, pallet labels, and asset labels

Retro-reflective stock is a hard-working label which comes with permanent adhesive and lamination for extra protection from the elements. Because of the nature of many reflective labels, this stock has to be tough, and ready to take on less than perfect weather conditions. A few things to note about this stock:

  • Retro-reflective stock appears slightly grey in color rather than a true white due to the glass bead technology used to produce the reflectivity.
  • It is thermal-transfer compatible (recommended to test ribbons).
  • Retro-reflective stock bounces the light back to the source, therefore making it a great option for scanning. This stock is especially productive for long-range scanning.

Curious to learn more about our new Retro-reflective stock and the host of possible applications for this innovative technology? Call Label Works at 800.522.3558 to speak with one of our Customer Support team members and we’d be happy to send you more information!

Filed Under: Education, Labels, Marketing, Resources

How to Accept—and Use—Customer Compliments

Posted on September 13, 2019 Written by

Listening to customer complaints is challenging but essential when doing business. We all have experience with handling an order that didn’t go quite as they expected or a shipping delay. But just as challenging—and perhaps more difficult to handle—is positive feedback. How can you build on a compliment to get better at your job? How can you use it to make the customer’s next order even better? Here are our tips for accepting positive feedback, and for building on it to lead to even more future success.

Thank Your Customer
This might seem like the obvious first step—and for many people it is—but it bears repeating that thanking your customer for the positive feedback is important. Not only does it show that you’ve listened and appreciated their feedback, but it shows that you would appreciate more in the future. Positive feedback can boost morale at your business, and encouraging it to come again can help keep the positivity flowing.

Don’t Brush it Off
For some people, it can be tempting to downplay your successful customer interaction. Don’t do that! Brushing off the compliment with “It was nothing” or “No problem” might seem like you are emphasizing that you would be willing to do more for your customer, but it can come across as ungracious. A simple “Thank you” really is the best option in most cases.

Follow Up
Following up isn’t fishing for compliments—it’s making the feedback clearer. Take a moment to ask your customer if they would be willing to go into more detail about what made their order experience a positive one. That way you can learn more about what you did right and, hopefully, build a foundation for repeating that success in the future.

Does your customer not have time now? Ask if they would be willing to receive a call from you later to discuss it further. This will give you the chance to learn more and emphasize that you value your customer’s time.

Remember What You Did Well and Talk About it Later
One piece of positive feedback can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside—many pieces of positive feedback can be a useful tool in your marketing arsenal. You don’t necessarily need to encourage customers to publish public reviews, but listen to what they are saying. Do they love the quality of the print you offer? Was your customer service top-notch? Did you have the product they wanted and a few that they didn’t even know were available? If you’re hearing one piece of positive feedback consistently you should be talking about that value when working with new customers.

How do you approach positive feedback from customers? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Misc, News, Resources

5 Creative Uses for Trading Cards during the Holiday Season

Posted on September 12, 2019 Written by

Whether your customer is gearing up for a big holiday season or is preparing to simply get through that busy time and start strong in the New Year, considering creative print should be on their schedule! Trading cards might seem like a simple print piece, but they’re a great canvas for creative print, and that creativity can cut through the clutter of the busy holiday season. Here are our five top choices for using trading cards during the holidays.

1. Previews of New Products
Does your customer have new products coming in the New Year? Trading cards are a fun way to preview those products and cut through the increase in marketing during the holiday season. Include a photograph of the product and the high-level details about that product to provide a preview that packs a punch.

2. Something Different From the North Pole
Is your customer hosting a “meet Santa” event at their retail location? Consider trading cards as a fun giveaway item for kids. This is an especially good fit for stores that specialize in sports and games, but it could be a fun addition to any retail location.

For an added bit of fun, Santa can “autograph” these trading cards for the kids.

3. Fundraisers
If your customer is looking for a lightweight piece to sell for their holiday fundraisers or a fun “thank you” piece to send to donors after a successful holiday fundraiser, trading cards can be a great fit. Instead of player statistics, trading cards can also be created to highlight different aspects of a nonprofit’s mission, different nonprofit employees, and more. They could also be printed with the statistics of a nonprofit’s 2019 activities, the results of holiday fundraisers, and more.

4. Checklists
Whether creating blank wish list cards or highlighting the favorite new products that could make great holiday gifts, a trading card makes an excellent canvas for a pocket-sized checklist. Use one side of the card to highlight what store provided the checklist and the other to create the checklist itself.

5. Creative Event Tickets
Printed with artwork that matches your customer’s event décor or their branding, trading cards could be a fun, creative ticket option for their holiday event. For company events, they should consider including an employee photo for the front.

And, of course, your customers can create much more with trading cards. These small print pieces are an excellent canvas for creative employee profiles small informational pieces, and more!

Do your customers order trading cards? If they do, do they keep things traditional or get creative? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

4 Creative Ways Your Customers Can Use Personalized Playing Cards

Posted on September 11, 2019 Written by

Are your customers looking for a print piece that is as fun as it is practical? Are you looking for more options for your print order that are just a click away?

Playing cards are available for order on Navitor.com!

If you haven’t given these personalized print pieces a closer look, it’s a great time to talk to your customers about the possibilities of playing cards. With pre-designed faces and full color backs that can be personalized with your customer’s chosen image, playing cards have plenty of personalization potential alongside easy-to-read card faces. And, with a bit of creativity, your customer can use these print pieces to give their marketing a boost! Here are four options.

  1. Fundraisers
    Personalized with your customer’s logo, a full color photograph, or even a “thank you” message for donors, playing cards make excellent gifts for donors to nonprofits. They can also be a great item to sell! Even better, these cards will keep the nonprofit’s branding in the public eye with every game, whether that game is solitaire or a round of poker.
  2. Promotional Gifts
    If your customer is looking for a way to impress their top customers or for a gift when someone visits their facilities, playing cards are an option that will be used time and again. They can be printed with a branded image like your customer’s logo, a photograph of employees, a “thank you” message from your customer, or even the name of the recipient!
  3. Party Favors
    Playing cards are a promotional gift that has almost universal appeal. Not only are there a wide variety of different games that can be played with playing cards, but many people collect decks of playing cards as well! They are an especially good fit for gaming events like a poker night, but they can also stand out as a favor for your customer’s upcoming holiday events.
  4. Add an Element of Fun to Classrooms
    Whether they are used to illustrate numbers, organize classroom games, randomly select students, or provide kids with an activity for when their homework is done, playing cards can be an excellent addition to classrooms. And because they can be personalized easily and in low quantities, the back of these cards can be marked with any information your customer wants—the name of a teacher to ensure that they are returned, the school’s mascot to encourage a bit of extra school spirit, or the school’s name so that the same design can be used for gifts and classroom use.

Do your customers order personalized playing cards? How do they use them in their business? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below?

Filed Under: Design, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

Have You Met These Brand Personalities?

Posted on September 6, 2019 Written by

Often, interacting with a business is about more than simply placing an order for a product—it’s about connecting with the business almost as if the brand itself is a character. Brand personalities are embodied in the way a brand speaks and behaves, and those personalities resonate with people. Not only do they make the brand easier to identify, but they also encourage customer loyalty.

Whether a brand has a single, strong personality trait or finds itself somewhere between the two, a brand personality can guide marketing efforts and give customers something to connect to. So, have you met any of these brand personalities? And does your business fit one of them? Read on to find out.

The Everyman
Have you ever come across a business that wants to reach everyone? Their brand should probably be an everyman. They’re down to earth, they’ve got wide appeal, and they’re very genuine. They often work with universal products like denim or grocery store staples. Is this brand personality a little boring? Maybe, but they’re generally likeable and relatable.

The Rebel
The rebellious brand is often a brand that is reaching out to customers that want to disrupt the status quo. They might sell edgy clothes or specialize in the needs of a niche community. They’re brash and aren’t afraid to shock. They don’t have the general appeal of the everyman, but they’re well-suited to their particular customer base.

The Hero
The hero is here to save the day! These brands are often built around a product that helps people improve the world, whether that is helping them improve their own lives, address a social problem, or helping people take action.

The Nurturer
The nurturer is a quieter brand, especially when compared to the hero, but its focus on sincerity, kindness and thoughtfulness can make customers feel comfortable and well-cared for. These brands often put a premium on customer service and goes above and beyond to provide excellent service to the people who do business with them.

The Jester
Are you looking for a brand that lets you have a laugh? The jester is that brand! They might offer products that are focused on recreation or they might just want to give a positive customer experience, but either way the jester approaches customer interactions with humor and is always trying to ensure that everyone has a good time. This approach is less common with more serious markets—for example, you might not want to crack a joke while selling safety signage—but the jester can be found in a wide variety of places putting a smile on consumers’ faces.

The Creator
Innovative and maybe a little artistic, the creator is a brand that encourages self-expression and individuality. It’s artsy, and may play fast and loose with a few of the conventional rules. This brand probably also has extraordinary design behind their marketing.

Does your brand have one of these personalities? Do you combine two of them? Or are you working to build your brand’s personality? We’d love to continue the conversation with you in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Resources
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