Page 0: Page 1: AN IMPRESSIONS PRINTING MONTHLY PUBLICATION SECONd QUARTER ~ 2010 Unforgettable “I can’t stop thinking about you.” Those six little words are music to a marketer’s ear. If they can keep their brand on your mind, they’ve got you where they want you. With billions of marketing dollars invested to reach and captivate audiences each year, nearly every component that goes into a marketing campaign has been studied and researched. A lot is known about what makes messages memorable. Here are some ways to create a lasting impression. Evoke an emotion. Whether you play on their sentiments, shock them, surprise them or make them laugh, your audience will tune in and remember your advertising message better if their emotions are in play. Think of all the commercials that bring a tear to many consumers’ eyes. Can you say Hallmark? Or how about this year’s Snickers’ Super Bowl commercial starring Betty White? That ad stuck with consumers so well that it spawned a Facebook Fan Page in support of having White host Saturday Night Live. Create an “ah-hah” moment. When people discover something new, it can make a message stick. Some of the best marketing messages have opened consumers’ minds to new thoughts and ideas. The first Apple computer ad positioned the company as a younger david going up against the Goliath IBM, triggering an “ah-hah” moment for younger nonconformists. Keep it simple. Streamline your message. The more information you try to convey, the less effective it will be. Offer savings on the basics. There’s still a strong focus in this economy among consumers to fulfill needs rather than wants, so if you can offer special promotions on staples (as opposed to luxury items), your advertising could make a big impression. Get real. With stories, that is. Use real examples to illustrate how your product or service has improved your customers’ personal or professional lives. People remember success stories. Plus, in this age of online reviews, consumers are more apt to purchase if they can read about others who’ve gone before them and been satisfied. If you say the right words and create memorable moments, you could have a brand that’s hard to forget. It’s What’s • You Can Do That? • Get Your Gruve On • The Grass is Always Greener • The Grass is Always Greener • Customer Spotlight - OKC Thunder • New Faces at Impressions Printing • Mini Bites • Schmooza Palooza • Community Corner - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • I Know Where You Are • Impressions Printing Local Hero Jason McWilliams! Page 2: Turning Print into Promotions There’s a saying at Impressions Printing – “If it can lay flat…chances are….we’ll print on it!” Which is exactly why Impressions decided to turn “print into promotions” with their new, custom-designed tile coasters! “You Can Do That?” The Grass is Always Greener clippings that will quickly decompose and add nutrients back into the soil. Contrary to popular opinion, grass clippings do not add to thatch buildup. Grass blades are made up of 75% water. • Mow your lawn in a different direction with each mowing, especially with lawns of shorter grass types. Altering the direction ensures a more even cut since grass blades will grow more erect and less likely to develop into a set pattern. • Keep your mower’s blade sharp, which probably means you’ll need to have it sharpened several times during the mowing season. Keep extra blades around so you’ll always have a sharp one on hand. • don’t forget to change your mower’s oil at least once during the mowing season— it’ll keep your machine running longer. Got a customer you’d like to thank? Or a recent grad moving into a new home? And what about grandma – she loves pics of the grandkids! Not to mention your office – what a great way to show-off your logo! This trendy, inexpensive, and unique product brings together the usefulness of a coaster and the “coolness” of full-color printing. It’s the perfect gift or promotional merchandise solution guaranteed to help you make your own great “impression”: • • • • • • Price includes tile, printing and 4 felt pads on the back Option to print 1-sided or 2-sided Customer can provide artwork Impressions can design artwork Availability to use multiple designs in one order Minimum quantity starts at 12 Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines . . . but before you push that mower too far, make sure you’re aware of these basic lawn care suggestions for cutting your grass. • don’t cut your grass too short, particular for cool season grasses. A higher height usually provides for a deeper root system, looks better, and is less likely to encourage a weed invasion. • don’t remove any more than one third of the grass leaf at any one cutting. If circumstances arise that a lawn gets too tall and you have to lop off a bunch to get caught up, bite the bullet and break it down into several mowings to get caught up with three or so days between cuttings. • Try to avoid mowing when the grass is wet. • When you mow only a third of the grass leaf each cutting, you can safely leave Sentiments But these fabulous new coasters aren’t the only creative printing going on at Impressions. Over-sized framed art and photos, signage and interior design (just to name are few!) are also just a phone call away and customers are encouraged to inquire about their very own one-of-a-kind printing. “That’s why we love our current “You Can do That?” campaign. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our diverse portfolio of products and services,” said John Braaten, President. “Since we truly are a full-capacity commercial printer, we offer a comprehensive mix of design, printing and technologically-advanced printing solutions that allow us to be creative and think outside the box.” And speaking of “outside the box”…customers can also order individual white gift boxes for their tiles, making packaging and delivery even more convenient to your clients, friends or family! For more information on how to order your custom tiles or to find your next “You Can do That?”, contact your Impressions sales team member today at 405.524.2800 or visit www.impressionsprinting.com. “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.” “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply. “We’re raising boys.” –Harmon Killebrew White paper is never pure white because of a chemical in the pulp called lignin. Lignin is a substance that forms the cell walls of the original plant— it’s a brownish color, like grocery bags. Passing Glance Get Your Several wearable fitness devices, like pedometers, will let you know just how much activity you’re getting throughout your day. But a new device called the Gruve goes the extra mile and tells you when to step it up. developed by Muve, Inc. in cooperation with Mayo Clinic, Gruve is a wearable device that keeps track of the user’s Gruve On metabolic progress against his or her premeasured metabolism. The information collected is then synced to the Gruve website, giving users the ability to view their daily calorie burn and weight loss progress online. The device has an indicator light that changes color according to how much energy the wearer is burning over the course of a day, and it vibrates if the user has been inactive for too long—a polite reminder that it is time to get moving. Gruve’s target audience is corporations looking to reduce their insurance premiums and employee healthcare costs by improving the health of what are often increasingly sedentary employees. It’s not a bad strategy—the U.S. department of Health estimates that the annual obesity cost to American companies exceeds $120 billion. Numerous studies have been conducted over the last 20 years to determine both the causes of obesity and the reasons for the continued increase in the U.S. obesity rates. One of the findings is that non-exercise movement has decreased to a point where many Americans are taking in more calories than they are able to burn. One important key to reversing this obesity trend is to add physical movement back into a person’s day. This is not organized exercise such as running or working out but rather things taking the stairs, parking farther away and generally being more active. Gruve is priced at $199.95, which includes a one-year subscription to Gruve Online. Find out more at www.muve.me. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours. It’s equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline. Insights Page 3: don’t Take Our Word for it... Customer Spotlight New Faces Added to Team Impressions! Take a look around Impressions Printing and you’ll see some new smiling faces making things happen. Three new employees have been added to the Impressions roster: Mike Shubin as Production Manager, Tony Traylor working in the Bindery department and Joe Bond will be running the shipping and warehouse departments. Mike Shubin brings over 30 years of printing industry experience, including managing a large production facility servicing several local printing company branches. “I’ve seen the printing industry change in every aspect over the past 30 years and still, the best product you can sell is the ability to create projects that are consistent, creative and cost-efficient,” said Shubin. “Then, take a great team of professionals like Impressions, who actually like what they do and it’s a ‘win-win’ for our team and our customers.” Tony Traylor has spent over 24 years working in bindery and folding, as well as over-seeing a variety of operational areas and industry equipment. Traylor’s depth of experience comes from a career dedicated to printing. “One of the first jobs I had out of high school was in printing and I simply never looked back,” said Traylor. “I wish I could say I always knew I’d end up in this industry. But there’s no big story here. I just look forward to good ole’ fashion hard work every day and doing the best for our customers.” Joe Bond joins Impressions as a working student attending Southern Nazarene University studying graphic design. Bond calls himself a “quick-study” and is eager to learn a new trade. “As an aspiring graphic designer, I usually only see the end product, the actual printed piece, and not necessarily the “nuts and bolts” of the industry,” said Bond. “Impressions is one of the most innovative printers in OKC, so to have the opportunity to learn from them and see the integrity and skill that goes into every job is something I’m excited to be a part of. It’s an awesome fit!” “With each hire, I still continue to get excited about the growth and future of the Company,” said Jeff Summerford, CEO. “We’re very fortunate that each one of these great talents decided to join our team at Impressions. And of course…we think our customers will think so too.” GO TEAM! Mike Shubin Tony Traylor Joe Bond Fast-food restaurants that have long touted super-sized entrees are now shrinking their portions, catering to patrons who are watching both their wallets and waistlines. dairy Queen is the latest eatery to miniaturize a popular menu item. In late July, it plans to roll out a 7-ounce Mini Blizzard, 5 ounces tinier than its current “small” frozen treat. The smaller Blizzard will be approximately half the size of its original, a size that resonates well with Blizzard fans, according to dairy Queen. The Mini Blizzard will be priced between $1.99 and $2.49. dQ unveiled its Mini Blizzard after seven months of testing in about 100 of its 5,700 stores. The new size comes on the 25th birthday of the frozen treat and the 70th anniversary of the chain. dairy Queen isn’t the only big-name restaurant shrinking menu items. Burger King, Mcdonald’s, Quiznos and dunkin’ donuts have all introduced miniaturized menu items for the snack-happy crowd. In a cash-strapped economy, food chains are hoping smaller portions—and smaller price tags—will continue generating foot traffic. The National Restaurant Association cited smaller portions to be one of the hottest trends this year. Mini Bites Page 4: Community Corner Impressions Invites Community and Local Station to Help Fight Cancer Impressions kicked off a fund-raising promotion with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Oklahoma City from May 6 until May 20 in an effort to raise awareness and contributions for their annual fund-raising event. Impressions was approached by LLS as a print sponsor and decided to initiate a fund-raising promotion geared towards raising funds for the annual LLS campaign. The fund-raising event coincided with Impressions’ current “You Can do That?” campaign which the Company is using in 2010 to educate consumers on their diverse portfolio of products and services thru a variety of monthly promotions and special offers. A major component of the campaign was the Impressions “You Can do That?” Convoy. The current Convoy consists of Impressions vehicles canvassing central to downtown Oklahoma City between I-44 and Broadway Extension every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1 pm. When local residents spotted the convoy, they called or commented on Facebook/Twitter between 1 pm and 5 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 percent of every retail and new customer was donated back to LLS. “When LLS approached us about printing their annual auction books, we decided that we wanted to try and do more,” said Jeff Summerford, CEO. “We’re just excited to be a part of a great cause and wanted to invite our customers, business associates and local community to join us in supporting this great cause and annual event.” Earlier in the month, Impressions invited Fox 25 morning show host, Lauren Richardson, to come on-site, meet the Impressions team and assist with kicking off the event with a live interview featuring Mike Stuart, VP of Marketing and Amy Walling, director of Marketing. “We were just thrilled to learn that Impressions joined the fight with LLS,” said Richardson. “And for them to use their “You Can do That?” convoy to help raise money, brings a level of fun and interaction that makes these types of efforts a success.” The interview can be seen at http://www.okcfox.com/newsroom/morning_news/videos/vid_1083.shtml and for additional information on LLS, visit www.LLS.org or by calling 405.943.8888. Impressions also donated an autographed football by former OU quarterback Josh Heupel, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 2001, to the LLS live auction held on May 20. Impressions Last month, Impressions Printing attended the Greater OKC Chamber’s Schmooza Palooza at the State Fairgrounds. Attendees enjoyed a wide-variety of exhibitors and the opportunity to “schmooze it up” at the Impressions booth. The booth housed an “impressive” mix of company information, yummy treats and a complimentary gift showcasing one of Impressions’ latest product offerings. Mike Stuart, VP of Marketing, was recently quoted in The Chamber’s monthly newsletter stating… “Schmooza has something for everyone at every level” and reported the event was another success! Look for Impressions at the Fall Schmooza Palooza featuring a new look...cool giveaways and your chance to find your next creative printing solutions. Schmoozes with the Best of Them Impressions Employee Thinks Fast… On April 21, Jason “JMAC” McWilliams, VP of Sales, became a hero. and Saves Lives! And for those of you who know JMAC, the word “hero” is the last thing he’d used to describe his quick thinking and selfless act. But after reading this story, we’ll let you decide for yourself. In his own words: “Right at 6:00 am I was driving to work and pulled onto Youngs Street. When I turned the corner, the apartment buildings on the SE corner were fully engulfed in flames - shooting 10-15 feet above the roof line so I immediately called 911. I noticed there was no sign of anyone coming out of the buildings. The front doors right on the SE corner was inaccessible due to the flames and the heat. I ran to the North and then West to the next set of front doors and started yelling “FIRE” as loud as I could and literally bloodied my knuckles beating on doors. People started scrambling to get out and making sure their neighbors were getting out as well. From there, I went around to the west side, the back of the apartments where the front doors were on fire, and found an older lady and her granddaughter on the second floor balcony. One of the tenants climbed onto the rail of the lower apartment and tore a hole in the lattice work and he helped them down to me on the ground where I essentially caught them. Afterwards, I went to the balcony next door to assist another older lady that was trapped. By this time, I could finally hear sirens. I asked her if she was alone and once I confirmed this, I told her to hang on and that the fire department would be arriving soon. The volume of smoke was so great at times, that people on the first two balconies along the rails were invisible. Lastly, I went around to the south side where another young lady was also trapped on the balcony. About this time the fire department showed up, so I ran to the first truck and told them where the trapped people were located. The firefighter grabbed a ladder and followed me to the first balcony and began getting people out of the building. From there I just stood back and watched the fire department do their “thing.” Thanks JMAC for doing your OWN thing and reminding us that there’s still good people…still doing good things. Location-based social networking is on the move. I Know Where You Are If you are, too—and you have a smart phone—technology is allowing people to track where you are and what you’re doing. Sounds a little Big Brother-like, but many users are welcoming the ability to stay connected with friends, even when they’re not in front of a computer. Location-based social networking allows members of the communities to share their location through GPS, mobile e-mail or text. You can add comments about a restaurant, let friends know you’re going to a show or find out if anyone you know is nearby and wants to meet for a drink. Foursquare is one of the most popular location-based social networks. The company runs a website, provides software for mobile devices, and hosts a series of games based on location and social activities. Think of it as a tiny Facebook with the addition of your local GPS coordinates. Foursquare just celebrated its second anniversary at South By Southwest in Austin last March. They have roughly 500,000 members. Here are some other location-based social networks on the rise. BrightKite BrightKite is a location-based social network that acts a lot like Twitter. In fact, you can add your friends to the network by entering your handle when you register for the service. Featuring a Facebook-like friend feed, users can upload pictures and comments about where they are and what’s going on. Citysense Currently, only BlackBerry users can take advantage of this service, but an iPhone app isn’t far behind. Rather than having a friend feed, Citysense populates a map of where people are transmitting a cell phone signal. You can see where your friends, called tribes, are congregating and instantly get information about what’s happening at a local hot spot. Impressions Gets Social! Look for Impressions Printing on FaceBook at ImpressionsPrinting OKC Twitter at PrintOKC Find out about current promotions, special events and what’s going on with the Impressions team! Page 5: Pre-Sorted First Class Mail U S POSTAGE PERMIT #1 PAID 2241 W. I-44 Service Road Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405.524.2800 Fax 405.524.2823 www.impressionsprinting.com OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 731 First • You Can Do That? • Get Your Gruve On • The Grass is Always Greener • The Grass is Always Greener • Customer Spotlight - OKC Thunder • New Faces at Impressions Printing • Mini Bites • Schmooza Palooza • Community Corner - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • I Know Where You Are • Impressions Printing Local Hero Jason McWilliams! Impressions A Closer Look.... 2nd Quarter Alex Bolerjack ~ John Braaten ~ Al Coffman ~ Carla Hornbeak ~ Jason McWilliams ~ Zak McWilliams ~ Brian O’Bar - April - June 2010 Birthdays Dennis Shafer ~ Jeff Summerford Travis Shaw Receiving his 10 Year Service Award 2nd Quarter Service Anniversaries - April - June 2010 Jeff Miller Receiving his 10 Year Service Award John Braaten ~ 14 years • Adam Haynes ~ 7 years • Zak McWilliams ~ 8 years • Karla Neese ~ 2 years Dennis Shafer ~ 3 years • Mike Stuart ~ 14 years • Jeff Summerford ~ 14 years • Eddie Wallace ~ 2 years ......at Impressions Printing Page 6: