History of PGP....Speedy Print the Early Days

Speedy Print....The Early Years

by Elwood Smith, Founder

During the early 1970's, before Xerox had even been invented yet; there were very few fax machines; no personal computers; no laptops; and no cell phones; I traveled across the state of Texas, making speeches. From time to time, I found it necessary to have handouts available that could be passed out to the audience. On one such occasion when I needed 200 copies available to pass out,  I headed over to a local printer in that area to have the copies made; only to be informed that their minimum order was 2000; and it would take two weeks to get it. Since I was traveling about 1000 miles per week, within a two week time period, I would've covered a lot of territory and would no longer be in that area nor would I still need those particular handouts.  Early in 1972 I happened to be in San Antonio for a meeting and came across a new business called "QUICK PRINTING". I went inside and asked for 200 copies and inquired as to how long it would take to fill my order. To my amazement, they said I could wait for it! Not only that, I was privileged to watch them do it and viola, in about 5 minutes it was printed, wrapped and I could pay a very competitive price for it. As I walked out the door, I remember thinking THIS IS THE FUTURE!

In March of 1972, my local church was needing a small, offset press. At that time, most church bulletins and printing were being done on an A.B. Dick Mimeograph Machine (very messy and time consuming). Since I traveled a great deal all over the state, my church asked if I could help them find a used, A.B. Dick Table-Top Offset Press. So the next time I was in Austin, I went by a used equipment store and found a used, table-top, offset press for the church. In addition, over in a corner of this store, there was a used, off-brand tabletop press and an electrostatic plate maker. I had never seen one before, but it looked fascinating, and it was cheap, so I bought the whole thing. I think the price was under $250.00!

I brought all my "finds" back home,delivered the offset press to the church and then rented a small room (approximately 12' x 12' at the old S.P.J.S.T. building); which became the first Speedy Print. I had a friend who worked for the local paper and had just lost his job so I figured he would be a perfect person to run this new business. I found that he didn't know anything about printing as he had worked in the office. So, I got the manuals out and started reading. In one weekend I learned how to make a plate, how to put the blade on the tabletop press and start printing. Then I taught my new employee how to do the same. In March of 1972, we opened our first Speedy Print. Luckily, it was an idea whose time had come as it was successful from day one! After about a month, my new partner (employee) decided he didn't like printing and quit (Without Notice). That boys and girls, is how I became a full-time, printing owner over night.

Elwood Smith, Founder

QR Codes and Mobile Marketing

What are these crazy looking squares, and how can you use mobile marketing to help your business?

Quick Response (QR) codes are two-dimensional bar codes that are sweeping across North America. When scanned by a Smartphones camera the QR code redirects the user to the content encrypted in the bar code, such as a web page. All the user requires is a QR code reader, which are widely available for free.

Mobile Marketing can be defined as marketing designed for cell phone, tablets or other mobile devices. Any company selling a product or service can benefit from Mobile Marketing. Your ad, postcard or brochure can only fit a limited amount on information, and that information may change from time to time. How can you give your clients and prospects something to hold onto that won't become outdated? Put a QR code on it that directs them to additional information on your website. Information that can be updated as needed.

Your client, or prospective client, needs to have a phone with Internet access and a QR code reader. Since QR codes are scanned by smartphones, the two work together. The other thing you need is a mobile website. Mobile sites are stripped-down versions of your standard website, designed to be viewed on smartphones.....and we make mobile websites! Now you have Mobile Marketing.

PGPTip: Marketing Your Company- Advanced Techniques

In our last blog we discussed how to get your brand ready for your next marketing event. In this lesson we will discuss how to get prospects to attend your event so that you have a chance to grab their attention and turn them into customers.

Inviting customers and prospects to attend

Sending invitations to customers and prospects to let them know you will be exhibiting at a trade show can help build traffic. If there is a charge to attend, see if you can arrange for some free passes to distribute to your best customers or prospects.

Invitations can be as simple as a post card that gives the dates of the show, your booth number, and one or two reasons why attendees should stop by your booth. If you limit the size of the post card to no greater than 4.25 x 6 inches it can be mailed at the first class postage rate for cards which not only is lower than the rate for standard mail, but also comes with free address correction in case the invitee has moved.

Additionally, for greater response, a follow up phone campaign is key to getting the most prospects to your event. Just a little personal touch goes a long way and this strategy should always be implemented following a post card or letter campaign.

Following up after the event

Exhibiting at a trade show or putting on a group meeting takes resources- time, money and manpower- but can yield a large number of leads. However, not all the leads will be high quality since trade shows in particular do attract a share of "lookers" as well as buyers. This means that an important task following the trade show or group meeting is to qualify the leads received.

A common way to follow up is with a mailing. Some businesses like to use a personalized letter; another option is a larger post card that is a takeoff on the small post card used originally to promote the trade show or event. This gives attendees another exposure to the trade show or group meeting marketing theme and serves as a reminder of the message being promoted at the show or meeting.

Just like you did when you invited attendees to attend, you should also make a follow up phone call to thank them for their time and to see what else you can do for them. This extra personal touch is extremely important and a proper script and plan is necessary to achieve maximum results.

Tips & Tricks

When creating trade show graphics, remember this principle: keep it simple. The purpose of the graphics is to attract attention and hold it long enough to deliver the marketing message. This is best accomplished by a clean, simple design and a color palette that works with it to increase viewer comprehension.

Be especially careful when selecting fonts. Decorative fonts, while interesting and eye-catching, can be very difficult to read or may not render well in the large point size needed on a banner or sign. Changing fonts too often may cause the graphics to look messy or haphazard. Select fonts that are easy to read in the large point sizes required for viewing form across an aisle or from an oblique angle.

White space or background color is a good way to balance text and visuals and can be used to draw the eye to important elements of the design. Also remember to keep the important visual elements high enough so they can be seen above the heads of booth visitors.

We're your support service for trade shows, group meetings or marketing campaigns

At PaperGraphics we can teach you how to properly follow up with prospects using our specialized training with CPrint Intenational. Through our ManagedMarketing program we can help you attract prospects and begin a dialogue with them through direct mail, email, and other integrated marketing methods teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so.

If your organization or business regularly attends trade shows or hosts group meetings, let us know the schedule of upcoming dates and locations for the events you are participating in. We'll work out a timeline that will let you know when you must start planning and designing the printed materials you'll need and by what date you must order advertising specialty items. We'll also give you critical due dates to help keep you on schedule and within budget. Call us at 254-773-7391 or 254-526-4303 to get started.

PGP TIP: Marketing Your Company

Reaching prospects is the #1 task for sales and marketing. Direct Mail using post cards and brochures takes your message to prospects in their offices. But when there is an opportunity to reach a group of prospects at a meeting, seminar, conference or trade show, you need to put you best foot forward.
Here's how to do it!

Participating in a group event

Participating in an event for a group of prospects has three phases:

• Preparing for the event
• Attending the event
• and following up

In each phase there is a need for materials to be printed, distributed and given away. These all need to be graphically coordinated to reflect your company or organization's image or brand- especially since some of the staff at the event may not be seasoned marketing or sales professionals.

Begin by deciding on a marketing theme for the event. Tie it to your company's overall marketing focus but tailor the theme to reflect the interests of the target audience who will be attending the group event. Some typical themes are how your product or service promotes efficiency and save money; how it solves problems encountered by the target audience; what competitive advantage it imparts; or what enhancements to customer service it brings.

Trade show graphics

Trade show graphics are the large-scale photographs, signs, banners, posters and booth displays that are intended to draw the attendees interest and attract them to linger at your booth. In addition, trade show graphics can impart information that provides a context for explaining what your organization or business does or provides.

Designing for large-scale displays is different than designing for brochures and similar printed marketing materials. The primary difference is scale- display graphics are significantly larger that those used in collateral pieces and also simpler. Headlines should be trim, images large, and text short and easy to read. As a guide, think of a highway billboard that is read in three seconds or less. Your trade show graphics need to convey who you are, what you do and why a prospect should care in the amount of time it takes to stroll past your booth.

For consistency of image and brand, tie trade show graphics to your product or service marketing literature. But be careful here- the images used in a brochure may not be of sufficient resolution when enlarged to sign, banner or poster size. Ask us to evaluate the suitability of any photograph or other image you are considering.

Printed material

Besides having a supply of brochures, sell sheets and business cards to distribute during the trade show or group meeting, you might need other material to support the trade show or meeting activities such as:

• name badges for you staff and attendees
• copies of an agenda or program
• entry forms for a drawing of giveaway
• tickets to invitation-only activities such as a luncheon or sponsored entertainment
• new product announcements and product guides
• show special flyer's or discount offers
• mini catalogs or CD's with product information
• order forms

As with trade show graphics, these materials will have greater impact if they are visually tied to your company or organization's regular marketing and sales material and also reflect the marketing theme of the trade show or group meeting. Give all your printed materials a consistent look and message by using the same color palette, fonts and graphics throughout.


Promotional items

Whether you are a group meeting host providing a thank you gift to attendees or a trade show distributor who wants to attract traffic at the booth, a supply of promotional items- sometimes called advertising specialty items- are a way to be sure your company or organization is remembered after the event has concluded.

When deciding on a promotional item, select on that pertains to your business and simultaneously appeals to the target audience. A promotional item of higher quality or real utility is both more appealing and more likely to be taken back to the office and used by an attendee. If the projected meeting or trade show attendance is very large, consider having a low-cost item to attract people to you booth and reserve the higher-quality item as a prize for a contest or a drawing. It is also a good idea to select a promotional item that can be used as a giveaway after the trade show or meeting.

You may not be aware that we can be source for any advertising specialty or promotional items that you need. We are a member of ASI, the Advertising Specialty Institute, which gives us access to over 3,500 suppliers of advertising specialty items. Our membership in ASI means that we can offer you product catalogs to have handy in you office and also can search online for any of the thousands of products offered by ASI suppliers.

Your Brand.....

Your graphical image or brand is vital to your marketing success. You have only seconds to make a first impression so it's important to put your best foot forward. At PaperGraphics we can help you make your next event a success. To get a free consultation send us an email or call us 254-773-7391 and we'll schedule a meeting to asses you needs and explore options.