WRITING PRINTING WRONGS…WITH ABBA
Forbes cited in a 2012 article, which spoke about the importance of brand building:

“Brands are psychology and science brought together as a promise mark as opposed to a trademark. Products have life cycles. Brands outlive products. Brands convey a uniform quality, credibility and experience. Brands are valuable. Many companies put the value of their brand on their balance sheet.”

In the midst of a challenging economy, tight deadlines and even tighter budgets, it is easy to forget about the importance that print plays in conveying the correct message about your brand, while keeping its value intact.  Here are five common mistakes that print buyers make when sourcing print material:

1. KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
   The perception that all printers are the same is incorrect.  Communication is key when establishing whether you are speaking to a printer with the ability to assist you with your needs, within your required timeframe.  It is important to remember that there is never too much information when briefing your printer about your print work.
    
2. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
   It is impossible for any company in any industry to deliver goods of the highest quality, to provide the best service and to still offer the lowest price. Within the printing industry, there’s the adage: “Quality.  Service.  Price.  Pick two.”  The best way to find a supplier with the capacity to deliver on the things that are of primary importance to your business, is to rank quality, service and price in order of most importance to you.
    
3. THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
   Nowadays a lot of companies adhere to a three quote protocol as price is always a consideration, but sometimes the temptation arises to force printers to fight for the same piece of pie.  The challenge is that you aren’t always comparing apples with apples e.g. different paper grammages have been quoted on for your company portfolio or vinyls with two different lifespans have been quoted on for your exterior sign.
    
4. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
   The internet is riddled with horror stories about companies that went with the cheapest printer and later regretted making that choice.  Some key points to keep in mind when dealing with a print supplier are:
   • How long have they been in business?
   • What are some of the clients and brands that they do work for?
   • How effective are they in project management, communication and meeting deadlines?
   • What kind of reputation do they have?
   • It’s always better to make an informed decision as opposed to acting on a hunch.
      
5. MAMMA MIA
   When you are working on a campaign with very tight timelines, it is always better to involve your printer from the start as opposed to waiting until you are sending through your artwork and placing the order.  By having your print supplier involved throughout the project, they will be able to inform you about the kind of timelines that the process will require and they may be able to offer more efficient and cost effective options, all the while scheduling machine time for your job into the production program.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help avoid costly errors which lead to costly delays and can potentially tarnish your brand.

At Corpnet Print Excellence, we strive to turn your SOS into THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC.