The Marketing Pavilion Provides Tools to Enhance Arsenal of Print Offerings

September 28, 2014

With more and more print providers looking to expand their service offerings, especially in the marketing arena, the Marketing Pavilion at GRAPH EXPO, sponsored by the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), is the place to find exactly what you need to enhance your arsenal of print offerings.

Pavilion visitors will explore and “test drive” the newest marketing software, products and services for print, Web, and mobile; gleam important knowledge about integrated cross-media campaigns from presentations delivered by experts, and network with exhibitors and fellow printers and marketing service providers.

On hand at the Pavilion, which debuted in 2011, are providers of today’s marketing-related services, software, and products to provide tips on how to make informed buying decisions to increase the ROI of customer campaigns. Exhibitors include 3DConnectS (Booth 1470), Dynamic Decals & Graphics Inc. (Booth 1273), EDSF (Booth 1473), LogoJET USA (Booth 1270), RainMaker Sales Support (Booth 1371),Tembec Kallima Paper (Booth 1370), and Veritiv Corp. (Booth 1272).

Attendees visiting the Marketing Pavilion are also invited to take advantage of the Marketer’s Networking Lounge. This meeting place offers a casual environment in which graphic communications professionals can network, exchange ideas with, and learn from other likeminded professionals.

In addition to the Marketing Pavilion, throughout GRAPH EXPO’s four days, there are numerous learning opportunities for marketers and creative pros, as well as printers looking to expand their offerings in this arena.

Beginning today, at EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK, under the banner “Print that Performs, are these back-to-back marketing-oriented sessions:

9:20 – 9:45 am: “Marketing Techniques That Work”? Joe Rickard, President, Intellective Solutions?Printers assist the marketing efforts of their customers, but often fail to effectively promote their own brand. In an era of stiff competition from alternative media, the time has come for our industry to effectively proclaim print’s excellent ROI. Discover the latest best practices for marketing your printing company, including a few techniques you might not have considered.
9:45 – 10:00 am:? End-User Interview: “Marketing Success”? Robert Ross, Director, Marketing and New Business Development for CCG Marketing Solutions, speaks with Joe Rickard about the effectiveness of CCG’s own marketing efforts.

Also today, are several seminars tied to marketing:

10:30 am - 12:00 pm, “The DATA Difference: Targeting for Stronger ROI!” In Room S403. Presented by John Leininger, Professor of Graphic Communications ?Clemson University, the session offers: where and how to purchase data to merge with customer data; what can be done with complex calculations and scripts to clean up and enhance data; the value of creating unique relational databases that give the designer creative license; how to prepare multiple databases to be delimited flat files; and how to sell the value of personalized data.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm, “How to Penetrate Dream Accounts” in Room S403b. Joe Rickard, President ?Intellective Solutions LLC, presents examples of dream accounts; printing-based ideas, products, solutions, and services that will gain interest in dream accounts; six strategies and techniques that will help penetrate dream accounts; examples of printing industry “best practices;” how to “win deals” and shorten the order cycle in dream accounts; and how to develop a sales and marketing attack plan for your most important accounts.

4:00-5:30 pm, “THE Marketing MAGIC Combo: Blog + E-Newsletter” in Room S403ab. Industry expert and content marketer Margie Dana will share her tips for jumpstarting your blog and your email marketing strategy. She will also give you the basic guidelines for getting your own blog off the ground and running. The presentation itself will become a ‘content marketing primer’ you’ll want to keep handy as you launch your blog and e-newsletter.
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm, “The ‘Skinny’ on Profit Opportunities in the Short Run Market” in Room S404bc. Presented by Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America, will inform on how to efficiently manage the short run process. Participants will gain an understanding of the changing market expectations, and join the discussion on the technologies, philosophies, and business processes to create profit in this highly competitive market.

A free exhibitor presentation is also on the docket:

“Time to Get Your Cape. How to be Your Customer's Superhero,” runs from ?12:30 - 1:30 pm in Room S404bc - 4th level, South Hall. Tawnya Starr, President ?PrinterPresence by Firespring, will show how technology partnered with personal relationships can make you a modern day hero to your customers. Learn how to use technology to make customers' lives easier; what the self-directed print buyer wants; and the role print plays in modern marketing.