Think AccuLink

Cross Media marketing for the Little Guy

2011-11-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Any business owner knows about economies of scale – the increase in efficiency of production that occurs as the number of goods being produced increases. Typically, a company that achieved economies of scale lowers the average cost per unit through increased production since fixed costs are shared over an increased number of goods.

Economies of scale bring down the costs of all sorts of things, like printing and mailing if you are a large national corporation or nonprofit organization.

But what if you are a little guy? Little guys still have profit margins and marketing goals to meet and along with those, the need for affordable marketing solutions.

Thanks to advancements in technology, direct mail driven cross media campaigns can be an affordable solution for small businesses and nonprofits.

Cross media campaigns reach an audience via traditional offline and online channels including direct mail, e-mail, personalized URLs (pURLs), landing pages, QR codes, and mobile messaging. They feature personalized, relevant, and highly targeted messages.

Acculink is now the primary manufacturer of the InteliMailer formally called Transformailer. This product transforms marketing messages into a complete cross media marketing campaign. The InteliMailer offers small businesses and nonprofit organizations a unique way to increase response rates and achieve their marketing goals.

According to a study by InfoTrends, marketers reported response rates of 20 - 35% when using cross media marketing campaigns over single channel print or email campaigns. In addition, marketers reported an average lift of 50% in response rates using personalized, relevant and highly targeted cross media campaigns over static print-only campaigns.

Other research shows that combining direct mail with pURLs and well-designed landing pages, as well as QR codes and mobile messaging means higher response rates. With the InteliMailer employing cross media marketing techniques, we are seeing lifts of 35 – 50% in response rates. We are able to achieve this by offering a unique direct mail piece that gets noticed, opened, and acted upon thereby multiplying the results even further with personalization and variable data and then tapping into the power of the WEB and mobile marketing.

Until now, creating full color, personalized direct mail letter packages tied to cross media campaigns has been a time consuming and expensive undertaking. Only large companies with big budgets could afford it.

With InteliMailer, now small businesses and nonprofits can send incredibly effective letter packages supported by pURLS, landing pages, WEB sites, and even mobile messaging in small quantities without any extra work and for only a few cents more than a postcard or self-mailer.

Because the InteliMailer can be produced in many versions, it is very versatile. It can be a simple letter and outer envelope, both personalized and in full color. It can just be the outer envelope personalized with variable maps, coupons, or other relevant content without any inside sheets. It may contain up to three personalized sheets and a reply envelope or reply card inside the outer envelope. A membership card, affinity or loyalty card can also be part of the InteliMailer. It can be produced in many different versions depending upon its intended use.

Unlike static marketing campaigns, the InteliMailer is supported by integrated on-line and mobile media. It can be precision targeted, highly relevant, and personalized to a smaller list while yielding higher results than mailing to a much larger list.

For more information or samples please contact Ed Glaser, CMO at Acculink. He can be reached at (252)321-5805 or at ed.glaser@acculink.com.

AccuLink Buys Scodix Digital Coating Press

2011-10-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO—Sept. 11, 2011—AccuLink has purchased a Scodix1200 digital coating press at GRAPH EXPO 2011 from digital enhancement leader Scodix to expand its services portfolio with the innovative Scodix Sense printing experience.

It was the first Scodix1200 order at the show where Scodix announced the Scodix Sense offering at its booth (#4422).

AccuLink decided to buy the Scodix1200 Digital Press after seeing and feeling the impressive Scodix Sense experience at GRAPH EXPO, said AccuLink owner Tom O'Brien. “This technology acquisition will differentiate our business from the others by offering a high-quality, innovative product for our customers,” said O'Brien.

“A top tier PSP in the US that produces high-end printing jobs, AccuLink is a prime owner for the Scodix1200 that enhances applications with the value-creating Scodix Sense,” said Scodix VP Global Sales and Business Development Dror Danai.

The Scodix1200 Digital Press produces Scodix Sense by registering clear polymer with pinpoint accuracy to printed images using a patented optical guidance system. Delivering variable levels of thickness and texture on single- or double-sided printing, the Scodix1200 has the capacity to produce up to 99 Gloss Units (GU), polymer height up to 70 microns, and density capabilities from 1-100 percent, for an unmatched range of enhancement.

Scodix Sense is a new digital printing experience that touches the senses with a high-quality look and tangible dimension, bringing true differentiation to print service providers, their clients and products.

“We are very happy with the Acculink decision to purchase the Scodix1200 and we look forward to see how they support their business and their customers by creating many new jobs using the Scodix Sense,” said Scodix CEO Kobi Bar.

About AccuLink
AccuLink, located in Greenville, NC, has been in business since 1980, serving clients in all 50 states as well as many international accounts with a broad range of services. Its mission is to continue to add value to its communication solutions with superior service, technology and expertise. AccuLink manages, produces and distributes even the most sensitive projects for its clients, meeting the tightest deadlines, and its goal is to exceed their highest expectations. For more information please visit www.acculink.com.

About Scodix
Scodix Ltd. is the leading provider of digital print enhancement for the graphic arts industry, offering the breakthrough Scodix Sense experience in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Asia and Africa. Founded by veterans of the Graphic Arts industry in 2007, Scodix has partnerships with global IT leaders such as HP Indigo and DSCOOP.

Source: Scodix.

22 Ways You Will Use QR (Quick Response) Codes in Healthcare in the Future (if You’re Smart!)

2011-01-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Billboards advertising hospitals and medical groups will have QR codes so travelers can get more information about facilities or get directions to the closest Emergency Department, Urgent Care or family practice.
Television advertising for pharmaceuticals will have QR codes so viewers can get more information on the spot.
Healthcare facilities will have QR codes for all types of information and videos that providers and nurses will instruct patients to scan based on their health problems.
Magazines and newspapers will have QR codes that readers can scan to get health information and health product coupons.
Scanning QR codes when exercising or purchasing healthy foods will get you reward points with your health plan, your doctor or your employer.
Comparison of foods that you should or should not buy in grocery stores based on your individual health problems will be easy when you scan the food’s QR codes.
Caregivers will scan QR codes to receive information and videos for caring for their loved one at home.
When purchasing over the counter medications, vitamins and supplements, you will scan the QR to make sure the medication isn’t contraindicated for any prescription medication you are taking.
Scanning the QR code on food or cleaning products will let you know if they contain anything that you are allergic to.
At health fairs, attendees will scan QR codes for more information on health topics and your facility and services.
Disposable diapers will each come with a unique QR code that Moms (and babies) can scan to get childcare tips, games, songs and medical advice.
Urgent Care facilities and Emergency Rooms will have QR codes for instant access to wait times.
QR codes in healthcare facilities will let users download helpful mobile healthcare applications like those that help you control your chronic illness or lose weight.
In print advertising for physicians, potential patients will scan the QR code to view the physicians talking about their background, their specialties and their desire to have you as a new patient!
Referring patients to facilities or specialty practices will be much easier when patients scan the QR code for the referral and receive information, instructions and directions to the appointment.
Healthcare facilities will give out t-shirts and carrying bags promoting their services and the QR codes on them will spread the word to others. (Yes, people will scan each others’ t-shirt codes!)
Patients taking home holter monitors and CPAPs will be able to scan the QR code on the machine to get a “how-to” video on using it.
Patients taking home sample medications from physician offices will have QR codes on the bag to scan to remember how they are to take the samples.
Temporary tatoo QR codes will identify those patients who won’t wear identifying bracelets, have dementia, or tend to wander away.
Hospital patients will scan the menu broadcast on their TV to order their daily meals.
If you are going to be late to your doctor’s appointment, you will scan a QR code to email an alert to the office that you are on the way. (Wait, maybe that’s too easy!)
Pharmacies will have QRs loaded with prescription prices by insurance company plan on their website so providers can compare different drugs and chose the best drug for the patient at the best price.

Original article here:
22 Ways You Will Use QR (Quick Response) Codes in Healthcare in the Future (if You’re Smart!) | Manage My Practice.com

100 Ideas on How to Use QR Codes

2011-01-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

We came across this article on another blog we follow, QReate & Track, and wanted to share it with our readers as well. Thanks Jason for letting us republish it here!

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Over the past year, excitement about QR Codes has grown seemingly on a daily basis. We’ve seen more and more businesses use them to promote their company, products or services. We’ve seen libraries and schools put them to use to help students and parents. We’ve also seen them provide value to specific verticals such as real estate and healthcare.

We’ve compiled a list of 100 ways that you could possibly use QR Codes. We received some of these ideas from customers and friends. Some of them have come from our own experiences. We hope that you find at least a few of these helpful.

100 Possible Ways that You Could Use QR Codes

■ Put them on signs, so people can track bus routes and arrival times
■ Add them on/near historical monuments, direct them to videos with more information
■ Put them on city-owned vehicles so people can see how much it costs and how quickly it’s depreciating
■ In the “Autos” section of a newspaper/flyer/magazine, put a QR Code for people to see the Autos of the Week
■ Add a QR Code on promotional posters that upon scan, allow people to “Like” pages on Facebook
■ Put QR Codes on clothing to drive people to your Twitter page
■ In photo-books, put QR Codes that drive people to the LinkedIn Profiles of people in the photos
■ In the Real Estate section of a newspaper/flyer/magazine, put a QR Code for people to see the House of the Week
■ In real estate, add a QR Code to sign riders. Direct people to a video/virtual tour of the house.
■ Add a QR Code on your business card that provides people with your contact information
■ Add a QR Code on your business card that directs people to online site – it might contain a video of you, links to social media profiles, and your corporate website.
■ Add QR Codes to various sections of a book that direct people to enhanced content on the web.
■ Put a QR Code next to columnists in a newspaper. It can direct people to an online page that lists other articles from that writer.
■ In restaurants, put QR Codes on the table tents. These may direct people to social media pages for the restaurant.
■ In stores, add QR Codes on windows, cash registers, and other signs. These may direct people to mobile-optimized pages where they can sign up for your newsletter.
■ In your company brochures, add QR Codes that direct people to videos, podcasts, and web pages that further discuss the corresponding topic from the printed piece.
■ Put QR Codes on Direct Mail pieces that drive people to personalized URLs.
■ Add a QR Code to a print advertisement for a restaurant. Upon scanning the code, direct people to a page where they can make reservations.
■ Hotels could put QR Codes in various places that direct people to mobile-optimized sites where they can make reservations.
■ Running an advertisement in multiple magazines? Create a unique QR Code for each magazine. Find out which one is driving the most traffic for you.
■ Make it easy for people to shop: Put a QR Code on a direct mail piece for a retailer. Drive people to a mobile-optimized site that allows them to browse and purchase.
■ Does your store provide daily specials online? Allow people to scan a QR Code that directs them there. They can easily return to that URL each day from their barcode scanning app.
■ In the construction business? Put a QR Code on the sign that you leave outside recent projects. Upon scanning the code, people are directed to more information about your company.
■ Printing a guide for a film festival? Add QR Codes that allow people to see trailers for the films.
■ Promote your company’s social media pages with QR Codes. Have a Facebook page? Allow people to scan and then be instantly directed to it on their phone.
■ QR Codes can be scanned from a television. Display one during your news broadcast to drive people to your online content.
■ Make it easy for people to see your customer testimonials – add a QR Code to your next newsletter that drives people to an online page of written or recorded testimonials.
■ Further expose people to your brand — add your logo to the middle of a QR Code for additional exposure.
■ Make your weekly flyer in the Sunday newspaper interactive – allow people to scan QR Codes to easily learn more (or place an order!) for your featured products.
■ Pay for stuff! QR Codes can be directed to sites that will automatically deduct money from your account for a purchase.
■ Make it easy for people to assemble your products. Put a QR Code on the box or on the directions that allow them to see videos that show how to put something together.
■ Trying to promote a band? Add a QR Code to their poster that lets people view tour dates, videos, and more.
■ Get the most out of your promotional items. If someone’s going to keep a coffee mug or calendar with your logo on their desk, add a QR Code so they can easily access your company’s website.
■ Promoting a movie? Put a QR Code on the poster to allow people to see showtimes in their local area.
■ Make it easy for people to find your business. Put a QR Code in one of your print ads that connects people to Google Maps.
■ Provide incentive for people to travel to your resort. Add QR Codes that drive people to video tours of what you can offer.
■ Reward people for buying your product. Add a QR Code to the label to drive people to online community sites.
■ Make it easy for people to re-order your products. Put QR Codes on labels, boxes, and other packaging materials that direct them to online shopping functions.
■ Put a QR Code on the back of a concert ticket. Oftentimes people save those… a QR Code will allow them to instantly access more information about a performer whenever they’d like to.
■ Give people something to do while they’re waiting… If you often have a captive audience that is waiting in line, put a QR Code on a poster or billboard that is nearby. This will allow them to interact with your brand while they are waiting.
■ Put QR Codes on billboards on the side of the road. If they are at a nearby parking lot, scanning the code may direct them to more information about your business.
■ Drive donations for fundraising efforts… Make it easy as possible for people to give by adding a QR Code that drives them to a contribution page.
■ Make your trade show booth interactive! Put QR Codes on panels and other materials so that visitors can scan a code and interact with your brand even after the show is over.
■ Increase registrations for a contest — allow people to scan a QR Code that drives them to a mobile-optimized registration page.
■ Add a QR Code to a poster in the library that allows people to read reviews of certain books
■ Treasure/Scavenger hunts! For a bit of fun, add QR Codes throughout a certain area (indoors or outdoors). Codes may direct people to clues as to where they go next to finish the hunt.
■ Put a QR Code at the bottom of your blog posts. When people print and save them, they’ll be able to easily get back to your blog later on.
■ Inside of a classroom, put QR Codes that direct students to the school’s YouTube channel
■ Ask a Trivia Question – The QR Code may drive people to a simple form where they can answer to win.
■ Put QR Codes on a globe or map to allow people to access additional information about a specific location.
■ Make memories last for a long time – put QR Codes in a yearbook that may direct people to a Facebook page or community website about their class.
■ Get someone to buy that DVD — put a QR Code on the outside that lets someone watch the trailer.
■ Recommend Further Reading —- Put a QR Code at the end of a book that drives people to a site where they can learn about more books that cover related topics.
■ For schools, allow parents to meet your staff — Put QR Codes in the directory so that parents can access more information about a specific teacher or administrator.
■ Show people just how fresh your product is — add a QR Code to the packages for produce that allow people to view the “born-on” date and location
■ Help people select the best beverage – add a QR Code to wine bottle labels that allow them to view a virtual tour of your winery.
■ Make a recipe book interactive — add a QR Code next to each recipe so people can view a video of the dish being prepared.
■ Bring your music-related product to life — add a QR Code to printed materials to allow people to hear and/or see how an instrument will benefit them if they buy it.
■ Stand out from the crowd — wearing clothing with a QR Code on it will certainly help draw attention; and depending on where it points to, it may help you build your brand.
■ Develop interest in your college/university by putting QR Codes on printed materials that drive people to virtual campus tours.
■ Help students choose which classes they should take — use QR Codes to allow them to access interactive information about a course, to help them better make an informed decision.
■ Include QR Codes on homework to provide supplemental material to help students.
■ For schools, add QR Codes on printed materials that you send out to parents or guardians. These codes should make it easy for the parents to either gain additional information, or to contact the appropriate personnel.
■ Promote exercise and other athletic endeavors. Want to show someone how to properly play volleyball? Put a QR Code on a poster that allows someone to see a video demonstration.
■ Make it easy for someone to check-in to your business. Put a QR Code outside your store. Scanning it allows someone to easily “check-in” via a site such as Foursquare.
■ Encourage user-generated content for the news. Put QR Codes throughout your city or town. When people are walking around, they can scan the code to access an easy-to-use “submit your news tip” to a newspaper , radio station, TV station, or a community website.
■ Add them to badges that conference or trade show attendees wear. This will make it easy for everyone to share their information with others.
■ Hosting an outdoor festival? Put QR Codes on signs and posters. They may direct people to a mobile-optimized festival guide and schedule.
■ Promote school teams and groups – Include QR Codes on related printed materials so that people can view online information about the schedule, participants, history, coaches, teachers, etc.
■ Add a bit of excitement to the Summer Reading List for Students: add a QR Code next to each book so students can learn more before they read.
■ In-store: Provide more information about products. Allow potential consumers to read online reviews.
■ Promote local businesses – the Chamber of Commerce could include QR Codes for its members on printed materials, so that residents can easily learn more about ones that they are interested in
■ Make the periodic table of elements interactive – include QR Codes that lead to content with more info on each element.
■ Help Students better use school equipment. For example, put QR Codes on tools in the science lab that provide tutorials on proper usage, along with ideas on why they should use the tool.
■ Enhance your resume with a QR Code! Allow potential employers to learn more about you online through videos, or links to projects that you’ve worked on in the past.
■ Provide more information about plants and flowers… A QR Code may let people see what their vegetation may turn into, along with best practices for helping it grow successfully.
■ Allow people to view the “making of”, or a behind-the-scenes look at how your team built a product.
■ Expand your science fair exhibit. Participants typically only have a limited amount of space. QR Codes may allow attendees to learn more about your project, and what you learned in the process.
■ Easily share audio — create QR Codes that drive people to MP3s for songs or to podcasts.
■ Provide QR Codes that link to a class’ blog. This may be included on homework or other notes. It will direct students to more information when they need help.
■ Allow parents to learn more about school trips… Include QR Codes so that parents can see videos about where and for what purpose students may benefit from participating.
■ Enable people to access additional training materials while perusing through a manual or guidebook.
■ Speaking or presenting at a conference? Include a QR Code in your handout so that people can learn about you, your company, and the topic.
■ Provide additional instructions for physical therapy exercises. In addition to listing steps on printed material, allow people to gain more information online.
■ Help patients visualize procedures and surgeries – QR Codes may lead people to videos that provide some further detail as to what’s involved — for those that want to know!
■ Allow people to interact with your greeting cards. Sure, people may love to hear a note of Congratulations or Thank You. A QR Code may allow them to view a personal picture or video from you that also echoes those greetings.
■ Connect your printed newsletter with online material – enable people to easily access additional information about a topic online.
■ Enhance your customer service offerings – Next time you distribute release notes, or training manuals, include QR Codes to link people to online tutorials or ways to reach your support team via their mobile phone.
■ Add a bit of fun to your company’s Open House – display signs and banners with QR Codes that enable visitors to enter contests, or learn more company projects.
■ Allow people to “cut the line”! Put a QR Code on tickets or boarding passes that make it easy for them to have their pass scanned and move to their next destination.
■ Enable people to access more information from bills and invoices – QR Codes might direct them to an online site where they can view information about your products and services, as well as perhaps to learn about what else you offer.
■ Promote future events! Perhaps you do not want to devote a lot of space on a printed item to devote an event that will occur in the future. Include a small QR Code that directs people online, if they’d like to learn more.
■ Enhance your brand by providing free tips — allow a prospect to scan a QR Code on a piece of clothing that you are selling. It may direct them to pictures or fashion tips as to how they could put that item to use for them.
■ Give more legs to every-day items. There are things that people buy every day — coffee, soda, water. Put QR Codes on labels for those products to help engage your loyal consumers even more.
■ Provide nutritional information on menus to help people decide if something is right for them to order.
■ Build your marketing database – include QR Codes on your printed materials to enable people to easily subscribe for email or SMS alerts.
■ For fun and games — have people scan a QR Code that takes them to a landing page. Include “randomizer” logic on the page that tells them if they are a lucky winner.
■ For schools – keep parents in the loop about their child’s activity. Include a QR Code on homework assignments. Scan the returned ones in the next day. If a child’s homework is not returned, have a notice sent to parents instantly.
■ Measure what locations are responding to a product – put QR Codes on products that have a wide distribution. Track where the scans are coming from to see where your hot and cold spots are.
■ Put QR Codes on boxes of food-related items that drive people to recipes that could utilize that ingredient.

posted on: December 22, 2010 on QReate & Track/interlinkONE

Nostalgic thoughts after 30 years

2010-09-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

As a tribute to anyone who has ever started their own business I believe we entrepreneurs can all agree that there is much more than a paycheck that drives us to suit-up before battling the unknown every day. Every business has its unique challenges, but in my wildest dreams I could not have imagined what a wild and strange trip it would be 30 years later after opening the doors of our 600 sf copy center across the street from the campus of East Carolina University.

My business partner and I first met during rest time while lying on our respective bath mat rugs in Mrs. Gay's kindergarten class for five year olds. Neither of us understood at the time that our destiny would lead us to spend the greater part of our adult lives foraging through a tumultuous business environment together with the responsibility of sustaining not only our own families but the families of our 70 employees as well.

Many stories come to mind, some humorous and some tragic, but collectively the memories weave a meaningful tapestry symbolic of lasting friendships, talent and plain old hard work.

From the very beginning, Tom and I shared the belief that EVERY customer was important and that the goal of EVERY transaction was to insure a repeat order. This strategy embraces the concept that people choose to do business with folks they like, trust and have confidence in. Luckily, we live in eastern North Carolina where business is informal and a handshake still means something. These principles mean as much today as they did in 1980 (a recession year, by the way).

My first pick-up and delivery vehicle was a Raleigh racing bike I had in college that maneuvered wonderfully around the sidewalks of campus and downtown. As the first “copy center” in the region to compete with traditional commercial printers, it took awhile to convince locals that our “print-on-demand” service made sense. Initial orders were placed by compassionate secretaries feeling sorry for the sweaty kid with the red hair and a bicycle. Eventually, persistence, tenacity and execution won the day, allowing the knapsack and bike to be replaced by a combustible engine and hand truck.

Speaking of “firsts,” it is amazing to look back and recognize that Tom and I have a legacy of introducing new technology to our customers. Imagine these firsts for Greenville & the surrounding area:

1st high volume analog copier – print for pay – (Xerox 9200 @ 21% interest)
1st fax machine (unfortunately there was no one to fax to)
1st Apple MacIntosh (made phototypesetting obsolete within a couple of years)
1st color copier (ours operated with thermal ribbon film)
1st engineering copier (no more blueprint/ammonia fumes)
1st scanner (truly amazing technology)
1st digital print for pay service (5 Xerox Docutechs!)
1st adoption of Adobe postscript & pdf (pdfs now both improve and threaten print)
1st online storefront integration with print production (transition to online printing)
1st 7-color Indigo & Heidelberg DI (variable printing that revolutionizes mail campaigns)
1st Trade bindery & Lettershop for the region (nice to have competitors trust us w/their work)
1st to introduce PURLs, QR Codes, cross media & mobile campaigns

Our business has customers in all 50 states, with our largest accounts in areas as far away as Chicago and Bermuda. Wow… talk about adapting to CHANGE! This business has been a far cry from my early expectation that all one had to do to create a nickel was to load paper, a document handler and push a green button :).

AccuLink resides on 12 acres of prime real estate, with a state-of-the-art 75,000 sf production facility as well as two satellite copy centers in the nearby cities of New Bern and Goldsboro. We have continued to grow because of our work ethic and dedication to our customers, employees and environment. We have received numerous awards of excellence within our trade associations and recently were recognized with the prestigious “Industry of the Year” award. We believe in being stewards to our communities by giving back to local nonprofit organizations, having contributed well over $150,000 to worthy causes. We are one of the county’s largest recyclers of paper and adhere to a strict chain of custody standards for socially responsible and sustainable forests.

When asked about my proudest achievement I can’t help but respond that it is the knowledge that our fellow employees and customers continue to stand with us. We truly are a collective family now. Satisfaction comes from living by The Golden Rule and surrounding yourself with others who do the same.

How true it is that “everything you need to succeed in life is taught in kindergarten”. Thank you for all of your support through the years as we celebrate our 30 years of business together!

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Integrating QR Codes

2010-08-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

August 2, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Here are the Top 10 mistakes to avoid when integrating two dimensional (2D) codes – such as Quick Response (QR) Codes, Scanbuy’s ScanLife EZcodes or Microsoft Tag scan codes – in your U.S. marketing plans. See full article here.

The sooner you get started with 2D codes, the sooner you may receive traditional media coverage; buzz; and word-of-mouth for activating and engaging your community on their smartphones.

But, careful in your gold-rush to launch to get that extra buzz. Making a mistake with your 2D code marketing plans is easy. While you might get an “A” for effort, you could easily get an “F” – flamed for an easily avoidable tactical execution error, as New York City was by Mashable and describe in the Top 2 mistake (below).

Not Linking the Scan Code to Content That Adds Value – adding-value might include a “how to install” video or video teaser for a new TV show; sweepstakes; launch an app in the Apple iTunes App Store for immediate downloading; an RSS feed (dynamic info) optimized for a smartphone; or walking directions from an outdoor poster to a hard-to-find venue. It’s unlikely that linking to your home page will add value. Engage! Add value! And, make sure your landing page is working!

Not Linking the Scan Code to a Mobile Site – (and not explaining what content that the code links to). While New York City generated a ton of media converge for their big, innovative use of QR codes, unfortunately, as Mashable reported (6/10/10), “the QR codes miss the mark and don’t provide an optimized experience for scanners on their mobile device. Also, keep in mind if your team is designing on big screens, make sure they are using smartphones to make sure their work is viewable/readable/working on a small smartphone screen."

Not Tracking Your Scan Codes’ Usage – use a service that allows you to track the data and analytics from your scans. And, use multiple codes in a campaign even if all the codes goes to the same video or webpage. This way, you can track usage by media placement. Plus, the destination for a code may be different depending on how it’s used. For example, a code that appears on an item that requires installation might link to a “how to install” video while an outdoor board might link to shout-out videos from happy customers. Make print clickable. Now you will know if your print campaign is ‘mobilizing’ your community to take action.

Not Providing Directions on How to Get a Free Scanner App – in the U.S., telling your audience how to get a free scanner app is (almost always) a must. Because 2D barcodes are still so new in this country [United States], companies should fully explain the codes they are using, where and how to download a reader app and what the code will link to

Not Having at Least Two Modules of Space Around the Scan Code – sweat the details! It’s not enough to proof your codes when they are generated, they need to work when placed in your marketing tools next to text or art. Plus, the background and scan code colors can also affect the scan-ability of your codes. Before you begin production, test with different mobile scanning apps – and smartphone devices.

Printing the Scan Code Too Small – the size of a QR code may vary based on the code’s density. When/where size matters, EZcodes can be as small as a dime.Typically QR codes are anywhere from 2x the size of an EZcode to 10x the size of an EZcode, but the QR codes that [ScanLife] generate can always be a minimum of 1 inch. Typically, QR codes that are not generated by ScanLife, are larger because the information is include in the code itself (rather than the EZcode that “points to” a database for the content or call-to-action). See page 2 of this brochure for a terrific chart showing a comparison of size examples of EZcodes versus QR scan codes.

Placing a Scan Code Where There is No Internet Access – for example, until the New York City subway system has reliable, free internet service, why place the code inside a subway car? (That’s exactly what Freelancers Union did).

Not Using a URL Shortener – For example, if you are using a URL for walking directions for Google Maps, you must use a URL shortener, to avoid a humongous size QR code. Keep the url short. When you put all that data inside of a QR code, may be (needlessly) making your code dense and big. You either print it full-size (and take up too much space) or you shrink it (and your audience may not be able to scan it). Not Having Enough Bandwidth To Support Your Success – surprise! You’re campaigns a success, but you don’t have enough bandwidth to support the traffic.

Not Getting Started With Scan Codes – Stuck in research mode? Trying to navigate a multi-silo organization? Get started now. It’s a new way to engage your audience. The value of traditional media coverage you may receive by starting with scan codes now may exceed the entire cost for a year of integrating scan codes into your marketing. Wait too long, and you may miss that valued-added buzz-marketing, grass-roots opportunity.

Using a Free Scan Code Generator for Business – if you use a free scan code generator on the web for business to create your scan code – you will: a) not be able to change the URL that is “hardwired” into the code (static versus dynamic); and b) not get usage analytics. Plus, your audience may have trouble reading the scan code either because of their scanning app, smartphone or mobile browser. You are also at risk of making a BIG-SIZE scan code. If you shrink the scan code when you print it, your audience may have difficulty scanning it.

Bonus Mistake: Not Engaging a Scan Code Expert – It is rocket science! Just because QR Codes work in Japan it does not automatically mean that the different smartphone technology in the U.S. will work fine with your scan code. For example, dense QR codes that can be read in Japan with an auto-focus smartphone can be difficult to read on a non-auto-focus smartphone camera in the U.S.

From the blog:
That's GREAT!
a Blog by GREAT! CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dan Smigrod
August 2, 2010

News Release Suggestions

2010-08-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what the best way to format a news release is? Well here are some excellent suggestions from Bill Doehler (doehler@e-consortium.com) at E-Consortium:

Article Link

It is important that you call each publication prior to faxing the PR to find out exactly who to direct it to, and equally important that you call again after you send it to follow up and make contact with the publisher. The content of the release should be presented in the context of a real human interest story that people would be interested in hearing about (“Local business overcomes adversity…”), and should also speak to your intention to grow your business, and imply that the growth will create jobs for example.

Finally, you should consider buying an ad in a couple of the publications. They are more inclined to pay attention to news coming from a customer. If you are lucky, you might wind up having a feature story done about your business (which would be a definite HOME RUN!).

Great tips worth sharing! Thanks Bill!

Marketing 101 with direct mail:

2010-08-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Direct mail, direct response, whatever you name it, still provides one of the most guaranteed methods of reaching a prospect. Email marketing is completely over sold, unless - UNLESS - it's an opt-in program. SPAM email marketing is dead.

Therefore, this is a great area to invest. Multi-channel, targeted, individualized communications will reach their recipient (not so with email necessarily) AND if done correctly, will generate a response. If the value is there, they will take action.

However, one fatal mistake print customers make is to underestimate the number hits it takes in order to solicit the response they are looking for. One postcard with an offer may not be enough (and generally isn't) to capture the attention and achieve the behavior necessary for the prospect to take action. I see this happen all the time.

There are many other factors, here are a few:

Of course value is key. Does the recipient understand and recognize the value that you are offering? Is the message clear? Is there an action that is required?
Targeted messaging. Is the offer something that the recipient can use, IE: is it valuable to them? EX: Selling a skiing trip to a retired senior versus selling a cruise. EX: Selling a Minivan to a single man versus selling a Mustang. EX: Selling life insurance to a teenager versus selling life insurance to a 40 something father of three. Does your communication piece 'speak to them'? If mailing to seniors, you need to have larger fonts, easier to read layout, images that relate to them... etc. Younger people want to look at younger people and have designs/fonts etc. more to their likes/dislikes. One set of content/layout/design templates will not be as effective.
Timing. This is almost always overlooked. For maximum response, the message has to be timed correctly. If you send me a coupon for my oil change right after I just had my oil changed, then the likelihood I would respond would be low. However, if I am supposed to enroll in my 401K prior to July 31st then a 'campaign' of communications perhaps beginning as early as May and continuing through early July in order to have the forms filled out, the payroll withdrawals set, etc. would be effective. Other things that relate to timing include frequency of communications and seasonal opportunities.
Preferred method of communication. If you can capture this, it is extremely valuable. Would the recipient prefer an email? a web link? a postcard? a phone call? This can really dramatically improve the response rate and close percentages of business. I found very few mailing campaigns captured this type of information.
Response tracking, recipient validation and follow up. This is an obvious one. Who responded to the mailing? What action did they take or not take? Did you give them a chance to update their contact data? Did you give them a chance to request a follow up call?
Couple direct mail with cross media tools such as opt in landing pages (GURLs) and personalized landing pages (PURLs) and you have the ability to add metrics to your campaign. These tools allow for a two way conversation with your prospect by collecting information voluntarily such that future communications are refined to topics relevant to their interests.
QR Codes also allow for measurable data as well as access to the “Holy Grail” of personal contact...the Mobile Phone. QR Codes can link printed documents to all sorts of social media sites, opt in landing pages and even video messages. This is an exciting connection between the physical world of print and the virtual world of the internet.

QR Codes on my Business Card? So what?

2010-05-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

QR Code business cards. Undoubtedly you have seen these, but how do you keep the contact info in your QR code current when your info changes and you need to print more cards? You have to throw your old cards away now right? Wrong! Go to www.b2vcard.com. This site allows you to create a QR code business card and a profile that you can update as your personal profile changes. This means that as things change even your old business cards with outdated contact information have a QR code that pulls in your current V-card information when scanned. You can still hand out your business cards and the barcode will scan with your current correct information. This is great if you need to hand out cards before your new ones arrive. Just tell the person you hand it to to scan it for your current contact details.

You can then upload your own PDF artwork for the card or use one of the existing templates to set your own and they will be printed as you specify and shipped to you anywhere in the world. You can insure that your QR code always scans with the most current contact information by updating your profile for free any time the information changes.

Use www.b2vcard.com to produce QR code business cards for your customers and yourself. Allow recipients of your cards to add your contact information to their address book without all of the typing. Best of all, the prices are really cheap for this great technology.

Click here http://vimeo.com/6624198 to view a demo of this technology or go to www.b2vcard.com to learn more now.

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 4

2010-03-31T09:49:00.001-07:00

Today we bring you part four of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Five – Testing & Maintenance

In “Step Four – Code”, a few applications were mentioned as tools that aid web designers to code their sites. Those same programs can aid in the testing step. The higher end editing programs: Dreamweaver, Coda and Aptana, include validation services. Simply running these commands in the program may solve a lot of issues that may occur during coding. You don’t have this luxury if you are using a basic text editor, but you are not out of luck. W3C has a code validation service http://validator.w3.org/, which allows you to validate a site via a URL, ftp upload or directly placing the code into a form field.

For visual testing, it is important to have a copy of each browser available. Again, download Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. For multiple versions of Internet Explorer, use IE Tester http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage. Check that elements are aligned as intended, spacing is consistent and check for script errors.

Fix Internet Explorer specific issues by targeting the version causing an issue and resolving it with a specific fix. This can be done by creating an IE specific CSS file with the specific fix included by using an if/then conditional in the HTML. This technique will come in handy for any differences in the Explorer version of your site.

EX: This specifically targets all Internet Explorer browsers under version 7.

Test, then test again. Have someone else test the site. If you are not fortunate enough to have a group of people to test the site, send it to friends and family. Take note of technical issues as well as any complaints/suggestions about user interface. Having people other than you, that have never seen the site, test for you is a great asset. It is sometimes nice to stand over the shoulder and take notes, quietly.

The five steps mentioned in these posts are a good overview to the process. Additional information can be found on the web as well. Remember to observe the accessibility rules, pay attention to trends in web design and keep your code clean. With the upcoming release of HTML5 and CSS3, there are new possibilities on the horizon to take note of as well. Web design is a constant learning process, but the basics remain the same. The most important step is gathering the right information in the beginning. This gives a clear direction and allows for a smooth flow between all of the steps of the design process.

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 3

2010-03-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part three of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Four - Code.
This is written for someone with some knowledge of HTML and CSS.

There are tools available to aid a designer when coding the front-end of a website. First of all, you will need an HTML editor. There are a number of very powerful applications available for editing: Adobe Dreamweaver, Aptana Studio, Coda (Mac), TextMate (Mac), but editing can also be done in something as simple as NotePad or TextEdit. Second of all, every web designer should have every major browser loaded on their system for testing. For multiple versions of Internet Explorer, I suggest IE Tester http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage. Some other tools to be aware of are Firefox add-on called Web Developer Tools https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60 and FireBug https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843. These tools allow you to debug and monitor code on any pages you build.

Now that you have the right tools there are some good rules of thumb to follow when actually writing your code.

Start the document with the correct doctype. This is the very first part of any web page:
Place all custom Styles into external CSS files and link between the tags of the HTML document.
Reduce page load times by placing any at the end of the document, just before the ending tag. This may not work for all but it is worth experimenting to reduce load times.
For ease of readability, indent HTML tags that are inside of other HTML tags and comment after closing tags so that their hierarchy is clear.
Learn all of the HTML tags.
Learn all of the CSS attributes
Use CSS shorthand and combining properties in a single line. This is more efficient for the browser and more efficient when editing.

The original CSS…

p {
- font: bold 12px "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans;
- font-style:bold;
- font-weight:bold;
- color:#000000;
- font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, serif;
- font-size:12px;
- margin-top:6px;
- margin-right:10px;
- margin-bottom:8px;
- margin-left:20px;
- border-width:1px;
- border-style:solid;
- border-color:#333333;
- padding-top:6px;
- padding-right:6px;
- padding-bottom:6px;
- padding-left:6px;
}

..can be re-written, using CSS shorthand, as…

p {
- font: bold 12px "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans;
- color:#000;
- margin: 6px 10px 8px 20px;
- padding: 6px;
- border: 1px solid #333;
}

8. Organize your CSS using comments as seperators. This will also make editing more efficient.
Ex: /* ------ Global Styles ------ */
9. As mentioned in the design step, accessibility is very important. Use the W3C accessibility guidelines [http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211] for reference.

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Tune in Monday, April 12 for Part 4 of the series

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 2

2010-03-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part two of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Three - Design Layout.
Designing a layout consists of much more than creating beautiful graphics and adding text to a page. A well designed web page delivers clear communication. Many of the questions asked in the client interview will clearly define what is to be communicated. Each piece of the content must have a purpose or else it should be regarded as clutter and removed. If a user/prospective customer is confused, they will go somewhere else. Less thinking = less confusion. Remember that white-space is a design element and it increases comprehension.

Studies have shown that users don’t read pages, they tend to scan the content. This is referred to as an “F-Shaped” pattern of reading. A web user’s eyes tend to focus on elements within these regions, so use that to your advantage. Put important content in these areas such as a “call to action” or main headlines. Make it quick and easy for visitors to get to the content they want. Another concept of reading gravity is called the “Gutenberg Rule” which splits a page into quadrants. The top-left content is the “primary area” and the bottom-right content is the “terminal area”. The other two sections are the “fallow areas” or areas that get less attention. With this method, buttons should be placed in the “terminal area” since that is where the reader’s eye will rest. This content is important to catching a user’s attention and enticing them to read the rest of your content.

If the 960 grid system is used in the wire framing step, then it is easy to implement a grid-based layout for the design. Grids are used in every type of design and are a way to logically order page elements. In web design a grid-based layout helps to maintain consistency site-wide and aid in another important design element, balance.

The use of color is a great tool in design to focus attention. This is prevalent in many retail sites that put emphasis on shopping carts or software download sites that have a “download” button. Macy’s uses its brand color red, to point out interest areas for the user. The eye moves from the logo to the offer on the right and then to the “checkout” button.

Aviary uses yellow to identify the buttons for each of its programs as well as the “sign up” button. Also, notice that the content is located inside of the “F-shaped” pattern. Legacy Locker’s main page uses a limited palette of blue tones while the “Sign Up Now” button stands out in green. Often, keeping a limited palette is very effective to clear communication and unity on a site. Icons are a quick communication tool used throughout User Interface (UI) design. There are conventions in place that users are familiar with almost universally. A link to a home page may be represented by a house icon. This is commonly know and quickly recognizable. Keep these things in mind as you process the design layout.

Good typography is essential to clear communication in any design. Web typography is no different and many advances have been made in this area.When CSS2 was born in 1998, web type became a little more dynamic allowing linking to fonts via style sheets. With the upcoming implementation of CSS3 and HTML5, a designer is given even more control over typography. Designers have a multitude of typefaces available for desktop publishing, but web designers have long been limited to either using the standard web fonts or making custom type a graphic. There are current “helpers” that web designers can implement such as Scalable Inman Flash Replacement (sIFR) and @font-face in CSS but keeping cross-browser compatibility in mind, some techniques will work and some will not. These replacement tools help the designer to achieve the type style that they could not with standard html. Another key to good web typography is using the correct characters. Using quotes, primes, ampersands, em dashes and en dashes appropriately increases readability of content.

A visually stunning website means nothing to someone who is visually impaired. Accessibility is a very important part of the design process. Much of the implementation of accessibility will be done in the coding step, but it is important to take into account at this stage. There are official sites for accessibility rules and they should be followed. In fact, there are laws regarding web accessibility. The UK has the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and, if you design anything related to the U.S. Government, you should be aware of the 508 Act http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=3. A good guide to follow is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) accessibility standards http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/.

Entire libraries could be written on each of these points. An effective web design comes from experience and a clear understanding of the user base. Be sure to keep elements consistent across a site. Consistency will increase clarity and unite the look and feel of the site. Pay attention to web design trends but do not sacrifice clear communication for fancy techniques.
**********************************************************
Tune in Thursday, April 8 for Part 3 of the series

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 1

2010-03-31T06:07:00.000-07:00

In the following four-part series, we will share with you some excellent tips on successful web design that will help you create effective websites for your clients.

Step One - Design Brief/ Scope of Work.
The most important part to the design process in general is the research phase. This applies heavily to successful web design as information is number one on a website. In this step, goals and a clear direction are defined.

A few icebreaker questions to get a client talking and figure out what they really like are essential to developing a clear direction for the design. Start by learning about the business and their customers in these four different areas.

Learn about the business…
1. Do you currently have a website?
2. If not, do you have an idea of a domain name you would like?
3. If you have a website, what do you not like about it?
4. Do you have a logo? If so, do you have a style guide or brand guidelines we can follow to maintain brand identity?

Learn about their customers/users…
1. Who is your audience?
2. How do your clients perceive your business?
3. What makes your company different from others in your industry?
4. What role will the web site play in your business? Sales tool? Informational? eCommerce?

Learn about their likes and dislikes…
1. What are your competitor’s websites?
2. What other sites do you like why?
3. What other sites do you not like and why?

Learn about the project…
1. What is the budget range for this project?
2. What is the schedule?
3. Who will supply content?
4. Will there be a need for a database, content management system, secured transactions or other back-end setup?

These basic questions are a good starting point from which to begin discussions with your client. It is always best to gather as much information as possible before beginning a project and set goals and expectations early. Thorough planning includes asking plenty of questions and listening to your client's needs carefully. Really get a feel for their business and what they offer to their customers. This will show the client that you know what you are doing and lead to less revisions later in the process.

Step Two - Site-map and Wire-frame.
After the client interview, the designer can begin the planning step for the website. Planning a site-map helps to nail down what content goes where and how a user will navigate that content. The site-map is a structure that shows how the site's pages link together. There are many visualization applications available to aid in building great looking site-maps. The top two applications are OmniGraffle for the Mac, and Visio for Windows, but a pencil and sketch paper works great too.

Once a site-map is approved, it is time to move on to the structure of each page. This is done through a wire-frame. Again, there are many applications available to aid in building some great looking wire-frames. One great resource for laying out a page from wire-frame to final design is Nathan Smith’s 960 grid [http://960.gs/]. This package includes sketch sheet pdf files that work great for wire framing. The advantage of using this system is that the package also includes templates in 12 and 16 column layouts for popular imaging programs like Photoshop, InDesign, OmniGraffle, Visio and more.

While wire framing, focus on organizing content on the page and keep it simple.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
– Leonardo Da Vinci

AccuLink wins PICA Awards

2010-03-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

PRINTING EXCELLENCE IN THE CAROLINAS RECOGNIZED

March 6, 2010 (CHARLOTTE, NC): The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) recognized AccuLink of Greenville as a 2009 PICA Awards winner. Since 1966, the PICA Awards have been the premier symbol of excellence for the graphics industry in North and South Carolina. The PICA Awards demonstrate a company’s commitment to excellence in graphic communications.

AccuLink received four Best of Category Awards in Business Cards, Combination Finishing Techniques, Digital Printing: Booklets, and Foil Stamping, as well as two Special Judges Awards in Digital Printing: Books and Printer's Self-Promotion: Campaigns.

Winners were announced March 6, 2010, at the 43rd Annual PICA Awards Banquet, held at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa in Concord, North Carolina. The PICA Awards program is open to all printing companies in the Carolinas.

The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) is a trade association representing the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. North Carolina ranks as the 14th largest state print market in the United States with $4.4 billion in sales, 889 total printing establishments and 25,709 employees. South Carolina ranks 31st in the nation with $1.8 billion in sales, 337 establishments, and 10,208 employees. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, PICA has been serving the print industry for over 75 years. For more information, visit http://www.picanet.org/.

Four of the most important things to consider when sending a direct mail piece

2010-02-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here at AccuLink, our clients rely on the expertise of our outstanding MPQC certified mailing department to make sure we meet or exceed their expectations of success of their mail campaigns. In order to do that, certain “rules” must be followed. Doug Mewborn, head of our Mailing Department offers these important tips:

Message needs to be catchy, clear and concise to draw the recipient’s attention. All mail is faced in the same direction when placed in mailboxes by the postman. Therefore, a person taking mail from their mailbox always looks at the address side of the mail. If it is a bill or something that is of interest, they put it in a pile. If it is “solicitation mail” they may or may not keep it. One major key in encouraging a person to at least turn it over to see the pretty picture (which many people insist on using on the back side of a direct mail piece) is to have a catchy marketing phrase or tag line on the front address side of sufficient size, color, content to catch the attention of the recipient. This tag line must register with the recipient within 1-2 seconds or the piece will probably get tossed in the garbage with its message on the back or inside gone forever.

Size of a marketing piece matters. Most mail is either a #10 size envelope or smaller. If a marketing piece is made larger (such as 6" tall by 11.5" wide, which will not increase postage on standard mail) then this piece will stick up and out from the stack of mail coming out of the mailbox. This improves the chance of being seen.
Timing of a marketing piece matters. I’ve always felt the best day to have a piece in a recipients mailbox is Tuesday. This is usually the slowest mail day of the week. This improves the chance of being seen. Tuesday delivery is sometimes hard to accomplish, however. DDU mail drops along with “requested delivery dates” on the mail bundles often helps accomplish this.

Official looking mail is out. Preparing marketing mail to appear to be an “official” type of mailing went out with the hula hoop. Rather than pretend the piece is something it is not, just be up front – sell what you have – not Savings Bonds.

Targeting the right prospect is crucial...

2010-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Business Challenge

In March 2009, AccuLink’s client approached them with a unique situation: How to successfully market a home for auction during a housing downturn. Although the house, located in Beaufort County, NC, was desirable waterfront property ‐ times were tight. The average time on market was 249 days. It was the middle of a recession. And, like the rest of the nation, housing prices were way off ‐ in nearby Pitt County, they had fallen nearly 25 percent.

The client’s initial plan was to obtain Beaufort County property tax records and send out a mass mailing.

“He wanted to mail to everybody,” said Tom O’Brien, co-owner at AccuLink.

At the same time, targeting the right prospect was crucial. An auction for luxury waterfront property needed to attract a very specific segment to be successful. “He was worried about getting the right people to show up and bid on the property,” said O’Brien.

Experience told O’Brien that there was a better way to target nearby luxury home buyers. “A general property tax list wouldn’t pinpoint the exact type of buyer he wanted.” After telling his client, “I don’t think I would do that,” O’Brien suggested a different approach ‐ a targeted mailing list from USADATA.

The Solution

Instead of a scattershot approach based on property tax records, targeted mailing lists allow companies to choose the exact demographic characteristics they want their mailer to reach. In this case, O’Brien recommended that his client target high income individuals in nearby Pitt County, rather than people already living in Beaufort County. Additionally, O’Brien suggested that they filter out people who already owned a second home, figuring that they wouldn’t be in the market to purchase another one.

They started the process by using USADATA’s online QuickPick targeting. QuickPick targeting allows customers to select a pre‐defined segment representing their best prospects in just one click. For additional mailing list assistance they contacted a USADATA Data Specialist. The Specialist worked with O’Brien to further refine the mailing list and develop the count and price quote.

“It’s important to work with a mailing list company who will spend time to help you make smarter choices,” said O’Brien. “It’s a much more personalized way of doing business.”

Together, with USADATA’s help, they created a highly targeted mailing list that targeted professionals earning more than $150,000 a year in neighboring Pitt County. Selection criteria included:
· Zip code area
· Age
· Net Worth
· Interest in real estate investing

Results

The auction was an unprecedented success: The house sold for more than $100,000 more than the owners expected. O’Brien was surprised at the auction price, but, then again he’s seen how successful mailing lists from USADATA have been for his clients.

Jon Rapkin, Senior Vice‐President of Sales for USADATA, is pleased with the campaign’s success. “This case study shows the power of a targeted mailing list,” said Rapkin. “This home auction’s success was helped by reaching the right people at the right time.”

Today, the client is thrilled with his results. He was so pleased with the success from his first mailing that he’s strategizing a new direct mail campaign with AccuLink ‐ and planning to work with USADATA for their mailing list expertise.

“They are a great group of people,” says O’Brien. “They give a darn about your success.”

USAData Case Study with AccuLink

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 4

2010-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today we bring you part four of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

Seven tips for improving your email design

In its white paper “Email Design No-Nos Guide for Nondesigners¹”, online marketing solutions provider Lyris offers advice on making sure your email graphics and design lift, rather than depress, response:

· Bear in mind that graphics are often blocked. That doesn’t mean you have to resort to text-only messages. But “when reviewing email layouts ask the designer to show two versions—one with images visible and one with the images blocked. Both need to work equally well,” Lyris suggests.

· Also bear in mind that Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) do not work with all email clients. Outlook 2007 and Gmail, for instance, ignore CSS coding created on an external file and linked to the email. Unless you use Inline CSS to format your design, your emails may not render correctly in all email clients.

· Use your alt tag copy to sell. Alt tags are the HTML code that provides alternative text (hence the name) for images that cannot be displayed. “Many marketers settle for alt tag copy that simply tells the reader how to turn the images on. In today’s environment, you can rest assured that most email users know how to do this. Instead, why not consider giving the customer a benefit to turning the image on to see what it is? Try describing the product if the image is a picture of something for sale. Or selling the event or service through copy if the image is not product-related.”

· Don’t make your call to action a graphic. That goes for phone numbers, URLs, and verbiage such as “call now” or “click here”.

· Include a call to action in the preview pane. The preview pane or window is the two- to four-inch-high space that many recipients see in their email inbox before they opt to open or discard the message. “Enewsletters should include headlines or ‘in this issue’ content teasers. Promotional emails should summarise or highlight the key value proposition and call to action. And definitely do not put any administrative items like unsubscribe or ‘add us to your email address book’ in this space at the top of your email.”

· Make the most of preheaders. Also known as snippet text, this is a brief bit of verbiage that appears in the inbox of some email clients along with the subject line. For instance, Gmail users viewing their inbox on a PC see the first few words of the email message immediately following the subject line. Outlook’s AutoPreview mode reveals a brief amount of text directly below the subject line. The text picked up by the email client is usually from the first line of the email message, so bear that in mind when crafting your messages.

· Test your emails in a variety of email clients to see how each renders the messages. By now it should be apparent that how your email appears to a recipient using Outlook isn’t necessarily how it will appear to a recipient using Yahoo! or reading the message via a mobile device. “A quick scan of your list or database report should tell you which email clients are popular with your audience,” Lyris notes. “At the very least, send tests to Outlook 2007, Gmail, and a mobile device, since these are the email clients most notorious for mangling formatting.”

¹Published: 12th May 2009
Article Link

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 3

2010-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today we bring you part three of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

5 Not obvious ways to improve your email campaign

Just about everyone knows the basics of improving the effectiveness of an email campaign: keep your lists clean, make the content relevant, segment your file. But in its white paper “20 Quick Tips for Improving Your Email Programs¹,” email services provider StrongMail Systems offers some often-overlooked suggestions as well:

· Know your SNDS rating. SNDS stands for Smart Network Data Services, and according to StrongMail it’s “the Windows Live Postmaster Group’s method for reviewing your IP address(es). Microsoft has introduced the SNDS rating system as a way to fight spam, viruses and other email abuse… Microsoft provides ISPs with mail traffic data from all the domains hosted by Windows Live Mail and Hotmail. The ISPs in turn use that data to help prevent spam from being sent from their IP addresses.”

· Test your template code. “Program your email templates and test them through a rendering tool at the onset of the template introduction,” StrongMail advises. “Keep master copies of these separate from the ones reused in every mailing to avoid code corruption.” StrongMail also suggests avoiding XHTML.

· Determine your top domains and throttle accordingly. “Throttling” email is a matter of making sure you do not exceed an ISP’s limits regarding inbound mail volume or speed. Exceeding those limits can hurt your email deliverability. To ensure that you don’t, make a list of the domains that receive the bulk of your email messages, then check each one’s policies on inbound deliveries and if necessary modify your delivery rules.

· Link into feedback loops. A feedback loop (FBL) is an ISP’s report to an email sender of recipients who are reporting the sender’s messages as spam. You need to know about these complaints so that you can prove to the ISP that you are not a spammer before it blacklists you in response to the complaints. Various ISPs use different FBLs, so you need to visit the postmaster sites of each to sign up to receive the reports.

· Accommodate recipients who use handheld devices. “More and more people are using handheld devices to access their email, and for those users, it can be an aggravating experience thumb-scrolling through dozens of HTML links before they ever see your first image or text block related to the message content,” StrongMail reports. It offers two ways to accommodate these recipients, though “in either case, you will need to include language at the top of the message and a link to encourage them to click through”:  

Program a text message in the text window of your campaign management application. Use the recipient agent data to determine what browser was used to open the message, then flag that recipient record as a handheld user and always send that recipient text. 
Host the HTML version of your message and ask handheld users to click to view the HTML.

¹Published: 15th April 2008
Article Link

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Tune in Thursday, January 28 for Part 4: Seven tips for improving your email design.

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 2

2010-01-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today we bring you part two of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

Ten tips for improved email deliverability

Email can be a highly cost-effective marketing tool—assuming your emails make it to their destination. To improve the likelihood of your messages getting through, email services provider Silverpop offers a number of suggestions:

1. Minimize spam complaints. That’s commonsensical enough; but how? For starters, be sure to send emails only to permission-based lists, and make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe. “Don’t send unexpected mail,” writes Silverpop in its white paper “Email Delivery Rates Above 95 Percent: 16 ‘Must Dos’ to Make It Happen”¹. “If subscribers opted in to receive your ‘Tips & Tricks’ newsletter, don’t suddenly start sending them your pure product promotion emails, unless they clearly requested them.” Avoid exclamation points in your subject lines, flashing red type fonts and anything else that smacks of spam.

2. Validate email addresses at the opt-in stage. According to Silverpop, you can add code to your sign-up forms that detects typos and incomplete addresses and then notifies the subscriber of the mistake immediately.

3. Make sure your coding is accurate and standardized and that your messages render properly in a variety of formats. Before sending an email, view it on multiple platforms and web browsers, with images on and off. In addition, a number of software programs are available to check your messages and templates for coding, content and other elements that could lead to a spam filter or an ISP blocking them.

4. Unless your email volume is very low or sporadic, use a dedicated IP address. If you share an IP address with other senders of email—even if those senders are other divisions within your company—you could find emails blocked or blacklisted because of problems in messages that they send.

5. Authenticate your messages with the major protocols. Many of the major ISPs check messages for authentication with Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Sender ID and increasingly, Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM). Your IT staff or email service provider can help with this.

6. Use your company or brand name in the “from” line. While you’re at it, make sure the message line is clear. “Avoid overly aggressive subject lines. What might work in direct mail may get you a high spam complaint rate in email.”

7. Keep your list clean. Remove hard-bouncing addresses—those that are nonexistent or blocked—immediately, as well as any addresses that have generated a spam complaint. And don’t retry soft bounces—failed deliveries due to a full mailbox, an unavailable server or another temporary reason—repeatedly. “Most email marketing systems are set to retry bounces from one to three times over the course of about three days,” according to Silverpop. “Many systems will also not retry at all to certain ISPs such as AOL.” Don’t exceed those rules of thumb.

8. Comply with ISP throttling limits. This is how many messages can be sent within a given time frame, and the limits vary by ISP.

9. Monitor your sender reputation. Microsoft’s Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) provides a summary of how Hotmail/Livemail perceives a sender’s IP address; many other ISPs offer feedback loops, listings of recipients who are reporting a sender’s messages as spam. Sign up to receive these.

10. Track your delivery rates and related metrics. At the very least, monitor hard bounces, spam complaints, unsubscribes, any blacklists you may have been added to and inbox delivery rates by ISP.

¹Published: 30th September 2008
Article Link

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Tune in Monday, January 25 for Part 3: 5 Not obvious ways to improve your email campaign.

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 1

2010-01-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

As we work on pURL campaigns for clients that involve email marketing, we often find ourselves educating our clients on the best practices needed in order to garner the success expected. In the following four-part series, we will share with you what we have learned through our research in email marketing and how valuable it can be in helping educate your clients.

Quick pointers for better email marketing

In the July 2009 issue of Catalogue e-business¹, DotMailer’s business development director, Tink Taylor, takes an in-depth look at his company’s Hitting the Mark 2009 benchmark report on marketing email. Here are his top five email marketing tips for retailers:

1) Include “forward to a friend” and “add to social networks” links. Half of the marketers surveyed in the benchmark study failed to include any kind of viral link in their emails. Yet viral and word-of-mouth marketing is an inexpensive way to spread your marketing messages, drive traffic, collect contact information, and ultimately boost sales.

2) Personalize your greeting. Seventy percent of the emails reviewed failed to open with a personalized greeting—even though such personalization has been proven to significantly improve both open and click-through rates.

3) Check renderability before sending. Nineteen percent of recipients will delete an email unread if it fails to display properly—and only 20 percent of the emails reviewed rendered correctly in every type of email account.

4) Make sure your template has a good balance of text to images. As well as helping your campaign to pass spam filters, this ensures that an email is readable when an email server switches off the images.

5) Present a clear call to action. The key to the success of an email campaign is to help recipients answer three questions: Who is the email from? What’s in it for them? What should they do next? Provide clear guidance on what you expect a recipient to do once he has read your email—click through to a product page, forward to a friend, contact someone in your sales department, request a catalogue.

¹Published: 9th June 2009
Article link
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Tune in Thursday, January 21 for Part 2: Ten tips for improved email.

The Official Social Media and Mobile Glossary of 2010

2010-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

We came across this funny AdvertisingAge article today and felt it was worth sharing on our blog. How many of you can be labeled by more than one buzzword shown below?

Top 20 Labels, Buzzwords to Describe Our Curious Stampede to the Social-Media and Mobile Future
by Pete Blackshaw

My, how the digital times are a-changin'. We're downsizing to small screens, friending the world, thinking in 140 characters and downloading -- dare I say -- "billions and billions" of apps designed to make everything we do simpler, faster and more convenient (well, we think).

And so, only days into 2010, it seems fitting to take a big look over my shoulder (and even into the mirror) and affix labels and buzzwords to our curious stampede to the social media and mobile future. Here's my top 20. Miss anything? Leave comments or tweet me (@pblackshaw).

SPURNED MEDIA: Just like it sounds, earned media that goes horribly negative, invades otherwise pristine search results or bleeds into traditional media. Bad customer service is a top driver of "spurned media."

MOBILENECKING: The alarming tendency to have our necks titled down or shifted sideways -- ever glued to our mobile device. This anywhere, anyplace epidemic is increasingly common in cars, airplanes and crosswalks. Closely related to term "Eyevoidance," where no one looks at anyone anymore.

JACK RIPPER: The device warriors who hog outlets anywhere they can find them -- in the airport, via the USB port of a colleague's computer, even a restaurant reservation desk. They get a charge from a charge.

WIKI WART: A bad piece of news or an embarrassing brand episode (e.g., an activist protest or a social-media campaign that backfired) that just won't go away in a brand's Wikipedia description. PR pros often give false hope to brands of removing the warts, but relentless Wikipedia editors put them right back.

OEDIPOST COMPLEX: The curious neurosis that compels folks to sleep with their Blackberry or iPhone. The afflicted can't stop checking -- even in late hours -- for responses to tweets or blog and Facebook posts.

DECIPROCITY: When everything you post actually decreases your friend and follower count. Even when you friend or follow others, the rules of reciprocity just don't apply. Soul searching is typically in order here.

FAUX POST: When you are talking to someone on the phone and they notice an unrelated tweet or Facebook status update from you showing up in real-time. Bad form -- don't do it. (Trust me!)

APPFUSION: An inevitable outcome of app overload. Very common among iPhone users who download so many apps they can't find their address book. Appfusion can lead to as many problems as the apps solve.

BRAND TEASE: A consumer who "friends" or "fans" a brand, only to never return for a second date. Brands feed the cycle by forgetting to court the consumer with engaging, interesting or sustaining content or value.

CONVERSATIONAL DIVIDE: The huge gap between what marketers preach about social-media "conversations" and the brand's actual customer-service or call-center operations. Stems from cost vs. profit-center tension.

SHELF STORM: When organic search results suddenly go haywire, or shift to the dark side, thanks to the link-love logic of social media. Consider Tiger Woods' search-result shift from 95% positive to 60% hostile (in a matter of days). Or how brands with highly publicized service failures quickly acquire shelf-venom.

APPTOSTERONE: The mojo that fuels intense "mine's bigger/better" conversation about mobile apps. "Dude, you got Bump, but I've got FourSquare." Marketing techies are loaded with Apptosterone.

BUCK SUCKED: The condition that typically slaps you in the face when reading your credit card bill and you see dozens of "dollar" charges for music and "what the heck" iPhone or mobile apps. Expect much more of this as it gets worlds easier and more convenient to pay for online content. (Good news for publishers!)

TRUST LAPSE: The frighteningly popular tendency we have to "open up" our friend network to a cool, unknown social-media service or app. Ego, vanity and impatience often collide with rationality here.

RUNWAY REBEL: That guy (or gal) who keeps the "electronic device" going well past the airline warnings and prohibitions. We see them everywhere, and no one is innocent here.

BLOG DODGER: Someone who has abandoned his or her blog for Twitter or some other lower-hassle social-media substitute. This was big in 2009, and we'll likely see much more of it in 2010.

QUAD STALKERS: Folks from your past who "friend" you (e.g., folks you marginally knew from the high-school quad) and who seem to comment on everything you post on Facebook. Mostly benign, but a tad curious.

TWEET-SHIFTING: Delaying or mixing Twitter posts so axe murderers don't know you're miles from home. Increasingly common as a spousal and family covenant among folks who travel with high frequency.

CURBCASTING: The almost unstoppable cacophony of loud voices barking all manner of silliness into the airwaves thanks to Bluetooth devices. You see this on every street corner and curb.

TWITSTOP: A bathroom detour from a meeting or conversation in order to check e-mail, Twitter or the latest and greatest via an app. (Swear on the Bible, I don't do this ... but I'm told lots of others do.)

DIGITAL DETOX: What we all need -- at least in doses. As we've learned, total digital immersion has side effects. Let's all pursue a roadmap for balance in 2010. (This is likely the topic of my next book, so send feedback.)

Reprinted with permission from January 12, 2010 AdAge Magazine article by
Pete Blackshaw, Exec VP of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services.

Two-dimensional...going beyond 'flat thinking'.

2010-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from our newest white paper on 2D Barcodes. If you would like a copy, please send an email request to: rose.ehrecke@acculink.com with "Whitepaper" in the Subject line.

The current economic climate is forcing marketers to rethink how they reach their customers. What was considered savvy marketing yesterday is considered old news today. We must think outside the box and look to new avenues for generating revenue not only for ourselves but for our clients as well. AccuLink likes to refer to this as going beyond flat thinking.

The emerging generation of consumers falls into the 15-35 year old range. And most consumers in that age range, own mobile phones. In fact, there are more mobile phones than TVs and computers combined in the USA today. One-fifth of consumers access the Internet on their cell phones every day, and among consumers who shop online, 58% have Web-enabled phones. This gives marketers unprecedented access to their customer base not just by text messaging, but also by web. Smart phones are the new personal computer, contact manager, entertainment center and mobile communication device all in one. What form of technology can bring together traditional print, internet, relationship building and metrics? 2D codes.

What are 2D Barcodes (commonly referred to as QR codes)?
A QR-Code is a two dimensional barcode that is designed to have its contents decoded at high speed, allowing for accuracy in link recognition and convenient functionality. The acronym QR is derived from the term Quick Response. QR Codes were created by the Japanese company Denso Wave in 1994 as a way to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. Other industries began seeing how useful they were and started adapting the technology for their own use. From that point, mobile phone companies saw the potential in this technology and came up with QR code readers so that cell phone users could read these codes right from their phones. This technology is widely used in Asia and Europe and was voted trend of the year for 2009 in the UK.

Two dimensional barcodes are being used in convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). The basic idea is simple. The user scans a two dimensional barcode with a cell phone loaded with barcode reader software and it takes the user directly to a web page with marketing content. This might be coupons, promotional videos, a survey, a blog, or product purchase page. The URL can also be a link to download an MP3, dial a telephone number, or auto-fill your email client with a sender address. Two dimensional bar codes storing addresses and URLs have appeared in magazines, on signs, business cards, billboards, even coffee mugs and t-shirts.

Because scanning a two dimensional code is much easier than entering a URL into a phone by hand, these codes are touted for their ability to reduce the barrier to response. This can translate into higher response rates from consumers with web-enabled phones. Interaction takes place immediately – creating a faster way to reach the consumer. People are more likely to respond to an ad at the point of initial interest, than waiting to access the content from a computer. Higher response rates increase a marketer’s ability to form new relationships (via text messages, electronic coupons, email opt ins, etc) that may never have occurred via more traditional channels of advertising.

To view the white paper in its entirety, be sure to send an email request to the address listed above.

And The Winner Is...

2009-11-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

The “Big Gun” tattoo of Randy Eubanks of Suncoast Marketing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida won his organization their very own branded online ordering site for the “coolest business cards on the planet” by AccuLink and their latest storefront at B2vCARDs.com . Randy was one of many value added resellers that participated in a promotion presented by AccuLink at the recent Print Solutions Conference held in Chicago, IL this Fall.

In advance of the trade show AccuLink mailed a folded self mailer with a removable tattoo attached displaying a 2D code to all registered attendees. The mailer described the new technology associated with 2D codes (also known as “QR” or “Quick Response” codes) as well as the launch of AccuLink’s new and unique B2vCARDs. The incentive to come visit the AccuLink booth encouraged attendees to display the most creative application of the tattoo and receive a branded B2vCARDs.com storefront for the winner. After censoring and reviewing the results of the participants it was determined that Randy’s impressive biceps and unique design deserved the winning prize. B2vCARDs.com is an online storefront for business cards that transforms the common business card into an interactive and dynamic sales tool. When entering B2vCARDs.com the registrant enters whatever profile information he/she would like to pass on to another’s address book (also known as a vCARD). The registrant also may enter a URL of choice that he would like to direct their contact to. This URL could be anything from a Linkedin profile, a home web site or a Youtube video – literally any URL desired. B2vCARDs.com then transforms this data into scannable 2D Codes that interact with application enabled cell phones. The principle behind this new 2D code technology is to instantly connect browser enabled cell phones (with cameras) with the internet and, in this case, vCARD profile information. When the vCARD 2D code on back of a B2vCARD is scanned, the participant’s smart phone instantly uploads the card’s contact information. If the other URL 2D code is scanned the participant is directed to a web site that can be a static landing page, a video or even an opt in page to gather survey information.

“2D codes will revolutionize the value of printed media from this day forward” claims Lindsay Gray, vice president and co-owner of AccuLink and founder of B2vCARDs.com. “The old school business card is now a commodity – our B2vCARD technology now makes those cards obsolete. Imagine the value to a salesman who can witness a contact scanning his card and knowing from that moment forward all of his vital contact information is stored in his prospects CRM system. Not only is this a great ice breaker but it is a convenient utility too!”.

AccuLink has only just begun researching 2D codes and its many applications. In fact, the benefits to marketers are where the AccuLink focus is now. Since 2D codes connect printed material to the internet, AccuLink is offering turnkey marketing services that begin with the creation of unique 2D codes that guide participants into web based “opt-in” sites where responses are measured, collected and reported back to campaign managers.

Rose Ehrecke, Chief Project Manager at AccuLink, states “the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is limited with conventional advertising channels but with 2D codes we can measure each individual scan as well as gain access to an individual’s cell phone. 2D codes can be the “Holy Grail” to CMOs in search of mobile marketing solutions. We now have paved a way to access the emerging consumers who view their cell phones as their primary entertainment, information and communication device”.

Lindsay closes by saying “we are excited about the results of our investments in research and technological infrastructure here at AccuLink. We are equally excited about the opportunity to partner with our value added resellers so that we may all enhance and improve communication services to our customers”. The future of print certainly seems to hold many promises limited only by one’s imagination. Whoever said “print is a mature industry”…?

Reflections on the Print Solutions Conference and Expo – Chicago October 2009

2009-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

There was buzz in the air of the Windy City as over 1300 value added resellers, manufacturers and suppliers to the printing industry converged to share new products and approaches to the marketplace. The theme of the conference was focused on repositioning our image away from commodity oriented transactional orders to more robust and relevant offerings attractive to marketing managers challenged by a new world order.

This theme was an ideal fit for our team at AccuLink as it focused on our “sweet spot” of offerings that unite technology, marketing and production related services into one convenient solution for our customers. Our approach is to supply the needed infrastructure required to execute effective marketing campaigns. We make this available at great savings in time and expense.

The theme within our booth and the topic of my education session (awarded for the “Best Educational Value”) dealt with 2d code technology and how to monetize this offering. (Note: the power point presentation is linked to this blog and I will post another article that goes into greater detail regarding the presentation).

No doubt the 2d code education was well received and excited the visionaries who imagined all the possibilities. The light “came on” for those who recognized the value in partnering with AccuLink who not only understands the technology but can weave it into a cross media link to prospects and customers. Of special interest was the realization that the most direct medium to the emerging consumer group aged 15-35 years old is via the smart phone. The 2d code phone scanning application is a unique way to link a printed document to a virtual message via the internet. Of added value is the ability to measure responses and collect new data for the marketer.

Our new eCommerce offering www.b2vcards.com was also well received resulting in numerous orders and inquiries. This unique business card offering is also available in a format allowing a reseller to rebrand our platform and present this offering to their customers under their brand.

The PSDA event in Chicago was a great success. The networking with new friends and fellow PSDA members was upbeat and stimulating. While some complain that print is a mature and irrelevant industry, I beg to differ. I see just the opposite. We are in the business of adding value and improving business communications. The ability of an organization to adapt to change and act quickly on new opportunities will define ultimate success. That is the nature of AccuLink and I am proud to be surrounded by talented team members who share this vision.

The response to our introduction of 2d code technology to the Print Solutions audience reaffirmed my belief that the fun and growth of our business has only just begun!

Print Solutions 09 in Chicago: QR Codes Educational Session

2009-10-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

QR Codes Get Attention!

2009-10-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

On October 1, a group of our employees attended a Chamber of Commerce "Business After Hours" event. These events typically consist of light cocktails, networking and the handing out of business cards. Our group came armed with business cards featuring QR codes (tags) on the back such that, when scanned, the smart phone would instantly load the business card profile information directly to the vCard address/contact management software of the phone. A second code on the card directs the phone browser to a unique landing page (such as a Linkedin profile page, blog or Facebook page). My team also adorned themselves with tattoos strategically placed on their bodies to get maximum attention. One team member (who has a shaved head) placed his tattoo on the back of his head for optimal scanning. When scanned, the code on the tattoo takes the phone browser directly to our web site: www.acculink.com.

The cards were produced on our newly released web site: www.B2vCards.com. If you want the coolest cards on the planet go to the link shown and place your order. You provide the front art and we provide the back QR code(s) with your choice of functionality!

Note: the tattoos and business cards were the talk of the event. We stole the show even though we had no sponsorship responsibilities. A great time was had by all!

Ducks Quack Eagles Soar

2009-10-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

The following story of how one man changed his point of view and in the process became a very successful taxicab driver has been circulating throughout the web for awhile now. We felt it was worth sharing with all of our readers. Enjoy!

No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice.

Harvey Mackay tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed my friend a laminated card and said: "I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement."

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."

My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."

Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."

Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today." As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?"

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard on the radio one day that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, "Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd. That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "That was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.''

"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.

"It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

Just remember...Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.

AccuLink Announces Another Milestone

2009-09-28T10:12:00.001-07:00

AccuLink announces another milestone with the first installation in the southeast of the HP Indigo 7000 7-color digital press. AccuLink bolsters its competitive advantage in the marketing communications and publishing fields by adding the high productivity of this new press to the existing Indigo, Heidelberg and Kodak fleet of digital printing presses. AccuLink’s multi-million dollar investment in digital imaging represents an ongoing commitment to on-demand and short-run book printing, personalized color direct mail, high-value transpromotional statement printing and other custom printing applications. AccuLink has consistently ranked in America’s top 100 trade printers since 1994.

The HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press, with its powerful combination of offset quality and productivity generates 120 letter size pages per minute in full color or 240 ppm in either monochrome or two colors. This press has an image format of 12.48" x 18.26", and the ability to run IndiChrome and/or PMS specific colors to match the most stringent corporate color matching requirements.

In keeping with AccuLink’s mission of being Chain of Custody certified by FSC and SFI, the HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press has many features that make it an excellent choice in being environmentally important to that mission as well as helping to reduce costs:

Power consumption reduction of 25% per printed page (compared to other presses we looked at).
An imaging oil recycling system, enabling us to have a reduction of approximately 50% in consumption and waste.
Longer lifespan consumables result in the generation of fewer waste materials.

AccuLink’s mission is to continue to add value to customer communication solutions with superior service, technology and expertise, as well as being environmentally sound in our business practices. AccuLink has been at the forefront of innovative printing technologies since 1980, and are true pioneers in the advancement of integrating traditional printing services with the need for multichannel communications. AccuLink is recognized nationwide for its investments and leadership in the world of variable printing as well as many other capabilities. Through the addition of this new equipment, we hope to continue expanding our offerings to our clients and our distributor partners.

Selling “Print” in the “Digital” Age

2009-09-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Bringing today’s technology to your clients can be rewarding and profitable. Selling technology can be daunting and difficult due to many hurdles that must be overcome. If printers are to survive and succeed we must tackle this challenge. With everything in our industry becoming commoditized it is very difficult to maintain profitability selling print alone on such thin margins. Don’t just sell print. Sell solutions. Technology is the key.

Print is the necessary evil all business people must buy to communicate. The first challenge is to get beyond what they think they need based on their understanding of print. You must also get beyond their perception of your role in their business as a printer. You must become a communication solutions provider.

The next step is to introduce and help them understand how technology can cut some of their internal expenses associated with buying print or gain better ROI in a marketing campaign. With that you can justify a higher margin because what you offer is an overall better solution that achieves the goal. The question shouldn’t be “what print items do you need?” It should be “what are you trying to accomplish?” What obstacles are you encountering along the way?” these are the types of questions that can get you an entire body of business rather than just an order for business cards, forms or envelopes.

Probing questions help you to understand the client and gain a larger perspective on what benefit you may be able to offer them. Through this you are better prepared to recommend solutions to minimize their pain and achieve their goals more quickly. It is no longer just selling ink on paper. You must sell yourself as a knowledgeable, trustworthy business partner in fulfilling their business communication needs and objectives. Do this well and you will also succeed in your objectives.

Now for more about the technology part. Maybe you don’t feel you know enough about how to use it to help your clients. PURLS, Storefronts, QR Codes, oh my. Perhaps you feel a bit overwhelmed yourself. What do you do? You must educate yourself about Industry trends and new technologies constantly as these things are changing daily.

Relax though and remember, it is more important that you learn the benefits of these technologies than the details of how it all works. There are many great resources available to assist you with the details so you can sell the benefit and the print. One great place to start is this blog and our website www.acculink.com.

Embrace technology as the powerful tool it is. Be creative or look to those that are and learn from them. Learn all you can. Demonstrate the benefits to your clients of working smarter and more efficiently. The value you bring and the savings you show your customer in these new solutions allow you to increase your margins justifiably. You will no longer be selling commodities. You will be selling solutions.

R.O.I. Case Studies - Part 4

2009-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part four of a four-part series highlighting
successful cases from our portfolio of client work.

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Utility Company Looks For Unique Inserting Solution:

Challenge: A utility company was kicking off a new logo and image campaign while offering accounting services to the city for collection of city services fees with the utility statements. Afraid that rising city fees would jeopardize the image of the utility, the utility service sought out a statement rendering service that could provide high quality printing services, statement processing, and separate invoice insertion for city residents that required both a city bill along with a utility bill.

Solution: AccuLink teamed up with the IT and marketing staff at the utility company to develop the most streamlined and affordable solution possible. A web-based interface for uploading daily transactions was created by AccuLink that includes soft proofing of actual statements prior to imaging. The city and utility statements have noticeably different printed shells and are inserted together based on individual customer data into a billing envelope. Specialized software, digital printing and intelligent inserting equipment all work together to process approximately 4,000 statements every morning before 11:00 am.

Result: The utility company has managed to keep its identity (and billing) separate from the city while still managing the accounting services. Non-city residents do not receive the inserts while city residents do. AccuLink also has enabled the utility company to add variable marketing messages to each statement as well as custom printed inserts when desired. With CASS presorting the utility pays the absolute lowest postage and has complete verification by the post office for daily transactions.

R.O.I. Case Studies - Part 3

2009-09-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part three of a four-part series highlighting
successful cases from our portfolio of client work.

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Challenge: A large national retailer with 43,000 employees needed to distribute custom benefits packets to each employee announcing updated insurance enrollment information. The previous year the print provider had problems with improper inserts, lengthy delays and budget busting costs. The job consisted of variably printed booklets with perforated enclosures, custom statements and some generic booklets all inserted into 9x12 booklet envelopes. Inserting integrity was critical and all envelopes had to be presorted for maximum postage discount.

Solution: AccuLink utilized sheet-fed, digital and web offset equipment to produce the printed materials. Special software was incorporated to presort, map and barcode data on the variably printed sheets. Inserting equipment with intelligent barcode readers insured that each envelope received the correct inserts and all pieces were gathered in presort sequence to qualify for the lowest presort postage rates.

Result: 100% accuracy was maintained throughout the imaging and inserting process. The coordination of printing and mail inserting processes all in-house kept the production costs and time to a minimum. Print and postage savings amounted to over $10,000 and the project mailed 3 days ahead of schedule and three weeks faster than the previous year.

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Tune in Tuesday for part 4: Utility Company Looks For Unique Inserting Solution.

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R.O.I. Case Studies - Part 2

2009-09-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part two of a four-part series highlighting
successful cases from our portfolio of client work.

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Consultant Focuses On Niche, Avoids Moving:

Challenge: A sales management consultant to the insurance and financial industries competes with national publishers by customizing his sales activity planner books with his customer’s unique training tools. Some large accounts have thousands of sales people in the field while others may have only hundreds. There are instances when the consultant needs to produce custom books “on-demand” in order to test market a new concept or impress a prospect. Selling over 40,000 planners in various editions and quantities grew to be a logistical nightmare for his small staff and limited space.

Solution: AccuLink coordinates all print production and distribution for the client, thereby leaving him free to focus on his strengths of designing and selling his services. With over 25 years in the printing industry AccuLink manages the printing, bindery and fulfillment services in the most efficient process possible. Longer runs get produced on large sheet fed presses while short runs print digitally as needed. All orders are linked via the internet to the customer’s accounting system, enabling the customer to track in real time the shipment of every order placed.

Result: The sales consultant avoided a costly move to a new warehouse office complex and significantly reduced the labor, time and turmoil associated with managing 40,000 orders. In addition to reducing inventories with “just in time” printing services, the client has reduced delivery time and shipping expenses by 1/2.

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Tune in Monday for part 3: Large Employer Saves Time and Postage with Benefits Mailer.

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R.O.I Case Studies - Part 1

2009-09-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you part one of a four-part series highlighting successful cases from our portfolio of client work.

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National Auto Part Franchise Turns Problems Into Profits:

Challenge: A nationwide auto parts retail franchisor identified wasteful inefficiencies in its attempts to supply franchisees with up to date business cards, stationery and promotional printed material from its in-hose printing facility and business card vendor. The franchisor wanted to turn the money losing operation into a profit center where all expenses and revenues could be accounted for.

Solution: AccuLink designed a web based e-commerce system where business cards are created, proofed, ordered and paid for on-line by individual franchisees. Each order results in a commission payment back to the franchisor as well as an accounting trail of the charge card transaction. Other corporate identification items (stationery) and marketing materials (flyers, brochures and POP displays) are included on the ordering site in pre-approved templates so franchisees can customize according to their individual locations under the confines of the franchisor’s marketing guidelines. Again all pricing is predetermined by the home office and revenues are accounted for and managed by the e-commerce system designed by AccuLink.

Result: Problems with inconsistent quality have been eliminated. Delivery time on critical promotional materials has been reduced from weeks to next day service on most items. Unaccounted costs and wasteful overhead has been replaced by detailed monthly activity summaries, instant secure charge card payments and profitable royalty payments on every order.

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Tune in tomorrow for part 2: Consultant Focuses On Niche, Avoids Moving.

Small is the new BIG

2009-09-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Rethink how you link to your customers. Small is the new BIG. One small code can contain so much more than meets the eye! Two dimensional bar codes are an old technology that’s finding new purpose in mobile communication. As we watch the trends, we take technology, reinvent it and in the process, keep you one step ahead of the competition. Click on the following link “Get QR Software” and you will be taken to the FREE reader download site. (You can access the same link from your cell phone as well.) Download this free software to your phone by following the on-screen instructions. Now launch the reader on your cell phone, point your mobile camera at the desired two dimensional bar code and the content will be instantly delivered to your phone in a matter of seconds. It’s that easy!

In order to better understand how we have advanced the functionality of QR Codes, we want to start with a brief history of the code’s origins. QR-Codes are a two dimensional barcode that is designed to have its contents decoded at a high speed, allowing for accuracy in link recognition and convenient functionality. The acronym QR is derived from the term Quick Response. QR Codes were created by the Japanese company Denso Wave in 1994 as a way to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. Other industries began seeing how useful they were and started adapting the technology for their own use. From that point, mobile phone companies saw the potential in this technology and came up with QR code readers so that cell phone users could read these codes right from their phones.

Two dimensional bar codes have come a long way from their original usage in vehicle manufacturing. They are now starting to be used in convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). Two dimensional bar codes storing addresses and URLs have appeared in magazines, on signs, business cards, billboards, even coffee mugs and t-shirts - just about any object that your customer might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can capture the image of the two dimensional bar code and link instantly to a programmed URL. This URL can be a web address, a link to download an MP3, dial a telephone number, or auto-fill your email client with a sender address. Two dimensional bar codes are only as effective as their underlying application. How do I generate unique, application specific two dimensional bar codes? Where does the two dimensional bar code link take me? How do I manage what's at the other end of that link? Who actually responded by using the two dimensional bar codes? At AccuLink, we have the answers to these questions and more.

Did you know there are more mobile phones than TVs and computers combined in the US today? Gives a whole new meaning to personalized customer interaction!

To see our latest ad in the September '09 issue of Print Solutions magazine, click on the following link:

Print Solutions ’09 AccuLink Ad

QR Code Usage in Japan

2009-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Content in this blog article is reposted courtesy of Cliffano Subagio. To see photos of the QR Codes he references, link to his original blog, shown at the end of the article.

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Some of my friends must’ve been tired listening to my constant complaining about how slow it is for Australia to adopt QR Code usage. QR Code is what I believe to be the link between print media and the web. And contrary to popular belief, I think print media is not going to die anytime soon.

I spotted the first QR Code in Melbourne in July last year. Telstra has been campaigning the use of QR Code, mostly on their products and ads. There have been few magazines using QR Code to link to some pages on their own sites. I’m predicting that this technology will become much more mainstream in Australia within the next 2-3 years, providing steady adoption of smart phones with QR Code support.

During my trip to Japan few months ago, I was amazed to find out that QR Code was used everywhere (not literally _everywhere_ of course). I started taking pictures and videos of those QR Codes to the amusement of the locals, something that’s very common to them was very new to me.

On one morning, I was walking to Ikebukuro Station via the underground pass, and I noticed a new Disney poster on the wall. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Stitch. The eyes and noses of each character are still visible within the QR Codes. I saw passers by stopping in front of the poster, scanning the codes using their mobile phones. It was so weird for me, but I’m sure, again, it’s very common to them. At that point, I wondered if I would see a similar scene in Melbourne within the next few years.

McDonald’s placed QR Codes on the soft drink cup, burger wrapper, and paper bag amongst other things. I also found QR Codes on snack food packaging, a building guide, a T-shirt tag, and a poster at a mall.

Ever thought that one day you would see a large garble of black and white dots just so you can scan it with your mobile phone? Or on a magazine. These are only a few examples where QR Codes were used as links to web pages, but bear in mind that it can be used for many things other than for storing URLs, like nutritional info of a sandwich. I’m excited to see more uses of QR Code in Australia. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll see one on a coffee cup at a cafe in Melbourne.

Courtesy of http://blog.cliffano.com/2009/05/18/qr-code-usage-in-japan/

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Advantages of QR Codes
Capacity
Unlike barcodes with information only in one direction, the QR Code is a two-dimensional code with information stored on the vertical and horizontal direction. As a result, the QR Code can hold up to 7089 Numeric data, 4296 Alphanumeric data, and 2953 Binary data. Compared to barcodes that can only hold approximately 20 digits, the QR Code is far superior to the traditional barcodes.

Footprint
QR Codes can hold the same amount of information as traditional bar codes but in one-tenth of the space it takes for barcodes. For an even smaller printout size, there are Micro QR Codes available. The symbol size ranges from 21×21 (Version 1) to 177×177 (Version 40) and grows by 4 modules/side. Dirt and Damage Resistant QR Codes can be restored even if the symbol is damaged or dirty. Up to a maximum of 30% of the data can be restored.

Readability
QR Codes can be read in any direction thanks to the position detection patterns. These patterns are located on three corners of the symbol and it helps reduce background interference. In addition, a single QR Code can be divided into multiple data areas then reconstructed as a single symbol when needed. This allows the user to print up to 16 symbols in a more narrow printing area.

Standardization and Use
On June 2000, The QR Code standardization received approval from ISO International. The QR Code System can be generated using QR Code Printers and software to generate the code. There are scanners that are designed for a variety of applications. Cellular phones are the most common form of QR Code scanners used in Asia as teens capture QR Code information from posters of their favourite Rock Star’s upcoming concert to advertisements on the Subway. The uses for QR Codes are limitless, groceries stores print it on their receipts, marketers print it on their ads to increase interest, and stores print it in their ads to generate maps and hours of operations.

Disclaimer: Information used for the blog post was drawn from the website http://www.qrcode.com/ developed by Denso Wave. Please visit their site for more information.

Print is not dead

2009-09-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

At AccuLink, we have been busy positioning ourselves deeper into our accounts with technology and more sophisticated marketing services. A few years ago we took a long hard look at our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and overall business strategy and what we could do help existing clients as well as bring in new business. A visit to our recently updated web site (www.acculink.com) indicates the areas that we feel make us unique and point to our greatest value offering. We still deliver a powerhouse of manufacturing (print, bind, and mail) capabilities but the magic is how we weave our technology and marketing expertise into the solution. Print is not dead. Traditional commercial printing has been commoditized but print is still a VERY effective communication tool when delivered appropriately.

We paid attention to the speakers at the PSDA technology events and headed their warnings and forecasts. One exciting area that links print with the internet and smart phones is QR Codes. We will be speaking about this at the PSDA Print Solutions Expo in Chicago on Thursday, October 15 @ 11:30. This technology will excite marketers who are interested in reaching a new generation of customers. QR Codes require print but also deliver integration with the web and metrics. We think this is pretty amazing technology.

We are not burying our heads in the sand. Instead we have hired several new key technology oriented individuals, acquired significant new software, and recently added an additional Indigo (our new Indigo 7000 is first and only installation in the southeast) to our digital print division. We are seeing continued demand for our highly personalized mailings, statement rendering and print on demand storefront releases. And we are doing all this in spite of a sales decline (of our own) of over 25% in traditional print.

Another cool application we have brought to our business card offering is the ability to print a QR code to a business card such that a simple click of a cell phone camera will load the card holder’s profile directly to the cell phone’s vCard. Now THAT is cool! Any other “traditional” business card is now obsolete!

Want to generate NEW sales? Give us a call or email us. We’d be happy to discuss these offerings in greater detail.

Is the glass half empty or half full?

2009-09-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia:

Is the glass half empty or half full? is a common expression, used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty); or as a general litmus test to simply determine if an individual is an optimist or a pessimist. The purpose of the question is to demonstrate that the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one's point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble. This idiom is used to explain how people perceive events and objects. Perception is unique to every individual and is simply one's interpretation of reality.

I mention this today as I look around me and see how the economy is taking its toll on everything. Businesses everywhere closing their doors, filing for bankruptcy, letting staff go. Families cutting back on spending, vacations, groceries. The cost of things going up and the means by which one pays for them is going down. Many of our fellow printers have closed their doors or merged with other companies. I have witnessed business associates struggle to find new direction amidst all the unknown.

Sitting here, thinking about these things, I found myself reflecting back on advice I recently gave to a friend of mine...the glass is half full. Perhaps I am being naive or not looking at the forest through the trees. But it bears heavy on one's soul to worry day after day, about things which may be beyond one's control. I often try to see the positive side of things, looking for the silver lining so to speak. Yes, the economy is rough right now, but I have a good job, family and friends and I have my health. When things get tough, I just try harder.

My philosophy is simple: the time spent worrying and complaining about what isn't happening can be better spent making something happen. I choose to believe the glass is half full, full of things I have done and room for the things I will do. And here at AccuLink we follow that philosophy – thinking up new ways to grow our business and expand our offerings – finding opportunities to fill the other half of the glass. I often think of this quote by Abraham Lincoln: Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. We have an obligation to our customers, our partners, and our employees and we will keep on trying harder, never giving up.

How do you see it? Half full or half empty?

The power, the benefits, and the effectiveness of VDP

2009-09-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

We work with many different types of clients – distributor partners, advertising agencies and customers who have worked with us for years as well as new ones we are forming relationships with. We have been given many opportunities to work with these clients on variable data publishing campaigns and often get asked about our rationale behind why we find value in these types of communications offerings. This can be summed up in three main categories – the power, the benefits, and the effectiveness of VDP:

The Power of VDP
· Design and production of customized messages is no longer time- and cost-prohibitive
· An exciting convergence of databases, digital publishing tools and digital output
· Resonates and motivates recipient to take action

Benefits of VDP
· More effective and profitable communications
· A value-added service
· Allows you to differentiate yourself
· Create long-term strategic partners
· An advantage in highly competitive environments

Effectiveness of VDP
· Raises response rates (36% over traditional campaigns)
· Increases customer purchases per transaction
· Increases customer retention
· Increased ROI on marketing investment

Through this rationale, we have been able to help our customers get their message across in new and exciting ways. Just another way ‘we put it all together’!

Don’t sell PURLs!

2009-09-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

This discussion is directed to anyone who thinks they are in a position to “wow” their prospect with an offer to increase results with increased response rates generated by the introduction of personalized URLs (PURLs) in their next campaign. Though the technology is nothing new, we are seeing a greater interest in this service as more publicity of its merits is exposed. For purely selfish reasons the time has come for me to offer these folks my advice…“Don’t sell PURLs”!

You see, at AccuLink we specialize in highly personalized communications and I find myself spending a lot of my time educating others about the benefit of PURLs and how they fit inside a well thought out campaign. Many of my customers are value added resellers who want desperately to be the first to introduce their customers to this new technology. Crazy as it may sound, I find myself discouraging them from selling PURLs more often than not. Let me explain with a simple analogy.

We all know that baseball, like any competitive sport, involves much more than luck to win consistently throughout a season. Championship teams begin with strong coaching, hard work, talented players, thoughtful execution, good timing and practice, practice, practice to name a few. Now in the game of business I equate a PURL with a catcher’s mitt. The ball is the data and all the other aspects of the game are no different than the considerations one must consider in a marketing campaign. Examples of those ingredients include data research, strategic objectives, target audience, relevant messages, powerful incentives, strong call to action, appealing design, timing, ample budget, testing, and follow up (the list can go on).
My intention here is to point out that a salesman is misguided if he focuses on selling a team owner on the idea that a catcher’s mitt product will bring that team a championship trophy. I would argue he may sell his product once but he is risking that relationship if he does not address the other ingredients to the team’s potential victory. A successful marketing campaign is no different.

The moral of the story is to understand where a PURL resides in a campaign. Focus on ALL the ingredients and when you get to the point in a discussion where your client agrees that there is a need to capture more information within the campaign than you started with…well THAT is when the PURL discussion begins and it will sell itself!

Chain of Custody Certification

2009-09-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

AccuLink is committed to being a good corporate citizen and this means doing business and operating in an ethical and responsible manner while providing good value to our customers. In recent years, our management team has become increasingly aware of the threats to the well managed forests of the world and thus the supply of the paper we need. The best way to ensure responsible forest management is to encourage and support the foresters who manage their forests by the highest environmental, social, and economic standards.

The three certifying bodies that set these high standards are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). To do our part in encouraging these practices, we have become chain of custody certified by all three of these bodies so that we can offer products to our customers that are certified.

We know there is much confusion in the marketplace regarding this topic and hope to answer a few of those questions.

FAQ's about FSC, SFI, PEFC and PCRC

What is FSC?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. It provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry. Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. http://www.fsc.org/about-fsc.html

What is SFI?
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program is based on the premise that responsible environmental behavior and sound business decisions can co-exist. SFI program participants practice sustainable forestry on all the lands they manage. They also influence millions of additional acres through the training of loggers and foresters in best management practices and landowner outreach programs. This unique commitment to sustainable forestry recognizes that all forest landowners, not just SFI program participants, play a critical role in ensuring the long-term health and sustainability of our forests. http://www.sfiprogram.org/

What is PEFC?
The PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1999, which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests. PEFC is a global umbrella organization for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification schemes developed in a multi-stakeholder process. The other national members’ schemes are at various stages of development and are working towards mutual recognition under the PEFC processes. http://www.pefc.org/internet/html/about_pefc.htm

What is PCRF?
PCRF (Post Consumer Recycled Fiber) also referred to as PCRC (Post Consumer Recycled Content), is the amount of recycled material from reclamation centers that has been repurposed into usable paper product. It is commonly found in low quantities, around 10%, but can be specifically manufactured for certain applications in quantities between 30% and 100%.

How does it work?
There is a chain-of-custody (CoC) that must be certified in order to buy and resell a certified product. That CoC extends back through every converter; paper merchant and mill back to the source forest where the paper initiated. In other words, every company that touched that product before the end user buys it was certified to continue the CoC. An independent audit is required for all FSC or SFI certifications. These audits are rigorous, on-the-ground assessments of an organization’s operations conducted by highly qualified and accredited auditors.

Go to http://www.accreditation-services.com/CertificationBodies.htm to find out more or call AccuLink @ 800-948-4110 to learn how you too can participate in this important initiative!

Welcome to Think AccuLink!

2009-08-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our official company blog! Here we will discuss topics that spark our interest within the vast world of communications including innovative uses of technology, marketing tips and helpful production-related information to keep you informed. We will recommend links to other content and hope you will share your ideas with us as well.

Along with this blog, we have launched our redesigned company website: http://www.acculink.com/. Here you will find a wealth of information about us, our capabilities, our specialties, as well as examples of some of our work! You will find that AccuLink is unlike any other print related business you have ever encountered. Though our core business relates to printing, bindery and mailing services, we are also leaders in the fields of variable printing, eCommerce platforms and marketing related services.

Our investment in research and talented employees allows us to explore new ways to expand our offerings and improve our business. In fact, we will be speaking about one of our newest endeavors at an educational session at the PSDA Print Solutions Expo ‘09 in Chicago October 15th. During the session, we will be talking about QR Codes and how we have enhanced the technology to transform a printed business card into a contact management vCard instantly with your mobile phone. If you are at the show, be sure to stop by our booth #301 to see examples of this technology and more! Here is a link to the educational sessions presented on the Expo floor: http://www.printsolutionsshow.com/show_floor_education.cfm