Printacom committed to enabling in-house production of marketing collateral

With colour laser printer technology starting to offer users the type of functionality they would normally associate with an outsourced short-run printing house, more and more companies are undertaking the production of their promotional material in-house, saving them both time and money.

"However, many of these companies are finding that while the capabilities to perform these functions exist in-house (by virtue of the colour laser printers Oki has brought to market), the expertise required to professionally formulate the required marketing materials is sometimes lacking," says Neil Rom, managing director of Printacom, local representative of Oki Printing Solutions.

"That`s the reason we`ve decided to include a 16-page `tips` document with each new Oki colour laser sold, aimed at giving marketing personnel, business owners and any individual tasked with creating promotional materials a `crash-course` in producing appealing collateral in-house," Rom explains.

"This document is also the perfect solution for companies coming under fire from tough competition in their market space. By marketing themselves in an effective, yet inexpensive manner, these companies can gain competitive advantage over their peers," Rom says.

Rom says the document, entitled "Look what you can do!", is the product of extensive research and consulting undertaken by Oki in association with Euro RSCG and McCann Erickson, and guides readers through the process of compiling collateral for direct marketing and advertisements, as well as point of sale, promotional and general purpose displays.

"The real value, however, comes from the `Golden rules` section within the document since it outlines the points marketing personnel must take cognisance of at all times if they are to produce collateral that effectively communicates its intended message and elicits the desired response from current and potential customers," he says.

Points and explanations within the Golden rules section include:

* Put the audience first;
* Set targets and measures;
* Use clear and simple language;
* Make it obvious what you want the reader to do;
* Manage the branding;
* Find a compelling offer;
* Send out one clear message and get straight to the point;
* Give your customers a right to reply;
* Think visual;
* Test your ideas; and
* Be consistent in all your communications.

"In addition to these `Golden rules`, the document also drills down into each form of marketing collateral, including information on how to make the most of direct mailers, posters, `sales` door drops, `news share` door drops, point of sale displays, and internal marketing documents like complimentary slips, business cards, brochures and presentations," Rom says.

The document also makes reference to best practices in terms of copywriting and graphic usage, which, if taken to heart, will result in a set of marketing documents that is both impactful and effective.

"We believe the combination of the points outlined in this document, together with the capabilities of the Oki hardware in terms of print quality and paper handling, as well as bundled software solutions built for this exact purpose will enable more businesses, and SMEs in particular, to augment their marketing efforts," says Rom.

"With Oki`s mission clearly centred on enabling its users to `do more with less`, we believe this is a massive step in the right direction. We look forward to a positive response from our customers and an overall increase in the success of their businesses," he concludes.