Refreshed Seasonal Pubs Create Revenue and Readership

Turn The Page Toward Revenue and Readership with Refreshed Seasonal Publications

Consumers love to look first and buy later. But websites are still challenging to browse. On the other hand, they are perfect for e-commerce and up-to-the-minute announcements.

That’s why printed catalogs, magazines, guides, and lookbooks continue to drive awareness and sales when seamlessly integrated with a digital publication and friction-free e-commerce site.

In fact, 122 new magazines launched in 2021, more than double the number of new launches in 2020. 

The data is tracked by retired professor Samir Husni, founder of the University of Mississippi’s Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media.

New launches are overwhelmingly niche-oriented and published quarterly or bimonthly. “There’s no more room for general interest magazines. Magazine editors now have to be more curators than creators. I tell them, if I can find the answer on Google, it doesn’t need to be in a magazine,” Husni told the New York Post in January.

Drive e-commerce with regional niche publications and catalogs

Gardening is an excellent example of a specific niche with a wide audience of direct buyers located in specific regions. Gardeners jump for joy when their regional seed catalogs start coming in the mail in January. When coupled with magazine format content and professional photography, catalogs become designated keepers in a household.

The first step is sitting in front of the fireplace next to a stack of seed catalogs, Sharpie in hand, paging through those luscious photographs and endless varietals, circling and jotting with glee. 

The next step is pulling up the website for a secure purchasing experience, order confirmation, and attentive customer service.

The same goes for nurseries that ship live plants and starts. In addition, confectioners, gift basket curators, specialty food and beverage distributors, and many more visually enticing e-commerce industries all stand to benefit from a similar approach.

Catch readers who’ve caught the travel bug

Now is also an excellent time to invest in a refresh of your visitors' guide or regional travel magazine. The World Travel and Tourism Council expects the global sector to grow to $8.6 trillion—a huge bounce back from the last two pandemic years and nearly as high as 2019. What’s more, U.S. domestic tourism and travel has significantly outpaced international travel and is expected to climb another 28.4% this year after a 35.6% bump in 2021 over 2020.

Consumers readily pick up a refreshed and strategically located travel guide to their region from the grocery store, coffee shop, or visitors center. People love to learn about new staycation destinations, shops, and local eateries, especially when entertained with gorgeous photos, enticing storytelling, and unique content. 

A prominent QR code to the publication’s digital version can lead people to tools that are better suited to the web, such as maps and directions, current open hours, announcements, and COVID policies.

Smart partnerships with local restaurants, shopping hubs, and business associations can help offset printing costs. Crowd Riff recently analyzed 50 destination visitors’ guides to discover what makes the excellent ones stand out: They determined that clear focus and stunning visuals, coupled with clean design (think CondeNast) are key. In addition, engaging content to help consumers make informed choices creates interest and influences where consumers spend their vacation dollars.

Investing in a seasonal publication update to catch consumers who love to browse then buy is a smart wintertime move. And it’s worth a quarterly inventory of your publications to decide which has the most potential to recoup a refresh.

Contact Journal Graphics today to take advantage of our deep expertise in print and digital publications. We can help you turn the page on revenue and readership.

Four reasons you need an expert mailing partner right now

When your organization depends on time-sensitive catalogs, urgent mailers, and scheduled periodicals landing in front of paying customers, you need a printer partner that is also a mailing and logistics expert.

Logistics is a pain point for printers worldwide.

When your sensitive information doesn’t get to its destination on time, you lose trust with your readers, customers, sponsors, and advertisers.

Unfortunately, logistics and supply chain slowdowns in every sector show no signs of letting up, and commercial printers are being hit hard with paper and ink shortages, rising costs, and a lack of truck drivers. Local commercial printers can alleviate downward pressure on their customers by managing local logistics in-house. 

All printed products need to go somewhere, so a reputable commercial printer will have an efficient and economical delivery plan for every piece that comes off the press. This means reliable fleet trucks, local drivers, and an out-of-state network—all expertly managed by a dedicated logistics team. 

Our central Portland location allows us to make most Western region deliveries within two business days. Our internal team of logistics specialists evaluates your project’s requirements to determine the most timely and cost-effective solution. 

If your printer is outsourcing logistics or delivery, your plan might run off the road.

Going postal can be problematic.

Commercial printers need to keep up with the latest changes in postal rates, codes, and discounts. If your publication can use a lighter-weight paper or an adjusted mailing list to save a bundle at the post office, your project manager should let you know. A good printer partner always looks at the whole picture—from files coming in the door to publications heading out—to see where you can save money, increase efficiency or add value.

Periodical Class postage is complicated. Pricing depends on a mix of factors, such as size, weight, distance mailed, pre-sorting—even what percentage of the piece is advertising. As the media landscape continues to shift, your printer partner will be paying attention to the needs of your printed titles and catalogs, advising you along the way, ensuring your publications don’t get stuck at the post office.

Journal Graphics services include addressing, labeling, and postal processing for periodicals, catalogs, and direct mail, as well as dropshipping and delivery to the post office.

List management is crucial.

A clean mailing list—free of duplications, incorrect addresses, and cancellations—is a must for smooth mailing. Journal Graphics processes over 3 million pieces of mail per month. We offer critical list management services, including duplication elimination and segmenting. To qualify for periodical class bulk rates, recipients must request the mailing. List management and data hygiene are crucial to reducing time spent and money wasted, and for meeting federal postal regulations.

We warehouse it well.

The final piece of a commercial printer’s logistics and mailing puzzle is a secure, temperature-controlled warehouse onsite, staffed 24/7 by competent and trained professionals. Having access to our 120,000-square-foot warehouse for every publication saves you time and storage space at your facility. 

A well-kept warehouse with space to spare also means you can plan and print well ahead of your deadline, which helps us secure preferred papers and ink for your projects at the best prices we can offer. Polybagging and shrink packaging keep your publications safe from weather and moisture in storage and in transit.

Before you choose a printer partner for your magazine, newspaper, catalog, or direct mail, be sure they tick these important boxes when it comes to delivering your project to its final destination.

Journal Graphics creates high-quality print products to ensure your creative messaging and timely publications get from our hands to your customer’s door. Call or click today, and we’ll show you our moves.

Printing and the Supply Chain

Where’s my Stuff?

Try these 6 tricks to navigate supply chain and current employee shortages.

In the United States, 4.1 million people quit their jobs in October 2021. In the private sector, fewer people left their jobs in October than in August and September, which could mean good news for worldwide supply chain slowdowns. However, in the public sector, quit rates continue their five-month upward trend, indicating continued instability. 

More than 21% of these workers—nearly a million—hail from the trade, transportation, and utility industries. Over 900,000 people in industries like trucking, rail cargo, air travel, retail, agriculture, mining, power, gas, water, manufacturing, and publishing left their jobs last month.

Our industry—print, and publishing—is getting hit hard. There are lumber shortages, increased cost of pulp, insufficiency in the labor force, and impaired logistics that are keeping even basic supplies on backorder. All commercial printers are hiring. 

These problems are unlikely to be resolved until well into 2022.

Yet, we know how crucial your collateral is. From scheduled publications to sales tools, from catalogs to direct mail, every piece you invest in is designed to create revenue.

Revenue is lost if the piece or campaign doesn’t come out on time.

Here’s how Journal Graphics can help you navigate delays and keep the momentum in your marketing.

It starts as an inside job.

We are recruiting the most experienced and competent professionals available to keep our presses running 24 hours a day. We offer a competitive salary and benefits well beyond standard medical and dental.

Why does this matter to you, our customer?

When we hire the best, train them to our standards and retain them over the long haul, we provide you with a consistent, high-quality, error-free product. This enables Journal Graphics to stay on schedule and within budget.

We put you at the front of the pack.

If we are experiencing hiring and supply chain challenges, we assume you are too. 2022 is here. We will work as consultants to help you plan your year. Let’s sit down and prioritize your publications and focus on your goals in the months ahead. We are happy to commit future resources to loyal customers. Planning in advance (at least 12 weeks), allows Journal Graphics to secure the paper, inks, and finishes you want when you need them. A great relationship is the tide that floats all boats.

We have friends up the chain.

For more than 80 years, we have been a premier commercial printer in the Pacific Northwest. That means we have cultivated strong relationships at all points in the supply chain. As we work with you to get your priorities on the calendar, we stay in front of our suppliers and vendors to ensure prompt delivery when supplies come in. We can also special-order quality substitutions and create workarounds to ensure the quality you expect from Journal Graphics is achieved.

Here’s what you can do to mitigate supply and employee shortages.

Get ahead of deadlines. 

Make this year all about the calendar. If you send out fall catalogs in June, have them ready to go on the press in March. Decide in August if you’ll be sending out season’s greetings and gifts. Check with us - we can give you the skinny on lead time and supply availability. Plan to have your scheduled publications done weeks ahead of time. Create evergreen content and talk to sponsors early. Give them the same advice we’re giving you.

If your company holds regular fall galas, end-of-year fundraisers, or spring auctions—or any annual/seasonal promotion—plan ahead and get that collateral ordered.

Go local.

Use vendors and suppliers with local delivery services. If your project or product only travels a few miles, it will get there a lot faster if it’s not being manufactured or printed hundreds of miles away. If you are shipping products and have outsourced delivery in the past, try building a supply chain department, however small, in-house. Short-distance deliveries can add days of needed cushion to a project.

Know—and keep—your customers. 

Loyal, long-term clients make all the difference during a challenging period in business. Small businesses routinely get stuck in the I’ll-pay-when-I-get-paid loop. If your clients and customers prioritize your relationship, count your lucky stars. Return the favor by keeping up communication in good times so that when challenges arise, you have a connection to fall back on. No client wants to pick up a cold call out of the blue delivering bad news. 

The bottom line, it will level out. We just don’t know when. Until then, we work together to create impressive projects that increase your revenue and visibility. Just like we always have.

Journal Graphics creates high-quality print products to ensure your creative messaging and overall strategy are collectively focused to help you grow your business in target markets. We can design and execute a mailing campaign that complements and capitalizes on your brand’s e-commerce efforts.
Call or click today to tap into the most effective marketing tools for your brand.

Print Subscriptions - An All Access Pass!

Your Print Subscription Can Be an All-Access Pass to Exclusive and Essential Branded Content. Here’s How.

We live in a set-and-it-and-forget-it world.

But what you really want is your readers to set it and remember it. Be captivated by your publication. Eagerly anticipate its arrival.

How do you do that in a digital marketing space—and monetize it?

Through omnichannel marketing.

In essence, omnichannel marketing is an integrated brand experience across multiple online and offline channels. For a publication-based brand, those channels might include social media, an email newsletter, ebooks, a website or landing pages, online events, and of course the print products.

Omnichannel marketing is effective because a customer or reader who engages across multiple channels is more likely to spend money and share your content with others.

Marketers using three or more channels in any one campaign earned a 287% higher purchase rate in 2020 than those using a single-channel campaign.

What differentiates omnichannel marketing from multi-channel marketing is an emphasis on brand cohesion, customer experience, and human connection.  Over 35% of customers expect to be able to contact the same customer service representative on any channel. You need a well-developed brand identity and consistently impeccable customer service at each touchpoint. 

Remember, content is king. That’s what you sell, so you’re already ahead of the game. Here are five ways to drive subscriptions to your publication through omnichannel marketing.

Teach teach teach.

If content is king, actionable insights are the keys to the castle. Give your readers more than they buy. 

Keep your market research up to date. Deeply understand your readers, and speak to what they need. If you publish a catalog, include articles about how to use your products to solve consumer problems. If you publish a newspaper or magazine, write fresh, original content with a point of view and a strong voice. Use subject matter experts connected in the community or the industry. 

To hook your reader, think outside the old structure. Put opinions and analysis upfront, news and features in the back.

Encourage personal branding.

Pay your writers and staff to develop their personal brands on company time. Don’t require it, but if your smart, interesting employees want to build a following on LinkedIn, TikTok, or Instagram—with your brand in their bio—encourage them to do it. Customers connect with people, not with companies, so let your people speak for you in an authentic and high-level way.

Developing this strategy takes a conscious focus within your organization’s culture and some light-touch monitoring, but the potential revenue is worth it.

Put yourself out there.

Newspapers and magazines have leveraged awards and events for years. Recognizing and celebrating people and projects in your core segments is a feel-good way to gather fans and increase engagement with your corresponding special publications. 

But plan ahead, please. There’s nothing more demoralizing than begging people to buy tickets or nominate peers at the last minute. If events are going to be part of your omnichannel marketing strategy, choose productions that appeal to your customer base, integrate seamlessly with your publications, and have the potential to convert new customers.

Collect, update and utilize data.

At every touchpoint, collect email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. Use the data to segment your customers and offer tailored product offerings. Use variable data printing to customize publications to customer interests. Print QR codes on the front of your publication to drive readers to a landing page that can collect unique interest data for use in your future marketing efforts.

Don’t miss the opportunity to offer something of value when you request customer info. Give away freebies and exclusive information on your website in exchange for email addresses, demographics, and survey responses.

Put print in its place.

Your print publication should be at the center of an omnichannel subscription-based media strategy. First and foremost, your print product should be attractive and irresistible. Then take full advantage of low-cost, high potential touchpoints like social media, blogging, and personal brand to raise your publication’s profile. Create value-added products such as email newsletters, ebooks, and online courses. 

Some copy from your print publication can and should be repurposed on other channels, but a good practice is to always be creating fresh content. 

Journal Graphics offers fully interactive and dynamic online publications and customized mailing services for your subscriptions. 

• Offer a free subscription with every ebook sold, or give away a free ebook with every subscription. 

• Offer a subscription with each event ticket or a set of event tickets with each subscription. 

• Offer a weekly email newsletter with each app download if you have an app. 

Come to think of it—develop an app, too!

Expand the definition of your subscription model. Think of it as an all-access pass to your exclusive and essential branded content. Companies with extremely strong omnichannel customer engagement see a 9.5% year-over-year increase in annual revenue, compared to 3.4% who do not incorporate enough channels. If you stay consistent with your quality, offerings, and customer experience, expect them to clamor for more and refer new readers for years to come.

Hit the presses at Journal Graphics to jumpstart your omnichannel marketing subscription service today.

PrintROCKS! Awards 2021

JOURNAL GRAPHICS IS AWARDED Four PRINTROCKS! AWARDS

Journal Graphics is thrilled to announce its recent wins at the 2021 PrintROCKS! competition. 

Hosted by The Pacific Printing Industries Association, now PIASC, the annual PrintROCKS! competition celebrates the outstanding work of printing companies in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and Utah.

"We are excited to share our awards with the amazing team at JG," shared Tiffany Spears, President, Journal Graphics. "This recognition builds on our focus to expand the limits of our skill and technology to develop beautiful, impactful printing that tells our client's stories."

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Best of Category

Catalogs
Web: Heatset
Curated

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Magazines and Magazine Inserts
Web: Heatset
Kahala Life

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Second Place 

Magazines and Magazine Inserts
Web: Heatset
Free Surf

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Honorable Mention

Magazines and Magazine Inserts
Web: Heatset
Trend Magazine

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Drive Retail with Print in 2022

Stay connected to your customers all year round using three important tools in print marketing 

Unfortunately, the retail space is going to be unpredictable into 2022.  

But your brand doesn’t have to be.  

A healthy business—like a healthy body—is a balance of strength and flexibility.  

A strong retailer has a focused brand, merchandise that fits its audience, and unrivaled customer service. A flexible retailer has a multi-channel marketing mix,  trusted vendor relationships, and actionable customer data. 

The big question is: how do you market stuff that may not be at the store when your customer is? 

Easy.  

By staying in front of your customers, building value, and creating/maintaining relationships without trying to “sell” anything at all. Here’s how to leverage your trusted printer to help you keep your marketing funnel flowing. 

Stay in front of your customers. 

There are so many ways to leverage your printer partners to maintain strong customer relationships. 

Catalogs and direct mail continue to bring huge value to the retail marketing mix. But what if you’re not sure when certain products will be on the shelves or available through your online shop?  

Send that direct mail anyway, but make it a compelling and beautiful publication. Or send a simple but clever postcard. Mail a series of coupons that can be used anytime for any product. Try partnering up with other retailers in your area to send a fun reminder about the neighborhood or the shopping complex.  

Click here to read why walking maps are such fun and effective marketing tools. 

Build value. 

Sure, retail is a give-and-take operation. However, if inventory is unreliable, focus on building value, which means tipping the scales toward giving for a while.  

Remember the compelling and beautiful publication you're going to send to stay in front of your customers? Add value by including high-quality content that speaks to your customers' needs, wants and interests.  

Do you sell cooking utensils? Send a look book that includes real people using those utensils to make original recipes you can’t find anywhere else. Or choose an influencer in your field—an up-and-coming food blogger, a popular creator on recipes.com, or a nutritionist on YouTube—to anchor your publication. 

Another way to build value is to direct consumers to the online version of your publication, which can be updated with coupons, sales, and specific content as products come in. 

Click here to learn more about Journal Graphics’ value-added digital publication services. 

Create and maintain relationships. 

If you are staying in front of your customers and building value, you are doing a great job creating relationships. Here’s how you maintain them: 

Data. Data. Data. 

With data-driven marketing, you can effectively and inexpensively target each customer with direct mail.  

 With the data you HAVE, consider including personalized features such as: 

•  Coupons and rewards specific to the customer’s buying habits 

• Incentives for active social media fans 

• Product catalogs relevant to the past purchases 

• A map of your nearest business location 

Obtain data you WANT using these tools:  

• Offer valuable freebies in exchange for an email address or a quick survey. 

• Print personalized discount codes or URLs on direct mail to track clicks. 

• Use well-designed QR codes to entice customers into an online experience. 

By partnering with a reliable and versatile printer like Journal Graphics, you can create and maintain consumer relationships that pay off. 

Walking Maps Bring People to Your Door!

A WALKING MAP IS THE PERFECT FIRST STEP TO GET PEOPLE TO FIND YOUR BUSINESS.

Urban areas are brimming with vibrant, walkable neighborhoods. The synergy of those spaces makes them irresistible to zoomers starting out, career-focused millennials, and cultured retirees. 

Portland neighborhoods are densely populated with homes, apartments, and condos, and—of course—shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Some of those retailers are on the arterial, easy to find and visible from multiple vantage points. But the real gems—exclusive boutiques, fresh eateries, innovative service providers—are often tucked into small spaces off the beaten path. 

But the strategic wonder of walkable commercial hubs is this: if you bring a browser to one store, you’ll bring a buyer to many. 

Enter the humble yet powerful walking map. 

As the pandemic recedes and tourism spikes, consider printing a well-designed walking map that showcases your business and your brand, while encouraging consumers to visit your neighbors. 

A charming yet functional walking map highlights the features of your neighborhood and the businesses that serve it. Here are some guidelines to follow: 

❌ Don’t miss those businesses that are off the beaten path. Shoppers love to discover and frequent hidden treasures. 

❌ Don’t charge businesses to participate. An incomplete walking map is confusing at best, frustrating at worst. 

❌ Don’t charge shoppers for it. People love to pick up cool, useful brochures and maps. What’s more, they’re an incredibly powerful influence on consumer behavior. 

79% percent of people will pick up a brochure from a lobby or visitors center. Check out these other shocking stats about the power of brochures. 

✔️Do develop a brand for your map. If you’re going it alone, showcase your own brand on the map. If you are partnering, create a new brand or leverage the neighborhood’s brand. 

✔️ Do commit to an annual or biannual reprint. Businesses open and close all the time. Keep your map current, and date it prominently, so consumers know what to expect. 

✔️Display the maps in an intentional and consistent manner. You could invest in a specific display or simply reserve a space at point-of-sale. Keep it organized, or the maps lose their perceived value. 

✔️Do sell advertising space to offset costs and create visual interest. 

✔️Do create a corresponding website or interactive map. Drive traffic between them with powerful messaging and special offers. 

Did you know? Journal Graphics can create an interactive digital edition of any printed piece! 

Get ready to help drive traffic! A walking map is the perfect first step. Contact us today to get on the road to success in 2022. 

Dial-up Your Alumni Engagement with Better Publications

As one of the premier publication printers in the Pacific Northwest, Journal Graphics works with several nonprofit, secondary and higher education institutions to help them produce high-quality publications for fundraising, informational, and academic pursuits. Despite shrinking budgets and resources, digital burnout and lack of engagement are causing many organizations to rethink the all-digital route. Let’s explore what’s trending for this space.  

Dial-up engagement 

We don’t have to tell you how important an alumni network is for universities. Alumni are one of the main streams of revenue and support for any institution. Many organizations fall short in successfully engaging their alumni network, particularly newer graduates. A recent study revealed that 85% of alumni felt their alma maters weren’t doing enough to engage with them. Utilizing print and digital communications is a great way to activate and engage your alumni network.  

Tell me more 

Your alumni magazine should be more than just alumni stories in your magazine. Use this valuable space to inform alumni on how they can utilize alumni benefits to succeed professionally, important how-tos on navigating life after campus, or how to develop their own regional or corporate alumni network. Not all alumni, especially newer graduates, are poised to give generously. Finding ways to keep them involved is essential.  

Specialties abound 

Larger institutions can elevate their communications further by targeting past grads via specialized publications focused on a College or individual Department / School. Organizing your alumni content by specialization such as technology or business helps you develop a distinct voice and avoids tune out by disinterested parties. Consider an annual review from your individual schools and bundle it with your standard campus-wide alumni magazine. This also allows you to fine-tune fundraising asks for specific needs within these departments.  

Click with your audience  

Use print and digital versions of your publication to cast a larger net and drive your content further. Utilizing a digital version of the magazine allows you to reach a wider audience.  Doubling up is never a bad idea, especially when trying to keep track of alumni as they move and disperse after graduation. When we say digital, we mean more than just a pdf. Online publications allow you to offer more dynamic content such as video, social sharing and more. 

Ask them what they want 

Be sure to include a survey at least once annually in your magazine for recipients to complete. Requesting feedback allows you to evolve and customize the alumni experience while giving your graduates the ability to be heard. You’ll find that this customer-first level of engagement will unveil insights and ideas as to what you could be doing better or at all.  

Let Journal Graphics help you press forward into the future with our wide array of publication techniques. Contact us today to learn more about our print and digital publication capabilities to help improve your alumni communications.  

Magazines and Catalogs are Powerful Tools for Brand Expression

Yesterday, knowledge was power. Today, authenticity is everything. 

There are a million and one ways to reach your customers, to show leadership in the marketplace, to teach and instruct. But in today’s world of dubious sources and recycled data, brands should be focused on revealing who they are, not what they know.  

When shoppers most often purchase based on price, proximity, and name recognition, you need to entice those looking for loyalty and connection. This trend especially applies to instantly recognizable national brands like airlines and supermarket chains. When shoppers primarily purchase based on price, proximity, and name recognition, you need to entice those looking for loyalty and connection. Luxury brands in jewelry, fashion, and consumer technology can increase their profits by helping their customers see themselves using or wearing the product.  

But how?  

Be who you are

Authenticity is an inside job. There is an A-list customer base for every brand -- no matter how obscure or universal. But the only way to find your people is to be your people. Hire employees that speak your brand’s language with a mix of enthusiasm and authority. Think of every shareholder, board member, vendor, supplier, and customer as ambassadors of your brand. Inspire them to tell your story. 

Be in charge of your story

An authentic brand needs to be telling its story all the time, intimately and candidly. You can’t wait until there is some issue to get in front of. Today’s consumers can see through that, and they will be quick to de-platform your brand. Magazines and catalogs are vital tools to make a meaningful connection with your audience regularly. Millennials especially appreciate them because of their imagery and tactile nature. Magalogs — a hybrid of the two — is the best of both worlds. Brands have something to sell, so they should use beautifully printed pages to do that. But they also have something to say, and gifting customers those personal and timely messages at point-of-sale, through the mail and in the seat-pocket-in-front-of-you will pay dividends.  

Be vivid

Catalogs have been making a comeback since 2015. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) decided to reverse engineer the catalog’s special sauce to uncover its winning recipe. The secret ingredient? Vividness.  

To test the effectiveness of catalogs, HBR recently partnered with a U.S.-based specialty luxury watches and jewelry e-commerce global retailer. 

“Acting on our advice, the company launched a new bi-monthly catalog campaign featuring professional and artistically rendered product photography with high-quality printing. The company conducted the field experiment using a random 30% of its U.S.-based customers. Of those customers, 5% of them received neither email nor catalogs for six months, 55% of them received a weekly marketing email, and 40% of them received the new bi-monthly catalogs in addition to the weekly email marketing. To control for effects of content, over 90% of the products were the same between emails and catalogs. The same set of photos and descriptions were also used in both media. We then tracked purchases and product inquiries across all three groups. 

“Results showed that the “Email + catalog” group experienced a 15% lift in sales and a 27% lift in inquiries, compared to the “Email-only” group.” 

HBR found that the catalog’s real power is how “they increase the vividness of a product by enhancing consumer’s ability to visualize and imagine product usage experiences. Vividness is highly influential in consumer behavior as it can increase consumer involvement and joy in the purchasing process, ultimately influencing preferences and sales.” 

Magazines, catalogs and magalogs are a powerful addition to any messaging or sales campaign. They express authenticity, honesty, and connection better than other marketing tools and will lead your brand directly to its best customers. 

Journal Graphics specializes in super high-quality books and magazines with brilliant imagery and sharp printing. And we can design and execute a mailing campaign that complements and capitalizes on your brand’s e-commerce efforts. Call or click today to tap into the most effective marketing tools for your brand. 

Going Places with Print!

Visitor-centered tourism publications are a focused segment of the work we do at Journal Graphics. Travel agencies, convention and visitors’ bureaus, cruise lines, hotels, and more all call on us to ensure that their multi-page publications like magazines, catalogs, brochures, and rack materials convey a high-quality message.

Whether your tourism-based business is trying to woo potential visitors, inform guests, or create memorable experiences that will have guests coming back for more. Let’s take a trip to review showcase some trends to get your creative juices flowing.  

Shape of things 

Most brochure racks can feel overwhelming when you look at the sea of 4 x 9” standard rack cards and 8.5 x 11” booklets. How can you stand out from the crowd yet still fit into the correct size rack? Shape! Try a square booklet instead of rectangular or explore other options. The human eye is naturally drawn to things that look different, so don’t be afraid to stand out.  

Dress to impress 

Take a minute to critique your publications. Do they reflect the audience that you’re trying to attract? If you’re pursuing a luxury audience, your print publications should be impressive as well. Achieving this is easy with a few simple touches like soft-touch coating, a higher quality paper, or changing the orientation of one or more pages. The same applies to reaching a more Eco-conscious target audience as well. You can easily go green with your print projects using sustainably sourced paper products and inks that better connect your brand image with a commitment to saving the planet.  

Print your way into their hearts 

What’s more personal - emails trying to encourage a pdf download or receiving a beautiful and tangible piece of mail? Digital marketing may drive consumers to contact your business for information, and instant gratification is satisfying but can be quickly forgotten. The better plan is to follow up with a direct mail piece. Digital marketing and print marketing go hand-in-hand. Many travel-oriented companies use drip campaigns that employ both print and digital marketing pieces to entice buyers. Plus, if you want someone to spend quality time perusing your destination, look no further than a print brochure or catalog.  

 Let Journal Graphics help you turn your next travel or visitor print project into something spectacular. We believe in pressing forward and trying new things -- contact us today to see what we can do for your location and brand story!  

Publication Essentials

At Journal Graphics, we’re proud to produce top-quality multipage publications like magazines, catalogs, and brochures. These are possible with a combined approach of intelligent engineering, appropriate paper selections, high-quality ink, and finishing processes that bring your message to life. We love to work with our customers early on to help achieve results with consistent, colorful outcomes. In this blog post, we cover some of the basics around what goes into creating a multipage publication and offer some tips on what works best to grab your audience’s attention.

All shapes and sizes

The most frequently used sizes for multi-page print publications are 8” x 10.5”, produced in both landscape and portrait layouts. However, square (8.5” x 8.5”), oversized (11” x 14+”) and other configurations are available as well. When selecting the size for your publication, consider if the shape and size will factor in the overall design aesthetic while staying within your print and postage budget parameters.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to be different. Some of the most successful print pieces are those that stand out from the crowd. Work with your sales representative to create a size and shape that works best for your design and budget.

Specs of paper

Selecting the best type of paper to use in your print publication or marketing collateral can be overwhelming. Ask for samples from your sales representative before making your final decision. We compiled a list of terms that will help you learn the lingo used in describing paper.

• Basis weight – weight per pound per ream cut to size by inches

• Coated – paper treated with a coating for added properties like durability, ink holdout and gloss..

• Cover – a durable, heavy-weight paper used for booklet covers, postcards, business cards, rack cards, etc.

• Smoothness – the evenness of a paper’s surface

• Text – a general term describing an assortment of paper grades but often applied to content pages within a publication and programs

• Uncoated – paper that is not treated or coated and typically has a rougher surface

• Varnish – a thin layer of protective coating that is applied over the ink to help prevent scuffing or add gloss or matte effects

Tip: Go green and FSC. Sustainably sourced paper products are not only good for the environment, but they are a value-add for your brand image. Consumers seek out companies committed to helping to save the planet and are willing to spend more on products and companies with a sustainable focus.

Finishing in style

Once the main pages of a publication come off the press, they progress to the finishing department for completion. This next step involves any number of machines that will apply any additional coatings needed for durability or shine, fold the pages, bind the publication together in either saddle-stitch or perfect binding format, and trim the edges.

Tip: Perfect binding is worth the money when your page count allows and your audience skews toward luxury. The edges have a crisp and clean look that elevates your brand.

Let Journal Graphics help you turn your next publication into something spectacular. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

Print: The Definition of Sustainable Media

Print is the definition of sustainable media. Recycling, replenishing forest land, and renewing local resources are just some ways paper imprints lightly on the planet.

Sustainability is a strong value in the Pacific Northwest, and Journal Graphics is committed to being part of the community in this way. Of course, sustainable practices extend far beyond just recycling. We continually evaluate our facility and equipment to minimize emissions and waste, striving to exceed state and federal guidelines. 

We are an FSC Chain-of-Custody Certified PrinteR

Journal Graphics is committed to management best practices required to maintain environmentally superior and responsibly sourced certified papers. 

In its mission, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of the world's forests. The organization expands water quality protection, prohibits harvest of rare old-growth forest, prevents loss of natural forest cover, and prohibits highly hazardous chemicals.  

In addition, FSC requires forest managers—on both public and private lands—to engage local community members and protect customary rights of indigenous people, ensuring their voices are part of the certification process and impacts of forest operations are addressed. 

The FSC standards are high, and we are happy to use paper suppliers that meet or exceed them. 

We use locally sourced paper

Excessive and long-distance transportation adds to greenhouse gas emissions, increases customer costs, and lengthens deliverable times. Journal Graphics purchases most of our substrates from an Oregon-based paper mill located just 24 miles from our plant. Committing to mostly local sourcing is a commitment to a smaller ecological footprint. 

We contract with a reputable paper recycling program 

Our paper waste is 100% recycled through International Paper. International Paper collects, consumes, and markets more than 7 million tons of all paper recovered annually in the United States. 

 Paper is recycled more than any other commodity in the solid waste stream and is often the dominant raw material used in paper production. In fact, paper is the most recycled material in the world today, with recovery rates ranging from 65% to almost 80% in North America, Western Europe and Japan. A combination of fresh wood supply and recycled paper allows printing and writing paper to be down-cycled to other products like corrugated boxes, tissue, and other packaging. 

We use Waterless Platemaking

Water is a necessary tool in the creation of paper and print. To keep things clean, cool, and running well, water can be a necessity. This year, we installed a new printing plate that does not require water for processing, saving gallons of this natural resource each day. 

Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products

Each year, forests in North America grow significantly more wood than is harvested.  North American woodlands are a renewable resource, continuously replenished using sustainable forest management. Over the last 60 years, the net total U.S. forest area has increased by over 3%, and the net volume of trees on forestland has increased by 58%. 

In addition to all the environmental reasons to use paper, it's simply a crucial part of any marketing mix. 

As the pandemic continues to drive consumers online for shopping, learning and communicating, digital fatigue is setting in. People are ready to engage with materials again, hold books in their hands, and flip through a catalog before purchasing. And businesses and publishers continue to use print because it works, and people simply enjoy it. In fact: 

• According to the United States Postal Service, direct mail recipients purchased 28% more items and spent 28% more money than those who didn't receive the same direct mail. Again and again, a print catalog or directory increases the odds consumers will buy.  

• 73% of U.S. consumers said they prefer direct mail for brand communications because they can read the information at their convenience.  

• In publishing and academia, studies show that paper books are better for reading comprehension.  

• Even millennials prefer paper-based reading.  

 
Supporting print is supporting the environment. Engage with Journal Graphics today to get started on your next Earth-friendly project. 

Five Fresh Summer Design Trends

The summer sun has us inspired to try out some fresh new ideas. We researched design trends to help infuse some creativity into your next publication or direct mail project. Here are our top five selections:

Brighten up with sunny, juicy palettes

One sure sign that we're starting to come out of the pandemic is the dialing back of muted, subdued tones. In their place are fun, juicy colors in bright citrus and berry hues. See it here on everything from kombucha to book jackets to magazine covers – "the future is so bright we gotta wear shades."

Hold the type

Dial back the type and let your images do the talking. Use bold, striking images to draw your audience in rather than bombarding them with many layers of type in different sizes and weights. Mainstream magazines like TIME and Wired have used this technique to make statement pieces, creating intrigue while sparking curiosity.

Authenticity and representation

2020 was the year that brought everyone's social consciousness into focus. Consumers are looking at brands to follow suit. Add authenticity to your designs by featuring real people and real-life situations. Focus on reflecting your targeted customers visually in your language and layout. It is essential to avoid appearing opportunistic or pandering. When in doubt, hire a freelance writer or designer to help bring an outside perspective to your team.

Elevate retail with look book styling

Capture your customers' attention by infusing lookbook styling into your retail or sales catalog approach. For example, fashion designers use lookbooks to show off their newest creations within themed collections using high-quality photography. Content is curated around the images, using in-depth product descriptions. Pricing is downplayed, either relegated to a separate sheet or landing page. This idea can be applied to any industry and set of products or services. They help to elevate your brand status and give your customers a memorable experience beyond just flipping pages. Here are a few tips:

• Keep the focus on images and layout – simple is always best

• Think about the whole theme you're trying to convey – is there a particular lifestyle you want your customers to experience or embody?

• Tell your story start to finish

Everything old is new again

Nostalgia design and retro-futurism are having big moments right now. 80s video game graphics, 90s music videos, and psychedelic typography and palettes all seem to be popping up on the design trends list this year. It makes for a lot of fun for designers to create and customers when they get that pop of recognition in seeing the effect.

 Are you ready to put these trends to work in print? Journal Graphics can turn any design trend into a top-quality print publication or direct mail piece. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

Proactive Direct Mail Strategies for our Transitioning World

Marketers are natural-born strategists. Over the past year, they have been doing more reactive work than proactive. As we move further into the recovery phase and closer to enjoying post-pandemic life, marketing teams are ready to get to work. We assembled a few proactive direct mail strategies that can help you get started right away.

Get noticed with direct mail

Direct mail is having a bit of a moment. Consumers are spending the bulk of their time at home, building on their already tremendous interest in receiving mail. 34% say they are spending more time reading their mail than they did before the pandemic. Email inboxes and social media ad feeds add up to hundreds of hits per day. Physical mail is an unsaturated market with tremendous potential that can also be targeted and measured. Plus, unlike digital campaigns, customers tend to hold onto direct mail for an average of up to 17 days!

Power up digital marketing with direct mail

Combine the power of direct mail and digital marketing to give marketing plans a boost. Utilize the data collected from website and social media analytics to determine the best direct mail content and target audiences. Include personalized URLs (PURLS) and quick response codes (QR codes) to direct web traffic quickly and efficiently. QR codes are a unique matrixed barcode that consumers scan with their mobile device, automatically redirecting them to a landing page. PURLS are individual web pages housing targeted information with customized content based on that specific customer’s data, interests, and behaviors.

Reflect changing times

How marketers communicate with consumers is also undergoing a transition right now. A strategy could include a “return to normalcy” approach or take the “forging ahead” path. The company, its employees, current customers, and future ones are not the same as they were in early 2020. Be mindful and respectful of the hard times and changes that people have endured. In a survey by Ketchum, 88% of consumers changed brands in the past year because of communications.

Launch something(s) new

Direct mail is one of the best methods in which to launch new products and services. As consumers still show hesitancy to start venturing out to trade shows and retail locations, why not sent the store to them! Catalogs are back in a big way. Consider each page a mini shopping experience delivered to the customer’s door that they can peruse at their convenience, revisit for inspiration, and results in sales. In a recent USPS study, 60% of respondents said they were more likely to visit a website if they received a catalog, and 84% liked to have the catalog handy while they shopped online.

 The team of direct mail and multipage publication experts here at Journal Graphics are ready to help you create a proactive marketing strategy that will grab your customers’ attention in 2021. Call us today to start working on your next great project.

Sustainability of Paper: Fact vs. Fiction

Sustainability is a global issue that involves more than just recycling. It’s making smart, responsible choices that do not harm or impact the environment, its resources, organisms, or people within it. Many people claim that paper and print marketing is not a sustainable practice. Still, paper is one of the most sustainable forms of communication and a great return on your investment. Let’s set the record straight and talk about the sustainability of paper.

FACT: Paper is the most recycled material in the United States

More than 67.5 million tons of paper and paper board are recovered each year from recycling. This byproduct is to produce containerboard for corrugated boxes. How far does paper go in a single life cycle?  Nine of every ten corrugated boxes are recovered for recycling once again.

FICTION: Digital marketing is greener than paper.

Neither digital marketing nor print is carbon neutral, but one has a more significant impact on the environment, and it’s not paper. We produced 6.92 million tons of e-waste in the United States in 2019, equaling about 46 pounds per person -- only 20% of those materials were recycled. Paper uses energy only once – during manufacturing. Consider the amount of energy you have used this year to power your Zoom meetings, send emails, check Twitter, binge TV shows, and order take-out.

FICTION: Paper destroys forests

Paper primarily uses wood pulp during production and is one of the only renewable and sustainable resources. Forest certification programs ensure the sourced wood comes from well-managed, responsibly owned forests to ensure there will be plenty of trees for future generations. Journal Graphics has implemented environmental practices throughout our entire facility. We are proud to be a Forest Stewardship Council© (FSC) Certified printer, committed to chain-of-custody and management practices.  

FACT: Journal Graphics is committed to sustainability.

Additionally, we source the majority of our paper from a local Oregon-based paper mill to reduce our carbon footprint. All of our paper waste is 100% recycled through International Paper, and we ensure that any miscellaneous items such as press towels, inks, and solvents are recycled as well. We have also committed to switching to a new waterless printing plate system saving gallons of water each day.

If you’d like to learn more about our sustainability efforts, give us a call! We’d be happy to provide you with a tour of our facility or talk to you more about your sustainable print marketing with Journal Graphics.

Putting the Power of Touch in Your Print

Texture and touch are an excellent way to have your message pop off the page, perk up your readers to pause and take an interest in any publication or catalog. Email marketing can't do that, nor can a television ad or social media post, podcast, or search engine optimization. Printed materials have the unique ability to power up the recipients' senses and evoke real emotional response and sensation. In neuroscience, this user experience is referred to as haptics. Let's explore some of the unique and clever ways you can put haptics to work to elevate your print publications or marketing campaigns.

 The power of touch and haptics fuels print

Print and mail are a slower-paced marketing channel, where digital audiences are constantly served up ads begging for attention and the coveted click. Unlike the mere seconds in the life span of an email or social media post, multi-page direct mail pieces will stick around for more than two weeks. 

Laminate your way into their hearts

Most people think of lamination as being high gloss and high shine. While that is one type of laminate coating that will achieve this desired effect suitable for fashion magazines, luxury goods and sports car brochures, there is another type that rocks the reader! Soft-touch lamination is just as effective, if not more so, for its touch-ability. Its supple, velvety feel begs consumers to reach out and experience it. Popular with children's products, healthcare, wellness, and cosmetics, this effect conveys a feeling of softness and subtly that many brands crave. It pairs particularly well with minimalist design and metallic effects. 

Texturize for maximum sensation

Want your audience to feel the wind in their hair and taste the salt air? Add the rough texture of sand to your beach side condominium brochure. Debuting your latest collection of custom leather sofas – consider adding a peddled leather texture to the catalog. Special effects like embossing and debossing, coupled with spot UV in varying raised heights can mimic virtually any texture to create the look and feel you crave.

Pop-up into another dimension

While we've talked mostly about flat or surface effects, there is another way to surprise your audience with 3-D dimensional solutions that delight. Clever marketers find ways to engage consumers simply with the turn of a page. Nescafe created a pop-up café that magazine readers could turn the page into two paper cups and brew their own delicious cup of coffee at home. Other examples of jump off-the-page advertisements in print include these for furniture, lamps, and financial services.

 These are just a few of the many possibilities and combinations you can work with when considering haptics in your next insert or publication cover! Contact Journal Graphics today to explore your creative options. Let us help you engineer innovative solutions that will utilize the science of haptics to capture your audience's imagination, experiencing a new sensation at their fingertips.

Print Publications Engage Audiences

Whether your target audience is B2B or traditional consumers, multi-page print publications are an effective way to reach them. It is hard to ignore a beautifully designed multi-page printed piece that encourages you to flip through its pages. Let’s explore the many ways print pieces with many pages can go to work for you!

Multi-page, multi-faceted

Communicating with your customers where they are is vital, and a multi-page print piece is an excellent tool for keeping them informed about the latest products, services or news at your organization. They can come in all shapes, sizes and styles, from catalogs to magazines and annual reports to print portfolios and softcover books.

Get creative

The design and layout possibilities are endless!. You can go tall and skinny to fit in your average brochure rack or be avant-garde with something nontraditional like an oversize, oblong or square publication size. Use bright colors and oversized typography for an on-trend design approach, or experiment with coated and uncoated paper substrates to give your audience different tactile experiences. Work with your team of print experts to explore your best options, meet your marketing goals, stay within budget and maximize your exposure.

Add on for more value

Multi-page publications don’t have to stand alone. Promotional coupons or other offers, call-to-action cards, response by mail envelopes, and free gifts can all be included with the publication. These items can be blown in, glued into the seam of the piece, poly-bagged or shrink-wrapped right along with your materials and mailed to your customers for a more significant impact. Drive customers to your website with a QR code or easy online ordering. Print and digital can work hand-in-hand to deliver more sales.

Tell your story

Multi-page publications allow you to tell your organization’s brand story in a more in-depth and compelling way to your audience. Videos are an excellent medium for digital but can be costly to produce in the long term. Magazines, catalogs, and magalogs offer the opportunity to tell your story through a narrative style and speak directly to your audience. Appeal to the human side of your brand story, showing your customers that you’re focused on more than just on sales. Stunning pages with relevant content connect with them on an emotional level.

From mailbox to inbox

Multi-page publications can reach customers in several different ways, but the most accessible method is by mail. These publications are self-mailing, meaning they don’t need an additional envelope. Bulk rates for mailing start at just 200 pieces and pricing varies upon weight and size. It’s best to work with a printing partner with a top-tier in-house mailing department to get you the best rates possible and help you acquire and/or clean your mailing list to prevent duplicates and bad addresses.

Journal Graphics has an experienced team to help with your next printing project. We can help you choose the perfect style and size that will work best for your publication needs. We’re here to help!

Direct to Digital Bring Print Publications to Life

Print publications like magazines and catalogs remain an effective way to connect with your audience. Technology exists to repurpose your print pieces into digital versions with an interactive opportunity. The digital magazine app Readly reported that in 2019 digital titles were read more than 83 million times from over 5,000 titles in 50 different markets. Let’s explore how you can combine the power of print with digital possibilities to extend your publication’s reach.

Beyond a PDF

When creating your print publication, your design team assembled the necessary fonts, images, and design files into a package for print production. You can create a PDF to share from these files, but why not take it up a notch and offer an interactive, dynamic publication experience! A PDF is functional and flat, like a snapshot of what your final printed piece will look like. It doesn’t jump out from the page or capture the attention of your audience like a truly well-craft digital version can do.

A Song & Dance Man

Tap dancing frogs are entirely optional, but it doesn’t mean you can’t include one if that’s your thing. Digital pubs can incorporate a wide range of media files, including video, music and animation. Embed gifs, videos, or artificial intelligence (AI) directly into your publications and bring your stories and title to life.

Live Shopping

Whether your publication is a magazine, catalog, or a magalog-style hybrid of the two, digital publications integrate the shopping experience directly into the pages. Customers merely have to click on the item to learn more, create a shopping list and/or “add to cart.” The versatility and flexibility of digital publications also allow for targeting and versioning to see which products are resonating with audiences.

Insights and Analytics

Digital editions allow for greater insight into the minds of readers. Determine what topics are hitting month to month and adjust your editorial content accordingly. Report back to advertisers on ad performance and click rates.

Doing It Right

If you’re known for quality products or publications, don’t let your audience down with a poor-quality digital magazine. Live up to expectations. Make it responsive for all types of digital experiences – mobile and web-based browsers. There are plenty of DIY software platforms for converting your PDF to a digital publication, but it pays to work with an experienced company in this arena. Remember, quality counts.

Interested in learning more? Contact our team at Journal Graphics today to learn more about how we can transform your print pub into an interactive experience today!

Sustainable Print is the Smart Choice

There is a common misconception that print is not an environmentally friendly means of communicating with your customers. Not only is that untrue, but there are steps that businesses like yours can take to ensure that print choices are even more sustainable.

Customers choose print

Print is still the preferred method for consumers for many things. In fact, 65% of consumers prefer their magazines on paper. Paper coupons also reign supreme over digital. It is estimated that 8 in 10 coupons redeemed are paper-based over digital. For a prime example, look no further than the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons, so popular it had its own story in the NY Times last year.

Preferred partners

When working with a print service provider, look to see if they are Forest Stewardship Council© (FSC) Certified, like Journal Graphics. FSC Chain of Custody standards focus on best practices in sustainability, manufacturing, recycling, and materials sourcing. The right print partner can help you make sustainable decisions. They can assist with paper and ink selection, creative designs that impress while reducing waste and working with your data to target your customers smartly.

Sustainable print trends

Printing sustainably goes much further than just using recycled paper. While there are certainly many options to choose from in the world of recycled papers, how paper is made, its fiber blend, the bleaching process, and whether the manufacturer uses environmentally sound operations can play a significant role in the decision process.

Inks are also taking a turn in the eco-evolution spotlight. Vegetable and soy-based inks are similar to traditional inks that are petroleum-based in that they can provide the same color clarity and durability. They are preferred in food packaging for obvious health reasons. An additional advantage to vegetable oil-based inks is the ease in which they can be extracted in the recycling process.

Marketers turn to multi-page direct marketing campaigns rather than multiple printed pieces stuffed into envelopes for maximum impact right out of the mailbox. What would have a more powerful impression on your audience? Receiving a cleverly designed 4-color mailer or a boring white envelope, with a form letter and generic brochure inside. A multi-page publication targeted to specific customers can significantly influence decision-makers, reducing the need for additional expenses and optimize mailing costs. Tie the piece back to your digital marketing efforts with QR codes, targeted offers, and landing pages for a winning combination and a personalized touch.

These are just a few simple ideas of how you can make your print campaigns more sustainable and earth-friendly this year. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Journal Graphics today and we’ll show you how we are making our operations more environmentally sound every day.

Welcome to the New Voice of Journal Graphics

As a privately held commercial printer in Portland, Oregon, since 1937, we consider our customers, vendors and suppliers, community members and industry colleagues in everything we do. As we build our brand to demonstrate excellence in powerful, high-capacity web printing, we’ll take deep dives into new techniques, technologies and approaches that are crucial to the work we do for you.

We launched this platform to share the resources we discover, the inspiration we find, and our expertise along the journey.

For over 80 years, Journal Graphics has been pushing the edge of innovation to print superior publications on deadline and within budget.  Our state-of-the-art web presses and bindery ensure a professional product that stands the test of time, while our expert mailing and fulfillment teams deliver to destinations with speed and accuracy. Seamless integration of web editions create value-added content, brand awareness, and critical analytics. 

We will also use this space to explore issues critical to our industry and region. At Journal Graphics, we recognize that the way we do business impacts everything around us, including the natural world and the people in it. We aim to lessen our carbon footprint in every way we can while finding ways to make life better for those who live, work and play in our community. We recently invested in new technologies to develop the most efficient production methods, and all employees are encouraged to continuously innovate. 

We’re invested in the future of the industry and our lasting place within it. We want you right there with us as we learn and grow, so watch this space for the latest in printing innovations, technological advances and people-first practices. While other printers may be holding back, we will continue to press forward.