Posts Tagged ‘Precision Marketing’

« Older Entries

Drupa Has Arrived!

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Another eagerly awaited-for drupa has finally arrived! And Ricoh is ready with a number of exciting announcements for the printing world.

For starters, we’re thrilled about Sandra Zoratti’s new book:  Precision Marketing: Maximizing Revenue Through Relevance. Sandra, our award-winning vice president of Marketing, Executive Briefings and Education, has had the opportunity to practice and perfect her ideas on a wide range of applications through Ricoh’s partnerships with leading hotels, cable operators, insurance companies, magazine publishers and more.   Sandra is absolutely a leader in this field, and this is the first time she’s sharing her wisdom with a wider audience. The author proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to Room to Read, a non-profit organization promoting literacy around the world.

To order a copy of Precision Marketing (ISBN: 978-0-7494-6535-3) in the US, please visit: http://amzn.to/KuA7h7 or click on this QR Code: 

Ricoh is also very proud to announce a new breakthrough technology that gives paper and print media a whole new kind of interactivity. We call it “Clickable Paper” (and you should, too). Unlike a QR code, Clickable Paper encodes an evergreen link into text or pictures on the printed page that lives in the cloud and can be changed even after the document has gone to print. The reader, alerted by a symbol on the page, simply uses a complementary app to take a picture of the relevant document. The app makes the page come alive, offering choices of videos and live links that realize the promise of digital without sacrificing what print has to offer. We at Ricoh foresee a number of exciting applications for this breakthrough technology.

Our next announcement is huge – literally! Or, at least its output could be – the machine’s footprint is quite the opposite! The Ricoh Pro L4000 inkjet will enable large format printing to become easier and more environmentally friendly, with applications such as indoor and outdoor billboard and POS displays. This inkjet platform uses latex ink to lessen the environmental impact. At this scale, a consideration like this can make a huge difference and also has white ink capabilities.

Lastly, we’ve announced a new addition to our workflow software portfolio, called InfoPrint ProcessDirector Express, which offers customers easy-to-use, end-to-end workflow software for Adobe PDF datastreams.  After getting feedback from our mid-size customers, we decided to expand the reach of our efficient and user-friendly software for high-volume outputs, bringing a similar solution that could be scaled cost-efficiently, to the mid-range.

If you’d like to watch a video of all of these announcements in more detail, click here to watch our Virtual Media Day which took place on April 24th.

Drupa promises to be a blast for those on the ground floor, as it’s a tremendous opportunity for Ricoh to showcase our

Interested in what they're looking at behind the wall? Stop by Hall 8a and find out!

latest offerings. Stop by our booth in Hall 8A if you’re in Düsseldorf, and take some of these new technologies for a spin! You may be surprised at just how much you can do.

Beth

Beth Etherton

Global Communications Manager

Ricoh Production Print Solutions (Ricoh)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in ADF, Commercial print, Events, Precision Marketing, Products, book printing | No Comments »

Want to talk publishing at drupa? So do we…

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

At drupa 2012, Ricoh will host a number of seminars including one series that focuses on the challenges publishers face and how we can help them overcome these.  Rich Lloyd, our worldwide manager of offset to digital, contributed this blog post to our Ricoh Corporate Drupa Blog.  Here’s a sampling for your reading pleasure!

Rich Lloyd, Ricoh Production Print Solutions

At a recent event at Ricoh Production Print Solutions (Ricoh) headquarters in Boulder, I joined key thought leaders and influencers in the book publishing and manufacturing industry to talk about what challenges they’re facing, and ways that we can all work together to figure out what comes next and how to leverage these new technologies and applications to better their overall business. So when I was asked to speak at Drupa, I wanted to be sure I brought these learnings with me to the world’s biggest printing show.  My talk “Opportunities and Challenges in Publishing”, is going to be a dive into the new challenges that the publishing industry is facing, and a look at the many possible solutions Ricoh’s printing technology can offer.

To read the full post, click here: http://ricoh.c3011116.myzen.co.uk/blog/?p=140

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, Precision Marketing, book printing | No Comments »

The “Holy Grail” of Analytics: Customer Marketing Suite

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Fresh out of the oven, Ricoh Customer Marketing Suite for Utility Companies puts hot new predictive modeling capability into the hands of utility marketers.  This is one of our most exciting announcements so far this year, and we’re thrilled to share the details with you all!
The industry-first offering of behavior-based predictive models is designed to optimize marketing budgets and improve how utility companies communicate with their customers. These analytical solutions, which can be ordered ál a carte, enable utilities to slice their customer databases into targeted segments for specific marketing campaigns.  It leverages the expertise that Ricoh’s Professional Services team has gained through its work with many of the world’s leading utility companies, including its award-winning implementation with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP).
In developing the solution, Ricoh visited with utility marketers about specific pain points they needed to overcome in communicating with their customer base. After gathering this information, Ricoh engaged multiple development partners to create an analytical suite of solutions by leveraging real-world utility data. To ensure data security, customer-sensitive data was never provided.
The Customer Marketing Suite for Utility Companies takes advantage of the customer data provided to create a standardized set of algorithms that allows utility marketers to target customers with the highest propensity to respond to various marketing communications.
The solutions address key initiatives for utilities, including: electronic adoption, renewable energy adoption, equal pay, usage, late pays and attrition.  This type of predictive modeling drives greater efficacy of the models, illustrates industry trends and illuminates best practices – all features marketers seek in their marketing communications. This solution elevates them beyond simple customer communications to more relevant, targeted marketing communications, which lowers expenses and improves response results.
With these models, utility companies can reduce the amount of “offer fatigue” consumers often feel from their service providers. Predictive modeling allows marketers to see who within their portfolio is not likely to engage with an offer, thus enabling the company to exclude those customers from receiving a particular message.  With the ability to identify specific, receptive audiences, utility companies can develop campaigns that maximize results while optimizing their marketing budgets.
Best of all, the Customer Marketing Suite for Utility Companies suite can be deployed very quickly. Unlike a custom model engagement that could take months, Ricoh can immediately process a customer’s data through its solution algorithms. This analytical approach is much more affordable for the utility industry compared to a custom solution.
The innovative offering takes best practice, analytical approaches leveraged in the very sophisticated banking, hospitality and insurance verticals and applies them to the utility industry.
What do you all think?  We’d love to hear your thoughts on this offering and how you think it may affect the market.

Thank you!

Jay Robinson, Solutions Specialist and Mike Bryant, Worldwide Practice Manager, Strategy and Analytics

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, Multichannel, Precision Marketing, e-delivery | No Comments »

The Chairman’s View from #Xplor2012

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

The Xplor 2012 Conference and Vendor Forum — themed “Making It Relevant” — was held in St. Pete Beach, Fla., March 27 – 29. As in the past, education and networking were major focus areas. The agenda offered more than 70 educational sessions, as well as daily networking events.

Paul Abdool, Xplor Chairman

We saw lots of focus on solutions — cloud-based everything, data analytics, more economical ADF offerings, true multichannel products that are ingesting print and outputting to many (email, web, mobile, Braille/large print), paper/substrate vendors focused on optimizing inkjet and color output, as well as great case studies and vendor panels that told the “truth” about implementation challenges from the trenches.

Many vendors from the past made return visits, and many Ricoh partners attended – GMC, Finch Paper and Ironsides.

Each year, Xplor recognizes an outstanding achievement in the imaginative application of current technology and unique implementation of existing electronic document systems with its Xplor Technology Application of the Year award. This year, Ricoh and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) took home the honors for the implementation of a multifaceted, end-to-end, hardware agnostic Automated Document Factory (ADF), driven by the InfoPrint ProcessDirector workflow platform. The state-of-the-art technology enabled LADWP to provide customers with the education they need to focus on environmental issues, as well as realize cost savings through infrastructure updates and installation of next-generation equipment.  LADWP is on track to garner double-digit reduction in call center calls and is expected to lower overall statement operation costs.

On a personal note, I am thrilled and honored to have been elected as the Xplor Chairman for my second term.  It goes without saying that I’ll constantly be looking for ways to keep our theme close to our hearts, and ensure Xplor remains “relevant” for years to come.  It’s going to be a fun ride!

Best,

Paul Abdool

Xplor Chairman

National Practice Manager, Ricoh

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in ADF, Precision Marketing, book printing, e-delivery | No Comments »

Next Chapter Event: A Success!

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

When 20 or so commercial printers, mainly from the United States and Canada, sat down together with a team from Ricoh and other industry experts to discuss “the next chapter” in commercial print, the air actually seemed to surge with the energy buzzing around the room.

“The Next Chapter: Meet the Next Generation of Publishing Solutions,” held March 6 -8, 2012, at the Ricoh site in Boulder, Colo., aimed to bridge the gap between publishers and book manufacturers by addressing the challenging business issues facing the market.  And it did exactly that. Keynote speakers recognized throughout the print, publishing and manufacturing industries,  expert roundtable sessions on a variety of topics, including trends and survey results about the industry’s prospects, as well as informal evening events where attendees shared ideas, discussed pain points and developed a rapport with one another in a relaxed atmosphere.

“Customers thought the content was very applicable to their business – definitely worth their time,” said Pat Lippincott, one of the conference organizers. “We were told the discussions challenged them to think differently about the changes they face because they all agreed that innovation takes time and courage.”

A true statement when you consider the trends and challenges the book market is facing relative to print, e-delivery and workflow. Key issues such as learning how to survive declining print runs, thriving with new applications and identifying growth opportunities made up this inaugural agenda. Industry evangelists including Marco Boer and Jim Lichtenberg, were on hand to discuss how the increased demand of digital print-on-demand book production has impacted the market and provided insight on how to not just survive the changes, but to get ahead.

The real world experiences shared by BR Printers and Frederic Printing were “valuable and eye opening.” The hands-on demonstrations with the finishing partners and Ricoh executives provided opportunities for lively conversations and networking. Attendees called it “a first-class event all the way around.”

The conference turned out to be everything we at Ricoh hoped for. “Participation and enthusiasm were outstanding,” says Rich Lloyd, Ricoh’s Offset to Digital Offerings Manager. “It was great to see that the attendees were willing to openly share some of their business opportunities and challenges in this very difficult and competitive market.”

We’re looking forward to the next “next  chapter”

Best,

Michele

Michele Bollig, Worldwide Marketing Program Manager

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, Multichannel, Precision Marketing, book printing, e-delivery, print on demand | No Comments »

The Next Chapter – Everything I Look For In an Event!

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Jim Lichtenberg, founder of Lightspeed, LLC, sheds light on the upcoming book publishing event and his excitement to ‘turn the next page’

Jim Lichtenberg, founder of Lightspeed, LLC


There is a lot of excitement surrounding the next generation of publishing and I’m thrilled to consider myself a part of it. Between industry demands shifting to an on-demand model and customer needs expanding to support new devices, the publishing market has entered a time of sustained evolutio n.  So when Ricoh invited me to speak at “The Next Chapter” event, it’s first-ever, books-driven event, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. This gathering aims to bridge the gap between publishers and book manufacturers by addressing the challenging business issues facing the market – I knew this was right up my alley.

Perhaps only a few years ago, there was still debate about the anticipated transformation of the entire publishing industry – especially around its speed, direction, and extent. But today, that debate is over. Well, the transformation is here and it’s radical. Yet, we’re still finalizing the details, especially about how, where and when we will reach a new plateau of stability – establishing a new standard different from the 250 year old structure.   Clarity about this is a long ways off.

What we do know is that publishing continues to grow in popularity as digital product.  There’s a collapse of retail for physical product, and there’s a trend toward shorter runs and less to zero inventory. Print on demand and, the equally important, new digital print engines have also garnered tremendous movement and development.

This development and resurgence of technology isn’t the only issue. Rather, companies have to consider the transformation of the business model and the pressures facing the entire supply chain. Printers included, the new business model requires adjustments to allow businesses processes to accelerate to meet new forms of customer demand.

One of the most important ways to address these new demands is through automation. Automation it is the key to creating a sustainable business in this new environment.  Even more importantly, the key to automation is understanding and evolving the workflow, ideally from author to reader, but at least and at first across the printing industry.

During my presentation at the Next Chapter I will highlight how transformation in workflow is now mission-critical, or addressing how a change in business model puts industries in peril. This event will undoubtedly explore the challenges and possible solutions in print, e-delivery and workflow.

All in all, I am very excited for the opportunity to discuss these issues, with a range of players in publishing, because it is only through dialogue across the supply chain that sustainable and sustaining solutions can be found.

What do you think?  Are you joining us to hear more about The Next Chapter?

Best,

Jim

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, book printing, e-delivery, print on demand | No Comments »

Who Should Assess? YOU Should Assess!

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

This blog post is contributed from our colleague, Paul Abdool, an international thought leader in the production print space.  He is the National Practice Manager for the Production Print and Mail Practice Group within the Enterprise Solutions division of Ricoh. 

Paul Abdool, National Practice Manager, Ricoh

Don’t “Just Do It”

Nike™ and Wieden+Kennedy, Nike’s primary ad agency, coined the now-famous slogan “Just Do It” for a 1988 Nike ad campaign.  This statement encouraged us to get moving and get fit.  It inspired us to stop procrastinating with our fitness and make a spontaneous-like decision to improve ourselves. 

Although I am a big fan of spontaneity, fitness and focus, there are a few things in this world that need to be thought out to “do it” just right. 

The Patio Builder

A few years ago, I was in the market for a new deck, or at least I thought I was.  I wanted a stable, flat surface for my barbeque, a place to put a patio set to eat dinner at in the summer and a place to catch some rays.  So being a “due diligence” kind of guy, I thought I would call a few companies to get some quotes.  The approaches by the companies were very different.  Wood deck builders wanted to know where I lived and the size of the deck I wanted.  The concrete patio guys said, “We would like to schedule an appointment to check out your backyard and discuss your needs prior to providing available times and pricing.”  So I received my quote via email from the deck company in the afternoon and the next evening I met with the patio “pre-assessment” fellow.  The gentleman from the patio company inquired about my needs, asked about my time constraints and measured the area.  In about 45 minutes he gave me a description of their process, the staff, provided references and addresses in the area so I could check out their work.  He then provided an estimate and asked if that was around what I was thinking about spending.

What did he really do?

  • He listened to my needs – he did not provide a cookie cutter quote
  • He created credibility – he explained the designs he had done for others with similar wishes
  • He established my budget – he ensured that he was only going to do what I could afford
  • He knew what type of effort it would take so that I knew what to expect
  • He answered all of my questions

Now that I had an idea of the budget, the temporary disruption level and project timing, he sent in his “technical” crew leader to double check the quote, take final measurements, create a project plan and to ensure that he had a full understanding of my needs.  Ultimately, I was satisfied.  Why?  Because they did not “just do it”.

Why do we do assessments?

Like the patio builder, I do “pre-assessments” before digging into a project – pun intended.  The pre-assessments allow me to better understand the project and the potential for improving the current state.  I also conduct assessments or discoveries, as we call them, if the organization wants to optimize their document production operation and processes.

My point is simple.  Professionals from all industries conduct assessments. 

And here’s why:

  • To establish a current state = this is critical for measuring against in the future
  • customers need to know how much the proposed changes will improve their operation
  • To build a Return on Investment model – in these times of shrinking budgets and shortened timelines, a good ROI is critical
  • To create a plan = a well thought out plan is critical to reaching goals and measuring success

 So, why should you budget time and money for professionals to conduct assessments? 

  • To gain access to technical skills -it is impossible to be an expert in all areas, professionals have tools and methodologies to gather information quickly, a specialist will notice things that you may not
  • To experience and benchmark – since the specialist conducting the assessment does it every day, they are able to discuss trends and how you compare to others professionals will continually improve their processes to get better results for the next customer so you benefit from their past
  • Because you don’t know what you don’t know – professionals have to stay abreast of the latest technology and offerings in the market they know the answers to questions you have not even thought of asking yet or how to find answers through their network of expert peers
  • To deliver concise presentations – professionals can summarize goals, issues, data and other facts into a succinct message so all stakeholders involved understand the options and what is in it for them

Ben Franklin was right

In 1736, Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  He was referring to insurance but it certainly applies to anything that you can avoid messing up by doing your due diligence or homework – including print!  Anything that is significant to you or your organization, whether it is building a deck, running a business, or even selecting a new workflow should be thought through thoroughly to truly understand to meaning and value of your ultimate decision.  

What do you think?  Do you share my practice of assessing before making large business decisions?  Please share!

Best,

Paul Abdool

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in ADF, AFP, Commercial print, Precision Marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Pizza, Lobster and Print…What Do They Have in Common?

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Print is perishable. Like a pizza, printers have to deliver while the job is “fresh.” In our world, “fresh” means according to a sales order, from a menu of choices, and delivered in a timely manner.

Simple, right? And if the printer can’t deliver, the job doesn’t disappear….it simply moves to another shop.

It is hard to imagine any manufacturing business model where the manufacturer never gets the same raw materials to build their product.  Think about any industry – the auto industry, the computer industry, the fragrance industry… heck even the restaurant industry – where all their
work is perishable. Thinking of it this way, print is very similar to most of these industries.

What if you visited your favorite restaurant chain, lets say Red Lobster (since it is the world’s largest chain, who knew!) and you were there expecting to order the Shrimpfest. Except on this visit, Red Lobster only has monkfish, no shrimp. (Sidebar: If you have been around a monkfish, you’ll know it’s virtually impossible to confuse it with a shrimp. I just saw someone on an old TopChef episode try to clean one and prepare it; it officially cured me of eating any fish for about a year, but I digress.)

Back to the Red Lobster example. They may even have another type of fish aside from monkfish – but whatever the case is, it’s not exactly the same dish you had on your previous vist…which made you want to come back.  Maybe their oven has been replaced by a microwave. Maybe they don’t have panko breadcrumbs and have to use crackers this time.  No matter the reason, all the materials are slightly different, but it’s the same order!
This will not meet your expectations and you won’t be happy.  You may even stop visiting Red Lobster. The point is, due to the variation in an order, the restaurant may lose a customer and in the service industry, food or print, customers keep us alive. Consistency is vital to making customers happy.

Like lots of manufacturers, commercial printers bring together an amalgamation of different materials and technologies from different sources, some old and some very new, to fulfill an expectation.  Many times, the printer does not receive the exact same materials each time they manufacture the job.  The printer might have to chase the exact same paper, though the vendors and mills change all the time. Their conventional versus digital print processes work on completely different technologies and standards, often difficult to even get close. And the actual content or digital files they get to build the job probably have the widest variation, and unfortunately this issue is getting worse as customers create files and images from more and more digital devices and channels.

It is not a surprise that the printing industry has so much variation; the advent of new technologies has allowed many exciting new ways to capture the imagination and expectations of the print buyer.  But the industry have done little to lessen the load on the commercial printer to juggle the manufacturing process around the ever shifting sands of supplies, suppliers, people and presses, and those pesky digital file formats.  To help alleviate this issue, commercial printers should seek out true “partners” (not vendors) to aid them in adjusting to this ongoing shift and to embrace these new technologies.  Some say food is the way to one’s soul…but for many its consistent print output!

Til next time,

Joey Print Pants

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, Precision Marketing | No Comments »

Customer Video: Helping Enhance Swiss Efficiency

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Switzerland has a reputation for efficiency. But as we have found out, its expertise extends further than precision watches and perfect chocolate to transaction printing.

With 600 employees, B-Source is Switzerland’s leading company providing business process and IT outsourcing. It aims to help its clients in the banking and financial sector become more efficient, leaner and more secure.

As one of the leading providers of outsourcing services in the field of document output management, B-Source supports its customers as they communicate with their consumers using both print and online tools.

This video interview, in German and with English subtitles, covers B-Source Outline’s decision to examine its workflow, evaluate ADF, and covers why it chose InfoPrint Process Director to help its clients communicate with their customers.

They key factors in decision making were vendor neutrality, the use of standard components including a browser interface and the management system for controlling the production environment.

Watch the video here:  B-Source and Ricoh

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in ADF, Multichannel, Precision Marketing | No Comments »

What Does Stuart Smalley Have to Do With Digital Newspapers? More Than You Know…

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

What Does Stuart Smalley Have to Do With Digital Newspapers?  More Than You Know…

This is the first installment on our InfoPrint Insights blog from our new contributor…some simply call him Joe, but here we’ll call him Joey Print Pants.  In this series, Joey Print Pants will tackle the real issues facing commercial printers as they look to successfully deploy digital presses.  Who better to advise on such a drastic shift than a man who wears print as pants?

Joey Print Pants

Newspapers are the Stuart Smalley of print. They’re good enough, they’re smart enough, and wow, people like them. In fact in most mid markets and small towns, people LOVE them.
So why aren’t newspapers pushing the “go” button on digital presses?

The simple answer is that digital presses don’t always make economic sense as a replacement to offset or conventional print in most traditional application environments. In fact, the successful installations of digital newspaper printing are for specialty short run product for international papers, and on islands with time constraints and ultra short runs.

Globally, there are only about 14 or 15 digital newspaper installations – that’s it. There were more, but the companies building these businesses missed the initial market demand and ultimately failed. They were irrelevant the minute they turned on the press, because their thinking was that people will purchase newspapers if the print is fresher and up to the minute with news. In one word – they were WRONG.

Today, people actually get real-time news.  It’s on their iPad, their smartphone, their tablet and the best part is – it’s free.  Why would they want hard copy print records of things that happened hours or days ago? The answer is they likely wouldn’t – unless it’s a story about their kid kicking the winning goal, or their parents’ anniversary. Its relevancy man! Relevant content is what continues to sell newspapers in any town USA and even beyond our borders.

The target should be advertising content, like inserts, onserts, response cards and coupons. Newspapers already know a ton of information about their subscription base (yes some people still subscribe!) They know how to bundle and distribute right down to the smallest carrier route. In many locations, the newspaper might compete as the largest commercial printer in the area.  This then begs the question, why aren’t newspapers morphing into the direct mail and advertising business?

So back to Stuart Smalley: the newspapers. The real digital opportunity for newspaper to succeed in digital print is in Precision Marketing and extending the ad window by days not just hours.  Think about your local grocery store, now hawking wines and cheese and trying to move upscale. Wouldn’t they love to target a specific neighborhood or street in town with their ads?  Or the car dealer that might want to market their vans to families but their imports to others?  This can excite all advertisers because we are talking about response rates driven by relevance. And when was the last time you heard the term relevance and newspapers in the same sentence?

So newspaper lovers, put on your favorite cardigan, put a big smile on your face, and sit down in front of a mirror and tell yourself you are good and smart and relevant. Then call your favorite digital print company and have a discussion about changing their business model ASAP…

‘til next time –

Joey Print Pants

…also known as

Joe Caruso

Global Business Development, Commercial Print

Connect with him here

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Commercial print, Precision Marketing | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries