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Breaking the cycle to find a better way
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EMPOWERINGMARKETING
SERVICEPROVIDERS
OCTOBER 2015
Navigating threats and barriers
The importance of understanding culture
The best content strategies revealed
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BOILERPLATE
Publisher’s Note: Without a net
STAT PACK
CORNER OFFICE
The importance of understanding culture
What kind of communicator are you?
Book rec:Humans areunderrated
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Awards & Recognition
Mergers & Acquisitions
MSP SPOTLIGHTS
Ride Along: Neenah expands design collection
06
P2 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note
BOILERPLATE
081412
ALSO INSIDE
30THREATS & BARRIERS
A snapshot of the road ahead for the printing industry
34 NEVER SURRENDERThe sales pro’s guide
to self-motivation
40Q&A: JURJEN JACOBS
On what today’scustomers are thinking
24
10
151 1
04
Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ and Océ VarioPrint are a registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ ImageStream is a trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.
© 2015 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.
CANON SOLUTIONS AMERICA VOTED THE NUMBER ONE “COMPANY TO WATCH” AT THE 2015 INKJET SUMMIT.Recognized as the top “Company to Watch” at the 2015 Inkjet Summit, we are committed to helping customers take their production print operations to the next level. That’s why we’re pleased to present our newest inkjet presses. The Océ ImageStream™ 3500 inkjet press is the fi rst full-color continuous feed Océ inkjet solution to print on standard offset paper providing offset productivity with the variable data print benefi ts of digital printing. The Océ VarioPrint® i300 inkjet press features innovative cutsheet inkjet technology at a savings of up to half the operating costs of traditional toner-based equipment. Discover how these production inkjet presses will revolutionize your inkjet print production workfl ow.
SEE A SNEAK PEAK! VIEW THE INKJET INNOVATIONS VIDEO, AT:PPS.CSA.CANON.COM/THEFUTUREOFINKJETPPS.CSA.CANON.COM/THEFUTUREOFINKJET
Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ and Océ VarioPrint are a registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ ImageStream is a trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.
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P4 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
BOILERPLATE
Inside this issue| Publisher’s Note
CANVAS, Volume 9, Issue 10. copyright 2015 CANVAS, All rights reserved. CANVAS is published bi-monthly for $39.00 per year by Conduit, Inc., 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097 Periodicals postage pending at Duluth, GA and additional mailings offices. Periodical Publication 25493. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CANVAS, 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.
CANVAS magazine is dedicated to environmen-tally and socially responsible operations. We are proud to print this magazine on Opus® Dull Cover 80lb/216gsm and Opus Dull Text 80lb/118gsm, an industry-leading, environmentally responsible paper. Opus contains 10% post consumer waste and SFI and FSC chain of custody certification.
Change deserves your respect. I’ve done a lot of preaching about adapting to change and embracing new ideas. But when change is thrust upon me, I’m as sensitive as the next guy. Wanted or not, it really doesn’t matter how much you think you’ve prepared for change – it still hurts.
Mike Tyson’s famous quote, “Everyone has a plan ‘til they get punched in the mouth,” is dead on. Change is inevitable. And it’s going to sting. Whether you choose to change or not, nothing can be done to simply absorb it, accept it and immediately extract joy from it.
Change comes to all of us – personally and profession-ally. Oftentimes, we don’t seek change. It comes out of no-where. Ironically, that kind of disruption does not have a mo-nopoly on pain. The changes we seek can be just as difficult – maybe more so – because we thought we were prepared.
In many ways, when we seek change because we believe it will provide growth, it is much harder. We believe we’re armored up properly and that we’re strong enough to push through. But that type of mindset as-sumes there is a process or time limit to the pain.
While certainly not easy, unexpected chang-es offer an advantage. When we’re not so prepared, instinct can take over. We adapt because there is no other choice. On the oth-er hand, planned changes seem to provide some idea that we can revert back to the way things were if things don’t go smoothly.
Maybe the key is to take away the prover-bial safety net and force the change you seek. Clearly, there is no plan that allows you to pro-cess change properly. There will be unexpect-ed situations and lots of frustration. But you can try to anchor yourself to an attitude that will treat all change with the respect it deserves.
We have two stories that exam-ine the role disruption plays in our lives. Our cover story, “Disrupt,” examines the steps every leader can take to make it an effective part of their company’s growth strat-egy, while “Disrupting the Print Shop” provides a closer look at how it impacts our market.
Also in this issue, the story “Threats and Barriers” provides a snapshot of the challenges facing today’s printers and what lies ahead.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and happy fall.
CONTRIBUTORS
@THECANVASMAG 2180 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30097WWW.THECANVASMAG.COM
MANAGING EDITORmichael j. pallerino
CREATIVE DIRECTORbrandon clark
SALES/MARKETINGmark potter
lisa arsenaultMcArdle Solutionsgina dannerNextPagetom moeDaily Printingdean petrulakisRider Dickersondavid bennettBennett Graphics
EDITORIAL BOARD
THE CANVAS TEAM
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Linda Bishop, President,Thought Transformation
@Linda_Bishop
PUBLISHED BY
WITHOUT A NET
Wanted or not, it really doesn’t matter how much you think you’ve prepared for change – it still hurts.
Mark Potter, Publisher
@MarkRicePotter
Warmest regards,
Justin Ahrens Founder & PrincipalRule29
@JustinAhrens
Ted Gorski PresidentGet Your Edge
@GetYourEdge
Jurjen JacobsVP Global Marketing & InnovationVelcro Industries
@JurjenJacobs
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STAT PACK
WHAT’S ON YOUR TO-DO LIST?Ask today’s chief marketing officers about
the most pressing items on their to-do lists,
and then stand back. According to the
Aberdeen Group’s “The CMO Dilemma:
Bridging the Gap Between Love and
Money” report, the lists are big on
customer retention, satisfaction and
profitability. The report was based on data
from a survey of 447 marketers at B2B, B2C
and B2B/B2C companies from around the
world, with 57 percent here in the States.
Here’s a look at what topped their lists:
– Christoph Becker, CEO and chief creative officer at B2B agency Gyro, on why there
needs to be more emotion and less data in marketing today
Your goal is to get
to the top of the mountain
and you’re riding your bike,
competing to get there first…
and you get passed
by a motorcycle.”
The percent of marketers who believe meaningful call-to-action offers are the key to increasing click-thru rates (CTRs), according to Ascend2’s “Marketing Technology Strategy Survey.” Other favorable strategies include list segmentation (47 percent), message personalization (42 percent) and testing and optimization (35 percent). The report was based on data from a survey of 303 marketing, sales and business professionals from around the world (68 percent B2B-focused, 32 percent B2C).
P6 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
CANVAS P7
HOW DO YOU DO CONTENT?You know content is a great way to drive your brand, but what type should you use and
how do you promote it? According to Starfleet Media’s “2015 Benchmark Report on
B2B Content Marketing and Lead Generation” report, case studies and client success
top the list for today’s B2B companies. The report, based on data from a survey of 324
B2B marketers and salespeople from around the world, included responses from com-
panies such as technology, manufacturing and business services. Here’s a snapshot of
the most common types of content used over the past 12 months:
38%Researchreports
67% Case studies/ client success
stories 62%Whitepapers 58%
Webinars 52%E-books
42%Infographics
Perspective | Leadership | Insights CORNEROFFICE
The importance of understanding culture
Justin Ahrens is founder
and principal of Rule29,
an award winning
suburban Chicago-
based strategic creative
firm. He is a frequent
guest blogger, national
speaker and author of “Life Kerning: Creative
Ways to Fine Tune Your Perspective on Career
and Life” (Wiley). Follow him and Rule29 on
Twitter – @justinahrens and @rule29.
W e can get inspired. We can learn how to upgrade our skills, but if we’re not in the right culture or helping to create the right culture, we’re missing out on our best work opportunities. Culture is an important component of any
company. In fact, I would argue it may be the most important component.
Culture defined The first step to creating your company’s culture is to figure out what your organization stands for and making decisions based on those values. Workplace culture is the manifestation of a company’s beliefs and values. It ultimately becomes the definition of “How We Do Things Around Here.”
Culture has nothing to do with whether or not your company has a pool table or what kind of music you play in the office (if you play music at all). We often point to those things as examples of culture, but really those are the by-products – the expression – of a company’s culture.
To find out a company’s culture, you almost have to work backward and figure it out deductively. What does a company’s posture about a particular thing say about them and what they value?
As an example, at Rule29, you rarely (if ever) will encounter someone who says, “We can’t do that.” Our posture generally is one of possibil-ity and interest, even if a project seems insurmountable or completely foreign to use. We generally feel capable of figuring anything out and, if history serves to prove itself, usually are successful.
If you take a look at this example, there are a few inferences that you can make:
• Rule29 probably attracts and hires employees who have a “can do” mentality (true).
• Rule29 probably attracts and wins clients or projects that present different, new challenges (true).
So, what led us to seek those kinds of employees and work with those kinds of clients? I would argue it’s because we implicitly value continual learning and growth. We like to constantly figure things out creatively and expand beyond our best capabilities. That’s our company culture. Because of this value, we implic-itly seek people and projects that will lead us more in that direction.
A company’s culture is much more than just the fun atmosphere in the office. Sure, there’s a fun atmosphere when you enter Rule29, but if you dig deeper, you’ll see the implicit values and desires that drives our creative, our employees and our clients.
At Rule29, the company culture simply is the result of the conversa-tion that constantly is occurring among your employees, your clients and your creatives, based on a set of values that underlie it all. These three groups inform and influence each other every day, and take place within a structure and leader-ship that allows them to function out of abundance, not deficit.
BY JUSTIN AHRENS
To find out a company’s culture, you almost have to work backward and figure it out deductively.
What does a company’s posture about a particular thing say about them and what they value?
Editor’s note: The first in a three-part series by CANVAS columnist Justin Ahrens on the importance of understanding culture.
P8 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
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Gamechangers
CORNER OFFICE
Perspective | Leadership | Insights
What kind of communicator are you? No. 3 – The MediatorThese individuals are calm, level-headed, great listeners, team-oriented, introverted and loyal. They make decisions in a con-sensus manner. Mediators like to mari-nate on questions. They dislike conflict, so they’ll internalize and tolerate it. Mediators do not pat themselves on the back. They make great teachers/trainers and mentors. As a result, this internalization builds until they explode.
Their biggest fear is loss of stability. They ask the “how” questions. Team and project managers typically fall into this style. Weak-nesses include being slow to make decisions.
To effectively connect with a Mediator, you must:
• Be patient and logical • Use a steady, low-keyed approach • Involve them in the planning process • Praise them privately • Allow time for “marination of ideas” • Start conversation with a warm and
friendly greeting • Keep your tone of voice at
discussion level
No. 4 – The AnalyzerThese individuals are meticulous, detail-ori-ented, introverted and task-oriented. They can be considered perfectionists and are sus-picious of others. They may answer a ques-tion with a question. Their biggest fear is criticism. They ask the “why” questions.
Key strengths include being detailed-oriented, superb problem solvers and pro-viding the team’s reality check. Weaknesses include having tunnel vision and looking for the perfect solution.
To effectively communicate with the Analyzer, you must:
• Be organized and logical • Support your position using facts • Make sure each point is understood
before moving to the next • Don’t use the phrase, “Let me give you
some constructive advice.”• Use words such as process, data
and procedure• Motivate them by quality and data
Ted Gorski is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and president of Get Your Edge. For more information, visit www.GetYourEdge.com, call 603-472-3821 or email Ted@GetYourEdge.com.
hat kind of communications style do you have? Are you approachable? Aggressive? Social? Today, leaders need excellent communication skills, regardless of their own communication type. Understanding the style of the per-son you’re communicating with is the difference between
getting your message across and getting it across well.Here are four communication styles and how to effectively communicate
with them:
No. 1 – The Aggressor-Asserter They are competitive, goal-oriented, demanding, task-oriented and fast-paced. Time is money and money is time. Because they are direct, you know where you stand. Their biggest fear is losing control. They ask the “what” questions.
These leaders have key strengths that include providing momentum, pro-viding focus and making quick decisions. Their “on top of it” approach can keep everybody on target or even get things done early.
But there must be balance, as their weaknesses include overstepping their assignments and taking over tasks – not necessarily because they can do them better, but because they want to get them done.
To effectively connect with the Aggressor-Asserter, you must:
• Be brief, direct and concise • Provide options• Use a fast, quick pace • Focus on results and return-on-investment • Avoid providing lots of details• Provide short answers• Look them straight in their eyes • Be truthful
No. 2 – The SocializerThese individuals are charismatic, enthusiastic, persuasive, lively, loud, talkative, friendly, people-oriented and very social. They also are visual and creative. Their biggest fear is social rejection and they ask the “who” questions. The Socializer is a great motivator. In most organizations, they are on sales teams. They’re very creative and enjoy brainstorming. They don’t keep track of time well and some-times work tight to deadlines. They enjoy being the center of attention.
To effectively communicate with a Socializer, you must:
• Allow time for social interaction • Put details in writing or email • Have a fast-paced, positive approach• Use a whiteboard in your discussions • Use phrases like “Picture this” or “Do you see” • Avoid a harsh, aggressive tone
Understanding the style of the person you’re communicating with is the difference between getting your message across and getting it across well.
BY TED GORSKI
P10 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
CANVAS P11
Perspective | Technology | Insights CORNEROFFICE
ALL EYES ON YOUThis much we know – through 2018 the use of
behavioral marketing data will increase. That’s the takeaway from Millward Brown Digital’s “Getting
Digital Right 2015” study, which says that nearly 70 percent of marketers currently are using
behavioral data to make marketing decisions. Interestingly, only 14 percent of marketers say they
are “confident” in their use of data, the study found. The study was based on input from more than 400
marketers spanning brands, media companies and agencies.
BOOK REC
Computers are taking over the world. How many times have you heard that over the course of your professional career? The nightmare sce-nario for some still is playing out as the power of technology continues to dominate our everyday lives.
Bestselling author Geoff Colvin explains how the skills the economy values are changing in historic ways. As Colvin writes in “Humans are Underrated,” the abilities that will prove most essential to our success are no longer the technical, classroom-taught left-brain skills that eco-nomic advances have demanded from workers in the past.
Instead, Colvin says our greatest advantage lies in what humans are most powerfully driven to do for and with one another – empathy, cre-ativity, social sensitivity, storytelling, humor, building relationships and expressing ourselves with greater power than logic can ever achieve.
As technology advances, the key is not to try and beat computers at what they do, but to develop our most essential human abilities. Humans Are Underrated is the book that will show you just how valuable you are and what it takes to be great.
Humans Are Underrated:What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will
THE TAO OF THE TWEETWait, before you send that tweet, check the clock. That’s right, according to Buffer’s “Twitter Timing” report, the highest volume of tweets occurs on average between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., local time. Translation: The highest volume hour for tweeting varies significantly by location; for example, 9 a.m. is the most popular tweet time in San Francisco, whereas noon is the most popular tweet time in New York, the study found. The report was based on an analysis of more than 4.8 million tweets sent by 10,000 Twitter accounts from around the world. Other survey nuggets include:
• The highest number of clicks per tweet on average occurs late at night, between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., local time
• The fewest clicks per tweet on average occur in the mornings when tweet volume is particularly high, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., local time.
• The best time for clicks tends to be evening and late night across time zones, with variations – for example, 7 p.m. is the peak time in Denver for clicks, whereas it is 2 a.m. in Paris.
P12 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Awards & Around the industry | Mergers & AcquisitionsBEHINDTHE CURTAIN
Awards & Recognition
Fineline Printing Group has been
recognized as one of 20 companies
on the “2015 Indiana Companies to
Watch” list. The awards program was
presented by the State of Indiana
and the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (OSBE)
and endorsed by the Edward Lowe Foundation. Companies to
Watch celebrates Indiana’s privately-held second-stage com-
panies – businesses that are past the startup phase and consid-
ered to be established, and face issues of growth, not survival.
Fineline was selected based on its innovation in the marketplace,
including excellence in process management, managed print ser-
vices technology “Finelink,” strategic client and program support,
and resilience and growth during times of economic downturn.
FlexPrint Inc. again has
been named to the “2015
Inc. 500|5000 list” as one of
America’s fastest growing organizations. This year’s honor marks
the sixth consecutive year that FlexPrint has made the list, de-
buting at No. 423 in 2010. Each year, Inc. Magazine ranks the
5,000 fastest-growing privately held firms in the United States.
Printing Industries of America (PIA) has named its “2015 InterTechTechnol-
ogy Awards.” Judged by an independent
panel of judges, the awards recognize
innovative companies expected to ad-
vance the performance of the graphic
communications industry. Also honored
were solutions that facilitate cross-media
marketing campaigns, use a new standard to define and commu-
nicate brand colors, and simplify the integration of production
and business processes. The 10 technologies selected included
(listed alphabetically):
• Océ VarioPrint i300 (Canon U.S.A., Inc.)
• ORIS CxF (CGS Publishing Technologies International LLC)
• KODAK PROSPER 6000 Presses (Kodak)
• NX advantage, KODAK FLEXCEL NX System (Kodak)
• EFI DirectSmile Cross Media (EFI)
• Automation Engine Connect (Esko)
• Prinect Media Manager (Heidelberg)
• Highcon Euclid Digital Finishing Technology
(Highcon Systems Ltd.)
• MGI iFOIL (MGI)
• X-Rite eXact with Scan Option (X-Rite)
Xerox has donated a Xerox Color 800 Press with the Xerox EX
Print Server to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department. The
Color 800, which can print 80 pages per minute, is being used to
produce output for student design projects, publishing endeavors,
papers and displays in the Graphic Communication Department.
The high-capacity press powered by Fiery, features a variety of fin-
ishing options, such as stacking, trimming, punching and booklet
making, and a fifth dry ink station, at which Cal Poly will use Xerox
Clear Dry Ink to add new dimensions to output using spot, flood
or textured effects.
The Electronic Document Scholarship Foudation (EDSF), the in-
ternational non-profit organization dedicated to developing and
providing programs to attract and support students worldwide
with their education plans, has added two members to its 2015
Board of Directors. The new additions include Barbara Stainbrook,
VP, business development for Ink Jet & Industrial Printing of Koni-
ca Minolta Business Solutions, and Mark J. Subers, president and
CRO for Printing & Packaging and Publishing at NAPCO Media.
BR Printers has added two
key players to its sales team,
including Derek Giulianelli as
VP of sales, and Todd Lam-
bert as an account executive. BR Printers, San Jose, Calif., is a lead-
ing provider of digital printing products and book manufacturing. It
also operates production facilities in Independence, Ky., and East
Windsor, N.J.
Around the industry
When we asked offset printers in 2007 to describe the perfect short run press solution, they didn’t mince words. The print quality needs to be as good as offset litho. Use standard coated and uncoated stocks, and load-up and off-load of sheets shouldn’t require an owners manual to figure out. The prints should be smooth, without any pile-height issues, and look and feel like an offset sheet. Prints need to be durable too, especially when using finishing equipment. And please…no more click charges.
Fujifilm’s J Press 720S technology delivers these benefits and J Press installations have produced millions of brand on demand impressions where it counts most - in the field. So why wait on the promises of new technology, when proven Fujifilm innovation can help you dominate the high-quality, short-run market today.
Seeing is believing. Visit fujifilminkjet.com today.
Ready to Deliver Brand on Demand
The J Press 720S provides offset quality inkjet printing for short run work that will pass the eye test of even the most discerning brand manager. Fujifilm proprietary technologies, combined with the presses’ superb registration accuracy, provide extraordinary fine text and line detail, stunning vibrant colors, and superb skin tones, resulting in a smooth high quality finish with the durability and finishing characteristics of an offset print.
Visit fujifilminkjet.com to: INFO Get a Print Sample DEMO Set up a Demo WEB View Videos
14-FUJI-0341_CanvasMag_Jpress_Ad_FullPg.indd 1 3/3/15 9:55 AM
P14 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
BEHINDTHE CURTAIN
Awards & Around the industry | Mergers & Acquisitions
GETYOURNEWSHERE.
WHAT’SGOINGON?LET USKNOW!
People news. New products. Trends shaping the way our industry does business. If you have a news item, CANVAS wants to hear about it. All you have to do is email us the information and a photograph, and we’ll do the rest. Send your information to michael@thecanvasmag.com.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Neenah Paper has signed a definitive agree-
ment to purchase all of the outstanding eq-
uity of ASP FiberMark LLC (“FiberMark”)
from an affiliate of American Securities LLC
for $120 million. With annual sales of more
than $160 million, FiberMark is a specialty
coating and finishing company with a strong
presence in luxury packaging and overlapping technical prod-
uct categories. The company sells globally from six production
facilities in the United States and one in the United Kingdom.
Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) has acquired privately-held
Matan Digital Printers, an award-winning provider of innovative
technologies for superwide-format display graphics and other
industrial printing applications. Based in Rosh Ha’Ayin, Israel,
the company’s digital industrial inkjet printers are designed to
offer high productivity, quality and durability, while ensuring a
low cost of ownership. Matan’s work force of approximately 70
employees has joined EFI, giving EFI a significant presence in
Israel, a center for innovation in the printing industry. Yosefi has
joined EFI as VP and GM, EFI Inkjet Israel.
In other EFI news, the company acquired Bergamo, Italy-
based Reggiani Macchine, a leading technology provider with
an extensive lineup of industrial inkjet printers utilizing water-
based inks in printing on fabric. Reggiani’s inkjet technolo-
gies, which will be rebranded as EFI Reggiani, address the full
scope of advanced textile printing, with versatile printers suit-
able for water-based dispersed, acid, pigment and reactive
dye printing inks. Reggiani has customers in more than 120
countries served by a wide distribution network and agents in
over 40 countries.
CANVAS P15
MSP PRODUCTSPOTLIGHTS
Download the MSP Resource Guide app
Products and resources just a tap away
Ride alongNeenah expands design collection, unveils companion swatchbook
Four new premium paper grades. That just happened
at Neenah Paper. The world-class selection of colored,
pearlized and textured papers, The Design Collection,
has been expanded to include four premium paper
grades from Italian papermaker Gruppo Cordenons.
And if that wasn’t enough, Neenah also expanded its
popular STARDREAM® and WILD® Papers lines, which
are available in a new companion swatchbook to the
original Design Collection swatchbook.
“The demand for The Design Collection has sur-
passed our every expectation,” says Ellen Bliske, senior
brand manager at Neenah. “We can’t wait to see what
designers will do with all the new items.”
With these additions, The Design Collection now
offers 15 paper brands, blending six iconic paper lines
from North America and nine on-trend Italian brands.
The new collection now offers more unique options
for designers to set their work apart with premium
packaging, look books, high-end brochures, gift card
holders, greeting cards, identity materials and other
print collateral.
The new collection includes NATURAL EVOLUTIONS
Papers (colors: White, Frost and Ivory). MONNALISA®
Papers (colors: Premium White), Slide (colors: Black and
White) and Astroprint (color: White).
Neenah has also expanded these popular lines, in-
cluding the STARDREAM Papers (added C1S text
weights for box wrap in the most popular colors) and
WILD Papers (now includes four new colors in popular
111 pound. Cover: Sand, Clay, Brown and Black.
EDUCATIONALMATERIALS
>> For samples and to read more about the line, visit www.neenahpaper.com/finepaper/designcollection. To see The Design Collection, go to www.neenahpaper.com/designcollection.
CANVAS P17 CANVAS P17
Cover Story
riverless cars. Biometric trackers. 3D-printed drones
and bones. Iris-scan identifiers. Sounds like a list of the gadgetry used in a James Bond movie. But in fact, all of these technologies are on the path to becoming commonplace. You soon may be unlocking your iPhone via an iris scan, and sporting body parts made with 3D printers.
Is this disruption? Many are quick to label these newfangled gad-
gets as big bang, game-changing disrupters, but academic experts
have more rigid criteria for determining what constitutes disruption.
“People throw around the word disruption fairly cavalierly
these days, however, not all innovation is disruptive,” says Yael
Hochberg, an associate professor at Rice University and one of
the foremost experts on accelerator programs. “Print industry
leaders need to understand that disruption is a process that hap-
pens when new startups come into a space to address the needs
of customer segments that are not core customers for incumbent
players and whose needs are not addressed by current products.”
“Typically, these startups offer a product that is cheaper than
that offered by incumbents, but also stripped of certain elements
that the core customers of incumbents require,” says Hochberg,
who serves on the advisory board and board of directors for a
number of startup companies.
Although disruption often seems to happen abruptly, it usually
takes time. The new entrants climb the technology S-curve and cre-
ate a product that does serve the incumbents’ core customers and
often it is cheaper/better/faster due to new technological advances.
D
“In the knowledge age,corporate battlesare won through creative thinking and fresh human innovation,not by bending steelor cutting costs.” – Josh Linkner, Author, The Road to Reinvention
P18 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Disrupt!
“Typically companies can’t address every
customer segment out there, so they focus on their core customers,
which leaves a segment of customers for
newcomers to serve with new technologies.”
– Yael Hochberg, Associate Professor, Rice University
THE NATURE OF DISRUPTIONLike volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and other potentially
catastrophic occurrences, disruption is a natural insuppressible
element of an ever-changing cycle of life. “Typically companies
can’t address every customer segment out there, so they focus
on their core customers, which leaves a segment of customers
for newcomers to serve with new technologies,” Hochberg says.
This is the fertile ground from which disruption springs into
being. And it usually is the playground where light-footed new-
comers frolic, rather than heavily laden corporations.
“Once large corporations are invested in a certain way of doing
things, it is often difficult for them to jump onto a new technology
S-curve and take a new approach for fear of upsetting core cus-
tomers, or because the new technology at its outset can’t serve
their needs fully,” Hochberg says. “New entrants enter, and over
time can displace incumbents who don’t find a way to shift onto
the new curve.”
While this is the typical way new technologies and methods
are introduced to the market, it is not the only way innovation
happens. “Many companies figure out how to stay ahead of the
new technology shifts and survive and win by disrupting them-
selves,” Hochberg says.
COW OR BUFFALO?When cows sense a storm is coming, they try to outrun it. But
instead of getting ahead of it, they end up plodding right along
with the storm and the stampeding herd, prolonging their expo-
sure and discomfort. Conversely, buffalos charge right into the
same storm, and by running at it, they quickly run through it,
minimizing their discomfort.
Often in business, what appears to be the most conservative
option could be fatal. It turns out playing it safe has become
recklessly dangerous.
“Since the start of the 21st Century, the world has changed
dramatically,” says Josh Linkner, a highly successful tech en-
trepreneur and bestselling author of “The Road to Reinven-
tion: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation.”
t
P20 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Disrupt!
“Global financial crisis, technological breakthroughs, geopolitical
turmoil and other tectonic shifts in our world should have shaken
our belief in the old-school ideology of success through risk aver-
sion. And yet, shockingly, most people still play by the old rules,
wondering why their results are plummeting as they faithfully fol-
low their old formula for success.”
CREEPY CRAWLERSSometimes to succeed you must diligently turn over rocks and see
what crawls out. Linkner urges business leaders to take a careful,
critical look at every aspect of their operation (products, services,
production, technology, processes, and systems) and explore ar-
eas for improving their models.
Reinvention is the necessary process of proactively crafting a
new future. The more effectively you drive ongoing innovation and
reinvention throughout your organization, the more routine these
examinations will become – and the more opportunity you’ll have
to make course correction before it’s too late.
“By making the choice to challenge even your most valuable
core concepts, you can help to ensure that your organization will
grow stronger as a result of innovation rather than being consumed
by it,” Linkner says.
P22 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Disrupt!
BULL’S EYESAs the old saying goes, “Every bull’s eye is the result of 100 misses.”
Likewise, failure is an essential element of success and of reinvention.
“When you study innovative breakthroughs in just about any area,
you find that some of the biggest advances are the result of someone
toying with the seed of an idea, then developing it through a series of
stumbles, missteps and failed experiments that eventually bear fruit,”
Linkner says.
The best organizations embrace failure as an element of the dis-
ruption process. They create a culture that encourages courage and
they focus on celebrating new ideas instead of ignoring them. They
instill the spirit of reinvention in their employees by fostering bold-
ness rather than complacency, and rewarding employees for chal-
lenging the status quo rather than suppressing them.
“In the knowledge age, corporate battles are won through creative
thinking and fresh human innovation, not by bending steel or cutting
costs,” Linkner says. Accordingly, business cultures that support, nur-
ture, and harness their team’s best creative ideas are the winners of
photo-finish victories. Creative ideas are rarely born as fully developed
and fully defensible. Rather, they are nascent sparks that must be re-
fined and shaped to bring their full power to life.”
And that is the genesis of disruption.
Although disruptionoften seems to happen abruptly, it usuallytakes time.
Graph Expo 2015 may be over but innovation never ends. Staying relevant in the
graphic communications industry requires leveraging technologies that create new business
opportunities, drive sales, maximize manufacturing efficiencies and decrease operating costs.
At Konica Minolta, we inspire business growth with an ecosystem that integrates:
• Award-winning Hardware and Software Solutions• Workflow Assessment and Automation Services• Integrated Marketing Services
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P24 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
PERSPECTIVE
By Michael J. Pallerino
DISRUPTINGTHE PRESSROOM
How change continues to impact today’s printers
CANVAS P25
Feature Story
n his bestselling book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen defined “disruption” as a disruptive product that
addresses a market that previously couldn’t be served – a new-market disruption. Christensen boldly proclaimed that leading companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership or, worse yet, disappear altogether if they fail to recognize the new way of doing business.
I
Stand by the “traditional” way of doing business and you
could get pushed to the curb. Christensen’s book, published in
1997, still is a “must read” for business leaders wading through
industries where disruption is redirecting their market strategies.
Queue the music for the commercial printing industry,
where analysts such as Dr. Joe Webb, president of Strategies
for Management Inc. and head of the Economics & Research
Center at WhatTheyThink.com, keep a close eye on the ever-
changing face of the marketplace.
If you’ve been watching the numbers lately, printing ship-
ments are trending upward. Webb says that’s a positive sign
for an industry that experienced its share of disruption over the
past decade. “The old printing guard has either retired, been
fired, sold their businesses or gave up. The next generation has
taken over in many companies. This new generation of manag-
ers, mostly in their 40s, grew up with computers at home and
have been using technology their whole lives. They have also
lived in an industry that has never grown or declined.”
“Disruption will continue to force us to find new products and services to offset the declines or find better sales opportunities.”– Howie Fenton, Associate Director of Operations Consulting, InfoTrends
P26 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Disrupting the pressroom
The story is one everybody knows. In the throes of a wicked and
long lasting recession, the commercial printing business, like many
others, took its lumps. With the need to alter business strategies and
adapt to a new way of doing business, print shops found themselves in
new worlds – broadband, online video, podcasts, smartphones, social
media, tablets, content marketing, and other devices and formats. The
Printing Service Providers (PSPs) of yesterday became the Marketing
Service Providers (MSPs) of today.
“You couldn’t play the ‘wait-until-things-come-back’ game, you had
to make those interactions with your clients deeper and more proac-
tive,” Webb says. “You could not take print sales for granted anymore.
Those print businesses that adapted their offerings and tactics found
stability. If this history tells us anything, it’s to be wary and flexible,
and especially vigilant about communications technologies and social
changes that enable or thwart media use.”
These are new – and exceedingly positive – days in the printing
services industry. Take a quick glance at today’s marketplace, and you
will see that production inkjet technology is projected to account for
nearly one-third of all digital print by 2016. Inkjet solutions apply to
virtually every production print market – book production, direct mail,
transactional, commercial, and promotional.
In addition, sheetfed inkjet products promise to be the next wave of
products to revolutionize the arena. The new type of digital press will
help consolidate sheetfed black-and-white and color workflows on to
one production printing system.
With these evolving technologies and all their applications, it once
again is time for printers to evaluate how incorporating these changes
into their business models can benefit their businesses.
That’s where companies like Canon Solutions America enter the pic-
ture. The company, which continues to stay one step ahead of the
changing marketplace, recently launched its first high-volume sheet-
fed color inkjet digital press – the Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet press.
While combining high-speed inkjet with sheets of paper is challeng-
ing for all players in the print industry, Océ iQuarius Technologies is a
constellation of innovations that facilitates high-speed inkjet on sheets
of paper. It’s the reason the Océ VarioPrint i300 is such a big player.
“We were an early pioneer of inkjet technology, accumulating broad
and deep expertise in inkjet heads, paper, and ink technologies,” says
Eric Hawkinson, Senior Director of Marketing, Production Print Solu-
tions division of Canon Solutions America. “The presses in our industry
leading inkjet portfolio are known for their robust design and con-
sistent, high-quality output. Coming to market with a high-volume,
sheetfed inkjet digital press is a natural extension of our industry lead-
ership and everything we’ve accomplished over the past few years.”
Inkjet technology has accelerated the printing industry’s transition from
offset to high-volume digital output. This technology offers the ability to
reduce overall operating costs, while maintaining personalization in high-
speed environments. Sheetfed inkjet devices have the added benefit of
allowing printers to leverage existing in-line finishing options.
Hawkinson says the technology is now better developed than it was
a decade ago and development will likely accelerate in the coming
years – again changing the face of today’s print shops.
“Now is the time to invest in inkjet – but invest smartly,” Hawkinson
says. “Find a partner who will evaluate your print operation and will work
with you to help you build a customized solution just right for you.”
PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEYIf there is one key to surviving and thriving in the world of disruption, it
is by building partnerships. In an ever-evolving landscape, printers and
vendors must continue to work together through mutual education.
“Find a partner who will evaluate
your print operation and will work with
you to help you build a customized
solution just right for you.”
– Eric Hawkinson, Senior Director of Marketing,
Production Print Solutions division of Canon Solutions America
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P28 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
“Intelligent vendors listen to their customers to learn what pain
points they may have or what their needs are, and then develop
products based on that feedback,” Hawkinson says. “We rely on a
group of customer advisors to provide input critical to our product
development. The Océ VarioPrint i300 is a result of customers, in-
dustry experts, and Canon development teams working together
to shape development priorities and various aspects of product
concepts and processes.”
Vendors also can work to help educate customers and the
industry on developing technologies. That’s one reason Canon
Solutions America created thINK, an independent community of
Canon Solutions America production print customers, solution
partners, and print industry experts.
Designed to assist businesses in achieving accelerated growth
and productivity, the collaborative community provides a forum
to network with peers, share best practices, and learn from indus-
try leaders and solution partners. “We are looking forward to see-
ing how this group will grow in the future and empower printers to
take advantage of this technology,” Hawkinson says.
Howie Fenton believes that printers and suppliers working to-
gether is at the heart of succeeding in a disruptive marketplace,
especially today’s print shops. Fenton, an associate director of
operations consulting with InfoTrends, says the trend of declin-
ing volumes forced printers to seek new products and services to
offset losses.
“One of the challenges for today’s vendors is that it is getting
hard to differentiate themselves on equipment feeds and speeds
alone,” Fenton says. “They are being asked to do more. Do you
have software products that can help me reduce my production
and manufacturing costs? Do you have the training programs that
can help my team better understand these new opportunities and
be better at selling them?”
Fenton says business development programs are becoming
just as important as the services being offered. And while it is a
big change for some manufacturers, others have been doing it for
more than a decade.
One of the things that InfoTrends is tracking today is the dis-
tinguishing factors between the printing industry’s leading and
lagging companies. The leading companies are the ones invest-
ing more in sales and customer service – programs designed to
help printers shifting staffing from the operational and production
sides to marketing-type roles.
“This often is the result of the disruptive changes you see when
the economy gets better and more services are sold,” Fenton
says. “How can we continue to make money with decreasing vol-
umes and profitability? As much as we think this is new, this has
been going on in the industry for the past 25 years. Disruption will
continue to force us to find new products and services to offset
these declines or find better sales opportunities.”
Disrupting the pressroom
“If this history tells us anything, it’s to be wary and flexible, and especially vigilant about
communications technologies and social changes that enable or thwart media use.”
– Dr. Joe Webb, Head of Economics & Research Center, WhatTheyThink.com
CANVAS P31 CANVAS P31
Feature Story
You evolve – you have a chance at success. You don’t – well,
you know the rest.
Bill Barta will tell you straight up. There is no magic answer or
silver bullet. Barta and the scores of printing industry executives like
him agree that the most effective way to face threats and barriers is
to face them head on. Push ahead. Inspire forward thinking and out-
of-the-box ideas. Rally your team to get
things done bigger, faster and stronger.
It all comes down to your approach.
The companies that seek ways to add
value for their clients and understand
their challenges leave the door open to
success. But that means moving past a
“transaction selling” mindset and into
one of being a “solutions provider.”
“We all see the changes in social
media and technology,” says Barta,
president and CEO of Rider Dickerson.
“Our competition is much larger than
other printers. I believe the successful
companies in our industry will be those
that invest in solutions for their clients that are not directly print
related, but instead solve marketing and communication challenges
more effectively.”
Depending on your perspective, the prospects for the printing
industry’s long-term future remain relatively optimistic. The Printing
Industry Association’s (PIA) “Industry Briefing: Competing in Print’s
Dynamic Marketspace in 2015” shows that the industry has op-
portunities. For example, while aggregate U.S. printing shipments
are projected to decline gradually until 2021 (from $158.5 billion
to $143.6 billion), PIA projects that print’s economic footprint will
remain large – more than $143 billion.
This makes the commercial printing market one of the largest
U.S. manufacturing industries.
In addition, two out of three print functions are expected to
grow (print logistics and print marketing/promotion) over that
time frame, with total shipments of commercial printing and re-
lated support activities expected to increase at a modest pace
through 2021, the study shows.
As the senior VP of business development for Rider Dicker-
son, Dean Petrulakis continues to mine
the many opportunities available to
printers willing to take that next step
forward. Part of the process is not only
knowing what the printer down the
street is doing, but what the other com-
panies around you are doing as well.
“It doesn’t matter what industry you are
in or if you are B2B or B2C, our compe-
tition is everyone,” Petrulakis says. “We
aren’t just competing with other printers
anymore. We have to be aware that con-
sumers interact with and buy from brands
differently than they used to. We can bury
our heads in the sand and pretend it isn’t
happening or we can adapt and prosper.”
Riding the technology waveWithout question, technology has changed the way we do every-
thing. With the proliferation of mobile, tablets and other devices,
consumers are choosing when and where to engage with brands.
This has put the onus on brands to find a way to cut through
the clutter and digital noise to reach the right audience, with the
right message/offer, at the right time. It is incumbent on them to
leverage consumer data and insights, and to deliver content, in all
forms, to an audience that’s ready to make a purchase. Add to it
the ability to measure ROI in an ever-blurring omnichannel world,
and the job is a big one.
“We all see the changes in social
media and technology. Our competition is much larger than other printers.”
– Bill Barta, President & CEO,
Rider Dickerson
ame a challenge you face every day. Depending
on what space your company plays in, the scope
of the challenge (or challenges) may vary. Let’s
be realistic here – every industry, every marketplace,
has challenges – threats and/or barriers that force
companies to constantly reevaluate how and why they
do certain things.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
– Henry Ford
P32 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Threats & Barriers
The reality is that budgets allocated to printed materials
have been reduced amid this burgeoning revolution. But that
barrier means today’s printers must be able to read, react and
adapt with better precision.
Renee Badura, executive VP of sales for Quad/Graphics, be-
lieves that printers can continue to turn this into an advantage.
“We must leverage technology to help our clients create ex-
ceptional customer experiences in all media. Today’s marketing
programs include many facets and touchpoints, and it’s incum-
bent upon marketing service providers (MSPs) to help marketers
execute seamless campaigns – delivering value and relevance in
connected and consistent print and digital channels.”
Today, it’s all about mining for data, collecting and analyzing
that data, and targeting your findings. That’s where print has
become an ally. “Print is tactile,” Badura says. “It involves the
reader, and it often contains a call to action, i.e., a coupon, or-
der form, web and/or store address. It can create tactile emo-
tional connections with imagery and copy that doesn’t exist in
a digital environment.”
And that is the key. Print is everywhere. Digital technology has
changed where the printed word can travel in a matter of min-
utes, from Atlanta to Austin, Texas to San Francisco, to Japan
and Amsterdam, and around the world again.
Deidre Acord, sales manager for Capital Printing Co., says this
is where the beauty of print begins. “While you may be able to
read a book or brochure on your iPad, computer or smartphone,
people still want to feel something tactile in their hand. To visu-
ally see and feel the printed piece is still important.”
Acord loves when new customers visit their plant and see the
magic of how ink gets on paper. “It still is an amazing process
to watch. We also have online print customers that don’t care
to come to the plant and see how things gets printed. They
just fill out the online order form and get their printed piece in
a matter of days.”
The key is to have a smart management team that is willing to
invest in the growth. But that doesn’t mean you have to be the first
to jump into the new equipment game. “With generations of up-
grades to any device, computers, proofing, presses, bindery equip-
ment, it takes a lot of patience to not jump right in,” Acord says.
“It’s important to evaluate the equipment yearly based on what and
how much you’re printing. You have to know your market. That’s
what makes the relationship with your customers so important.”
Growing an aging industryWhen printing and marketing firms Nextpage and PrintBig, the
result of a merger between Mail Print, Graphic Services and L&L
Manufacturing, recently attracted some bindery talent from a
competitor, CEO Gina Danner saw it as an ominous sign
of things to come.
“Print is tactile. It can create tactile emotional connections with imagery and copy that doesn’t exist in a digital environment.”
– Renee Badura, Executive VP of Sales, Quad/Graphics
CANVAS P33 CANVAS P33
“The new hires were frustrated, because at their previous em-
ployer everyone was just putting in time waiting until retirement,”
Danner says. “The entire organization was ‘stale.’ While it’s good
for us, I see many owners that have given up on the prospects of
growth for their company and are now waiting to retire.”
It is the exact opposite at NextPage, which also recently ac-
quired Print Big Solutions, a company that specializes in banners,
wallpaper murals, vehicle graphics and other large-format print-
ing. Danner says it’s just the latest move for a company bent on
doing what it takes to continue to grow with the times.
Over the last 24 months, NextPage, owned by Danner, her
brother Eric and Larry Wittmeyer, Jr., has merged four compa-
nies, expanded its plant, consolidated operations in a single
state-of-the-art production facility, renamed the organization,
invested millions of dollars in new technology, and completed
an office and plant remodel.
Danner believes moves like this will attract top-tier talent. “Top-
tier talent does not think of the print industry when starting a career
search. It’s not a sexy growth career full of driven young people.”
Attracting Millennials is something every printer should have at
the top of their lists. It’s a threat too many printers are ignoring.
Smart printers are evolving by incorporating new and improved
systems or offering new services to meet their client needs. This
will help attract the next generation of printers.
“One of the largest barriers our industry faces is staffing,”
Rider Dickerson’s Barta says. “Right now, there are fewer and
fewer young, talented people joining the industry across all de-
partments – sales, customer service, offset pressroom, prepress,
bindery and mailing. As an industry, we do not do a good job
recruiting and promoting ourselves to the various talent pools.
Most printing companies have a continually aging work force.
Some of the digital technologies have helped lessen our needs
for certain positions, but we all have significant challenges find-
ing young, talented personnel.”
As marketers continue to seek that magic formula to en-
gage consumers and close a sale, printers must continue to
position themselves as a tactical weapon. It can (and must) be
done, Quad/Graphics’ Badura says. “Listen to the challenges,
start with the data, and work together in developing print and
digital solutions that deliver the desired results and improve
campaign performance.”
barriers today’s printers must navigate now
FIVEStaffing
As the printing industry continues to evolve, its ability
to attract top-tier Millennials must be a priority.
An aging industry
As many of today’s printing company executives reach
retirement age, the industry must compensate by
making sure the future generation is in place
(a move that piggybacks the need to attract
young talent).
Sales compensation with value
Many printing sales associates are paid as if they
are top-tier sales hunters, when in many cases they
are farmers, waiting for the client to call and place
an order. The industry must do a better job of
selling value.
Recognizing customer needs and value
Printers must do a better job at canvassing the
market and analyzing client needs across vertical
markets. In turn, they must be able to service those
needs. That means identifying new technology or
software platforms.
Avoiding the race to the bottom
Too much iron in the market has resulted in a race
to the bottom. Print service providers have taught
buyers they can pay what they want to pay for a
project. The key is to stop being lackadaisical when
trying to sell your services.
CANVAS P35
Feature Story
NEVERSURRENDER
By Linda Bishop
otivation. We all know what it feels like to have it, and it’s a wonderful thing to sell when you’re
completely focused, productive and driving toward completion of a task or goal.We all know what it feels like to have lost
it. Focus fades and attention wanders. Even small tasks, like making a single phone call to a promising lead, feel like boulder-sized burdens too heavy to carry to completion.
P36 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Never surrender
High motivation helps you sell. Low motivation holds you back. Both states are normal. Over your lifetime, you already have learned multiple strategies to motivate yourself, but if you’re like me, improving self-motivation skills is not a topic frequently visited.
Why? Because until recently I thought my skills were good enough.
After an epic episode of prolonged procrastination on an important project, I took a hard look at my own self-motivational toolbox. I forced myself to go back over the ground I covered. What was it about this project that made it so hard to get started and keep going? Why did I let it drag on for so long?
When I finally finished, there was little satisfaction in a job well done – only relief that I finally completed the task. Since it’s important to find joy in my work, what should I have done differently?
Motivation gives you a reason to act. It is an emotional state that prods you into action. Activity creates progress, resulting in momentum toward a goal, making you feel good.
Like all emotions, motivation ebbs and flows. Occasion-ally, it vanishes completely, going into a dark cave in our minds to hibernate. Productivity plunges off a cliff. We diddle and dither, and check out social media. Some-times, a short break revitalizes us. Other times, distrac-tion has the opposite effect, especially when a deadline is involved. Lack of focus leads to stress.
To avoid that, you want to recapture motivation, and do it quickly. To accomplish that, here are four simple, but effective tactics you can use to reawaken desire and get going again:
THE YOUTUBE METHODSometimes, I just need a little outside inspiration to get back on track. If you have access to a phone or computer, inspiration is easy to find on YouTube. One of my favorite videos is from Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers.
The video, created by ESPN, is called “Winning is a Habit.” It reminds me that it takes gritty determination to win, and even when I don’t feel like working hard, hard work is required to be the best.
For musical inspiration, I’m a fan of the “Eye of the Tiger” video, which features clips from the movie, “Rocky III.” Watching this reminds me that greatness lives inside all of us, and hard work and dedication can turn ordinary guys into big winners.
Why does this method work? It’s because we are all natural mimics. We have a unique ability to watch others and imagine ourselves in the same circumstances. The next time you need a motivational boost, give this simple method a try. It works.
HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERThis is simple, too. When you’re stuck, pick up the
phone. Call a friend. Explain the situation. You’re stuck and you must get moving. Friends can be very
Introducing the Canon imagePRESS C800 Series
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By continually revisiting
your strategic solutions
list as your project
progresses, you’re
continually ready to
anticipate and act.
CANVAS P37
Introducing the Canon imagePRESS C800 Series
Today’s world of print is constantly changing, creating new
demands on your organization. We designed the new Canon
imagePRESS C800 Series to prepare for what’s next. With
speed and flexibility, now you can apply your creativity in
new forms and at a pace you need.
From the first print to the last, and across a wide range of
formats and finishing options, the imagePRESS C800 Series
consistently delivers legendary Canon color and quality you
expect. And that will give you the confidence to plan for
tomorrow, where you can expect more than just a return on
your investment — expect to see a return on your ideas.
See the imagePRESS C800 Series in action at
Graph Expo Exhibition Space #1213
The new Canon imagePRESS C800 has proven to be one of the finest machines that we have ever seen. It is fast, reliable,
flexible, and consistent.
“
”JIM LA MAIREPresident of AJS Business Imaging Solutions, LLC
©2015 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All Rights Reserved. Canon and imagePRESS are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. Canon U.S.A. provided the imagePRESS C800 to AJS Business Imaging Solutions, LLC for beta testing.
PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS
C800 Ad with Graph Expo Booth 8.5x13.indd 1 8/26/15 9:58 AM
P38 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
Never surrender
Linda Bishop, a longtime veteran of the commercial printing industry, is the founder of Thought Transformation Inc. (www.thoughttransformation.com), which trains and consults companies and sales professionals on how to sell more and reach their full potential. You can reach her at lindabishop@thoughttransformation.com.
helpful and when they give good advice, don’t waffle. Promise to take the action they recommend within a set time frame. Hold yourself accountable to your promise, and commit to letting your friend know you have taken the action within the agreed-upon time frame.
When we ignore a commitment to a friend, we feel guilty. No one wants to feel that way, so having an accountability partner provides an extra dose of motivation when needed.
ANTICIPATE AND PREPAREThere are short-term goals and long-term goals. When you’re on a journey to a long-term goal, the road is longer. Oftentimes, there are more hills to climb. To reach big goals, it pays to anticipate moments when you will feel unmoti-vated and plan to pass these barriers as quickly as possible.
One method that works is to list all potential obstacles you may encounter. Allow your imagination to run free and be as negative as possible. What could go wrong? What delays could happen? Why would you lose focus?
List everything you can think of. Next, devise a strategy to triumph when you face one of these situations.
Here’s another tip: By continually revisiting your strate-gic solutions list as your project progresses, you’re contin-ually ready to anticipate and act. Continual preparation is what it takes to win in sports and in life. Be less likely to get stuck. By knowing the answer to problems before they occur, you can adopt a grab and go approach with the right solution.
TAP INTO YOUR INNER TONY ROBBINSOne of my favorite sales tools is the recording app on my phone. I record to-do lists, practice voicemails to pros-pects and plan sales calls. I also record my own motiva-tional speeches, speaking in second person terms, using the “you” form of address.
Research published in The European Journal of Social Psychology has shown that 96 percent of the popula-tion report engaging in on-going internal dialog. This same study also found that using “you” self-talk improves outcomes over “I” self-talk when you want to motivate yourself to achieve an outcome.
To put it another way, it’s more effective to say, “You need to make three prospecting calls before 9 a.m.,” than to say, “I need to make three prospecting calls before 9 a.m.”
One theory as to why this is effective is based on early childhood training, where we are socialized into society by instructions that are delivered in second-person terms. For example, “You must pick up your toys.” During those critical developmental years, “You” talk instruction was internalized as behavioral guidance. It continues to work when you use it as a framework for your own motivational pep talks.
Every sales professional has days when motivation is low. When this happens, don’t wait for your attitude to change. Instead, have a go-to strategy to take charge and change your attitude as quickly as possible. As Rocky Balboa said, “It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
To reach big goals, it pays to
anticipate moments when you
will feel unmotivated and plan to
pass these barriers as
quickly as possible.
P40 CANVAS OCTOBER 2015
FINAL THOUGHT
JURJEN JACOBSOn point with...
Global marketing and innovation leader Jurjen Jacobs on what today’s customers are thinkingStaying ahead of the competition. Remaining relevant with your customers. Staying in step with trends. Ask Jurjen Jacobs what keeps marketers up at night, and there are his answers. Jacobs, VP of global marketing and innovation for Velcro Companies, has a front row seat to the world of customer engagement, overseeing a team of more than 40 marketers strategically spread across Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, and the United States, and serving both the B2B and B2C mar-kets. Here are his insights on what today’s consumers want from the brands they follow.
What does the marketing landscape look like out there today?I think it’s best to define what mar-keting is today. From where we sit, it is to identify, and agree to how we look at the market. Once a consensus is achieved, the effort must focus on gaining customer insights around what the market’s needs are. Through this, you drive product development, the core value proposition and, of course, an unrivaled customer experience. Marketers have to make sure these projects and opportunities are man-aged through the operational funnel.
What is marketing’s role in the customer experience?Marketing owns the front end innovation and the unrivaled customer experience, but then it also has to manage the entire process to ensure that delivery is on time and profitable. Marketing owns the business case. Today’s marketing landscape requires own-ership of front-end innovation and design thinking to deliver unrivaled customer experience. In today’s world, there isn’t enough focus on owning the front-end and, ultimately, the entire business case in the end.
How important is the customer experience today? Marketers must understand how to deliver the unbeatable customer experience, especially in today’s digital environment where customer feedback is greatly transparent and readily available to go viral at any moment. There isn’t room for mis-takes or false promises, your brand will always be present.
What consumer trends do you see evolving? Customers are not only telling you what they think about a product, they’re tell-ing you what they need or what they’re looking for. This drives their decision to purchase and encourage others to do the same. Previously, brands would bring a product to market and consum-ers would provide feedback. Today, they’re telling you how to improve it, and how to make it great and desir-able. The “voice of the customer” is incredibly important. Customers want to be seen as strategic partners. They want to be a valued part of the product development and innovation process.
So, it’s about staying one step ahead of the technological race?In today’s digital world, everything moves at a much faster pace. It is impor-tant to keep up with new technologies and industry trends. With new technolo-gies and platforms, brands are combin-ing ideas with existing platforms and creating tremendous success. They can-not do it alone. They must have strategic partnerships and networks. It’s all about differentiation between their brand and their direct competition, customer loyalty and keeping their employees happy while maintaining an innovative corporate reputation.
Customers want
to be seen as strategic
partners. They want
to be a valued part
of the product
development and
innovation process.
TOUCH ISTHE FINE LINE BETWEEN
read &
There’s a reason the smartest brands choose paper for important messages. Because holding something in our hands can shape how we feel. What we know. And, critically for marketers, what we buy.
See how brilliant brands use haptics—the science of how things we touch shape the way we feel— to create deeper connections with their customers. Visit sappi.com/haptics to learn more and request your own copy of “A Communicators Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch.”
remembered
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The new RICOH Pro C7110X helps you take advantage of lucrative new revenue streams you never
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