QR codes for Let's Eat Out Menus!

I met a great friend for life while I was at Clemson University and her name is Monica VanCleve. She started Let's Eat Out Menus (http://letseatoutmenu.com/) right out of college and is now growing her business in Texas with interest from several other people in other states across the US. Let's Eat Out Menus provides readers with full menus from local restaurants so readers can make informed decisions on where to eat! (Don't you wish you had thought of that!) http://epaperflip.com/aglaia/viewer.aspx?docid=399983f9b52647d5a8ca248912dbc045- ebook.

Long story short... she needed a way to track how many people view each page in her publication and provide the restaurant clients with up to date data that they can use to alter specials, marketing tactics and increase their business. I was talking with Monica last week and I told her about QR codes. She knew what they were, but then I talked with her about putting them on her restaurant pages. The codes could link to a mobile page personalized to each restaurant and then the viewer can choose to view the menu or specials. And then the kicker! Tracking all of the views so each restaurant can see how many people viewed their page, looked at the specials etc. Finally a way to measure responses. Isn't print grand!

More to come on this. We are in the pricing stage of this project, but Monica is very excited and is already marketing the tracking features. Great idea for any company looking to track the seemingly "untrackable"

Have a good one!!
Sarah

Cloud Computing- What the heck is it?

I've found myself searching the web and trying to find something worth while to post on here about Cloud Computing. I keep hearing about it, but I don't have a good grasp of what it is exactly , what it will do for me, and how to use it. So in this post I'm asking you to post any links you may have found helpful on this topic. I'm willing to check them all out... so let the copying and pasting fly!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Thanks!
Sarah

Chocolate or Vanilla? Online or Offline? Start thinking BOTH not OR

LOVE this article so I'm choosing to post it here in the hopes that you will enjoy it too. It reiterates the importance of multichannel marketing and you guessed it!- Print is not dead!!! I'm not sure why I enjoy the topics of print remaining king of the hill and young adults responding better to printed materials, but perhaps it's my rebellious nature or my need to jump off the wagon instead of on it. Either way it appears I'm not alone in my beliefs, so read on and enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

http://blogs.forbes.com/lisaarthur/2010/09/08/chocolate-vanilla-or-swirl-the-debate-between-online-and-offline-marketing/

Cone pic courtesy of Wikipedia.

StickyDrive

Any idea what I'm talking about? No it's not a flash drive that you spilled coffee on! I was recently introduced to Sticky Drives and I'm immediately thinking  how does this work? What does it do? How does it do that? And most importantly WHO is going to use this? Can I interest a customer in such a product? Will this be the new way to keep in touch with your members or clients? Lots of questions, but let's start off with the facts courtesy of stickydrive.com.

• StickyDrive is a customized, branded interface -- it allows you to advertise your company, products, brand, and proprietary information.
• StickyDrive is an ongoing medium for communication. You can remotely update and change the interface design, the video or other content seen inside the interface, and even change the documents that are loaded inside the drive.
• You can receive tracking reports that deliver data on the frequency and types of use, including # of times the drive is used, documents launched from the drive, website click-through activity, etc.
• Any content that is viewable on the Internet can be delivered through stickydrive. (Video, Slideshow, Flash presentation, animation, PowerPoint, etc.)
• The functions available through stickydrive (music player, photo viewers, etc.) make this a valuable tool for the end user. Their entire experience remains branded, even when the drive is used for personal activities.

Pretty cool concept right? I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how to market this type of product to my clients, and well figuring out pricing as well, because today most people for some reason want to know how much something will cost them. Weird isn't it, I guess they have something called a budget?? Just kidding! I get it people you see cool things, but it's only cool if you can actually afford it. Hopefully more to come on this front.

Could you see a use for stickydrives in your company??

Happy Friday Everyone!

Young Adults Prefer Offline Marketing

Courtesy of Print in the Mix: http://printinthemix.rit.edu/uploads/File/newsletters/PIM_Fall%202010.pdf  Proof of my theory!  :)

Like I've been saying for months now- I don't like reading online, I can't stand having to worry about electronic devices in my purse getting broken, and I enjoy being able to make notes with a PEN or PENCIL right on the page!!! Many poeple think that because younger generations understand and quickly adapt to new technology that we automatically switch to online everything. Well that's not the case and I challenge you to survey how many people on the subway, metro, bus or my favorite, the airplane, are under the age of 30 and using an iPad or Nook or some other e-reader. I bet you will find that most people using them are actually around 40-60. I bet most people under the age of 30 have a magazine, book or catalog in tow when traveling. Please post your comments below. I'm interested to hear your feedback!

Have a great day!

Will the Internet kill Magazines? Did instant coffee kill coffee?

FANTASTIC ad I found in the September 17/24, 2010 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Love this ad and so I have typed it out below. (Magazines- The Power of Print). Enjoy and Happy Friday!

 

"New technologies change many things. But not everything. You may surf, search, shop and blog online, but your still read magazines. And you're far from alone.

Readership has actually increased over the past five years. Even the 18-to-34 segment continues to grow. And typical young adults now read more issues per month that their parents. Rather than being displaced by "instant" media, it would seem the magazines are the ideal complement.

The explanation, while sometimes drowned out by the Internet drum beat, is fairly obvious. Magazines do what the Internet doesn't. Neither obsessed with immediacy nor trapped by the daily news cycle, magazines promote deeper connections. They create relationship. They engage us in ways distinct from digital media.

In fact, the immersive power of magazine even extends to the advertising. Magazines remain the number one medium for driving purchase consideration and intent. And that's essential in every product category.

Including coffee."

Print Vs. Digital

So what medium to you prefer to get bills, read the news, read books, get coupons etc? I know that I'm a paper girl. I can't stand reading on a computer screen and love being able to make notes and use post-its to record my ideas rigth on the page. So what are your feelings? See the link below to Print in the Mix that has some interesting data about this topic. PRINT RULES! Have a great day!

Fall 2010- http://printinthemix.rit.edu/pages/by_title?title=Newsletter+Archive

USPS- increase denied!

I'm keeping up with my promise of a post every morning! Today I'd like to start off the week with some great news that dropped last week. The USPS had proposed another rate hike from $.44 to $.46. Last week the Postal Regulatory Commission denied this request. Read more about the story here: http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/30/news/economy/postal_rate_announcement/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

For those of you in the DC metro area enjoying yet another rainy Monday, I hope this cheers you up a bit! I'd love to hear from you about how postal prices affect your marketing strategies in the comment section. Don't be bashful!

HBP and Balmar- Together as One!

If you are in the printing/marketing/advertising industry in the DC metro area, you know that competition is high and everyone is trying to stay on top of the ball when it comes to new technologies and services. HBP and our owner John Snyder have done a fantastic job keeping HBP ahead of the game. Offering not only print services, but also design, mailing, fulfillment, wide format printing, digital printing, online inventory systems with tracking and reminders, online ordering systems, personalized URL capabilities, data collection and reporting, website hosting and the list goes on ands on.

In a nut shell HBP is a 1-stop shop for any and all of your marketing needs!

Now to make things even better HBP and Balmar, another great printing company in the area havwe merged and together I feel that we will be one of the biggest difference makers in the DC area. If you haven't had the pleasure to work with us before, NOW is the time to inquire. With the merger we have access to even more equipment and man power to handle larger volumes and give clients faster turn arounds! More to come of this major change! There is just too much to post it all at one time. Have a great day!!

Nose to the Grind

Alright people, clearly I have fallen a bit off the wagon with posts. With sooo many online opportunites to communicate I find it hard to keep up with all of them. Who else is with me? Anyways, I'm making a point to try and either post or update everyday even if it's just an article or something cool going on in my life of sales (which by the way I just hit my 2 year mark in June, boy how time flies when you're having fun!)

Today I want to talk about QR codes. I am planning to use my blog as a landing page for a QR code that will be located on my business card. It's a great talking point along with being a fun tool to drive traffic to my site. Keep you eyes out for my new business card!! E-mail me if you would like to learn more about the codes and how they can help drive traffic to your business! (sarahk@hbp.com)

A little info about QR codes for you : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code