As we come to the end of 2021, the Tucker Castleberry team encourages you to have a more expedient approach to your annual marketing plans. Given the current market conditions and supply chain challenges, planning more in advance than usual will help you save money and avoid delays along the way. We want to share a few ways we can help you maximize your printing and mailing budgets in 2022.
- Think Ahead About Your Budget—Printed materials are a common and effective segment of business promotion throughout the year. Now is the time to think about how you want to allocate your budget to accommodate for all your print projects. In your printing budget, we encourage you to plan for event materials, general marketing materials and direct mail. Internal printed items such as business cards, brochures, letterhead and envelopes should be included in the budget as well. Thank you cards are also a business acumen often overlooked, but not to be forgotten.
- Utilize Cost-Saving Measures for Your Projects—Small details can make a big difference in your budget. Is the size of your design piece optimizing the size of the press sheet available? We can help you calculate the best way to adjust your design for maximized efficiency and minimal waste. For example, something as simple as reducing your design size from 5 x 7 to 4 x 6 could reduce your overall production cost by almost 40%. Using 4-color process inks instead of spot colors is another cost savings consideration. If a PMS color is not absolutely necessary, use only process colors and avoid additional costs. Planning a die-cut project? Consider designing your project around an existing die guide from our library of die guides. For instance, door hangers to pocket folders to self-mailers can be similar in size and function. Preexisting die guides are efficient because we can send you a digital die guide you can customize for your artwork, which saves time during your design phase. Lastly, think about the quality and availability of the paper you specify. Paper scarcity is a real issue at this time and is projected to continue well into 2022. Include the Tucker Castleberry team as early as possible in your planning to acquire the paper you need for your project. From annual reports to everyday direct mail postcards, using print techniques and quality finishing can create a successful marketing piece using the paper stock available to you at the time.
- Base-Run Printing—When you plan to imprint custom copy on a common base-run shell, printing the entire base-run at once can save you money on your overall production costs and timing. As your schedule calls for imprint versions, you will already have the base-run complete and available for these smaller imprint projects. We can share best practices for managing this type of program when you are ready.
- Plan For Special Projects to Best Utilize Your Budget—Look ahead to see if you have special events or promotions during the year beyond your standard marketing programs. These unique projects can “sneak up on you” timewise and budget-wise. Planning in advance will help maximize budgets and produce projects that deliver on time with the most impact. At Tucker Castleberry, we are ready to help you plan for these special projects and reach your print marketing success throughout the year.
It’s not too late – reach out to Tucker Castleberry TODAY to discuss your printing and mailing plans for 2022. We are looking forward to serving you in the coming year!