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Why Readers Love the “State of the Industry” Report
For 17 years, Print Solutions’ State of the Industry Report has offered a hard-hitting snapshot of current conditions and trends in the print services and distribution marketplace. Read by industry novices and veterans, printers and distributors, the State of the Industry Report provides summary and analysis that you won’t find in other industry publications.

Distributor Kevin Welch, a PSDA board member, eagerly anticipates the State of the Industry Report. “It is an integral part of my company’s SWOT planning (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats),” says Welch, owner and partner of Eagle Graphics in Portland, Ore. The 2007 report emphasized that successful companies would need to perform more work with fewer employees. “This helped focus us on increasing the number of orders that flow through our clients’ web ordering portals,” says Welch. “We have also made efforts to streamline information with suppliers to improve the general ordering process.”

Welch isn’t the only one impressed with the State of the Industry Report. The January 2007 issue, featuring the 16th State of the Industry Report, won an award for overall publication excellence. “The bottom line is that the State of the Industry issue is vital to responsible forecasting on the part of Eagle Graphics,” Welch says.

Readers don’t want to miss January’s State of the Industry Report, and you won’t want to miss an opportunity to advertise in it. It’s a great way to start your 2008 campaign. For more information, call Kevin Boyle at (800) 336-4641.

Meet Andy Brown
Andy Brown, managing editor of Print Solutions magazine, knows a thing or two about association magazines. He previously wrote about auto glass and college financial aid for Washington, D.C., area trade associations. Not surprisingly, his writing and editing experience come in handy for his job. But it was a recent stint selling ads outside the association world that provided unexpected insights about the needs of readers.

Andy worked for Print Solutions from 2004 until 2006 as an assistant editor. He left when an opportunity came along to sell ads for a publication covering the entertainment industry in Washington, D.C. He rejoined Print Solutions as managing editor after nearly a year of being away. His job switch gave him “a whole new appreciation for what our readers do,” he says, referring to the relationships salespeople build with their clients. Andy returned, in part, because the printing industry interests him, “especially our segment,” he says, “because I think it has some of the most entrepreneurial, innovative people in it, and it’s exciting to write about them.” In addition to writing about industry leaders, Andy writes the monthly column, “433 East Monroe.”

“Our readers are hungry for ideas, information and products and services that will help them grow their customers’ business, which will help them grow theirs,” he says. Print Solutions’ reputation for providing detailed case studies and useful how-to articles keeps industry professionals reading month after month. Readers of trade magazines pay close attention to advertisements, which they often rate as important as editorial features, he explains.

Andy often receives inquiries from printers and suppliers who want to know how they can be written about in the magazine. The best way, says Andy, is to provide editors with information about distributors clients who have sold their products successfully and would like to tell readers about their work in a case study article. It’s simple to describe what he doesn’t want: “If it’s a commercial, it won’t get in,” he says. Andy also encourages advertisers and prospective advertisers to send press releases for inclusion in monthly departments, such as “New Products & Services,” “People” and “Supplier News.”

To reach Andy, send an email at abrown@psda.org, or dial him direct at (703) 302-8799.

How to Write Press Releases Editors Love (or at least publish)
Sending press releases to industry publications such as Print Solutions, as well as to local newspapers and magazines, is an excellent way to get publicity for your company. Follow these tips for creating a top-notch press release:

• Put the most important information at the top, so editors can find it quickly. Summarize the main point succinctly, such as “XYZ Manufacturing recently promoted John Smith to sales manager.”
• Be brief; keep the release to one page if possible.
• Date the release, so editors know how timely the information is.
• Always list contact information so an editor can easily get answers to questions.
• When applicable, include a photo. Print Solutions accepts photos via snail mail or jpeg images attached to the press release.
• Proofread, spell check and proofread again. Be especially careful to spell the names of people and products exactly as you want them to appear. Phone numbers and addresses should always be double-checked before submitting your release.

Read More
For other tips on writing press releases, click on these links.

“Four Steps to Writing a Newsworthy Press Release”

“How to Write an Effective Press Release”
 
“How to Write a Great Press Release: A Sample Release Template”

“Marketing Tips That Stick” (Print Solutions, July 2004; scroll down to Publicity & Media Relations. This article includes an Ennis press release as an example.)

“Write a Successful Press Release”

Why I Advertise in Print Solutions
“We’ll advertise in Print Solutions as long as we’re in business,” says Tim Flynn, president and CEO of Continental Datalabel, Elgin, Ill. The label manufacturer has used the back cover of Print Solutions to promote its products and services and keep its name in front of customers for years. Why?

“You have to advertise your product, and direct mail is very expensive now,” he says. More importantly, Flynn knows Print Solutions allows his firm to reach a well-defined marketplace month after month. In addition to print distributors, Continental Datalabel sells through other value-added resellers. “People who belong to PSDA are usually professional,” he says. “They know how to sell our products. …PSDA helped us launch our business, and it helps us maintain our business because it has educated our customers.”

Flynn says advertisers should take care when designing ads. Continental Datalabel is in the process of changing its ads to “take them to another level,” according to Flynn. “You have to have a fresh look from time to time,” he says. Years ago, a competitor placed ads featuring the company president standing in front of his Mercedes. Flynn cut the ad out and told his staff that it was a great example of what NOT to do. “When you advertise, you don’t show what you’ve accumulated,” he explains. “People don’t like that, and it doesn’t say anything about what your company does.” Not surprisingly, this competitor is no longer in business, he says.

Update Your Ad with the PSDA Logo
With DMIA’s recent name change to the Print Services & Distribution Association, we encourage everyone to update their Print Solutions ads with the new PSDA logo. Members must fill out a short form requesting the PSDA logo for their use. Go to www.psda.org and click on “Services,” then choose “Members Only Services.” After logging in, click on the “PSDA Logo” link to the logo agreement form. When filling out the form, request the 4/C eps file. Once you have completed the form, fax it to (703) 836-9845, and PSDA will email the logo to you.

Coming in Print Solutions

January--The State of the Industry, featuring data from PSDA’s 2008 Formtrac survey, analysis from experts in the printing industry and interviews with distributors about their outlook for the coming year, including which vertical markets and products they expect to be the most profitable. Also, feature stories on the Next Generation of Print Industry Executives and Strategic Sourcing, specifically on how distributors create preferred vendor programs. The January issue will include the debut of several new monthly departments: Mailing and Fulfillment, Green Printing, Promotional Products and Business Management.

February--The focus is on marketing, including stories on marketing trends, techniques and applications that distributors can use or help their customers use. We’ll cover viral marketing, video and e-mail marketing, and self-promotion.

March--Web-to-Print technologies and applications. It will include stories about credit card processing, using storefronts to upsell and back-end fulfillment.

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© 2007 Print Solutions Magazine
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