CT Printing, Marketing and Direct Mail Insights

CHALLENGE: Waterbury CT Teachers Federal Credit Union

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000


CHALLENGE: Waterbury CT Teachers Federal Credit Union "The desk calendars we give to teachers are very generic but our current supplier can’t customize them. Can Marketing Solutions Unlimited do something different?"
SOLUTION: Yes! Marketing Solutions Unlimited created a completely custom calendar in a format that can be updated each year — and it was completed with a much quicker turnaround. Custom designed with client’s copy, logo, and fonts throughout Format can be updated and reused year after year Laminated covers with front and back pockets Covers printed in client's PMS colors New custom sections: Letter from the CEO, Next Adventure, Income/Expenses Custom-designed stickers for personalization Quicker turnaround
Industry Spotlight: HEALTHCARE
	Our 25 years of working within the healthcare and financial services industry has given us the experience to understand your needs. We have extensive experience in producing pieces such as summary plan descriptions, annual reports, federally- mandated notifications, workbooks, benefit fair handouts, rate sheets and re- credentialing letters. We’re more than just a printer; we understand your business and the strict deadlines that often drive the timing of these communications.

What challenge can MSU solve for you?
Offset, Digital, Variable Printing Services MSU offers the most technologically-advanced and “green” methods of printing, thereby providing our customers with unsurpassed quality and quick production times. Direct Mail With 25 years of direct mail experience, MSU is a seasoned mailer that can help you navigate all of the mail specifications and postal compatibility rules. Our direct mail services will ensure that your materials are packaged, addressed and shipped to reach their destination on time. Our services are efficient and cost-effective as we use state-of-the-art technology for fast, accurate results.	Popular printed pieces:
	Postcards Brochures Invitations Programs Calendars Notecards Letterhead Newsletters Annual Reports Rack Cards Folders Sell Sheets Presentations Manuals

MSU Wins Award

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000

MARKETING SOLUTIONS WINS AWARD

WEST HARTFORD, CT., April 12, 2018 - Marketing Solutions Unlimited, LLC, a print and digital marketing company which started in the founder’s living room in 1991, has been honored by the regional printing trade association.

Printing Industries of New England (PINE) chose Marketing Solutions as winner of a print contest, bestowing its 2018 Pinnacle Award on the company at the association’s annual gala at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA, attended by several hundred members.

“We were thrilled to win the 2018 Pinnacle Award for a package of materials that we printed for the iconic Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford,” said Heidi Buckley, founder and president of Marketing Solutions Unlimited. “It’s so gratifying to know that as our company continues to look to the future by embracing the digital age, we also maintain excellence in the traditional arena of paper print. Paper is certainly not passé.”

The wining array depicts lush green foliage printed on a soft white background with deep rust-red accents. The materials were printed four color process and won in the “Invitations and Programs” Division II category.

Just two months ago the company purchased the Heidelberg VersaFireCP 110, a cutting edge digital printer that prints up to a 27 x 13 sheet. The new Heidelberg press can quickly print just about any image on just about any surface.

“A number of printing companies throughout the region have closed their doors in recent years, victim to the digital age,” said Buckley. “We’ve made it our mission to take advantage of new digital technology to expand services for a range of corporate, nonprofit, educational and individual customers.”

The company that began nearly thirty years ago now employs 23 people. “We’ve come a long way from the one-person operation I began in my living room,” added Buckley.

About the firm:

Marketing Solutions Unlimited LLC was founded in 1991 by Heidi Buckley, who has grown the business from a direct mail startup to a prominent print, mail and fulfillment company. MSU is proud to be an official union print vendor, as a member of the Amalgamated Lithographers of America, Local One. MSU is a certified minority-owned business in the State of Connecticut. The company also is HIPAA certified.

Hi tech in the Printing Industry Often Means Color, Sharpness and Economy

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000

When we hear the term high technology – hi-tech for short – we often think of electronic devices that allow us to instantly communicate with more people, over longer distances.

But high technology has spread across the business spectrum over the past several decades and the printing industry is one of its many beneficiaries. For instance, while four-color printing has been around for a long time, advanced technology allows us to make sharper images, with far more capability to reproduce exactly what the job requires, often using CMYK or Pantone color processes among others.

What is the difference? Basically, CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, four base colors from which other colors can be created. Pantone® printing, on the other hand, known in the industry as the Pantone Matching System®, uses specific mixes of ink to create colors that exactly match the colors needed for specific jobs.

Pantone® is used among most conventional printers to recreate colors and artwork by referring to a standardized guide. The biggest plus of the Pantone system is that it consistently creates colors that are precise and much closer to the shades used in the design process. This means that separate clients in different places who want the same color can get it.[1]

But this level of accuracy comes with a price – meaning it costs more. Since the Pantone process is more consistent it is the preferred method by many printers for large jobs that require specificity. Thus, smaller jobs that that need good quality but don’t necessarily require a specific shade, especially those with a tight budget, can benefit from the CMYK process. With CMYK, several jobs with similar requirements can be bundled, saving both the print shop and the customers.

With the Pantone process, however, the printer must be set up separately for each different print job, making it more cost effective to run large jobs using that process. In addition to accuracy and cost, CMYK and Pantone also differ when it comes to their compatibility with RGB, an on-screen color system.

RGB stands for red, green and blue and is used for online work, not for print production. Nonetheless, RGB can be converted into the CMYK printing color process, but some of the preciseness is sacrificed and there will be a noticeable change in hue because the color structure is built differently. One drawback to RGB is that it only works with CMYK and is incompatible with Pantone colors.

The differences between CMYK and Pantone should be considered when deciding which color process to use. For instance, if you run a business where brands and logos are embossed on various items, and there needs to be a consistency to the final product, it is best to use Pantone.

Conversely, large jobs that require good color but not as precise as that offered by Pantone, can benefit from the advantages of CMYK, especially if there are multiple projects that have similar color requirements. And it should be kept in mind that where the project budget is a major factor, CMYK delivers the best bang for the buck. For print jobs where exact color isn’t a concern, CMYK is the best choice, while jobs requiring specific color reproduction where cost is a secondary issue would be best suited to Pantone.[2]

[1] https://www.lcipaper.com/kb/what-are-the-differences-between-pantone-cmyk-rgb.html

[2] https://printingsolutionsaz.com/whats-the-difference-between-cmyk-and-pantone/

Direct Mail Fast Facts

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Here are some fast facts about direct mail:

1. 79% of households say they read or scan direct mail ads

2. 39% of customers say they try a business for the first time because of direct mail advertising

3. Direct mail marketing yields, on average, a 13-to-1 return on investment ratio

4. 92% of young shoppers say they prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions

5. Direct mail brings in 78% of donations for non-profits

6. For every $167.00 spent on direct mail, U.S. marketers sell $2,095.00 in goods

7. Since 2004, direct mail marketing response rates have increased by 14%

8. 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing

9. 44% of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail marketing

10. 48% of people retain direct mail for future reference

Source: DMR Stats/Gadgets

MSU Teams with Foodshare

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! In the spirit of the holiday, it gave us great pleasure to have assisted Foodshare in their “Turkey and Thirty” campaign to help local families put a meal on their table this Thanksgiving. Accepting both turkeys and donations at West Hartford’s Big Y in Bishop’s Corner on November 4^th and 5^th, we had a great time meeting so many like-minded people who really put the “giving” in “Thanksgiving”!

We are pleased to share that 134 turkeys were collected and $3,573 was raised over those two days. And heartfelt “thanks” to our special guests: West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor, Renee DiNino from The River 105.9 and James Arena-DeRosa, Foodshare President & CEO.

And how could we not thank Tika the Turkey for making a surprise visit?!