PrintRoundTable

Starting a Key Tag Loyalty Programs During the Holiday Season

Filed under Plastic Key Tags , Plastic Products

 The holidays traditionally are one of the busiest seasons for many retailers. As businesses gear up with marketing promotions and sales, the off-season is the furthest from their minds.  Starting a new incentive program during your busiest time of the year could keep your sales soaring even when peak is over.  Key Tags are a great way to do this.       First, any incentive or loyalty program that gives customers a reason to shop is a win-win for everyone; and getting something in their hands to initiate this is actually the easy part.  Simply hand them a key tag, or a plastic card key tag combination, packet when they check-out and have them sign up online.  Take it one step further, and have your customer sign up while in the store if they choose. You can even send out a targeted mailing to your customers to further your reach.       A key tag on the customers set of car keys will keep their mind on your business because they look at their keys all the time.  However, coming up with a loyalty program that keeps your customers engaged is probably the hardest part. Ask yourself, what would my customers want to receive from my business in return for their loyalty?  Send out surveys, have your sales associates simply ask them, and reward their candor with a coupon, gift certificate, or a small token of your appreciation.  Many companies offer rewards programs, such as if you spend X dollars, you will get X points to use towards a reward.  Some businesses just have you present the loyalty card or key tag for a dollar or percentage discount.        Regardless of which type of loyalty program you create, or the type of key tags you use, the important thing is to be creative and have fun.  Create internal contests as an incentive for your employees to promote the key tag loyalty program.  Make it easy to understand for both customers and employees, so everyone enjoys what your business is trying to accomplish. And remember, although holiday sales are extremely important, keeping customers year round will ultimately keep your business in a positive place and make customers excited about your business all year! 

Were you Prepared for Black Friday? What About the Next Few Weeks?

Filed under Distribution Label Solutions , General , Plastic Products

Black Friday is always the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, and also when many businesses get a taste of what is to come over the next few weeks. Many are seeing a shift in the way consumers are purchasing.  Instead of fighting in-store sales, customers are going online to purchase their sale items.  And now businesses are choosing to start their sales on Thanksgiving Day, as opposed to the traditional Friday.  And many people are just waiting until closer to Christmas to shop.  Regardless of how customers or businesses choose to purchase, being prepared for the holiday season is a must to keep your business running smoothly and staying profitable.   Retail businesses that use plastic cards and holders also need to keep a healthy supply in stock over the holidays; even more than normal.  Plastic gift cards are the easiest product to push, and they provide a high ROI for most companies, so letting them run out could put a huge strain on a business.  Not to mention they are ongoing marketing pieces that can be recharged and reused. During the holiday season, getting plastic cards printed can be a challenge, so the farther away from Christmas you order your cards, the better your turn times and pricing will be.  In fact, there are times when a business can place orders at the beginning of December, and not get their cards until January.  The demand is that high this time of the year, so ordering early is imperative. Gift card holders are more easily accessible and sometimes even have stock, or off-the-shelf, options to cut down on turn times and cost.   Another way to stay prepared is to stay stocked with every day, general supplies.  Online companies need to keep shipping labels, packing slips, and any other items needed to fulfill orders.  Nothing will shut down your business, and lose repeat business, faster than running out of shipping supplies.  Customers will not purchase again if they cannot get their orders on time.  Also having plenty of business cards, letterhead and envelopes on hand also helps with sales and office functions, keeping things running smoothly.   Marketing is very important to drive in business; however, the best marketing will not help if you do not prepare for the business coming in.  With just a few short weeks left in the holiday season, making sure you have the supplies you need will keep you up and running for a successful holiday season.

Boost Sales with Gift Cards and Matching Carriers this Holiday Retail Season

Filed under Full Color Plastic Card Printing , Plastic Products

It is that time of the year again; the time of the year when retail businesses gear up for their holiday season in hopes of growing from the previous year.  Businesses are already beginning their holiday campaigns.  In fact, with an estimated 42%* of consumers beginning their shopping even earlier than last year, and a predicted 3%* increase in sales, it is more important than ever to be prepared to serve customers.   One of the best ways to help your business keep up with the competition is by offering gift cards and gift card holders.  From the very small “mom and pop” shops to the largest retailers, offering gift cards to their customers has been a great way to grab sales for a great number of reasons.  First, offering gift cards gives customers the impression that you are current on technology.  You rarely see paper certificates any longer.  Second, it is an easy gift to give.  The old thinking of a gift card being “impersonal” has finally been thrown out the window.  More people actually prefer to get a gift so they can pick out something they know they will enjoy.  And finally, the third reason is a bit of a selfish one, but you have the opportunity to make more that the cost of the gift card.  For example, most customers end up spending MORE than their gift card.  And there are even handfuls that spend LESS than their gift card. These customers, who don’t spend the last bit of change on their card, normally throw the card away.  If you sold 1000 gift cards, and 250 of the cards had a quarter left on the card, your business just saved an additional $62.50! Both are wins for a business.    Gift cards and matching holders are a nice package that advertises your business. It is important to take advantage of that real estate, and design a functional, eye-catching card and carrier so customers will be enticed to buy them.  It really is worth the investment to have a professional design your collaterals so everything coordinates with your business and the image you want to convey to the world.  You don’t have to break the bank to get great results.   Choosing a program is as simple as contacting your cash register/credit card point of purchase provider.  Getting the correct specifications the first time will save time and cost in the long run.  If you have a machine that takes credit cards, then chances are you can accept gift cards with a few modifications.  Your point of purchase provider should help set that feature up for you should, and give you the information you need such as the OE Density the cards will need to work on your machine.  You can also discuss the specifications you need with the card company who will print your gift cards.  They will be able to explain the questions you need to ask your provider and even speak to them directly if you choose.     Finally, BE PREPARED! Do not wait until last minute to order your gift cards and gift card holders.  This is traditionally the busiest time for retail businesses and card printers alike.  Many forget to order their cards and pay a hefty premium to get them rushed to their business in time; especially for Black Friday!  Normally, the turn time could take anywhere from 5 to 15 days depending on the specifications you need.  You don’t want to be caught off guard and lose sales by simple not being prepared! *Statistics from 2012 Christmas Holiday Shopping Season Retail Sales, Job, Technology Predictions by Barbara Farfan, About.com Guide  

How to Use a Fundraising Card Printing Program and Succeed!

Filed under Plastic Products

Schools, Charities, and other organizations struggle to come up with ways to raise money and keep overall costs down.  We see their efforts every day; the community car washes, bake sales, garage sales and auctions.  These events are great for community awareness and exposure; however, many require maximum participation with most often minimal results.  This is when fundraising card programs began to take front and center! There are many reasons why Fundraiser card printing programs are successful.  There are two things you need to do first in order to figure out the direction you need to go.  First, you need to decide what types of discounts people are willing to spend money on. Is it discounts on movie tickets, food items, sporting events or department stores?  Look at popular places that everyone frequents in your community.  Because once you figure that out, this leads you straight into who you want to partner with.  This is called a co-op program where many organizations benefit for a joint venture.  They get increased sales, of course at a discount, by agreeing to participate in your program so they will need to decide what they are willing to offer to get your cards to sell.  You can use one or many partners to join the fundraiser.  Some businesses might even pay you for the option to join, help with artwork and design, or even help with the cost for your plastic fundraiser cards. There are many different ways to work a co-op program where everyone can benefit. Second, come up with a monetary goal and how much you are willing to pay to achieve that goal. Plastic cards can start as low as a $1.00 each; even less if you order higher quantities.  If you sell you fundraiser card for $10 or $20 each, you are looking at a very nice profit. As mentioned above, you may even be able to get your partnered businesses to pay for the cost of the cards.  Although many cards are plastic, paper cards are an option as well if you are using a program that requires a hole punch.  Buying a simple business card, which can start anywhere from $.10 each and up depending on options, seems like the way to go cost wise; however, the one big downside is they are fairly fragile.  If they are for a single use only, then paper is the way to go.  But if you need something that will hold up a bit better, stick with plastic. Once you have decided on these two big factors, you are ready to design and print your fundraiser cards.  If you have done the research, and chosen great deals, discounts and partners, your fundraiser cards will fly out the door.  Start selling to friends and family first and have them pass on the word that you are selling fundraising cards.  The more people pushing the cards, the more people know they are out there.  Take to social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to let the community know what you are doing and why it is so important.  When trying to raise money, especially if the event is local, your community will rally around your efforts.  If one organization succeeds, they all do!  

Update Your Image By Using Table Talkers For Restaurants, Hotels and other Hospitality Industries

Filed under Plastic Products

Plastic Table Talkers, or plastic table tents, are a relatively new accessory to come into the scene for restaurants and hotels.  When you think of a table tent it is normally more traditional such as a folded paper piece, or on the complete opposite end, a plastic stand where you insert paper into it. With three options to choose from, which one is best for your establishment?  All three have both advantage and disadvantages however, they all have a common thread; Getting the message that you want to your customers. A plastic table talker is the newest table tent to emerge in the marketing world.  They are made with a thick composite plastic and can be printed top to bottom…even the base can be printed in needed.  They are bendable, sturdy and most importantly easy to clean, making them useful for a long time if needed.   Restaurants and food courts are using them to promote specials for food and drink, as well as a co-op program for advertisers to display their information to offset the cost of the table tent. Hotels are using them as a table display for phone numbers, specials, as well as a co-op program with other restaurants for food delivery. Lower quantities could be costly; however, if you order around 250 they can actually be cheaper than their paper counterparts.  Over time, they do begin to lose their shape; depending on how much they are handled, and will need replaced. Traditional paper table tents have been a staple for many businesses as they have been around a very long time.  They are usually fairly cheap to print and for those businesses that need to change information often, a paper option could be very beneficial.  However, on the flip side they do get ruined very easily which means they will need replaced quite often.  You also do not have the luxury of cleaning them down thoroughly making them a vessel for carrying germs. Plastic table stands are another option for hotels and restaurants.  The plastic stand is extremely durable and you can just slide paper information in and out of them.  They last a very long time and are easy to wipe down.  The one thing about this table tent option is it can be costly and in some cases time consuming.  Not only do you have to buy the stand, but the paper insert as well.  Then you have to take the time to insert the paper portion when there is a change.  Although they are very easy to clean, if something is spilled, especially a liquid substance, debris can get into the crevices ruining the paper portion and making clean-up for the actual plastic stand difficult.  However, once they are set up, they are great at displaying your message and look very professional. Whichever option you decide to go with, a table tent is there to help get information to your customers and keep them coming back.  Professional looking table tents, and great marketing, speak volumes about your business.  Partner with other businesses and share the cost of the tents with a co-op plan.  There are so many ways to take advantage of this simple marketing strategy, and with a solid piece, you can have a marketing piece that will pay for itself many times over.  

How to Grow Your Business with a Key Tag Loyalty Program

Filed under Plastic Key Tags , Plastic Products

Retail and hospitality oriented businesses are constantly trying to figure the right way to market and grow.  Whether they need more sales, customers, or other goals, choosing how to get a message out to prospective and current customers, in the right way, can be challenging.  Many businesses trend towards the same marketing style and over time this become ineffective. Sending the same materials over and over not only wastes money, but the collaterals tend to be thrown out and completely ignored.  Businesses need to try fresh concepts and ideas to obtain results, and one great marketing push to try is a key tag loyalty program.   Key tag printing has been around for a while; however, businesses are a little intimidated to try and begin one; or maybe they are just not sure which type of program they should use. The fact is they can be very easy.  Even for a small mom and pop shop that has very limited resources can take advantage of what key tags can do for their business.  They are the perfect way to keep customers reminded daily of your business and even incite them to purchase more than normal.  By opting for a barcode on the key tag, a business can track every customer that uses their tag and offer rewards based on purchase price, or even offer a discount at checkout with their key tag.    Because there are many different key tag options, it is important to have a game plan on what kind of key tag works best for the business marketing plan.  A smaller business may want to just use a single key tag, where others may want a plastic card/key tag combination.  Using the combination approach gives customers the option of showing their card, as opposed to their key tag.  Or even go one step further and choose a card with two or three key tags to accommodate anyone in the house.  Here are some steps to help through this process:   ·         Decide what your business wants to offer.  Do you want to just track customer usage, or do you want to offer a discount with each use? ·         What is your budget for your program?  Make sure you factor in the cost of designing your piece, printing and how you are going to get the key tag into your customer’s hands. ·         Next, which style works best with your goals?  Do you need a card and a key tag(s), or just a single key tag?  Do you want to track with a barcode right on the card or key tag, or will you use a different method, like manually entering a number or discount.   Although the process can seem a bit overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.  Researching programs on the web is a great way to get ideas, and most reputable key tag printing companies offer pricing, templates and other information online saving you tons of time.  No matter what the budget or experience, a business can create a great key tag loyalty program that gets results without breaking the bank.

The Benefits of Offering Custom Gift Cards and Carriers in Retail and Department Stores

Filed under Full Color Plastic Card Printing , Plastic Products

Custom gift cards and carriers are definitely a big draw for customers at retail and department stores. They give the option of giving a great gift that allows the recipient to choose what they want.  Many retail stores offer several different departments such as  jewelry and accessories (such as belts and purses), clothing, power tools, fitness equipment,  appliances and even food products, making a plastic gift card that much more appealing as there are many different items to choose from. You do not have to offer many different products in order to take full advantage of gift card printing.  A store that sells only perfume still has a wide array of brands to choose from. Purchasing a gift card for someone really does take the guesswork out of getting a gift, and you guarantee the person will like what they get. Investing in a plastic gift card program can be a bit challenging if you are not sure what direction to go.  A “must have” is a complimentary, or matching, gift card carrier.  This is your wrapping for a gift card and should be as inviting, if not more so, than the actual card.  Investing additional funds into the design of the custom gift cards and carriers, as well as a possible gift card envelope, will enhance your corporate image and entice your customers. A retail store can go one step further and offer several different designs give customers the option to further customize their gift. Designs could be directed towards certain events and greetings, such as "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations", as well as artistic designs that may be more visually appealing than those that just have the department store name on the front. Including the department store's logo and / or brand colors into the design is a good way to tie it all together, while also reminding the recipient where the card is from. A business doesn’t have to be large to have such a program.  Even little “mom and pop” shops can take advantage of a gift card printing program.  The trick is to only stock cards that you know are appealing to your customers and will get sold.  Most companies offer a minimum of 250 cards, which is a perfect “starting out” inventory.  You can expand that offering once you feel confident that customers will start buying.  The goal is to grow sales, while keeping costs down.  For as little as a dollar a card, you can reap huge benefits and keep your customers, and new ones, coming in the door.  

Traditional Plastic Cards vs Laser Membership Cards - Which to Choose for Your Business?

Filed under Custom Printing Tips and Guidelines , Full Color Plastic Card Printing , Plastic Products

With the number of choices on the market, it is not surprising that businesses are not sure what direction to go in when it comes to providing customers a plastic card.  Whether you are an insurance company distributing a coverage card, or a non-profit organization giving their supporters a membership card, it can be challenging what direction to go and which cards will work best for your business.  There are a number of factors to consider when starting, or converting, to a new plastic card program. The first thing to consider when choosing between the two options is a rather simple one.  Do you want, or need, a letterhead portion attached with your card.  If you want that combined into one form, then laser membership cards are the answer.  This gives you the freedom to change your letterhead portion without committing money to forms that may outdate quickly. However, if you already have letterhead, and the information you send out is more general, then single, traditional plastic cards are a great option. You can affix the card to the form, add an envelope or carrier, or just simple ford them into the letterhead when you mail to your customer. The second item to consider when making a program decision is how fast do customers need their cards.  If you need the ability to give a customer, or member, their card within the same day, or within one or two days, laser membership cards are the best options because you can print on demand.  If you have a week or longer to get your member their card, then traditional plastic cards are a good option that will take the work out of your hands.  The one drawback is most printing companies require at least a 250 card minimum.  So you may have to postpone printing until you have that many members to print for. However, on the upside, all you have to do is give the printing company your card design and excel file of the data you want on the card, and you have freed up time to do more pressing company business. The next thing to contemplate is how durable do the plastic cards need to be. If you want your cards to last a long period of time, then a traditional plastic pvc or composite card is the answer.  They are 30 mils in thickness (think of a credit card) and withstand wear and tear.  A laser membership card must be thin in order to go through a laser printer, so they can range from 7.5 to 8 mils in thickness.  They are still durable, but not as much as their counterpart.  Because they are thin, they are extremely flexible to the point that you can fold them in half.  You cannot do this with traditional plastic cards. However, if you have to replace cards on a regular basis, the laser membership card might be more cost effective. And finally, the last two aspects to consider go hand and hand…that is time and money.  Every business large and small has a budget they need to adhere to, and deciding how much money you want to spend on plastic card printing may help make that final decision on which style of cards to go with.  The two big mistakes that are commonly made is not figuring the amount of time you want to spend on your cards and forgetting to figure extra outside costs.  For example, a small business may decide to go with a blank laser membership card and just print their cards themselves thinking that is the cheapest route.  They sometimes forget about the cost of toner to print their cards, and how much time it will take them to set up the form to print.  Your time is valuable and needs to be figured into the cost.  Furthermore, a business may figure the costs and realize it is cheaper, and better use of their time, to have a professional print single, traditional plastic cards. Sometimes, even after asking the above questions, the decision still may not be clear.  With two great product options, what if the wrong choice is made? You may want to try one program for a few months, and then switch to the other.  Doing this allows you time to figure which one is best for both time management and your company’s budget, and help you make that final project decision. Whether you final choice is a laser membership card or a traditional plastic card, you now have options to help improve your business and your bottom line.

Custom Gift Cards for Holidays, or Any Other Time of the Year, to Boost Sales

Filed under Full Color Plastic Card Printing , Plastic Products

The biggest occasions for gift card printing are usually the major holidays in the United States-- Christmas and birthdays. However, there are several other holidays throughout the year that can also be a great gift card giving occasion. For these instances, businesses need to be ready with custom gift cards that have an eye-catching design and are ready for almost any celebratory event at any time of year. Thanksgiving It may not be known as a common gift giving holiday, but the idea behind Thanksgiving is "giving thanks", which can easily be done through gift cards. Encourage customers to give gift cards to their teachers, children’s sports coaches, neighbors, co-workers, or anyone who has given them a helping hand throughout the year.  Also, because “Black Friday” is the day after Thanksgiving, that may be even more incentive to get customers into your location. Easter Many parents give their children an Easter basket or candy during Easter. As a healthier alternative to candy, offer custom gift cards to your business. Many times, children will never eat all the candy they receive, so a "shopping spree" at your business could be a fun way to continue the spring and Easter season.  Valentine’s Day Another holiday that is a prime time for gift giving is Valentine’s Day.  Restaurants, spas, retail stores and hotels can take advantage of offering plastic gift cards to their customers.  Whether your customers are more traditional with cards, flowers and candy or more of an adventurist with trips or spa days, it is a win-win for everyone. “Professional” Holidays This is another smaller group of holidays that was created for showing appreciation for the men and women who handle different positions in the workforce. Jobs can often times be stressful and many employees would appreciate a token of appreciation for everything they do each day.  These is a great B2B opportunity that will help build future partnerships. Quirky Holidays Other holidays that aren't commonly celebrated, like Half Birthdays or "Housiversaries" (when a person first purchases their home) can be a fun way for customers to show someone how much they appreciate them. Offering these fun ideas can inspire customers who may have not thought of it on their own. No matter the holiday, a business should offer several different types of custom gift card designs that could be applicable for almost any situation. There is always a time to give a gift card…and for customers to spend it in your establishment!