Fixing The Printer's Paradox

Printers are often chastised for doing a poor job of marketing. This phenomenon is a paradox, considering the spectacular promotional material printers produce daily for their customers and their customers' customers.

Still, many printers are loath to toot their own horns. Instead of printing a marketing campaign to woo clients, they opt mainly to produce an equipment list.

How many printing companies do you know that have an in-house marketing specialist or engage the services of a consultant in this area? The answer: Not many. Instead, printers often put all of their eggs in the sales team's basket, not considering how investing in marketing might benefit their companies.

One inexpensive but powerful way to rectify this marketing shortcoming is to participate in the world's largest and oldest print competition, PIA/GATF's Premier Print Awards.

For almost 60 years, this annual contest has recognized excellence in print communications and has rewarded companies and individuals that produce the very best in print media. Last year more than 5,500 entries were received from 20 countries around the world, all competing for the coveted “Benny” statue, named after the patron saint of printing, Benjamin Franklin.

Of the thousands of jobs entered, only 100 Benny awards are presented each year. The competition categories are organized by company size, so that even the smallest graphic arts firms can be recognized for exceptional craftsmanship and high-quality work.

Think of the marketing potential to a 10-person print shop that can tout to its customers and prospects that it is among the best printers in the world. Just as winning an Academy Award has opened doors for struggling actors, the same can be said for winning a Benny. Winners are even provided with a marketing kit to promote their achievements to existing and potential clients.

For high-end printers like ColorCraft of Virginia, entering the Premier Print Awards competition is a marketing “no-brainer.” CEO Jim Mayes recounts his firm's annual entry process: “We look forward to entering the Premier Print Awards every year. We set up a quality control team to review each entry for the right categories and then inspect each piece for ultimate quality. We also use our success (if we win) in our company marketing materials. Our employees and clients get a great deal of personal satisfaction from this competition.”

In fact, 80% of the firms that win Benny awards attend the annual gala awards ceremony held each year during Graph Expo in Chicago. Many winners bring their customers to showcase their achievements in print.

The printing industry is one of the most important sectors of the economy, employing well over one million people in the U.S. alone. The work printers produce helps drive every sector of the nation, and we should celebrate our manufacturing excellence at every possible opportunity.

We all take great pride in the work we do. But how many of us will go the extra mile to see how our work actually stacks up against the competition? The Premier Print Awards provides the perfect arena for this task. What is your company waiting for?