What do we do here at Kessler Creative? Among many things we market your product or service to assist you in reaching your sales goals. We also practice neuromarketing on a daily basis – everyone from our graphic designers, to our sales team, to our owners. Neuromarketing is the use of various brain measurement technologies to measure one’s true response to a message. Science now allows us the ability to measure a subject’s unconscious reaction to any stimulus/advertisement. It is possible to see the brain’s reaction to any outside stimuli. All humans are wired to have the same three basic needs and our advertising campaigns revolve around these needs. When implemented, they cause the response our advertisers’ desire when their campaigns are put into play.

Do you want to rethink your advertising and boost your sales? Facts and logic-based advertising are good but consider appealing directly to your customer’s innermost feelings and emotions.

Here at Kessler Creative we talk neuromarketing every single day and we incorporate science and our knowledge of the human mind into the advertisements we create. Allow science and Kessler Creative to help you get where you want to be.

by Brent Bailey

Brent Bailey, National Account Manager for Kessler

Everyone is using social media today. It’s not just for music-loving, self-portrait taking teens anymore. Today, over 80 percent of Internet users are accessing social media sites and a growing number of those users are over the age of 55. I can personally attest this because my almost 60 year old mother is a social media maverick. She’s not just checking out Facebook profiles though – she is interacting with businesses, checking out blogs and participating in contests. With the variety of people and ages using social media, it doesn’t matter what type of business you have – there is a demographic for you on the web!

Here are a few statistics according to the Nielsen Social Media Report.

• 4 out of 5 active Internet users visit social media websites or blogs.
• Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other U.S. website.
• 53 percent of active adult social networkers follow a brand.
• Almost 40 percent of social media users access social media from their mobile phone.

It’s obvious that social media isn’t going anywhere and that its key in building those much-needed relationships. People want to interact with businesses today and feel they know them on a personal level. Having a presence on social media is giving your clients what they desire in a company. With the mass amounts of people signing up for social media daily, it’s not just an option for your business anymore.

Emily Payne has been working in project management and marketing with Kessler Creative for almost 9 years and loves helping businesses achieve success on the web.

Customer service is the most valuable link between customers and businesses. Most, if not all type of businesses need customer support staff to respond to customer inquiries and concerns. Yes, the most important aspect of customer support is ensuring that each customers’ concerns are answered completely and in a timely manner. Why? Because every business depends on happy, satisfied customers to be able to succeed.

What are the skills needed? Good communication and a clear speaking voice. Those who communicate through email or letters need good spelling and grammar skills. Remain calm under pressure and able to deal with agitated or irate customers. They should be patient and have good problem-solving skills. Listening skills are essential.

I am proud to say that here at Kessler Creative all personnel in all departments give our customers the best service available. We build the kind of relationship that keeps our customers coming back again and again. We care about our customers’ success.

At Kessler Creative CUSTOMER SERVICE is priority #1!

Liana has been an Account Executive with Kessler Creative for over 7 years and prior to working with us, she traveled all over the world working in the import/export business. She is the mother of 2 daughters, Lainie and Alicia, and when she is not working hard at Kessler she spends her spare time ball room dancing. She held the title of First Coast World Master Senior Champion in Rhythm three years in a row as well as the First Coast World Master Senior Champion in Smooth in 2010. She also won first place in the Star Ball Championship in 2010.

Like training for a marathon, I believe that growing your marketing consists of starting at a reasonable pace, re-running what you did before, and keeping at it so that you will yield the best results. Start with a small amount, re-run the same mailing list at least 3 times, expand your current list or get a target list and then follow up with an email blast. Don’t stop marketing because you don’t feel like it. If you don’t put your name out there, you will drop off. I would love to look over your marketing to see what I can do to get you the results that you are looking for. See you at the finish line!

By Shelley McConnaughey

Shelley McConnaughey is one of the newest members of the Kessler Creative sales team and comes to us with a lot of experience in the marketing industry. She is the mother of 2 boys, Mason 5 and Max 1. She is an avid runner and has already completed 2 half marathons and is training for her next one.

Gone are the days of the Penny Post! The USPS has announced their intent to increase postage rates on January 22, 2012. Click here for a price chart.  The overall the average price increase is 2.1%.

There will also be changes to the self-mailer requirements.  Want to know more? This link offers detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new requirements.

The post office is extending a 1-year compliance period from January 2012 to January 2013. During that period the current mail piece designs will be accepted. After that, you must comply with the new rules as outlined by the post office. Here are a few of the most important changes:

• The new maximum size for a self-mailer will be 6 x 10.5.
• The maximum weight will be 3 ounces.
• Tabs will no longer be able to be perforated.
• Tabs must be made out of paper, not plastic.
• No loose pieces inside of self-mailers. They must be attached with a glue dot or folded over an inside mailer flap.
• The tab sizes will vary between 1-inch, 1.5-inch and 2-inch tabs depending on the paper stock and folding.
• Minimum paper stock thickness will be 70#.

Don’t let these changes overwhelm you. The direct marketing experts at Kessler Creative can help you design your pieces with the most cost-effective papers and layout to ensure a successful mailing with a fantastic ROI.

Own a fitness center and want to increase your revenue in 2012? Take advantage of this super deal from Kessler Creative.  Send postcards for as little as 29¢ each! We’ll even include FREE design, FREE postage and a FREE saturation mailing! Click here for more information. You can also check out fitness postcard samples by clicking here.

Don’t miss this sweet savings from Kessler Creative on a three-drop direct mail campaign.

When eating a sweet piece of candy, it is so hard to stop at one! And the more you eat, the more fulfilling the treat! Did you know a good direct mail campaign is the same way?

Oh, you may get a few calls off of one mailing, but to see REAL results, repetition is key! That’s why Kessler Creative wants to help you jump start your sales in 2012 with a three-drop mailing campaign with a sweet price!  Place an order by December 30th for a three-drop mailing campaign, with three deliveries between now and March 30th, and save $540.

Want to know more, click here for details or call 1-800-394-9393 and any of our marketing specialist will tell you all about this sweet deal! You can also email us at sales@kesslercreative.com.

The holidays are upon us!  Have you thought about how you are going to thank your clients for their business this year? Kessler Creative has great discounts on Holiday Card printing.  The sooner your order, the better the price!

Feel that you want to do more than just a card? Let us work with you to design a 2012 Calendar! You can use our templates with your logo and information or we’ll work with you to create a fantastic design with your very own images. Your options are unlimited and the pricing is fantastic! Call today at 1-800-394-9393 or email us at sales@kesslercreative.com.

There sure is a lot of hullabaloo about the death of direct mail marketing. Even a family member of mine suggested that when I started a new job at a direct mail house that it was a dying industry and I might want to keep my resume fresh. He was wrong.

Why then is there so much talk about less mail and the USPS in financial trouble, you ask? A lot of it has to do with the fact that many personal bills that were once delivered by the Post Office can now be emailed and paid online, thus greatly reducing the amount of print mail delivered.  Did you know that the USPS also has 36,500 retail locations–that’s more than McDonald’s, Starbucks, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart in the U.S. combined–and it’s not allowed to close offices for economic reasons?  That’s a lot of overhead! But the USPS has recently announced that they are cutting that overhead significantly.  That doesn’t mean the death of Direct Mail.

One thing is for sure, direct mail  for marketing is alive and kicking and is still an important method for reaching decision makers and consumers.

Readex Research, survey specialists serving publications, associations, and corporate researchers, conducted Media Usage Studies between September 2010 and May 2011.  The study results, examining the use of 9 forms of media, are based on 2,095 responses.

Media used regularly by professionals to keep current:

• 77% report regular use of search engines
• 74% say they rely on print editions of magazines
• 74% say they depend on e-newsletters related to their industry
• Web sites of professional publishers, associations, or others informing the industry came in at 55%.
• Social media came in last, with 30% indicating regular use.

The survey also asked about regular usage of digital editions of print magazines (54%), webinars, podcasts or videos (49%), conferences/trade shows/industry related events (43%), and web sites of suppliers/vendors (36%).

A recent study by the Direct Marketing Association also supplied the following consumer usage information. According to the DMA 2011 Statistical Fact Book:

• 52.4% of U.S. consumers say they read direct mail received from retailers.
• 53% say they find direct mail “useful.”
• 16.8% have responded to retail mail offers.
• Sales driven by non-catalog direct mail marketing rose from $457 billion in 2010 to $477 billion in 2011.

Many companies are searching for the best place to spend their marketing dollars and seem to think that there is one BEST medium.  These surveys illustrates that it takes a variety of mediums to reach a target market and to focus on a single medium will absolutely neglect a portion of your market.

So to those who have written the USPS obituary a bit to soon, I send my condolences to your future. Now excuse me while I get back to the presses!  They are running hot and fast with a plethora of jobs from smart companies!

Sources: Readex Research news release, Readex Research Survey Finds Professionals Not Replacing Print With Digital, October 19, 2011.

US Postal Service, Direct Magazine, August 2011, p. 4.

Ever ignored a rainbow? Impossible. It stops us in our tracks. We gather the kids and point it out.  We see the sky everyday, but slap some color in the atmosphere and we are posting it on Facebook!

Did you know that slapping some color in the right places on your print jobs can get you richer AND make your customers react faster?  It’s True!!! In April of this year, Harris Interactive conducted a poll of 2124 US adults and found that color has a profound affect on audience response.  DUH! So here are three ways you can make money from a rainbow!

1. Present new ideas in color and highlight the important stuff.

You know your business is the best of all businesses doing your kind of business! But do your customers? According to the poll, 54% are more likely to read a marketing piece if printed in color and 69% of those surveyed said that they understand new ideas better when presented in color. If you are introducing new information to an audience, make sure you design your marketing pieces with a pop of color in just the right places to direct your readers to the most important information.

Got a great discount this week? Make it jump of the page in a creative font and bright color. Make sure your color logo and contact information is attractively set aside so that once they want your colorful offering, they’ll know how to call you quickly!

2. Make sure the due dates and deadlines are printed in color.

Did you know that 43% of those surveyed are more likely to pay the bill on time if the due date is highlighted in color? Use colorful fonts or backgrounds to highlight important dates, particularly on invoices. This will ensure that people recognize the important stuff and act accordingly, in a timely manner.

Don’t forget to use color on the packaging of the marketing messaging is just as important.  Use colorful graphics on your envelopes or containers to get the receiver excited about what may be inside!

3. Use Color to Increase Collection Rates.

76% of those surveyed said they could find information faster if presented in color and 31% of the surveyed people are more likely to pay the FULL amount when color is used to illustrate the cost of a product or service. Whether elegant, spicy or subdued, the right message–colorfully communicated–can make you more money.

So, take it from all those Facebook postings—Rainbows are special! And if you want capture and educate an audience, as well as make more money, better perk up your message with color!

About the Author:
Bonalyn Boyd is a new member to the Kessler Creative staff!  She loves singing, the symphony and being creative in all things!  Oh, and her favorite color is Yellow!