I love my job. Through it, I get to meet all sorts of interesting people in the industry. In October, I chaired the Print Buyer Forum at Graph Expo in Chicago. One of our Forum speakers was Steven Schnoll, the Managing Director of Schnoll Media Consulting. His topic? Using Cross Media Strategies to Improve Your Firm’s Bottom Line. He engaged the audience of senior-level print buyers in a fast-paced, content-rich breakfast presentation. It was highly memorable as well as entertaining. I’ll never forget it.
Luckily, I kept good notes. Here are some of the points that Steven Schnoll made to us that day.
Print buyers move content. The three significant platforms for buyers to use are Print, the Internet, and Mobile.
The iPad is a game-changing equation.
Print isn’t dead…it’s only very sick. Communication today is NOW and bi-directional. The future lies in e-readers and mobile.
Steven defines cross-media thusly: Employing various media outlets for delivering or pushing content or a message via traditional print, personalized print, email, Internet, mobile, e-readers, TV and radio.
We should all get in touch with our inner Lady Gaga. She’s totally succeeded in branding herself. What can we learn from her? Define your vision and message. Create an identifiable brand. Make sure your entire team knows this message and supports it. Engage the intended audience using a mix of media. Connect the content, making it interactive whenever possible. Create a viral environment. With that in mind, ask yourself: How are you getting information about your company out so that people know about you all the time?
Print is necessary for packaging – but we can get everything else somewhere else.
We have a changing paradigm: It’s all about target marketing.
Steven spoke at length about relevant content, stressing that personalized content is needed to build a great customer experience. Going forward, your jobs need these three “rights”: the right message, to the right person, at the right time. (Steven, shouldn’t we add a fourth: using the right medium?)
At the core of cross media campaigns is the use of database analytics and profiling. Steven showed numerous examples of different stages of clients’ cross media campaigns, in which personalized direct mail, microsites, emails, and QR codes were used. Results were measurable and were analyzed to determine the ROI of each piece of the campaign.
Steven ended his presentation that day with a powerful message to the buyers in the audience:
“Do something new and different to make yourself more important and valuable to your organization. If you do, there’s a barrier to your exit. Position yourself as a more vital piece of your organization. This is where print buyers’ opportunity lies.”
It was one of my most enjoyable learning experiences to date. Go hear Steven Schnoll if you ever get a chance. His web site is www.schnollconsult.com, and he can be reached at steven@schnollconsult.com.
© 2010 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. Your comments are encouraged. You’re free to forward this email to friends and colleagues. However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.
