Most corporations are made up of a variety of siloed entities across their enterprise. Human resources, customer support, sales, research & development, marketing, procurement, finance, legal, and compliance are just a few of the many building blocks that make them up.
Although these departments operate under one overarching brand, their individual needs vary. The branded case studies the marketing team uses for trade shows are different in tone and feel than the financial reports the CFO must present at the shareholder meetings or the onboarding materials the HR team needs to train new hires.
Each of these are intended for different audiences, yet all require the same branding, the same professional look and feel, and must all reflect one company that has spent years crafting its image.
- Lexington Law Window Vinyl
- Lexington Law Dibond metal sign
- Lexington Law Wallpaper Mural
- Lexington Law Acrylic Sign
- Lexington Pop Banner & Table Throws
- Lexington Law Dibond Metal Sign
This is why corporations need to trust their printing needs to a recognized printing agency.
For many organizations, the challenge is to find printing partners they can trust. What follows are some things corporations must consider when selecting a printing partner.
Don’t Think “Printer”; Think “Printing Partners”
Regardless of the line of business, it’s essential for printing partners to understand the corporate brand and what it stands for.
This is where a true print partner will deliver value. A garden variety printer may settle for taking an order for business cards or banners, but a print agency is a true partner.
Do you know when it’s best to deploy signage with your logo? When (and where) is it best to display an indoor or outdoor banner? Are corporate holiday gatherings a good time to display event wraps? When is variable data printing ideal? Which fonts convey the seriousness that shareholder reports require?
It’s not important for you to know the answers to these, but it’s vital for your printing partner to know. They should take the time to thoroughly understand your organization and the customers you serve. Armed with this insight, they advise you and suggest the printing services that will be most effective.
A printer takes your order. Printing partners strategize with you to ensure your messaging and branding are appropriate.
Locating the Right Print Agency
Printing is a highly technical field. When given an order, a printing professional has a lot of considerations to sort out: conventional offset printing or digital, paper stock, trim size, saddle stitch vs. perfect bind.
But there is a human side to corporate printing as well.
When you meet with prospective printing partners, don’t be afraid to ask him or her tough questions. Are they familiar with your company? Do they understand if you have B2B or B2C needs, or both? Ask them about the most challenging print job they ever took on – and how they overcame that challenge. What was their largest order? How do they handle last-minute changes, tight deadlines and particular clients?
If questions like these make them uneasy, they may not be able to scale their services to your needs. On the other hand, if they welcome these questions and are eager and proud of their portfolio of corporate clients, you may have found your print partner.
Next steps: Artisan Can Help
At Artisan, we're not afraid to talk printing – both the technical side, as well as the adventures we’ve had in our more than two decades of working with corporate leaders in the hospitality, healthcare, education, construction, and gaming industries.
And, in addition to offering large and small format printing, we also offer a variety of in-house services that include professional photography, product management, design, and marketing consultations.
If you’re in the market for a printing partner, contact Artisan today. You can also dial us toll-free at (877) 948-0009 or email us at info@artisancolour.com.
