Over the last five years, 3D printing has developed from a niche scientific pursuit that seemed impossible outside of sci-fi movies into a reality for technologists and manufacturers around the world.
While 3D printing is undoubtedly high-tech, the basics of 3D printing technology are remarkably simple. Today’s most advanced 3D printers place layers of plastic resin, slowly and gradually, to create a usable physical object.
3D printers have been used to create working camera lenses, iPad stands and even a functional rifle. Remember Skyfall? The beautiful Aston Martin DB5 destroyed at the film’s climax was itself a purpose-built model made using a 3D printer.
While many of the objects created using 3D printers so far have been decorative or fun, 3D printing is becoming an important technology in many industries. Recently, ISS Astronauts created replacement space station parts using a 3D printer.
3D printing, then, is clearly here to stay. But aside from its value for astronauts and engineers, what value does today’s (and tomorrow’s) 3D printing technology have for businesses?
When you hear the words “augmented reality,” what do you think of? Just a decade ago, AR was associated with Terminator-style virtual words. Today, however, it’s a reality for everyone from print publishers to marketers, app developers and more.
Over the last five years, augmented reality has developed into one of the marketing world’s biggest and most influential trends. It’s appeared in print magazines, on the side of Starbucks coffee cups and even on iconic bottles of Swedish vodka.
When used effectively, augmented reality lets consumers dive into your marketing campaign to learn more about your products and services, discover your company values and built a relationship with your brand.
In this guide, we’ll look at the basics of augmented reality and print marketing. Read on to learn how augmented reality works, why it’s so effective, and how you can put it to use in your own print media marketing campaigns.
From QR codes to personalized postcards and letters, today’s printing technology gives direct mail marketers incredible scope to target and optimize their marketing message.
Whether as a standalone effort or part of an integrated marketing campaign, direct mail can be used to generate meaningful, engaging and – most importantly – highly effective results for your business.
Many business owners would like to add direct mail to their inventory of marketing tactics, but don’t know where or how to start. In this guide, we’ll share three simple tips that you can use to start generating leads for your business using direct mail.
From Fortune 500 companies to mobile poutine trucks, a huge variety of businesses have used Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to generate buzz, strengthen their brands and increase their sales.
The value of a successful Facebook Page or Twitter following can be immense, both for big brands and local businesses. The task of finding those social media followers, on the other hand, can be immensely challenging for even the smartest marketers.
With Facebook’s bid-for-likes advertising option delivering mixed results and Page likes that aren’t exactly ideal, marketers are exploring new ways to generate social media followers that engage with their Page and buy their products.
One of the best ways to generate new Facebook followers is by using targeted direct mail. In this guide, we’ll share how you can use social media postcards to grow your business’s social media audience and expand your reach online.
Are you new to direct mail? When you’re an absolute beginner – whether in sales, marketing or any other business function – working out which step to take is often a difficult process.
Do you send out a brochure or a catalog? Do you launch a postcard campaign? What should you write in your headline? Without any prior experience, it’s hard to know what you should (and more importantly, what you shouldn’t) be doing.
One of the best ways to find your footing and get started with direct marketing is by studying your competitors. Since some will have been in the market longer than you, they’ll possibly have honed in on the best techniques and strategies for direct mail success.
From the secrets of writing a good headline to the best colors to use, read on to learn the 10 most important things your competitors can teach you about direct mail.
Do you think direct mail is just for “old-fashioned” companies? Or that mailing direct mail postcards is too expensive to be profitable? There’s no shortage of myths about direct mail, many of which couldn’t be more untrue.
From perceptions that direct mail “just doesn’t work” for young audiences to ideas that direct mail is impossible to customize, read on to discover the 20 biggest direct mail myths and why they’re 100% untrue.
From their mailboxes to their smartphones, tablets, notebooks and more, consumers now have a huge range of ways to receive marketing messages, connect with brands, and learn more about the companies and products they care about.
While some may associate omnichannel marketing with smartphone apps, email newsletters and connectivity, the reality is that offline marketing – including direct mail and in-store experiences – plays a major role in executing a successful omnichannel campaign.
From QR codes to online coupons, let’s take a look at how direct mail can be integrated into your omnichannel marketing campaign to connect with your target audience, increase brand recognition, and produce results.
If you keep up to date with marketing news, you may have spotted mentions of “omnichannel marketing” in blogs and magazine. Omnichannel marketing is the result of a change from mass marketing to personalized communications. Omnichannel marketing is, in many ways, an evolution of integrated marketing, which saw businesses divide their marketing budget across multiple mediums to reach consumers online, offline, in print, via radio, social media, and using direct mail. While integrated marketing involved multiple marketing channels, omnichannel marketing is about a universal experience. From PC to tablet, retail store to phone, companies develop a unique experience across platforms and marketing channels. Confused? Not to worry. Like many other new marketing developments, there’s a great deal of discussion and debate about omnichannel marketing. There’s even a lack of consensus about how to spell it, much like the in early days of ecommerce. In this guide, we’ll explain what omnichannel marketing is, look at what is involved in an effective campaign, and explore the benefits of omnichannel marketing for your business.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, the American Red Cross faced a funding deficit. The economic crisis had left many of the humanitarian organization’s supporters short on cash and unable to provide the financial assistance they once could.
The Red Cross also faced an image problem. Although it was known worldwide as the organization dedicated to helping people during and after disasters, it was far less associated with holiday season giving than many other major charities.
With funding running out, this presented a serious obstacle for the Red Cross. True to its nature, the organization saw an opportunity in the funding shortage and put itself into action to work out how to repairs its finances.
Read how the American Red Cross used an integrated marketing approach to successfully achieve its objectives.
