Margie Dana, founder of Print Buyers International, is a print-buying expert and speaker. She focuses on improving the printer-buyer relationship in her weekly “Margie’s Print Tips” e-newsletter. The following is an edited version of a recent Print Tips, reprinted here with permission.



I surveyed print brokers for their insights on why buyers have such strong opinions about the brokerage industry. In today’s Tip, I am presenting brokers’ feedback. (Newer terms for brokers have been cropping up in recent years, including print consultants, print managers, print distributors, print agents and print specialists. By the way, “print broker” is not synonymous with “print manager.” I associate print management with a totally different business model.)

The brokers who took my survey are:

• David Jacobs, Richard Jacobs & Co., www.rjco.com

• Brian Maranian, Signature Printing & Consulting, www.sigprint.net

• Kitty St. Sauveur, Alliance Print Group, www.allianceprint.com

• Dennis Galligher, Galligher Printing, www.galligherprinting.com

• Chuck Spiegel, Advanced Graphics, Inc., www.adv-graphics.com



1. How does a print brokerage firm differentiate itself?

(Jacobs) Through our service and by trying to align ourselves with reliable, privately owned printers who themselves are committed to customer success, but may not have the resources to build out a national sales organization. While we realize that price is an important variable in considering a new vendor, we look at the long-term relationship between the customer and the printer. Is the customer willing to pay enough to make their business valuable to the printer, and is the printer willing to put enough skin in the game to really deliver on the promise of customer satisfaction? We then measure each of these and make sure we continue to deliver at a high level. So, we have data to back up our marketing messages. Our situation is a little different, since we represent our printers rather than broker their work.



(Maranian) Print brokers can differentiate themselves by not referring to themselves as brokers. We refer to ourselves as a print management company—that’s who we are and what we do. We manage every aspect of the printing, finishing and mailing process. The difference between us and the average print broker is that we don’t just sit behind a desk, take orders, cross our fingers and hope that the delivery date hits and that the quality is there. We are very hands-on from the beginning stages of design, to checking proofs, to press checks through delivery.



(St. Sauveur) We offer our client base a full complement of print solution services, employing account representatives [who] are supported by our internal customer service staff. In addition, APG features a technical group for conceptual development.



(Galligher) We have an open relationship with our clients. They know the printers we want to use for estimates, we talk about which printer is best suited based on quality level, budget and turnaround. Our clients will even work with the printers’ CSRs when appropriate. Service is the only thing that really differentiates us.



2. What value do you bring to your customers?

(Jacobs) Specialized print knowledge within the markets we focus on—catalogs, brochures and perfect bound books—and fast pricing (less than five minutes after entering a request for a quote.)



(Galligher) I represent my customers at the end of the press. We make sure they get the best value for their print dollars, and we keep customers involved in the process. We have the ability to pre-plan jobs to get the best value on paper, press-time and post press.



3. Why do you think print brokers are viewed with skepticism by some print customers?

(Jacobs) Because they are middlemen. But, people fail to realize they deal with middlemen everyday, such as insurance agents, mortgage brokers, stock brokers, etc., because there is an advantage to being in a market all day, everyday, knowing how jobs are going through plants and what a typical price quotation does and doesn’t include. Does the job really fit the plant or is the printer trying to fill a press schedule with a job that is destined to have problems later? Does the culture of the customer and the culture of the printer align as well?



(St. Sauveur) The majority of print broker[ages] are one- or two-person operations. I think many brokers are spread too thin, thus the detail that’s necessary for a successful outcome starts to diminish once multiple jobs are in production at the same time.



(Spiegel) That is the old way of thinking. Technology has created more options for the print buyer, and the broker can be the answer to all those options. The direct sales rep is limited by the technology and equipment of the company he/she works for. Just as with direct sales people, some brokers are better than others.



(Maranian) Possibly because the position of a “broker” was abused over the years. Many print broker companies took advantage of people who did not know print by charging astronomical amounts, not reprinting jobs [at the same plant] where they were initially printed and basically not managing the jobs. They were glorified couriers making a lot of money on print, and [this image of brokering] has stuck over the years. If [a prospect felt as though] I couldn’t add any value to the process, I would encourage him or her to give it a chance. Check out our credentials, call on the people we work with on a daily basis and ask our clients how it is to work with us. Would you do any different with a new print vendor?



4. How do you respond to buyers who believe using a broker will cost more, discourage direct contact with the printer and take away their control?

(Jacobs) Sometimes [brokers] can help save money, since they have a better relationship with the source, developed over many years. And, since they always have jobs in production, [brokers] have already experienced the learning curve of a new printer. [In some cases] we are able to offer better pricing than the printer’s in-house sales force. We can also be working on multiple projects for the customer at different printers, and can therefore sell each job with a lower markup because we have a higher chance of winning multiple jobs. Making sure the pricing is fair is very easy for us; we just pull up a few past quotes and see how the manufacturing and paper numbers compare to past and current jobs.

Through a broker you can perhaps meet a smaller printer not currently calling on your firm or even benefit from openings in press schedules and new pieces of equipment that you may not know about.



(Spiegel) A direct sales person dictates to the print buyer what their company will do regarding price/delivery. A broker dictates to their vendor what is needed. Brokers have leverage direct sales people don’t. Using a broker gives you more control. What control do you have with a direct sales person that you would give up with a broker? When you deal direct, the sales person is at the mercy of the company [he or she] works for. Brokers always gets better service because they are always being courted by the manufacturers. A good broker is your partner in buying printing. The broker’s job is to make your job easier and to make you, the print buyer, look good to the people you work for.



(St. Sauveur) We can help relieve the burden, and help them look better in their company’s eyes. Our buyer is usually the marketing person who wears a number of different hats and doesn’t have time to shop for print quotes or keep up with print technology, paper and green issues, [as well as] fulfillment.

The fact that our limited vendor/partner relationships with printers, binderies and paper distributors are long standing, affords APG favorable pricing. Cost benefits can be passed along at competitive rates to our clients. The majority of our clients actually have extensive print buying experience. They prefer [to use] APG [because] our experience and methodology extend their capability, and allow for a more efficient print production process. At APG, it’s a common practice to involve our clients with our vendor partners; clients always have control or input regarding print management decisions.



I also heard recently from another industry professionals who did not take the survey regarding this topic. Here is an insight broker Howard Kornfield shared:

(Kornfield) An organization big enough to have a full-time person dedicated to the task of buying print probably doesn’t need a broker. As a broker (I sometimes refer to [our company] as a “virtual printer”), I target the [roughly] 85 percent of organizations who need to buy printing, but don’t have expert buyers. Very often the marketing department, human resources and other departments in medium to small companies simply do not know how to buy all the various flavors of printing they need. The first two [accounts] I [ever] sold to were acquired strictly by cold-calling and asking if they were satisfied with the way they were buying printing. Both of them later told me I had saved them several thousand dollars the first year. Item for item, my prices were about the same they had been paying, but by changing their specs I frequently got better results for less money.



By Margie Dana



For more information, visit www.bostonprintbuyers.com or e-mail mdana@printbuyersinternational.com.

Headquartered in Rochester, N. Y., Kodak’s traceless color-shifting inks safeguard brands and products with both overt and ultra covert protection in one simple step. The latest addition to Kodak’s security portfolio makes implementing a layered security strategy simple and cost-effective. The development will be of special interest to manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics and luxury goods.

Once applied, color-shifting inks change color when the angle of view changes. The inks allow brand owners, retailers and consumers to see immediately whether the products they sell, purchase and use are authentic.

In addition to a visible layer of protection, Kodak’s traceless color-shifting inks offer a unique feature—a second ultra covert layer of protection through embedded Kodak’s traceless markers. The markers can only be detected with Kodak’s handheld traceless imaging reader, providing a dual layer of security.

Unlike many color-shifting inks currently available, Kodak’s traceless color-shifting inks are press-ready inks with the traceless markers already added. The inks are ready to use; there is no need to purchase pigments from one supplier, varnish from another and then mix the components onsite.

(EMD Chemicals—the North American chemical sector of Merck KGaA and a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals—has teamed with Kodak to provide this solution.)

Kodak’s traceless color-shifting inks are available in seven color pairs that can easily integrate with today’s innovative package designs. They are printed using standard flexographic printing with UV curing.

For more information, visit www. kodak.com.

The Web Offset Association (WOA)—a special interest group of Pittsburgh-based PIA/GATF, and the preeminent organization of the web offset industry—is proud to announce its 2009 WOA Annual Print Awards Competition sponsors. Central Ink Corporation, Flint Group, Goss International, INX International Ink Company, Manugraph DGM, Prime UV Systems and US Ink A Sun Chemical have generously agreed to support the most anticipated printing competition of the year.  

“These companies are sending a message that they care very deeply about our industry” said Craig Faust, president, HGI Company. “We are honored to have them stand behind this competition and I applaud them for their commitment to excellence in supporting web offset printing.”

Recipients will be honored and winning entries will be prominently displayed during the Printer-to-Printer Business and Technology Conference, Offset and Beyond, May 3-6, 2009 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This signature event features world renowned speakers, one-of-a-kind peer-to-peer networking and the most practical information for printers, regardless of process. Program topics will cover leadership, operations, and production.  

Detailed information on eligibility, categories, rules and judging criteria can be found at www.woaprintcompetition.org. Deadline for entries is January 16, 2009.

For more information, contact contest manager Justin Goldstein at (412) 259-1806 or jgoldstein@piagatf.org.

Headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., Pinnacle Label has received certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), as well as the Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA). “We are very proud to say that we are the first label manufacturer to receive both certifications,” said Ches Cochran, president.

Pinnacle Label received chain-of-custody certification from the FSC in May of 2007, and certification from the CFPA a few months later in October. The certifications reinforce the company’s commitment to environmentally conscious manufacturing, and the use of papers from sources practicing sustainable forestry. “It is important we begin to initiate a green campaign in our industry in order to uphold the environmental obligations of a business in this new era of environmental consciousness,” Cochran explained.

Pinnacle Label researched and developed a recyclable cut sheet, pressure sensitive label in response to President Clinton’s Executive Order 13148 section 702 “Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management, ” which requires the federal government to purchase paper products using environmentally benign adhesives when technically practical and cost effective.

Pinnacle Label offers an FSC/CFPA certified 8½x11˝ stock line named Recyclabels. It is available in several stock layouts meeting virtually any imaging needs—from laser and ink jet printers to copiers and digital and offset printing. The company’s Recyclabels are compatible with Avery LabelPro, and easily cross-reference with the vast majority of label software programs used today.

For more information, visit www.pinnaclelabel.com or call (800) 875-7000.

Commenting on economic downturns, Warren Buffett once observed: “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Well, the water’s receding, and unless your company is at the absolute top of its industry, you’re probably more than a little worried about your level of “exposure.” Here are three steps that will dramatically increase your chances of surviving—and even thriving—in our dismal economy:



Survival Strategy #1: Cut the waste. (And I’m not talking about reusing paper clips!) The one function in a company that is more wasteful than any other is new product development, where the average company squanders more than half its R&D resources on new product belly flops.

Most companies don’t have enough R&D people to drive existing projects at a rapid pace. Just kill the dumb projects that are destined to be duds—really kill them; don’t just wound them—and set these people free to actually do some good for your company. And, instead of huddling with colleagues around a conference room table to decide what the project portfolio should look like, ask customers what they want you to work on.

For example, ask customers what outcomes they want—which is much different from showing them your potential solutions. Then, have them rate the importance and current satisfaction levels for each outcome. Do this with several customers in a market and get the market satisfaction gap for each outcome. A high gap means customers are dissatisfied with an important outcome... and are eager for you to fix this.

Company’s are usually surprised to learn what customers really want. But, better to be surprised before development work begins, than after the product is launched.



Survival Strategy #2: Harvest the “best practices” of other companies. It’s easier than you think. Learning what works for other organizations immediately increases your effectiveness in key customer-facing activities, such as pricing, sales management and marketing communications. It’s essential to find, adapt and drive these best practices into your business—fast.

The American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) is one of the world’s leading benchmarking firms. Based in Houston, APQC has probably already benchmarked any area you can think of. Instead of forming a company benchmark team that will take three months just to frame their work, check out www.apqc.org.

In addition, the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) counts as its members more than 100 leading researchers and 70 of the most advanced B2B firms. To check out a wealth of reports, consortia, workshops and other learning opportunities, visit isbm.org. You might be surprised by how much inside information these thought leaders are willing to share.



Survival Strategy #3: Ask customers what they want. Solid research done by Huthwaite International indicates that the best way to sell a product is to ask customers what they want. Why wait until the product is already developed? By asking customers before it’s developed you can develop a better product and engage customers so they’ll be primed to buy.

This isn’t practical if you sell toothpaste to millions of people, but it works quite well if you’re a B2B provider and would like to influence your 10 largest customers.



It’s time to put these three tips into practice and keep a cool head. Human nature being what it is, chances are good your less astute (and more fear-driven) competitors won’t. When the tide goes out and the economy turns down, your competitors will be tempted to forego their long-term prospects in favor of short-term survival. You should hope nobody dissuades them. As Napoleon said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” By reducing R&D waste, adapting new best practices and engaging customers, you reduce your short-term pain during the downturn, and increase your long-term gain afterwards.

By Dan Adams



About the Author:

Dan Adams, president of Advanced Industrial Marketing (AIM), has more than 30 years experience working within, and with, major B2B corporations. He is a chemical engineer and holder of many patents and innovation awards, including a listing in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. AIM was built on the belief that understanding your customers’ deepest needs is a competitive advantage you should learn. The organization conducts workshops globally to train commercial and technical teams in advanced B2B product development and provides strong post-workshop coaching support. His latest book, New Product Blueprinting: The Handbook for B2B Organic Growth (AIM Press, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-9801123-4-4, $35.00) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.

For more information, visit www.newproductblueprinting.com.