Printing Industry: Myth Busters

Posted on by Bryan.Formhals

Author: Melissa Fransen

I’ve been really looking forward to putting together this blog. Our team met recently and brainstormed common printing industry myths that we’ve heard. Without further ado, let’s explore the list!

Myth #1: Print is Dead

Let’s start with this one right off the bat. Yes, we live in a digital world. Yes, there are more marketing channels than ever to attract and retain loyal customers. Yes, in some segments, marketing mail volumes have decreased but from our perspective at Nahan, print is alive, well, and continues to grow.

We have more customers than ever using print to complement their marketing strategies and we continue to add new customers on a weekly basis. We work with Fortune 500 companies across the globe in industries from eCommerce to Food to Financial to Tourism to Retail and much more. Print is a viable marketing channel that is driving great results for our customers and definitely has its place with omni-channel marketing strategies.

Nahan is more than just a print shop – we are evolving to be more of a technology company who is really great at print, as said best by my colleague Pat Nahan. Check out more from his blog on this topic here.

Myth #2: Print is Ineffective

In a recent study from MTS, 84% of Marketers stated that direct mail improved their multichannel campaign performance! Also, they stated that respondents reported a 41% increase in “good” or “very good” ROI when direct mail was part of the multichannel mix. That alone speaks volumes as to how effective print can be when added to an omni-channel marketing strategy.

When planning print strategies with our customers, we work with them to ensure their printed strategies are built to drive results based on their specific goals. If your printed pieces have not been successful, it’s important to dig into why. What was your goal? Was it branding alone? To acquire new customers? Drive online sales? Retain a lapsed customer? Did you provide an incentive or a great call to action to drive a response? If your project had an envelope, was there something to entice the end consumer to open it? Printed products will only be as successful as the strategies behind them to drive results. Two of our Nahan Differentiators are that we are problem solvers and we are results-driven. So, if your print campaign has not been effective, we welcome the opportunity to brainstorm with you to create an effective piece that drives results.

Myth #3: Print Can’t Be Personalized/Customized

If you haven’t heard of the term VDP, which stands for Variable Data Printing, you are in for a treat! This is actually one of my favorite capabilities that we offer at Nahan. Where there is data, there is an opportunity to customize printed products. Instead of printing 100,000 pieces of one design, with VDP you can print 100,000 unique variations of a printed piece that go to 100,000 people on your mailing list. These variations can include different images, different offers, maps to the nearest store location, and so much more! How do we do this? We can set up API integrations, CRM integrations, and build other programs to help customize pieces using your data. We are also very versed in daily, weekly, monthly trigger mailings and much more! Check out our blog on Variable Data Printing for a closer look at its capabilities.

Myth #4: Print Isn’t Environmentally Friendly

Even though print is utilizing paper, many printers are very dedicated to being environmentally friendly. Nahan, for example, is considerate of our environment in every decision we make across the company. A fun fact – last year we recycled over 15 million pounds of paper! Yes, you read that right – 15 million pounds! From innovative product designs, to soy based inks, to sustainable paper options, we offer a wide variety of environmentally sustainable options.  

Myth #5: Mail is Not Secure

When selecting a print and direct mail provider, security should be a topic of discussion. The security of mail is one of our highest priorities of Nahan. We are HIPAA compliant, PCI DSS QSA validated, SOC2 compliant, and continue to work to obtain additional industry-recognized security certifications. We treat every piece of mail that goes through our doors with the highest level of integrity. Once the mail leaves our doors, the USPS is also committed to keeping mail safe. When you work with a secure printer who is backed by security credentials, you can be confident with your mail’s security.

Questions?

If you have questions on any of the above topics or would like information about Nahan and our marketing services, contact us at any time!

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Nahan’s Use of Renewable Energy

Posted on by DigitalTeam

Author: Melissa Fransen, Marketing Manager

From purchasing raw materials to efficient manufacturing processes, Nahan considers the environment in our decision-making process across company initiatives. We are committed to being a responsible, environmentally conscious printer.

Renewable Energy Provider

Nahan utilizes Xcel Energy as our energy provider for our 300,000 square foot headquarters, located in St. Cloud, MN. Xcel Energy is leading the way in renewable resources. Xcel Energy is 25% renewable now, is headed to be 60% renewable by 2030, and 100% carbon-free by 2050.

Source:
https://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe-responsive/Company/Corporate%20Responsibility%20Report/2019%20CRR/2019_Renewable%20Energy_CRR.pdf

Renewable Energy Breakdown

There are a number of renewable resources that Xcel utilizes for its power supply including wind and solar. See below for a breakdown of energy sources. Right now, in the Upper Midwest (where Nahan headquarters is located), 54% of Xcel’s power supply is carbon free, which is higher than the national average.

To learn more about Xcel Energy’s economic, environmental and social initiatives, watch this short video or view the full report.

Source: https://www.xcelenergy.com/energy_portfolio/electricity/power_generation



Energy-Efficient Devices

Nahan puts an emphasis on utilizing energy-efficient devices in our facility. Some examples of this include using VFD’s (Variable Frequent Drives), Premium Efficiency Motors, and we are in the process of changing some of our lighting from fluorescent to LED. In addition to energy savings, LED lighting emits less heat and reduces the load on HVAC systems.  When Nahan makes decisions to install and update equipment, energy efficiency is always something that is top of mind.

Find Out More

Nahan is committed to being a responsible, environmentally conscious printer and we want to help create a healthier future for our employees, our customers, our communities, and the world. The use of renewable energy resources is just one example of how Nahan is committed to the future. Check out our Environmental Commitment blog to find out other ways that Nahan is working to protect the environment .

Contact us if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Our Environmental Commitment

Posted on by Bryan.Formhals

Author: Jayden Johnson, Marketing Intern

At Nahan, we take pride in our commitment to being a responsible, environmentally conscious printer. We want to help create a healthier future for our employees, our customers, our communities and the world. From purchasing raw materials to efficient manufacturing processes, Nahan is considerate of our environment in every decision across the company. In 2018 alone, we recycled over 15.5 Million Pounds of Paper!

 

Innovative Product Designs and Processes to Reduce Paper Usage

How we were able to recycle 15.5 Million pounds of paper, was through strategizing with our customers, sales, production, and estimating teams to review environmentally conscious options for raw materials and streamline processes for projects to reduce waste. All of our heatset web presses have automated register, color, cut off and ribbon control systems integrated into them. With these systems, we are able minimize waste and improve overall quality and consistency during make-ready and throughout the run. In addition to the integrated press systems that reduces waste while running, we utilize CIP 3 data from the plate making files to preset ink fountains prior to press start up.  Our Operators are then able to “fine tune” register and color to meet each customer’s exact requirements.

 

Ink and Coating

The inks we use are manufactured by environmentally conscious INX.  Our sheet fed inks are vegetable oil based (primarily soy) and approved for food packaging.  Even our heatset inks contain soy based materials.  All vegetable oils are naturally renewable resources, which not only gives you a high quality job through the best ink technology available, but it also helps the environment. Our scrap ink is recycled ensuring no ink is ever put into a landfill.  Even our coatings are environmentally friendly. Our UV and water based coatings are VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Free and we use “Thermal Oxidizing” technology to destroy volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants that are produced during the printing process.

 

Paper

One of the biggest decisions you have to make when designing a project is specifying the paper to use.  Besides price; basis weight, grade, shade, finish, certifications, recycled content and sustainability need to be taken into consideration.  Good News, we can help.  We print on a wide range of papers including those with Post Consumer content up to 100%, allowing you a wide range of options.

 

Industry Certification

Our environmental initiatives are not only appreciated by our customers, but by others outside the printing industry. We pride ourselves on having received certificates from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) A.C. as well as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®). To maintain our certifications from each organization, we are audited annually.

 

Continuous Improvement

For the last 25 years, our facility has been continuously improving by keeping all of the operating systems up to current building and environmental codes. Nahan has staff members who focus on our carbon footprint to ensure we are in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. We are continuously learning different methods to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy conservation, be more energy efficient throughout our facility and operations, as well as recycle, reuse, and reclaim waste.

 

And That’s Just the Beginning…

To learn more about our environmental initiatives and how we are continuously improving towards an even more environmentally conscious facility, get in touch with us by submitting a “Let’s Chat” inquiry.

 

Bio: Jayden Johnson is our Marketing Intern. He started working at Nahan in November 2018. Jayden is a student at St. Cloud State University and will graduate Magna Cum Laude with his B.S in Marketing, minors in Community Psychology and Management, and a Certificate in Professional Selling Specialization. In his spare time, Jayden enjoys hanging out with family and friends, traveling, and bowling.