Navigating the Agency-Printer Relationship

In the fast-paced world of business, collaboration and synergy are key ingredients for success. One very important partnership that often is underestimated is the relationship between your company, your marketing agency and your commercial print partner. In an era where digital marketing dominates, the tactile power of printed materials can be overlooked. Yet, there’s an undeniable charm to holding a beautifully designed brochure or receiving a thoughtfully crafted direct mail piece. This is where the partnership between a marketing agency and a commercial print partner shines. Seamless interaction between these two entities can greatly impact the effectiveness of your marketing and the overall success of your business. In this blog, we’ll explore setting expectations, defining roles, choosing the right partners and the benefits of using a well-connected print partner.

Setting Expectations and Defining Roles

The foundation of any successful partnership is clear communication and well-defined roles. When it comes to the relationship between your marketing agency and print partner, the following points need to be established:

• Design Needs & Deadlines: Clearly communicate your design requirements and deadlines to ensure your agency can meet the artwork deadline and your printer can achieve the desired quality in your timeframe.
• Print Types: Discuss the specifics of the print job, including paper type, color options (full color or black and white), and any bindery, folding, collating or finishing required. Ensure your printer has the capabilities for a wide range of print types, i.e., newsletters, postcards, brochures, handbooks etc. Consider whether you need mailing services as well.
• Responsibility for Fulfillment: Determine who will handle the fulfillment process. Some print partners, like Preferred Direct, offer comprehensive services that include printing, mailing, and even kitting for promotional campaigns. While some marketing agencies are responsible for kitting specialty client gifts and will need the print piece sent to them for fulfillment.
• Budget: Transparency in budgeting is essential. Evaluate all costs involved, from the marketing agency’s fees to the printing invoices, shipping charges and more. This holistic view helps prevent surprises down the line.

Choosing the Right Partners

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right marketing partner. The first factor to consider is industry knowledge. A marketing agency that understands your industry can hit the ground running. They’ll have insights into your target audience, competition, and trends specific to your field, all of which will greatly impact the effectiveness of your campaigns. You can also request samples from a marketing agency, this will help you to evaluate the quality of their work and help to determine if they are a good fit with your brand. If the samples include case studies or metrics, you can gain insights into how effective the agency’s campaigns were for their previous clients in your industry. This can give you an idea of the potential ROI you might achieve by working with them.

When looking for the right commercial print partner, you will want to consider things like data security, equipment and technology, customer service, and experience. Protection of sensitive data is paramount. Make sure your print partner has security measures in place to protect your information and maintain client confidentiality. As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct values the level of security required when dealing with personal information.

Preferred Direct is committed to quality at every step of the way. We use advanced print, fulfillment, and data technology to deliver custom communication solutions, on time and on budget. We take pride in being a highly skilled business partner who can deliver on your most pressing marketing and communications needs. Whether your project is transactional, informational, or promotional, Preferred Direct has over 30 years of experience in delivering engaging, secure print pieces for companies in a variety of industries.

Preferred Direct: A Multi-Faceted Partner

With years of experience in key industries such as healthcare, insurance, finance, energy & utility, and not-for-profit sectors, we have collaborated closely with various marketing agencies. Our extensive capabilities, renowned customer service, swift lead times, nationwide print services, and a data-centric approach have earned a reputation as a reliable, technology-focused print and direct mail partner for companies across the nation. As a family-owned business, we prioritize personalized care and are well-equipped to assist you or connect you with an excellent marketing agency tailored to your industry needs.

The partnership between your marketing agency and commercial print partner is a cornerstone in your marketing strategy. Clear communication, well-defined roles, and selecting the right partners, like Preferred Direct, can elevate your campaigns, simplify the campaign process, and drive substantial results. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Printed Collateral is Here to Stay

With the constant push for higher digital engagement, perfectly curated social feeds, and algorithm optimized content, it’s easy for businesses to focus their marketing budgets into the digital space. But is it really worth it? Digital marketers estimate that the average person sees over 4,000 ads in a single day and spends only 0.7 seconds “gazing” at each social media ad. In this massive sea of digital ads, how can businesses differentiate themselves or stand out? Short answer: Printed Collateral.

Digital Marketing vs. Print Marketing

Before we take a closer look at the advantages of print marketing, let’s quickly compare the two. The term “digital marketing” covers a broad range of marketing channels such as, social media, email marketing, google ads, and more. Every day up to 500 million people browse their Instagram feed, 600 million people scroll through TikTok, and 2 billion users log onto Facebook. With the potential for reaching a broad audience and its cost-effective nature, it’s no wonder why companies gravitate to this form of marketing.

Where digital marketing lacks, printed collateral thrives. Rather than creating content for the masses, print marketing campaigns are highly targeted, more memorable, and bring credibility to your business. Print marketing includes physical marketing pieces such as newsletters, catalogues, postcards, direct mail, brochures and more.

• Just opened a new brick and mortar location? Send a Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) invitation to all households within a 15 mile radius to your grand opening.
• Releasing a new product line? Give your customers a first look in an exclusive catalogue.
• Have exciting news, upcoming events, or a change in leadership? Send a newsletter to keep your internal team up to date and the public in the know.

Preferred Direct is a family-owned commercial printer, operating for over 30 years direct mail printing, binding and delivery. Ready to get started in print? Our team can help! Click here to request a consultation or project estimate.

Advantages of Printed Collateral

So, how does print marketing differentiate your business in the digital age? Here’s a quick list of the advantages of printed collateral and why it’s here to stay:

Builds Credibility

The accessibility and ease of social media can be a double edge sword. Apps like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook have simplified account creation, meaning anyone can create an account and start marketing a product or service immediately, even if it doesn’t exist. Since most consumers are aware of fake or suspicious accounts, they err on the side of caution when interacting or purchasing products online. One way a company can build credibility as a trustworthy business is by sending printed collateral to their audience. According to a survey by MarketingSherpa, 82% of people trust print ads when making a purchase decision. Having a tangible print piece acts as an extension of your brand, putting the credibility of your product or services straight in their hands.

Memorable Marketing

In a study conducted by USPS and Temple University testing the effectiveness of print versus digital advertisements, they found that the physical ads were “more effective at leaving a lasting impression than their digital counterparts, regardless of the consumer age.” The research also concluded that the participants had quicker recall, stronger emotional responses, and a longer lasting impact from the physical ads. The physical aspect of holding a printed ad appeals to more senses than just scrolling through your phone.

Less Competition

Any company you name off the top of your head most likely has a prominent digital presence. This oversaturation of the digital space is what creates high competition and makes it very difficult to rank above larger companies with big marketing budgets. Even when you do prevail, there’s still that dreaded ad blocker in the way. In the U.S., more than a one third of internet users use some sort of ad blocker when they browse the internet. That means you’re paying money for 33% of the viewers to not even see your digital ad. These wasted marketing dollars could instead be used for a direct mail campaign where the consumer will not only see your ad but hold it in their hands. Rather than having to compete with the thousands of digital ads we see daily, your competition reduces to the handful of mail your audience gets every day.

An Omni-Channel Approach

When it comes to marketing it isn’t always a one size fits all. The best marketing strategizes take an omni-channel approach having a healthy mix of both printed collateral and digital marketing. While print marketing is effective for exposure and recall of brand information, digital marketing keeps your brand top of mind and can communicate to a broader audience.

With over 30 years of experience providing quality print and mail services to businesses around the country, Preferred Direct is the go-to direct mail printer for effective, data-secure print campaigns. We have the technology, capacity, and drive to assist you in your print marketing endeavors. From printer to post office, trust us to deliver high quality printed collateral pieces on time and within your budget. Contact us today to get started.

Remaining HIPAA Compliant with Third Party Printers

Are you truly HIPAA compliant? Maybe you’ve set up certain measures of data security and protected your processes internally, but what about your third-party vendors? As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct invests in quality equipment and proven processes to ensure printing projects for healthcare, insurance, finance and other data sensitive industries comply with HIPAA requirements. From securing sensitive digital files to choosing the right third-party vendors, we put together a quick list of ways to ensure your organization remains in compliance.

The 3 HIPPA Rules

Before getting started with HIPAA compliance, we first need to understand the three HIPAA rules which all compliance best practices build upon:

HIPAA Privacy Rule

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes a federal standard for safeguarding the privacy of individuals’ personal medical records and other identifiable health information.

HIPAA Security Rule

The HIPAA Security Rule establishes a federal standard for safeguarding electronically stored personal medical information of individuals to ensure the privacy, confidentiality, and security of these records are maintained.

HIPAA Breach Notification Rule

A HIPAA data breach is defined as an individuals’ protected health information (PHI) being disclosed or used without permission that compromises the security and privacy of the information in any way.

Once the breach is discovered, the organization has 60 days to notify the individuals whose information was exposed and submit a report to the Department of Health & Human Services. If the breach exposes over 500 individuals’ PHI, the organization must also notify a notable local media outlet.

Technology Security

With technology becoming more advanced, it’s important your organization takes the necessary precautions to prevent data leaks or PHI breaches. Digital ways to secure access to sensitive data is encryption, creating secure access portals, and managing user roles/admin levels. Physical ways to protect this information include computers automatically log out when not in use and personal logins for all employees. For facilities with portable devices, conducting device inventory checks frequently could prevent these devices from leaving the premises without permission.

Ensure your outsourced print & mail vendor also maintains secure access, provides secure file transfer options, and encrypts all data transferred. As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified print and mail vendor, Preferred Direct offers healthcare customers individual client logins for secure FTP file transfers and encrypts all print and mail data.

Facility Security

You can’t protect devices with secure data access or PHI records, without having a secure facility around it. Ways to prohibit unauthorized access to protected health records is having alarmed security systems throughout the building, storing records and files in authorized personnel only areas, and tracking devices with ePHI access. Knowing who is coming in and out of your facility at all times makes it easy to identify a potential breach point if a data leak does occur.

Training

An often overlooked practice of securing PHIs is training staff and faculty. Having quarterly or annual HIPAA compliance training keeps experienced staff up to date and gives new hires HIPAA compliance best practices. Holding training sessions on staff security, ethics, integrity, data breaches, and more will empower employees to speak up if they see malpractice occurring and remind them of the proper protocols when handling sensitive data.

Audits & Compliance

It’s important to complete the proper audits annually. Completing risk assessments, policy reviews, contingency plans, and vendor audits will ensure your organization remains HIPAA compliant. Allowing protocols or policies to “slip through the cracks” is where HIPAA compliance is more likely to be compromised.

Also, be sure to audit your third party print vendors and other outsourced organizations. Requesting information on their security protocols, testing for vulnerabilities, and having policy conversations with your vendors will help prevent a third-party data breach.

Print Security

HIPAA compliance also applies to your outsourced commercial printer. When it comes to choosing your third-party vendors, it’s important they also take the necessary precautions when printing and distributing sensitive data. One way to remain compliant when printing protected medical records is by using HIPAA compliant print vendors with secure data transfer portals, HITRUST certified common security framework, and secure digital and inkjet VDP technology – choose Preferred Direct.

As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct has invested in top print and fulfillment technology and follows the strictest data security standards to ensure the safety of your data. If you’re looking to get one step closer to ultimate HIPAA compliance, contact Preferred Direct for third-party medical bill printing and mailing services. See for yourself why Preferred Direct is the trusted health industry print partner – contact us to get started on your next print project today!