2023 Innovator of the Year: Phoenix Innovate Is Driven by Data-Led Approach

Editor's note: In today's printing industry, the concept of innovation is wide in definition, but rather narrow in its goal. Leading companies grasp many tools to define themselves, increase profitability, and differentiate themselves. They utilize new technologies, systems integration, novel human resources practices, diversification, exemplary customer services, and so much more.

The six companies included in the 2023 class of Printing Impressions’ Innovators of the Year were nominated by printing industry experts and consultants who identified them as notables. The business tactics and philosophies they employ may provide some inspiration to take your company to similar, greater heights.

The summary of Phoenix Innovate that follows shares what makes this company innovative, interesting, and exceptional. The insight it presents may provide the inspiration you need to take your company to a new level, or in a new direction.

Phoenix Innovate got its start when founder Geoff Vercnocke arrived to work at a print shop on Christmas Eve in 1986 and was greeted with a sign saying, “Merry Christmas. We’re out of business.”

So, Vercnocke took matters into his own hands. He had the relationships and the skillsets to get his own company started and, within a few weeks, Phoenix Press was founded.

“The name ‘Phoenix’ was on purpose,” says Christopher DuBach, executive vice president of sales and business development at Phoenix Innovate. “It was meant to symbolize this new shop coming out of the ashes of the previous shop where he worked.”

Today, the Troy, Michigan-based company has blossomed into a data-led technology and marketing innovator that can be counted on to use its passion and creativity to identify and solve business problems through tailored solutions that produce transformative and sustainable results for
its customers.

From Phoenix Press to Phoenix Innovate

As a commercial printer, the company held its own but wasn’t growing. President Geoff Vercnocke and his brother, Kirk, who at the time owned his own CPA firm, joined efforts in 1996 to grow the company.

“The innovation journey started in the first decade of the company’s existence,” says Mark Gaskill, executive vice president of marketing and research strategies. “Geoff and Kirk were looking for a greater understanding of what their customers valued. Rather than guess, they decided to conduct a market study of 50 local print buyers.”

The survey showed that price wasn’t the No. 1 deciding factor. Instead, it was honoring commitments to get the jobs done right and on time.

“There wasn’t anybody really doing that in the marketplace,” DuBach says. “Printers routinely failed on three out of five jobs. So, they took this information and asked, ‘Are we able to meet the needs of the market?’ They realized pretty quickly that their current production model was not going to work.”

They determined the best path forward was to throw out the existing model and create a new one from scratch. What started as a four-page document they called the “workflow instruction manual” evolved into a 4"-thick binder they call the Innovation Playbook.

The Innovation Playbook covers all aspects of the organization, including print, mail, marketing, technology solutions, and the HITRUST framework it uses to keep data secure.

As the company began to grow and thrive from this new approach, it sought to add value further up the marketing services value chain. In 2000, Gaskill joined the leadership team and brought with him marketing, design, and Web development services expertise.

“Printers typically are at the end of the decision-making process. They get the file and print it,” DuBach says. “We knew there was a lot more value to be added if we talked to marketing directors earlier on in the process. Our initial approach focused mainly on graphic design, and then it evolved into website development, email, digital advertising, and direct mail.”

Data, Strategy, and Innovation … Focus on Results

If you were to ask Gaskill or DuBach about what they believe sets Phoenix Innovate apart from its competition, they would tell you one of the key standouts is its efforts to discover unique insights for its clients and the markets it serves.

“We realized that objective data from research should guide our marketing strategies,” Gaskill points out. “While many marketing researchers rely on internal data, which has value, it often stems from long-held beliefs derived from small sample sizes.”

He says Phoenix Innovate’s approach centers on actionable insights from external sources, emphasizing its significance with existing and prospective customers.

“When we merge our insights-driven approach with our technological automation, complemented by our delivery execution, this combination improves our clients’ net revenue,” DuBach adds.

In addition, the Phoenix Innovate approach of using data never stops. All the marketing campaigns it develops include hooks to capture results data to refine its strategies and show clients the ROI of their marketing spend.

“For us, that’s a key part of what we do. In addition to doing the research up front to understand the opportunity, we’re constantly optimizing our approach throughout the process,” DuBach says.

Barbara Pellow, manager of Pellow and Partners — who nominated Phoenix Innovate as a “2023 Innovator of the Year” — interviewed DuBach on a panel at this year’s thINK Ahead conference of Canon production inkjet users, and she too believes that research is an area where Phoenix Innovate stands out.

“Phoenix Innovate looks at marketing for its clients more holistically. It will conduct data analysis and market research to help its clients gain new insights,” Pellow says. “Then with the findings, it develops strategies and executes marketing campaigns. Phoenix proves its value by measuring and sharing the results.”

Change isn’t easy, but as implied by the name, a Phoenix rises from the ashes and is a symbol of new opportunity.

For many years, Phoenix Press was creating innovative marketing solutions for its existing clients, but as it began to promote these services, it found a barrier — the name.

“Having ‘press’ in the company’s name automatically put us in the ‘printer box’ in the minds of new clients,” Gaskill points out.

So, Phoenix Press officially changed to Phoenix Innovate in 2007.

And when expanding out of the print box, Gaskill says that initially people were resistant to change. The team at Phoenix Innovate learned it needed to take a new approach to educate and guide customers through the new way of doing things.

“You must be an agent of change when you’re doing things the way we are,” he notes. “We needed to develop skills that would help us educate clients and the C-suite stakeholders of the organization.”

One thing DuBach admires about Phoenix Innovate — and what ultimately made him want to join the team in 2021 — is the grace with which the company handled the transition from a traditional printing company to an omnichannel marketing agency.

“Phoenix Innovate stood out due to its willingness to embrace change and the transformative journey it undertook,” DuBach reflects. “Many in the industry attempted a similar transition only to encounter difficulties, financial losses, and eventual reversion to comfort zones. Witnessing the resilience and success achieved by Phoenix inspired me.”

In addition to creating transformative solutions for its clients, the Phoenix Innovate team places an emphasis on making the business the best it can be for all of its stakeholders.

“Our staff and vendor partners are vital to our accomplishments and growth,” Gaskill says. “We’ve been blessed with great people throughout the entire organization, and the talent we’ve added through acquisitions has brought new capabilities and experience.”

Throughout the company’s history, leadership has endeavored to make sure the voices of all team members are heard, he points out. And the emphasis on company culture has become even more important now that Phoenix Innovate has acquired a new facility in Anderson, Indiana.

“We’ve always aimed to provide a platform for open communication of thoughts and ideas — leveraging this input to foster evolution and growth,” DuBach says. “We conduct a companywide assessment survey every few years to gather team feedback on various aspects of our operation.”

The garden committee brings staff members with green thumbs together and also donates to local food banks. | Credit: Phoenix Innovate

Gaskill believes culture extends beyond effective communication; it entails fostering strong relationships among team members. To cultivate this, Phoenix Innovate established Culture Committees dedicated to facilitating interaction among employees. For example, the Garden Committee enhances social opportunities and has contributed to the community by donating more than 500 pounds of food to the local food bank.

“Something we all focus on and take pride in is our culture,” Gaskill concludes. “We truly feel that the culture at Phoenix Innovate is second to none. It’s been very thoughtfully and carefully nurtured, and is always a focus for us.”