WEB-TO-PRINT — THE NEW FACE OF THE WEB
Customer Focused
“We are looking for customers that have a lot of collateral material of one sort or another,” notes Brad Lena, director of new business development. “Clients with numerous departments, numerous art directors, lots of people in the field, that are looking to protect a brand.”
One Web-to-print client specializes in seminars and educational materials, all produced around the country. Rather than having dozens of different art directors doing their own thing, the customer wanted to gain administrative and cost control by implementing a centralized system. Daniels Marketing Services created a branded Web portal, with all of the documents password- protected and different levels of authorization applied. Now, art directors can key the event particulars, such as location, time and fee, and upload their mailing lists.
They also have access to a repository of graphics and logos, branded to different parts of the organization, and can produce documents with as many variable or unique elements as required, within the defined framework of a template. Proofs are automatically generated online.
Since the client was also looking for cost control, the program is set up with a variety of pricing matrixes at various levels of authorization. This allows departments only to spend allotted amounts which, if they are exceeded, require authorization from a supervisor.
“It’s not just a standalone Web-to-print application,” says Lena. “It’s part of a larger approach that this organization is seeking.”
Not only does Daniels Marketing Services gain the lion’s share of the printing from these applications, it also gains revenue from any online archives of digital files, both high and low resolution. Its fees include site development, maintenance, hosting, file modification and hosting fees. Some of these fees are ongoing. Others are one-time fees.
“We adopt the role, not of Big Brother, but as service providers here to serve them,” concludes Lena. “It requires training. And you have to get the buy-in of senior management that recognizes the problem.”
