Noel Ward

Noel Ward
How to Make Direct Mail Useless

Direct mail can be great—when done correctly. But when it’s done poorly or sloppily, as is too often the case, it makes me cringe. As a print provider you may not have control over design, but you may well have control over a customer’s mailing list.

More Commentary on PRINT 13

So after last week’s blog went out I got a call from Ralph Nappi, president of NPES, the organization that runs the PRINT and GRAPH EXPO trade shows. The call was not unexpected and I was not surprised to learn that Ralph disagreed with some of my comments, but we had a great call about the show.

PRINT 13 and What’s Wrong with Trade Shows

At PRINT 13, there was a sense that the industry, along with those who survived the Great Recession and the ongoing decline of print, are ready and willing to move forward. These survivors are focused on the future and are figuring out how to grow and thrive in the new age of print and cross-media communications. This attitude and the vibe of the show affirm that print continues to rock!

Another Shoe Drops for Ipex

As of the moment, many vendors that have bailed out on Ipex still plan on being at various vertical market events in 2014. Some of my clients have been shifting more of their show budgets to verticals because they get more for their dollar and can better reach decision-makers on a one-to-one basis.

Document Strategy Forum Draws a Mixed Crowd. Part 2

The Document Strategy Forum, held April 29-May 1 in Stamford, CT, was really a blend of three conferences, Document Strategy, Social Business and SharePoint, and the annual Business Forms Manufacturers Annual conference. There was enough common ground to attract about 300 attendees for a busy two days.

Too Many Conferences, Too Little Time. Part 1

The value of conferences is the information and insights one gains by hearing other people’s perspectives on a host of topics. Xplor, held in St. Petersburg, FL, last month, was excellent for this, and the absence of product-pitches in the presentations made it far more informative and interesting for attendees.

Kodak’s 'No Show' at Trade Shows

Shows are expensive, requiring big checks up front. Kodak says it sees a better return from bringing more prospects to its demo center in Rochester, NY and stroking customers at GUA, the company’s user association. The question is whether this is enough.

The Magazine King and Print’s Future

Like much of print, magazines are at the convoluted intersection of old and new consumption models and technologies. In many instances, a look at the print and Web versions of many mags reveals much the same content in each.

The Weave Factor Signals Business Rebound

There was a lot of positive energy at GRAPH EXPO 2012 and most booths were generally busy. My sense from vendors was that business is (finally) coming back. “Doesn’t it look a lot like the old On Demand Show when we used to have it at Javits in New York? You walk in and all you see is digital press companies.”

Sideshows Draw Crowds at drupa

At the Xerox stand, Cirque do Soliel acrobats wowed the audience with astounding aerial moves several times a day on a raised, springboard-equipped stage. The first five minutes of Landa’s highly produced presentation on Nanography had skin-suit-clad performers doing a dance that didn’t have much to do with the topic at hand, but was still visually engaging.

Illusions of drupa 2012

It’s good to be back home and try to put all drupa 2012 had to offer into some kind of perspective. I’ll start where my drupa did, with the press conference of the ebullient and irrepressible showman Benny Landa and the rollout of Nanography.

Océ Previews Digital Folding Carton Press

Dubbed InfiniStream, Océ’s new digital printing technology platform uses electrophotographic liquid toner technology and squarely targets the folding carton market. The machine can crank out 120 meters of paperboard a minute and the offset-like liquid toner process delivers similar quality to the offset presses.