Print Smart to Save Costs

Printed publications and newsletter are great assets to our organization. Our 2006 telephone survey showed that 79 percent of those surveyed thought newsletters were a very effective or effective way to distribution information. Seventy percent said brochures and reports were very effective or effective.

Also, if you are considering going all-electronic with your communication, consider this: of those surveyed in our survey, 20 percent have never used the computer and 24 percent have never used the Internet. The Web can’t do it all; there is a critical need for printed materials.

So, how can you print smarter and more economically? Here are few suggestions:

• First and foremost, use the duplicating center in our Department of Communications. As compared to printing a newsletter in your own office, duplicating can usually print your newsletter faster, for less money, and with higher quality results. They also have designers on-board to make sure the final product looks great. Contact Greg LeValley at 532-5816 to see how Duplicating can help you print smarter.
• Condense your newsletter. Look over your design and content and see if your 8-page newsletter can fit on 6 pages. Can you conserve space without losing readability?
• Print in black-and-white. Or, if you want or need to print in 2-color, pre-print the color template in bulk to save. Then, you’ll just need to print the black ink portions when it comes time to produce your newsletter.
• Plan ahead to avoid “rush job” fees and to keep your printer happy!
• Check your paper cost. Is there a cheaper paper available, without sacrificing quality?
• Think strategically. Consider the objective and target audience for the printed piece and determine what is the best way to produce the item. Postcards work great for event announcements; newsletters can provide more detailed information.
• Take advantage of your publication allocation. You can use this budget feature to pay for printing, as well as stocking your office with the necessarily publications.
  

For more ideas, check out 10 Ways to Stretch your Printing Budget

Print Smart to Save Costs

Cut Costs While Maintaining Marketing

Budgets are being cut -- that's a fact, no matter whether you are in public sector or private industry. In such times, you need to be thinking about marketing more – not less – so that stakeholders and others still see you as relevant.

Need a statistic to share with your funding source? In our 2006 statewide telephone survey, 80 percent of those surveyed strongly approved or approved of spending public funds to support K-State Research and Extension. So, let’s get the word out about our great programs and services.

I recently asked the Marketing special interest group in ACE (Association for Communications Excellence) for ideas and suggestions on how to continue marketing when the budgets dry up. Here is a compilation of their responses:

• Don’t underestimate the power of the newspaper. Even if it’s as simple as an event announcement with your organization’s name and a personal contact, publishing in the local newspaper can have a big impact. Mark Crossler from Oregon State pointed out that newspapers are getting hit, too, and might not have the funds to subscribe to the AP and other wire services. This means it’s a great opportunity for our news releases and columns to be placed in the local papers. And, as Nancy Peterson from K-State Research and Extension pointed out, news releases often end up on web sites, radio, and television, in addition to newspapers.
• Radio is still king with many audiences. For example, Sharolyn Flaming-Jackson from K-State Research and Extension said the radio PSAs to promote free radon kits in northeast Kansas were so effective, the agents involved had to pull the PSAs early, as they had given away all their kits. Our audience research shows that radio is most effective in metro areas, where people have longer commutes and spend more time in their vehicles.
• Use email. Email is a great way to distribute electronic newsletters, reminders and announcements. You want your audience to read your messages, so don’t inundate their mailbox with fluff. Send only valid, useful materials and test them for spam-guards before distributing. Also, make sure you’re email distribution list is maintained and keep in mind that not all your audiences are receptive to email. Some will still need a printed and mailed newsletter.
• Use your branding and style guides. We provide such a fabulous service to Kansans; it’s a disservice to ourselves to not take the credit for it. The best way to do that is to identify yourself and affiliate with K-State Research and Extension, so when budget cuts come, your legislators and county commissioners know who helped them and their neighbors. Plus, we want them to recognize our brand as representing quality information, great service, and friendly people. Our Communication and Style guide is undergoing an update currently, but the most current version is available online at: http://www.communications.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=660
• Review your mailing list. Cull any outdated addresses to save big on postage.
• Print smart. One state has put a ban on all full-color printing. Another is taking advantage of bulk discounts, with multiple counties pooling their resources for a larger print run. What can you do in Kansas to print economically? Next week, we’ll give some additional pointers on how to make the most of your printing budget.
  

Thank you to Larry Jackson, Mark Crossler, Sharolyn Flaming-Jackson, Deborah Morehead, Jennifer O’Leary, and Nancy Peterson for contributing to this article.

Cut Costs While Maintaining Marketing

Strategy First, Creativity Second

When we sit down to begin planning a marketing project, no matter the size, the creative ideas start coming in droves. The hard part is knowing when to rein in the creativity and refocus on strategy.

A creative idea may be a good one, but it may not be a good one for your objective. One historical example of this is the Taco Bell chihuahua. Many people still say "Yo Quiero, Taco Bell" whenever they think of the fast food chain, but being affiliated with a pint-sized dog is not necessarily the best image for a restaurant of any kind.

It created awareness, yes, but it didn't result in the increase in sales the company was looking for, and thus ended that marketing campaign.

So how does that apply to your job? When you thinking of ways to reach new audiences, follow these steps:
-Always keep your objective(s) in focus.
-Think like your target audience. Place the information where they will find it in a way they will absorb it.
-Make certain you are not offending anyone.
-Keep the creativity, but set limits. It's okay to push the limits, but not to exceed them.

To quote this marketing resource:

Because marketing decisions have both internal and external impact, marketers are wise to make their decisions only after engaging in a careful, disciplined planning process. Marketers who make hasty, off-the-cuff decisions without regard to the implications are taking risks that may lead to problems. Instead, marketing decisions should be made with consideration of how these affect others and the resources (e.g., funds) required to carry out the plan.

Strategy First, Creativity Second

Print or Electronic Newsletters

In a telephone survey conducted for K-State Research and Extension in mid-2007, 4 in 5 Kansans interviewed said they consider newsletters to be "somewhat effective" or "very effective" ways for them to receive information from our organization.

While print is a common format for newsletters - and presumably still effective for K-State Research and Extension - a shift to electronic newsletters is occurring in many organizations. Cost savings is a common reason for going to an electronic version only.

Either format can be effective, but may be determined by your particular target audience or demographic. For example, if your community is low on the technology learning curve or technology infrastructure, it's easy to know that a printed version would work best.
Some other tips for either version:

* Write short articles. People want to get the message and get on to other items. And, write in short sentences because it's much easier to read on paper and screen.

* Use pictures. It's still true: A picture is worth a thousand words!

* Keep your information updated. Related, plan ahead 2-3 months; there's nothing more frustrating than finding out an event is happening in a few days when you've already got something scheduled.

* Adhere to deadlines. Plan to release the newsletter on a regular schedule so that people know when it's coming. Over time, they'll expect it.

* Maintain the same format in every issue. You are "branding" your look and feel with the format. People recognize this and will associate your newsletter with you.

* And, use the correct logos for K-State Research and Extension and your office. Create awareness by building familiarity with your readers.

Learn more about K-State Research and Extension's marketing strategies by visiting our marketing blog, http://ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com/ . --Pat Melgares melgares@ksu.edu

Print or Electronic Newsletters

Brochure Stand and We Know Cards

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Annual Conference. It was great visiting with you and hearing your ideas. Quite a few people asked about the brochure stand that we use. In the six months we've had it, the stand has proved itself convenient and sturdy. If you are interested in getting your own, we purchased it from this Web site: http://www.displays2go.com/product.asp?ID=7342

One of our goals at Annual Conference this year was to gather more ideas for the We Know campaign. Specifically, we plan to produce more We Know cards, similar to the ones created for the State Fair. We want to insure that we produce cards that are useful and applicable for you and your clientele, so please let us know what topics you think we should cover. We will gather input from you and, coupled with the research findings we have, create additional cards by February 2009. Here is a complete list of the existing cards (available also at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/We_Know.htm):
Energy Conservation
Fall Lawn Care and Gardening
Farmers' Markets
Kids
Money Management
Food Safety
Tips to Trim Food Costs
Families
Health and Nutrition
Health and Wellness
Kansas Communities
Severe Weather Preparedness
Crops and Livestock
Country Living
Water Quality and Conservation (Urban)
Water Quality (Rural)
4-H Youth Development, and
Kansas Farm Management Association.
Please send any suggestions to us via the "comments" section or by emailing us at lsleicht@ksu.edu or melgares@ksu.edu.

Thank you for your time!
Linda Sleichter

Brochure Stand and We Know Cards

Results of State Fair Survey

At this year's Kansas State Fair, our marketing team asked visitors to K-State Research and Extension's booth to fill out an online survey to give us their opinions of the organization's programs and services.

Because this was a convenience sample (and not randomly-selected), it's not possible to generalize the results. But respondents' answers were strikingly similar to results we got from a Summer, 2007 telephone survey of Kansas residents; and to responses from Kansans in a Fall, 2007 focus group project.

Here's some of the highlights:

* 86.9 percent of the respondents said they were very likely to use the Internet to learn more about a topic that interests them. Local newspapers (52.6 percent) and brochures/reports (47.4 percent) were also rated high as very likely to use.

* More than 80 percent of those said they were somewhat or very interested in community development issues; health and nutrition; home and family; environment; lawn and garden; and youth development.

More than 61 percent of the respondents were between the ages of 25-44, an audience currently being targeted in K-State Research and Extension's five-year marketing plan. More than 73 percent of those responding rated K-State Research and Extension's booth as good or great, and less than 3 percent said it was below average or poor.

Share your thoughts about this or other marketing strategies for K-State Research and Extension at our blog, www.ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com . --Pat Melgares melgares@ksu.edu

Results of State Fair Survey

Logo Usage, Outside Vendors

We've received a few questions lately about using local vendors for K- StateResearch and Extension paraphernalia. We certainly don't mind going to localbusinesses and asking them to put the K-State Research and Extension logo on shirts, cups, and other items. In fact, it supportsTHE local economy and that is a good thing. But, here are some things tokeep mind when going to a local vendor.

1-Check prices of items in K-State Research and Extension's inventory. Weare able to buy items in bulk and usually provide them at a lower cost thanavailable at the local level. Plus, you can buy them with your publicationsallocations funds, which makes it convenient for your office.

2-We do not keep apparel items in our marketing inventory, due to variationsin sizes and logo needs. If you don't have a local vendor from which topurchase K-State Research and Extension apparel, we tend to go to retailersin Manhattan for our apparel, as they already have our artwork on file andgive us good deals. We do not have a contract that requires us to use anyparticular company, however, so feel free to shop around.

3-If you are using a local vendor, make sure they are aware of recent policychanges and enforcement from K-State's Division of Licensing(http://www.k-state.edu/logos/). Since our logo includes the powercat, wemust be sure to follow all guidelines regarding the powercat usage. Vendorswho do not follow the policy could risk forfeiture of their inventory. Thepolicy states, "The program requires producers of products displaying theUniversity's name and/or marks to be licensed through CLC or the University.The licensing royalty is 10 percent of the wholesale value of the product(s)being produced. All artwork must be approved by K-State's main licensingoffice. The artwork approval forms are located on the Web site athttp://www.k-state.edu/logos."

4- What about our powerpoints, Web pages, brochures, etc? If you are amember of K-State Research and Extension's faculty or staff, you aregenerally allowed to use Kansas State University's name and marks forprofessional presentations. If you are not affiliated with Kansas StateUniversity as a current faculty or staff member, you must request permissionbefore using logos or items owned by the University.

5- When it comes to using the logo, it might be lot easier to ask permissionthan forgiveness. For questions about logo usage or to get permission to useit, contact K-State's Division of Intellectual Property(http://www.k-state.edu/academicpersonnel/intprop/). For other marketingquestions, contact the K-State Research and Extension marketing unit or go to our blog athttp://ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com/.

Logo Usage, Outside Vendors