The Tray Way: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Tray Way: Cross-Channel Marketing - The Online Catalog

To complete our May blog series on cross-channel marketing, we wanted to close the month with a product we have been heralded for as of late: The Online Catalog

Whether it is for B2B or B2C purposes, the online catalog offers a number of benefits

Create a more automated system
Reduce inventory
Improve turnaround times
Make your brand seem more "tech-savvy"
And, when combined with a website, social media channels or even print marketing, develop a cross-channel marketing workflow that allows for greater reach.

At Tray, the creation, development and implementation of online catalogs has been a perfect supplement and evolution to the work we have been known for. Our work with DoubleTree by Hilton helped revolutionize their internal communications abilities. According to their press release:

Prior to 2011, when a DoubleTree property wanted to order customized printed collateral or branded on-property materials for their hotel, they were faced with many different procedures. They envisioned a comprehensive toolkit where all promotional materials could be ordered from one place including on-demand digital, offset, large format and specialty items

We are extremely proud of our work on that project, but that work is quite elaborate and involved a number of moving-parts and approvals. While it was literally award-winning, we understand that not all businesses have the time, energy, budget and desire to be praised nationally. They want something that is functional, appealing to the eye, easy to use and affordable. For this reason, one of our favorite case studies is our work with Gator Athletics. We worked on creating an online catalog that they could promote and share through all their channels. It aligns with all their branding and criteria, despite not having the revenues of a multinational hotel chain.

Are you considering creating or improving an online catalog for your business? What are the most important features you are looking?

The Tray PML Way is the blog for Tray, experts in the printing, mailing, logistics and promotional products. You can learn more about our capabilities by visiting our website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages. For information about the company and its successes, visit www.traypml.com

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Tray Way: Cross-Channel Marketing - The Interactive PDF

Everyone needs to innovate when it comes to marketing and messaging, but companies that decide to “reinvent the wheel” often risk time, effort and money without necessarily having the ROI at the end. The key to innovative marketing strategies is to embrace it by utilizing what you already have, what your key demographics want and finding practical mechanisms that achieve the desired result. This is the basis for cross-channel marketing.

At Tray, we have always been willing to explore that next level of online marketing and technological advancement. However, as many in our field have learned, it takes the right client. A great example of this was our use of Interactive PDFs.

The Interactive PDF is a platform that brings life to material beyond just what exists on the screen. It can take a catalog or brochure that people have seen thousands of times and make it fresh again. The key is having a client with plenty of content to share (especially visually) and a demographic that skews a bit younger and/or is more inclined to embrace a new technological platform. Luckily we had one right down the road from us in the Major League Lacrosse’s Chesapeake Bayhawks.

The result of our collaboration was a visually appealing, technologically-savvy, digital version of their program. It contained all the same content as their printed programs, as well as other bells-and-whistles, such as video, to help draw fans in. Additionally, it provided one more channel to promote and advertise sponsors of the team and put their brands and logos in front of more potential customers.

The Interactive PDF was a perfect supplement to what the Bayhawks were trying to achieve, and when working in conjunction with the team’s website, printed materials, etc., it offered a new way to present already existing content in an exciting way. Additionally, use of the new platform painted the team and the league as more interactive and advanced, which helped improve its image.

Organizations across different industries can achieve this same success, whether it is through Interactive PDFs or some other platform. However, before you take the plunge, the first step is always to review your existing material with marketing experts and explore how your customers want to be marketed to.