Why Our Reach Spreads Far Beyond Kansas City

LeRay WarriorBy LeRay Warrior, Principal at MEDiAHEAD.

Over the last three decades, MEDiAHEAD has developed a stellar reputation in and around the greater Kansas City area, making us a top choice for printing, distribution, and portals for many of Kansas City’s major brands.

However, as the MEDiAHEAD brand goes from strength to strength, it’s important to remind potential clients that we don’t just serve companies from our city. Indeed, we have clients spread across the country. I recently took a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, to meet some of those clients, spending the rest of my time pitching new prospects and getting to know the city.

Here’s what I learned from the experience.

My Trip to Omaha

OmahaOmaha isn’t that far from Kansas City; just a three-hour drive up the Interstate to be precise. As I made my way there, I was excited to see what it had to offer, as it’s not a place I’ve visited often. All I knew beforehand was that Omaha is home to Berkshire Hathaway and its owner Warren Buffet, one of America’s wealthiest individuals and the College Baseball World Series.

I’m happy to say Omaha didn’t let me down. Not only did I have some productive meetings and encouraging talks with prospects, but I enjoyed the city itself. The highlight for me was my dining experiences, with a great Italian restaurant. I also visited a new breakfast spot that served up not only delicious food but a very welcoming atmosphere too. 

As a result, I’m already looking forward to my next trip. If you know of any great spots for either food or entertainment in Omaha, let me know in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to check them out!

Why It Pays to Add the Personal Touch

Here at MEDiAHEAD, we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service. We strongly believe that we don’t merely on board new clients, we add new business partners. That’s why we take the time to meet with our customers; so that we can build relationships further, truly understand client pain points, and start building solutions.

We believe this strategy is a big part of our continued success. Whereas other companies in our industry may feel that phone and email contact is enough, we go the extra mile to ensure we effectively become an auxiliary part of our client’s business. The pairing of our industry knowledge with the intimate understanding of our clients’ needs allow us to deliver excellence continually.

Super-Fast Turnaround Times No Matter Where You’re Located

Quick Turn Around TimesAnother reason we’ve managed to secure so many brands headquartered outside the Kansas City area is through our commitment to super-fast turnaround times. With our continued investment into the latest printing press tech, we can receive the necessary files and have them printed and ready for dispatch within a couple of hours for those last-minute rushed orders.

The fact we can do this so quickly means our location holds no bearing on our potential reach. Whether you’re in California or Colorado, we can provide the highest quality solutions for your brand. Just contact a member of our team today to discuss your requirements!

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Why You Should Print With MEDiAHEAD

LeRay WarriorBy LeRay Warrior, Principal at MEDiAHEAD.

When it comes to commercial printing, you want a company that can provide you the best quality, price & experience. Many of the large commercial printing companies maintain a huge market share and therefore customers assume they are the best option. We’re here to tell you that the commercial printing industry is changing and there are many options to consider when choosing the best commercial printer.

MEDiAHEAD stands as one of those companies that offers the best of both worlds. When compared to our competitors, we stand out on price, quality and experience.

You May Be Paying A Higher Price For A Lower Quality

That sounds like an awful experience. Who wants to pay more for lower quality?

While you may agree with us, it can be hard to acknowledge when you’re personally stuck in this trap. One of the ways to double check where you’re at is by researching the value and quality that MEDiAHEAD can provide as a commercial printer. With MEDiAHEAD, the quality of our print is sometimes dramatically higher. That means people actually get what they pay for.Remember to always double check if the quality of your order is reflected by the price you are paying.

Long Wait Times Are A Thing Of The Past

Why MEDiAHEAD?

In today’s world, time is everything. As they say, “Time is money.”

Unfortunately, many commercial printers don’t believe in that sentiment. At MEDiAHEAD, we process every order with speed and accuracy because every order is a VIP order. I’ve witnessed commercial printers deliver print jobs as simple as business cards in two weeks… or longer! We get the majority of our print out the door in 24-48 hours. Additionally, our shipping department has many expedited shipping options to choose from. If you need a shipment faster than 24-48 hours, we have the ability to be flexible and help you figure it out.

The Overall Customer Experience

Your experience is probably the single most defining aspect of any partnership.

Many business owners will work with a commercial printer even if they’re lower in quality, but offer an amazing customer experience. If that’s true, you don’t have to settle any longer. MEDiAHEAD understands that an amazing customer experience is critically important. We also provide reasonable pricing… and sometimes major price savings when compared to the competition.

We know printing. And we’re dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible outcome. Trust your local, Kansas City based provider for fast, professional printing, quick turn-around and reasonable pricing.

If you have any questions, or want to give us a shot, please reach out. To start the ball rolling right now, our phone number is 816.931.7900. Our team is ready to deliver on these promises and help you create something great!

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We are Extremely Excited to Announce Our New Press!

By Michele Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD.

Our New Printing PressA need for speed, we have it!
A need for higher quality, we have it!
Larger output, we have it.

This is all coming with our new press delivering on December 16th, and we couldn’t be more excited!

The cost of production is always important, but so are print quality and turnaround times. You get both of these at MEDiAHEAD. We strive to give our clients the best quality and the fastest turnaround at a competitive cost.

Why are we so happy about our new press?

The new press produces 6,000 A4/letter 5/0 sheets per hour (100 pages per minute).

It has a 5 – Color Configuration, yes I said 5 colors and look…

Look at the Options of our new Press!

at the options:

  • Dimensional Coating Solutions
  • Intelligent Color Solutions, gamut expansion (choice of red, green, or blue)
  • Intelligent Glossing Solutions
  • Light Black HD Dry Ink
  • Gold Dry Ink
  • Clear Dry Ink
  • Opaque White Dry Ink
  • Metallic Clear Dry Ink
  • The fifth imaging unit can be gold, dimensional, glossing, gamut expansion, red fluorescing, light black and clear.

Wide Range of Substrate Types

We can now print a wide range of substrate types, sized and weights and thicknesses for application flexibility.

  • 16 lb. up to 130 lb. uncoated
  • 20 lb. up to 130 lb. coated
  • Up to 24 pt substrates

Longer sheet size is better

It is easy to assume that printing on a larger sheet reduces production costs.  This is typically the case with offset, where make ready time and associated costs need to be amortized across total production time.

A longer narrow sheet size enables:

New, larger-format applications to be migrated to short-run digital printing, where they can be produced to size in a highly efficient workflow. This includes various types of collateral, pocket folders, retail signage, dust jackets and point-of-sale materials. Just think of the options….

More efficient production of smaller jobs that are printed closer to finished size, requiring less handling and fewer cuts to finish, and generating less waste.

We offer the longer sheet with our new press.

  • Sheet sizes 14 x 20.7 (imageable area 13.4. x 20)
  • Sheet size 14 x 48 (imageable area 13.4 x 47.61)

So what are you waiting for… come by and see us, check out our new press and see what we can do.

No appointment needed!

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5 Reasons Print Beats Digital Marketing

By LeRay Warrior, Principal at MEDiAHEAD.  

Print Beats Digital MarketingThere’s no question that business operating today have to embrace the digital world. With the Internet of Things on the horizon, the need to have a digital presence is a foregone conclusion. With that in mind, many business leaders may incorrectly think they should just dump print, and digitize all marketing output.

Making that assumption would be a mistake. Many recent studies and surveys have shown that there’s still a place for print in the marketing mix. In fact, for a great deal of companies, print is still the highest performing marketing channel.

But how can this be? Here are 5 reasons – backed by evidence – that explain why print is still just as effective in today’s marketing climate.

1. Print Signifies Trust

Even the most digital savvy of generations such as Generation Z or Millennials trust print over digital sources. As part of an in-depth study undertaken last year, consumers revealed that only 16% of participants trusted social media as a source of information. Yet when asked about print, 73% trusted it as an information source.

In the current climate of constant misinformation and so-called “fake news” disseminated online, it appears that print has come to demand more respect from would-be consumers. The same study confirmed as much by reporting that 33% of those surveyed reacted to something they found on social media which they later found out to be fake news. A figure that had doubled from the previous year. Therefore, if you’ve got something important to say as a company, then print is the method to have your message trusted.

2. Print Outperforms Email in Every Way

So many of today’s marketing gurus preach the message of, “the money is in the list!”. Of course, they are referring to email lists. However, recent statistics are starting to show that consumers are becoming tired of the constant bombardment of their inbox each and every day. 70% of consumers feel they receive too many emails, and much worse, 51% delete an email within two seconds. How’s that for brand awareness?

The apathy felt towards marketing emails may help to explain why response rates from printed direct mail campaigns are 3,567% higher that they are from emails. Yes, you read that figure correctly. Response rates for targeted direct mailing campaigns average at 4.4%, whereas email averages 0.12%. If you need to instigate a response from your customers, print is the method to use.

3. Print Always Leaves a Tangible Impression

As mentioned, print is less common in today’s digital world, which makes it stand out even more. Print requires readers to actually slow down and absorb the content, which is why it’s so effective in educational marketing materials.

It also stands out physically. If you click away from a brand’s website, you may never think about it again. However, if you had received a magazine from the same company then it’s always there. A reader can pick it up and put it down, and keep coming back to it. It’s presence alone is a constant brand reminder. Which is why 60% of people think printed mail helps to keep a brand top of mind.

Eye-catching colors and bold designs can also help print marketing stand out in the more traditional settings such as office cubicles. Colleagues will ask their coworker “what’s that?” when noticing an attention-grabbing front cover, instigating a conversation about your brand.

4. Print Drives Action

Getting individuals to take action in response to your marketing is becoming harder than ever. But print still leads the way. 79% of those who receive direct mail campaigns act on them immediately, whereas just 45% of email recipients state that they deal with those messages straight away.

Similarly, of the 56% of direct mail recipients that spend time reading the materials, 92% are driven to online activity, 87% are influenced to make online purchases, and 54% engage in social media. Who said print is old-fashioned? If anything, these figures prove that printed materials are great at influencing online decision making. Therefore, they should form a vital part of any company’s marketing mix.

5. Print is Actually Greener

This point may be difficult to believe, but it’s true. Yes, the fact that printing requires the felling of trees is currently unavoidable, not to mention the environmental issues associated with the inks used for printing. However, having said all of that, the carbon footprint of a printing run is a one-time contributor. On the other hand, digital media requires energy every single time it is consumed.

A recent PrintCity report found that the paper, pulp, and printing industry combined utilizes roughly 1% of available global energy resources. To put that in perspective, data centers responsible powering cloud-based online resources use 4% on their own.

Better still, certain types of paper and inks are also easily recyclable, whereas that energy lost to powering online resources needs to be regenerated and replaced. Oftentimes, print is used more than once (think of the magazine example above), whereas the majority of our digital consumption is a “one and done” scenario.

Print Helps a Business to Stand Out

As we spend an ever-increasing amount of time online, many companies have prematurely rung the death knell for print. However, as these points have shown, print isn’t dead. Far from it. The constant noise provided by online advertising and social media has driven people to value the art of well-crafted print marketing more than ever.

Consumers are more likely to take action, engage with a brand, and even make a purchase in reaction to receiving printed materials. We know this to be the case because we spend each week helping leading brands deliver printed marketing campaigns that deliver staggering returns on investment, specifically when compared to more popular marketing tactics such as digital pay-per-click campaigns.

We’ve recognized the potential of print. By investing heavily in the latest printing technology, we are now able to deliver industry-leading turnaround times, with more touch points and a more effective fulfillment process for your business needs. Don’t hesitate to contact our team today

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MEDiAHEAD Receives Printing Industries of America Awards

By Michele Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD.

PIA LogoThe Printing Industries of America (PIA) has been around since 1887. They’re an industry-inspired and member-directed foundation. Their mission is to deliver services and products that enhance the knowledge, growth, and profitability of members through advocacy, research, educations and networking.

PIA MidAmerican created a Graphic Excellence award back in 1989 to recognize the outstanding abilities of print producers to transform paper and ink into outstanding forms of communication.

Over 2,200 entries were submitted for the June 2019 judging of the Premier Print Awards, the world’s most prestigious international print competition. The competition has over 300 categories in three different divisions. The categories reflect products such as: brochures, letterheads, direct marketing, folders, cross media campaigns and much more.

We won two PIA Awards!

2019 PIA AwardsThis year we entered the Lee Vintage Modern Book and the Lee – Smiley Book, and we WON! We actually won two awards in the category of booklets, large format – digital (over 6×9).

We were able to attend the PIA Awards Gala with all the others who entered their awesome printing into the Graphic Excellence awards competition and see all the great transformations that they’re doing. It was a cool event and we’re looking forward to competing again next year. I’m already storing up my entries!

At MEDiAHEAD, the customer comes first. Find out more about us at: https://mymediahead.com/blog

2019 PIA Awards 2019 PIA Awards

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We were green before it was cool to be green.

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Kat McDanielBy Kat McDaniel, Principal at MEDiAHEAD

It’s something that is very important to me and all of our employees.

From the very beginning we recycled all paper, metal and plastic.

Items are collected all over the facility, recycled, reused or disposed of in a responsible way.

On demand printing, enabled by our digital presses, allows our clients to print only what they need. This reduces their waste and valuable storage space. Did you know that 30% of all printed material becomes dated or factually obsolete before it is ever consumed? That’s why on demand is better!

All components of the dry inks that we use have been tested to ensure no harmful compounds are generated or released during manufacturing, usage or disposal. The dry inks also can be readily removed from printed documents for recycling.

Our presses also feature patented coatings and glossing techniques in combination with the dry inks – these solutions use environmentally benign methods to add protection and enhance prints. No plates or water are used when printing digitally. Less paper is used since there is no need for a traditional make-ready, therefore less raw materials are used.

Recycled materials and paper are used when possible and we work very hard to ensure that our production is waste-free.

Our plant was one of the first facilities to be certified for FSC and FSI in Kansas City.

Orion Award - Clean and GreenIn 2007 we completely redid all the lighting in our 40,000 square foot facility and received the Orion Environmental Award. We reduced our power consumption by a third and we were able to recoup our costs for the project in less than one year.

MEDiAHEAD also received the inaugural Bridging the Gap Environmental Award in 2008 for our efforts in preserving our environment.

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”

― William Shakespeare

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Customer Spotlight: Unique Business Cards for Populous

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By Michele Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD

Populous LogoPopulous is an architectural design firm here in Kansas City. They are well respected and have done projects all over the world. We appreciate one of the statements on their home page, “We design the places where people love to be together.” They have a passion for their work, and we really enjoy working with them.

When we first met with the Chief Marketing Officer of Populous, one of their designers was in the room. We asked him for a business card. The designer said that unfortunately, it had been four weeks, and he still didn’t have a business card. We told them we could fix that. And that’s how the relationship started!

Today, Populous employees have the ability to go to their online, customized portal to order business cards.

Populous - Unique Business CardsSomething unique we are doing for them… they can choose any one of the photos of Populous projects for the back of their business cards! If they upload a hundred project photos, they can have one hundred different business card backs in their 250 business card order. It’s a fun way for their employees to give a personal touch to the sales and marketing process. And all they have to do is log into their portal to order. It’s that simple.

Once ordered, their new business cards will get to them within 2 – 3 days after they approve them in our system. What an improvement over the 4+ weeks it used to take to get business cards!

We love what we do at MEDiAHEAD and no project is too big or too small.

When faced with a challenge, we tackle it head on and always come up with a solution. Often, it’s a customized solution that ends up being the right answer for each and every client. Let us help you streamline and standardize your processes, get faster turn times, and manage your brand consistency and content. Most of all save, you can save your organization time and money.

At MEDiAHEAD, the customer comes first. Give us a chance to show you. Find out more about us in more stories on our blog: https://mymediahead.com/blog

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The Very Successful Rockhurst High School Annual Appeal

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By Kat McDaniel, Principal at MEDiAHEAD

Direct mail can be a highly effective way to solicit alumni gifts, the key is to make the package feel special. First and foremost, it should stand out from the often used letter and business sized envelope. It may cost more to produce, but the return on investment will pay off.

Rockhurst High School made their appeal much more personal by placing a variable class image and copy on the cover of the mailer that represented the alumni’s year of graduation. They appealed to the alumni and their classmates, because they knew first hand the benefit of a Rockhurst education, to help them give that same gift to the next generation.

The mailer was sent in a clear envelope so that the recipient could immediately see the variable image and copy, making it more likely to be opened. A personalized letter and return envelope were also included in the mailing.

The quality of the package was so high that when prospects received it they knew that they were part of an exclusive and important group, it made them feel special.

Rockhurst Direct Mail Project Rockhurst Direct Mail Project

The mailing raised over $100,000 the first week.

Leadership gift donors are some of higher education’s most important constituents, and the way you go about asking them to increase or renew their support can be a delicate process.

No doubt, the most effective way to solicit a leadership gift is through a face-to-face conversation. But, when that’s not possible, customizing your direct mail appeals with personal touches can go a long way toward making those donors feel important and helping to guarantee that your message stands out and generates your desired response.

Rockhurst Direct Mail Project Rockhurst Direct Mail Project

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2019 Trends in Printing – 3D Printing

By Michele Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Accounting at MEDiAHEAD

3D Printing - Skull

Tribute to Danny Drennan our Pressman for his skills in 3D printing.

So what are the new trends in printing and how will they impact your business? One of the biggest trends that you need to know about is 3D printing.

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process, an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.

3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out / hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine. This type of printing enables you to produce complex (functional) shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods. (More info)

3D printing has evolved with many applications; most important being used in the medical and manufacturing industries, as well as sociocultural sectors that facilitate 3D printing. The use of 3D printing to produce scale models within architecture and construction has steadily increased in popularity. Studies revealed that 64% of businesses believe that printing will remain important to their daily business even by 2025.

3D Printed Homes?

3D homes are also being constructed using 3D printing on a super large-scale in El Salvador to better the quality for families.  You can read more about it here. (Be sure to watch the video of the concrete being built up a layer at a time to form concrete walls!)

Interesting facts:

● $4,000 for one home
● 12-24 hours to print the home
● Better quality for families

3D PrintingHow can MEDiAHEAD help?

MEDiAHEAD provides 3D printing options for your needs. With our new 3D printer, we can produce super large 300mm x 300mm x 400mm objects. See the skill in the picture to see how big these 3D prints actually turn out to be. Filament choices come in different types and your filament choice might depend on the object that you are trying to build. If you want to learn about the different types of 3D printer filaments on the market, just let us know. We can also work with you on the type of file to provide. Give us a call!

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10 Colors to Increase Sales in 2017

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As a marketing and print services company, we have long known that color plays a major role in the success of any marketing campaign. Specific colors tend to evoke certain emotions in customers, thus creating brand relevance and motivating purchases. The following lists 10 colors that increase sales, along with the specific emotions they bring forth.

1. Orange

Orange is high energy. It has powerful attention-getting properties, it’s fun and cool, and it makes customers feel as though they’re dealing with a cutting-edge company. Cheerful orange evokes exuberance, fun and vitality. With the drama of red plus the cheer of yellow, orange is viewed as gregarious and often childlike. Research indicates its lighter shades appeal to an upscale market. Peach tones work well with health care, restaurants and beauty salons.

2. Blue

When you want your brand to be viewed as trustworthy and cool, blue is the color for you. Mix blue with complimentary colors for best results. Cool blue is perceived as trustworthy, dependable, fiscally responsible and secure. Strongly associated with the sky and sea, blue is serene and universally well-liked. Blue is an especially popular color with financial institutions, as its message of stability inspires trust.

MEDiAHEAD: Blue MEDiAHEAD: Blue Print CollateralPrint Collateral

3. Red

Red is the color of power. It means business. It gets people’s attention and it holds it, which is why it’s the most popular color for marketing. Red activates your pituitary gland, increasing your heart rate and causing you to breathe more rapidly. This visceral response makes red aggressive, energetic, provocative and attention-grabbing. Count on red to evoke a passionate response, albeit not always a favorable one. For example, red can represent danger or indebtedness.

MEDiAHEAD: Red

4. Green

Green is a versatile color. It is warm and inviting, lending customers a pleasant and open feeling. In general, green connotes health, freshness, environment and serenity. However, green’s meaning varies with its many shades. Deeper greens are associated with wealth or prestige, while light greens are calming.

MEDiAHEAD-Green

5. Yellow

Yellow is a powerful color, but it is also the most dangerous hue. Use yellow to command your audience’s attention, and let them know you’re confident in your abilities. In every society, yellow is associated with the sun. Thus, it communicates optimism, positivism, light and warmth. Certain shades seem to motivate and stimulate creative thought and energy. The eye sees bright yellows before any other color, making them great for point-of-purchase displays.

MEDiAHEAD: Yellow

6. Purple

Purple is the color of royalty, which makes it perfect for lending a touch of elegance and prestige to your marketing materials. Purple is a color favored by creative types. With its blend of passionate red and tranquil blue, it evokes mystery, sophistication, spirituality and royalty. Lavender evokes nostalgia and sentimentality.

MEDiAHEAD-Purple

7. Gold

Gold is likewise elegant and prestigious, but adds an element of power purple can’t match. In combination with purple or green, gold is a powerful color that symbolizes wealth and pedigree.

MEDiAHEAD: Gold

8. Black

Black is another highly versatile color. It can be modern or traditional, exciting or relaxing. Used as a contrasting color, black most often adds drama to whatever mood you want to cast. Black is serious, bold, powerful and classic. It creates drama and connotes sophistication. Black works well for expensive products, but can also make a product look heavy.

MEDiAHEAD: Black

9. Brown

Brown, an earthy tone, is known as a comfort color, lending relaxation to customers. This earthy color conveys simplicity, durability and stability. It can also elicit a negative response from consumers who relate to it as dirty. Certain shades of brown, like terracotta, can convey an upscale look. From a functional perspective, brown tends to hide dirt, making it a logical choice for some trucking and industrial companies. Think UPS.

MEDiAHEAD: Brown

10. Pink

Vying for the attention of a young female demographic? You can’t go wrong with pink. It’s fun, frilly and totally female. Pink’s message varies by intensity. Hot pinks convey energy, youthfulness, fun and excitement and are recommended for less expensive or trendy products for women or girls. Dusty pinks appear sentimental. Lighter pinks are more romantic.

MEDiAHEAD: Pink

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