MOHAWK ENEWS

November 2012

IN THIS EDITION


Feature A+ Lesson Plan For Education Marketers
Product News We’ll Provide The Envelopes To Prove This Point
PROMOTIONS Mohawk Blows the Windows Wide Open
Industry News Neon Pink Dry Ink? Seriously, This is Just the Start.
Tips and Tidbits Fill Up On Creative Octane & Rev The Search Engine
Contests Mohawk Show 12 Takes to the Road (& the Skies)
productline

A+ LESSON PLAN FOR EDUCATION MARKETERS

Impressive. That’s the only way to describe the stature and growth of the University and College Designers Association (UCDA). You don’t have to look any further than its recent 2012 conference in Montreal to get a feel for the impact this group is having on designers, teachers and students in higher education.
           
Conference sessions included inspirational talks by Krider Prize recipient, Jeannot Painchaud, the creative director of Cirque Eloize; Emily Oberman of Pentagram; Jim Babbage of Adobe Systems; Bill Hurlburt of Paskill Stapleton & Lord; Sam Harrison, creativity author. Like we said – impressive.

We were especially thrilled to unveil our new Mohawk Educational Market Idea Kit, which we presented for the first time at the conference.

The kit includes samples of education-specific marketing materials printed on the Mohawk Specialty Digital substrates that are so perfectly suited for this niche:

The college designers instantly recognized opportunities using the substrates that would capture the imagination of students, visitors, alumni, boosters and donors. Uniquely designed for HP Indigo and dry-toner digital color presses, this portfolio of products offers the flexibility of quick turnaround, short-run, very audience-specific messaging.

 (BTW - the UCDA designers gave us an A+ for this assignment!)

If you are a Mohawk merchant, please request your FREE Mohawk Educational Market Idea Kit here.

All other Mohawk customers may request a FREE Mohawk Educational Market Idea Kit here.

Be sure to put the 2013 UCDA Conference in your lesson planner. It’s October 12-15, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky. More info on the organization can be found at http://ucda.com.

envelopesWE’LL PROVIDE THE ENVELOPES
TO PROVE THIS POINT

“Much has been written about creating the offer, targeting the audience, and even organizing contents to maximize response. We go to great lengths to create what’s inside the package. Yet, like baseball, without an at-bat you can never hit a home run. Getting the outer envelope opened gives you the at-bat you’ve worked so hard to achieve,” says Steve Brocker, chairman of the Postal and Government Affairs Committee of the Envelope Manufacturers Association.

Brocker has seen a lot of envelopes in his career and knows what makes some more successful than others in bringing in better direct mail results. Among the tips he offers up in this excellent blog post is:

We couldn’t agree more with Brocker’s advice and observations. In fact, we invite you to test a Mohawk envelope today and see how a larger size, a window, texture or color will improve the response rates on your next campaign.

We’ll even provide free envelopes for the testing in exchange for results and the ability to publish those results in a case study. Contact [email protected] for details.

envelopesMOHAWK BLOWS THE WINDOWS WIDE OPEN

The first thing you see (the envelope) is too often the last thing you think about. But envelopes are valuable real estate in Direct Mailville. To show how fun and effective these bearers of great messages can be, we created our own unique set of custom-cut square window envelopes that we’d like you to have.

This “Mohawk Does Windows” sample pack features three nested envelopes with graduated square windows in a specially chosen palette of hot fall colors to mix and match. There are cards inside as well so you can even send a note. (Just remember that square envelopes require an additional 20 cents to mail First Class.)

If you’d like to peak inside Mohawk’s windows, simply click here to order your free “Mohawk Does Windows” sample pack.

Shhhhh – now here’s an inside tip: The dies for this special sample pack of custom square windows have already been made of course … soooo, that means you can use them to reproduce your own special square window envelopes with the stock you like best. There are so many textures and color combinations, it could blow the creative windows wide open!

Now, if you’re thinking about windows even more unusually shaped or an envelope of the odd-sized variety, remember that Mohawk is an envelope converter. We can custom make your envelope design from any of our premium papers in sizes ranging from 1.6875” x 2.75” up to a 24” x 36”. We can print one- to four-color offset, foil stamp or emboss. Want to add foil lining and/or tinted inside printing for security? No problem.

You dream it up, and we’ll help make it happen. If we can’t do it, we’ll find someone who can. To get started, it’s as simple as contacting your envelope supplier for a quote.

NEON PINK DRY INK? SERIOUSLY, THIS IS JUST THE START.

Just when you think digital printing can’t get any more exciting, Graph Expo comes along and well, there you are – sore feet instantly forgotten amid new presses, new inks, new efficiencies, and new possibilities for printers and their clients. There were some serious news flashes going on …

And for us, there was a lot of pride. Over 200,000 sheets – 20 different Mohawk products – were either running live in the booths of Mohawk’s partners, or featured in numerous pre-printed samples by leading original equipment manufacturers like Canon and Océ, Duplo, HP, Kodak, Konica Minolta, MGI, On Demand Machinery, and Xerox.

“Mohawk’s OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners chose Mohawk at an event as important as Graph Expo because they know they can expect reliable performance. They wanted to show just how amazing the results can be when great materials are used on great equipment,” said Chris Harrold, Vice President, Business Development, Mohawk.

If you weren’t able to attend this mega-printing tradeshow last month at McCormick Place in Chicago (your feet are definitely in better shape than ours), we’ve got you covered. These tantalizing videos at Mohawk MakeReady will help to get you caught up on the best from Graph Expo.

QRSmartphoneFILL UP ON CREATIVE OCTANE
& REV THE SEARCH ENGINE

Suspect someone has diluted your energy drink? Convinced the solar storms have scrambled far more than your cell phone reception?

If so, you may have Designer’s Block. No worries! Your paper-obsessed team at www.FeltandWire.com can help. Visit the Felt & Wire blog for stories, ideas, case studies, crazy articles, and general inspiration for the tired, caffeine-deprived, overworked, and temporarily idea-challenged.

From designing with geometric theorems and a glue syringe to cedar wood postcards that double as toys, from Tattly’s temporary tattoos to creating your own handwriting font, you can fill your design tank with high-octane creative fuel.

Then, when you’re ready to look for paper, envelopes and digital substrates, all you have to do is toggle a button to rev up the search engine at MohawkConnects.com.Select either the “Basic” or “Advanced” menu options for an easy and effective way to find the best medium for your project.

The “Basic” filter lets you search by product line, surface appearance, texture, color group, and even price. The “Advanced” filter lets you search on the full range of product attributes, including physical properties and environmental specifications.

Just look for the gray toggle button in the Product Finders for Paper, Envelopes and Digital Products.

Creative fuel … check. Perfect substrate … check. Designer’s Block? What’s that?!

judges MOHAWK SHOW 12 TAKES
TO THE ROAD (& THE SKIES)

Get ready to be delighted, inspired and bowled over by the traveling Mohawk Show 12 exhibit. Brilliant design concepts … gorgeous paper choices and combinations …  inventive use of photography and illustration … engaging and enticing copywriting … printing prowess from letterpress to digital – are all on display.

The work of this year’s talented cadre of winners is currently making its way around the country. Chicago and Houston audiences have given rave reviews for the designers, artists and authors recognized by our equally talented judges panel.

Seeing these wonderfully executed printed pieces in person is a treat. So you’re invited to have a look for yourself at these locations:

December 5-7
Olathe, KS
xpedx

December 6
Hartford, CT
AIGA CT

December 11
Dallas, TX
Clampitt Paper

January 31
Cohoes, NY
The Foundry for Art Design + Culture

If these times or places are not convenient for you, you can order a FREE copy of CRUSH, the Mohawk Show 12 Catalog, at one of the links below. Viewing the show on our website is also great fun. (Be sure to check out the short videos our judges recorded on their personal favorites.)

Our exhibits are flying international class too – one heads to Australia and the other to Hong Kong – for events at our paper merchants in those countries. (There were actually several winners from Australia this year so they’re excited about the show coming to that continent where events will be held in four major cities.)

If you are a Mohawk merchant, please request your FREE Mohawk Show 12 catalog here.

All other Mohawk customers may request a FREE Mohawk Show 12 catalog here.