Here’s a clip from our president, Don Burdge thanking the PIASC upon his receipt of their “Executive of the Year” award. In it, he sums up our company’s philosophy quite nicely.
AIGA – Atlanta May 17th
Thanks to the popularity of our “Making Impressions” event in Las Vegas, we’ll be co-operating with AIGA Atlanta to offer another day of celebrating, learning, and creating tactile printing with BurdgeCooper and Neenah Paper. We hope you can make it!
Register Now
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A TACTILE PRINTING FÊTE
Posted in Environmental Responsibility, News, Uncategorized
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Election Season Depends Upon Print
It’s no surprise, given the inability to secure digital information, that the upcoming election cycles are again choosing print to ensure voters get reliable information and ballots. Here, in Los Angeles, we digitally print tens of millions of pages of CA voter guides in nearly 90 languages, sort and mail them to millions of individual voters…all within a few weeks.
Despite the use of e-technology to saturate the public with campaign messages, when information has to be right, secure and understood by everyone, “print” continues to prove its unique value. As you vote, and I strongly encourage everyone to exercise that responsibility, appreciate that your vote is going to count and can be audited and verified.
While digital voting may someday arrive (hopefully not before every eligible voter has equal “e-access”), when that happens, all bets are off. Unlike print, e-ballots can be hacked, tracked and worse. Time will tell.
Posted in News, Security, Technology, Uncategorized
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On The Road Again
In response to recent online requests about meeting us, here’s an early list of confirmed 2012 exhibits,events, dates and locations.
April – ALA Expo, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu - April 20-24
May – The National Stationery Show, Jacob Javits Center, NYC – May 19-23
IEGA – Int’l Engraved Graphics Assoc., Renaissance Hotel,Charleston SC June 21-23
We update this list as events are confirmed and hope to see you “down the road” :>)
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The End of Business Cards? Hardly.
Today’s LA Times front page had an article (featuring an online entrepreneur :>) who definitely sees no use for business cards, no future and predicts “they’re over.” Buried in the article were points which clearly refute the title of article, but no matter.
What turned out to be really interesting after reading this “echo from the Rot Com era” was: although I’m a loyal p-newspaper subscriber because I support their investigative journalism, I later visited the LA Times site to see reader responses (LAT generously provides a Comments section for each article).
Oops, all but one response derided the article and the idea that business cards are “over.” Despite the “e-PR spin” – the future is all about ‘bumping’ mobile devices, ‘snapping’ codes and such…to instantly download contact data – the article curiously failed to address the exploding problem of mobile device hacking, which is doubling every few months…the reason savvy folks resist dumping unverified data into their contact lists.
What was truly interesting among the comments, several clearly called out the “e-com is greener” myth…and backed their arguments with facts. Just as I was smiling and navigating elsewhere, I bumped into another “e-PR” article built upon the premise “Things change, the ‘New Normal’ is here to stay.” Where I’d been smiling before, I laughed out loud at this one. No, sorry Gen Y, “today’s New Normal” will also change.
That’s the problem with “spin,” once folks start, they can’t seem to stop, but no matter.
I needed a good laugh to end the week. And the biggest one of all came right after…when I read that neutrino communication can eventually replace the internet. The recently completed research and successful tests are no laughing matter, but the thought of all that e-PR facing finally facing its comeuppance, that’s sublime.
1st Enterprise Bank
As the popularity of printed correspondence wanes, it only gains more meaning. Take, for example, a story sent to us by David Kohn. David Kohn is Regional Vice President of 1st Enterprise Bank, a full service commercial banking institution serving businesses and their owners throughout Southern California. He requested a personal stationery set beyond the regular collateral that the bank was supplying. His plan was to send clients and prospects hand written and personalized notes after each of his in-person meetings.
Using the 1st Enterprise logo and typeface to ensure consistent branding, we created an engraved monarch sized (7 ¼ x 10 ½) personalized letterhead for David Kohn on 28# Cranes 100# cotton paper along with engraved envelopes to match. After meeting David for the first time at a luncheon, Tom Jones, of The Jones Insurance Agency, received one of David’s hand written notes. Mr. Jones called David upon receiving the note and stated that he was so impressed that David would send mail a note and that it set him apart from the other bankers looking to win his business. David soon signed The Jones Insurance Agency as a new customer of the bank.
Classic and engraved stationery can go a long way to prove your image. Putting a quality product in the hands of your customers proves an appreciation in your relationship, instills confidence, and puts forward the best possible image. It certainly creates a more visceral reaction than another email in the Inbox.
Posted in Business, Case Study, Uncategorized
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The QR Conundrum – Will They Last ?
As many speculate on the fading popularity of QR codes, I don’t see them vanishing. I think they’ll continue to be widely used for their originally intended purposes and others not yet seen. QR’s never gained popularity with more than 16% of the U.S. population, and now they’re getting more bad press (this time for installing unauthorized phone billing). When used in context, they’re safe, but early adopters are becoming hesitant about using them.
If not QR’s, then what ? My guess: ”Near field printing, ” which enables printing to simply be “touched against” a mobile device to enable e-links, could become “the Next Big Thing” in interactive printing and marketing.
“NFP” (Near Field Printing) uses printed circuits (a long proven technology), but unlike QR codes, they’re typically over-printed and invisible to the naked eye. I think this, along with ‘ease of use,’ will better satisfy designers, marketers and consumers. The new circuits introduced by Touchcode show exceptional promise thanks to their ability to auto-connect printing to pads, readers and mobile devices.
For NFP to achieve its full potential, printers are going to need a quick, easy and inexpensive way to generate circuit layouts. Expect more competition for Touchcode in the years ahead.
Posted in Business, News, Security, Technology
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Thank You
I’d like to thank PIASC for electing me as this year’s Executive of the Year. These past few years our industry has had its share of challenges, but they have also been very rewarding for me. I have had the privilege to work with some outstanding people in our industry as we have struggled together and grown together. Those around me have shared the vision I have for our industry and share the passion for our craft.
I have been very fortunate to work alongside people every day at work that share my passion and who inspire those around them to strive for excellence in the jobs we do. At BurdgeCooper we believe that printing will emerge as a medium not only used to communicate visually but also as one of the most cost effective ways to communicate with a tactile experience; something that electronic forms of communication will never be able to accomplish. I am extremely thankful for the thousands of outstanding and creative clients that we get to work with every day. Without their trust, our vision of joining modern technologies to hand craftsmanship could never be realized.
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You Made an Impression on Us!
THE EVENT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS, AND WE ONLY HAVE YOU TO THANK.
We really appreciate the AIGA Las Vegas community for coming in high numbers to hang out with us, operate the old press, and learn about making impressions using various printing processes. You’ve helped us spread the word that print makes memorable impressions, especially if you use textured printing processes like engraving. If you have any questions for us, we’d love to hear from you. We’ll be sure to let you know the next time we’re headed out your way. You’ve made an impression on us, and hopefully we can help you make a bigger impression on your next printed piece.
If you’re interested in having print workshop in your offices, city, state, or local AIGA chapter, drop me a line at richard@burdgecooper.com. Let’s get together. We travel, and we love this stuff.
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Consumers, Including the Younger Generation, LIKE PAPER
Some very interesting statistics have emerged from the recent global survey on consumer’s environmental perceptions of print and paper.
- Paper is the preferred information medium for reading and document storage amongst ALL age groups.
- 70% prefer reading from paper (69% of 18-24 yr. olds), 68% believe paper is more pleasant to handle than other media, and 67% agree paper records are more sustainable than electronic storage (including a surprising 65% of 18-24 yr. olds).
Having been subjected to digital sales propaganda equating “paper” with “forest destruction” since childhood, it’s little wonder 85% of 18-24 yr. olds believe there’s a connection between paper making and the loss of tropical rain forest (despite the reality the primary cause of deforestation in these protected areas is subsistence agriculture and fuel requirements in developing nations). But in their defense, 65% of ALL consumers believe US forests have reduced in size over the past century, even though US forest area has actually remained stable while growing volume has increased 45% in the past 100 years.