Multi-Channel Shouldn’t Be Multi-Department
Today’s in-plants do much more than “just” print. Many provide personalized variable data, text messaging, email and social media services. You know this, but do other departments and your upper management know as well? If they don’t, they may be bringing the print component of campaigns to your in-plant and handing off the other deliverables, piecemeal, to other departments/outside resources. That approach fragments messaging, compromising color consistency and campaign effectiveness. In-plants need to show decision makers the advantages of running the entire campaign through them.
Consistency across multiple communications channels is crucial to creating professional, effective communications. If your company’s logo is aquamarine in a brochure and teal in an email, it can come off as unprofessional or disconcerting. Getting color right — and consistent — is considerably more effective when planning, production and review are centralized. Consider pitching your organization’s decision makers on those benefits.
Similarly, campaign messaging needs to be adapted to make the most of its delivery channel. When different departments are in charge of those tweaks and adaptations, with no centralized review, the slight variations can start to add up. This could potentially harm the message or, worse, create confusion. Even if you partner with other departments to develop copy for various channels, having one point of contact to ensure every channel’s message is aligned before the campaign begins is invaluable.
As an in-plant, you know you are the perfect source to produce a multi-channel campaign. You have the capabilities and expertise to deliver successful, vibrant campaigns, and the data analytics to demonstrate their ROI and impact. Make an effort to ensure that other departments know this, too. If they know you can be their central source for all communication needs and can consistently deliver results, they’ll have no need to look elsewhere.
Debbie Pavletich is the Director of the Business Consulting Practice in the Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group of Ricoh USA, Inc. As an in-plant print industry expert, she partners with clients to identify opportunities within their organizations to implement technologies that help minimize cost, streamline processes, increase throughput, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen and communicate business value. Her customer-centered approach and experience leading print industry teams enables her to collaboratively develop solutions that are in alignment with organizational objectives.
With more than 35 years of industry experience, Pavletich’s previous work includes managing a world-class in-plant printing department at Briggs & Stratton Corp. where she was responsible for strategic planning, finances, purchasing, capital equipment implementation, and sales and marketing initiatives. Other accomplishments include early adoption and successful deployment of leading-edge technologies, and initiating a successful sales effort to external customers.
As a subject matter specialist on in-plant operations management Pavletich has delivered presentations on a wide range of industry topics, including the value of in-plant operations, color management, work flow and the implementation of software and equipment that reduced costs, improved efficiencies, and provided additional revenue.
Pavletich has a certificate in management from Marquette University and has completed comprehensive finance coursework at the University of Chicago. She has served as Vendor Representative and International President of the IPMA (In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association), and President of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Board of Directors.
