It seems every time I turn around I’m reading or hearing something about how “everything” is going online or mobile. It appears that if your brand is not online or mobile – in an engaging way – you’re losing out. Well, this may have some truth to it, but that doesn’t mean print solutions aren’t still valid.

Consider this:

• 70% of companies have renewed a relationship with a customer using direct mail
• Consumers receiving a printed catalog are two times more likely to purchase online than those who don’t receive a catalog
• 75% of consumers say they’ve made a purchase as a result of direct mail
• Worried about seeming wasteful? In 2007, 45.2 million tons of paper were recovered from recycling – that’s 57% of all paper and paperboard products

At Go East when we’re working on a project – to be distributed online or  via “old-fashioned” paper – we work hard to balance print and interactive strategies. Campaigns need to be integrated, but not redundant. They need to be impactful and they need to be targeted.

Don’t abandon one for the other or you won’t be able to capitalize on the biggest opportunities!

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Q: How can you race a new product to the market and ensure successful sales?

A: You can’t.

Was that painful to hear? Think about this: You might be successful, but you can’t ensure that you’ll be successful. Racing a new product to market ensures only one thing – and that’s missed opportunity.

Well, let me qualify that. You can race a new product to the market and ensure successful sales if you have a clear strategy. The problem with racing is that often teams get so focused on the final launch date, the strategy gets left behind – or worse – never developed.

A good launch strategy considers not only business objectives, but communication objectives for all of the audiences. What you say to the sales rep is different than what you say to the buyer, which is different than what you say to the consumer. Or at least it should be. (And, yes, you should be talking to all of those audiences.) If it’s not – you’re missing opportunities. Big time.

At Go East, we collaborate with our clients to create the communications strategy for new product launches. After all, how can we ensure success without this information? When you are working with a solid strategy, everyone can feel better about the accelerated timeline – including your team and the agency’s team.

So, think about this the next time you’re asked to participate in a product launch: How are you going to ensure success? Answer: Define the strategy and keep it close as you race to launch your product.

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It’s hard to believe that Facebook has been in existence for six years, which is also the age of my oldest son. I think back to what I was doing six years ago and how great it would have been to share with others the milestones I was experiencing with my first child and to have that history recorded so I could look back on it.

It’s crazy how Facebook has impacted my life and those around me. I’ve used it to connect with old colleagues, high school and college classmates and people I see all the time, like family and neighbors. I am also guilty of occasionally talking to my husband using the chat function of it.

It’s also interesting to think about how it has brought together generations of people. My mom is on it and many of my friends’ moms are on it. It’s become a must-have communication tool for my mom to stay in touch with her own friends and also see pictures of and stay connected with her grandkids.

Has Facebook impacted  your life? How?

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