Celebrating 10 Years of Progress
Celebrating 10 Years of Digital Inkjet at Allied
Let's Flash Back to 2014:
2014 was the year of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the “Oscars selfie,” and avocado toast. As the printing industry began to change, Allied was right there on the vanguard, becoming one of the first commercial installations of digital inkjet in North America, with the acquisition of our HP T300 digital inkjet press. This step was just the first of many that transformed our business and how we work with our clients. For the tenth anniversary of this game-changing investment, we’re taking a look into the past (and the future) of printing, technology, and Allied’s commitment to excellence.
Making the Shift
“We’ve had digital equipment on the floor since the late ‘90s, and most of our footprint was in support of short-run color and simplex imaging of letterhead masters. As the direct mail segment of our business grew, it became increasingly more challenging to meet customer service level needs and get product into the mail (and in homes!) quickly using our previous, inefficient workflow,” explains Elly Chichester, Chief Marketing Officer at Allied.
As a result, Allied investigated inkjet in hopes that it could solve two challenges at once: increasing speed to market and eliminating the need to preprint multiple versions of 4-color masters for imaging (thus providing flexibility, saving on warehousing fees, and reducing obsolescence costs). After considering several options, the team landed on the HP Pagewide press, thanks to its superb production quality, ability to print on a wide variety of substrates, and the operational efficiencies it would create.
The results, according to Chief Operating Officer Tony Pelc, were incredible.
“Immediately, our capacity to produce dynamic content increased by 10x. The increase in speed alone allowed our clients additional time to hone the messaging and design of the direct mail pieces that would yield a higher return on their investment and get those pieces to market faster than conventional methods,” he says.
Chichester further described the remarkable impact of this change on Allied’s efficiency capabilities in particular.
“We were able to produce in a single shift what it would have taken us a week to produce using our sheetfed imaging equipment. We were able to exceed our service-level agreements and get mail out the door so much faster than our prior workflow could handle,” she says. “To this day, when clients visit our facility, they marvel over how fast we run!”
Following this initial investment, a flood of upgrades followed. In the spring of 2015, we added our HP Indigo digital press. In tandem with these moves, we invested in our physical presence, moving our warehouse and upgrading facilities and IT infrastructure. More upgrades have followed, as we continue striving to meet our clients’ needs with the latest and greatest technology solutions.
A Customer-Centric Mission
Digital inkjet has been particularly impactful for Allied’s clients, says Chief Financial Officer Margaret Fitzgerald.
“Our clients understand that digital inkjet is a highly effective tool for communicating with their customer, in a meaningful and noninvasive way,” she explains. “Market studies demonstrate that campaigns that include variable content work well because the output is tangible (an antidote to digital fatigue) and results are measurable.”
Personalization has been a particular game-changer.
“Digital inkjet/printing brings so many more opportunities for the client to personalize their mailing,” says Account Executive Greg Balan. “Every single inch of the paper can be
personalized instead of just having the old inkjet name and address onto the back mailing panel.”
In particular, says Pelc, it offers the balance clients want most: quality plus affordability.
“Digital inkjet allows our clients to communicate with their customers on an individual basis, while reaping the cost benefits of mass production,” he explains.
Account Executive Jill Straub, who has been with Allied for over two decades, recalls seeing today’s digital marketing strategies evolve over time to provide better and better results.
“I remember talking about 1:1 marketing in the early 2000s. We always knew that you had to have a lot of data to make that work, but until recently, no one was really capturing and using that data to their advantage,” she says. “Now, customers are really getting behind using data to their benefit, gathering results, and understanding where they are coming from by using a tracking mechanism and reviewing the data at their fingertips to shape future campaigns and create look-alike models.”
Ultimately, it’s all about customer satisfaction, or, as Balan describes, it, “making what seems impossible happen.”
“When the customer has faith in you and the company to get it done right and on time and you do, that is success, and everyone is pleased in the end,” he says.
So…What’s Next?
“As customers are starting to use various tracking mechanisms from their direct mail campaigns, I love hearing about the results they’re seeing in real time and how excited they
get. What’s great is that it doesn’t have to be an overly elaborate piece—we know that if you have the right messaging, a postcard or a letter can just as easily grab someone! Seeing that
tracking information allows our customers to tweak their messaging and get more results.”
Fitzgerald echoes this optimism, saying, “We’ll see an expansion of our technology suite, via equipment, talent and partnerships. We have always been a collaborative, forward-thinking
team, and this mindset has been the hallmark of our continued growth.”
As for specifics, Pelc says, “Allied has plans to upgrade our HP T300 to add HDNA print heads, which will improve (even more!) the quality of our color and print production. We continue to
evaluate other digital production options, particularly as we look at how clients are using print to communicate, we see an increase in the use of variable-content.”
“Technology is leading the way – we are always trying to see what’s coming next,” Chichester says, and that’s a sentiment echoed by our whole Allied team. Not only are we focused on
learning about the latest technology and solutions, but we’re always thinking ahead to how we can share that information with customers and use it to help them meet their goals. We
couldn’t be prouder of our last decade – and we can’t wait to share what comes next!