Intended to spotlight the variety of ways in which the effectiveness of print is being promoted, Positively Print entries could be produced in any media, as long as the focus of the submissions were on print targeting print buyers, print influencers and the broader community. Nominated candidates were evaluated on their originality and perceived effectiveness in delivering the message of print as an integral-and effective-component of today’s integrated marketing campaigns.
“The purpose of the Positively Print program was not necessarily to identify a single winner, but rather to share examples of creative and effective print advocacy campaigns with the entire graphic communications industry,” said Ralph Nappi, president of GASC. “We want to demonstrate to companies involved in print that advocating for print can be done and help carry a powerful message that will benefit the entire industry.”
Recognized by the Positively Print “Exemplary Award” are:
* The Xerox Corp. With a longstanding history of promoting print, Xerox’s television campaign about print, which began airing on Sunday mornings a few years ago, targets the executives and corporate decision-makers who often watch the current events talk shows that air on Sundays. The commercials describe the different ways in which print achieves results.
* Magazine publishers. Five major magazine publishers—Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines, Meredith Corp., Time Inc., and Wenner Media—joined forces to conduct what may be one of the largest print advertising campaigns ever to promote the vitality of magazines as a media. Bearing the tagline “Magazines, the Power of Print,” the campaign challenges the misconceptions surrounding magazines through a visually appealing mix of colorful imagery and clever wordplay.
* Printing and Graphics Association – Mid-Atlantic. With the tagline of “Print Grows Trees,” this campaign by the Mid-Atlantic PIA affiliate has strongly countered the public notion that e-materials are environmentally friendly while print is not. The program, which can be modified and copied by others, is an example of how much a single entity can do to support-and promote-print.
Recognized by the Positively Print “Distinction Award” are:
* Hewlett-Packard (HP). HP’s efforts to promote print were international in scope and even made it to the Cannes Young Lions International Advertising Festival competition. Targeted at marketing professionals, HP’s campaign additionally made use of two publications to support its efforts.
* Individual Print Advocate: Warren Werbitt & Pazazz Printing. Usually, print advocacy efforts come from organizations who are armed with expensive promotional campaigns or fancy support materials. But Warren Werbitt-founder, and self-described fisherman, of Pazazz Printing in Montreal-has each unabashedly, and singlehandedly, advocated for print throughout his career. Werbitt has promoted his passion for print in decidedly unconventional ways-most notably through two YouTube videos, “Printing’s Alive” (parts 1 and 2), which humorously and dramatically show the necessity of print in the world. The videos have been viewed by well over 200,000 people.
The Positively Print program was created as an extension of the EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference and with the support of GASC co-owners-the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, the Printing Industries of America-plus the Print Council, and administered by William Lamparter, President of PrintCom Consulting Group who chairs the Conference for GASC.
In addition to the Positively Print program and the EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference, GRAPH EXPO 2010 will offer the latest graphic communications technologies, equipment running live on the show floor, and education on the most in-demand products and profit-making opportunities in graphic communications. Attendees will find eight special interest sections on the show floor. Along with the debut of News Print-the newspaper pavilion, these include PackPrint, covering package printing; Future Print, featuring two of today’s hottest technologies Printed Electronics and RFID; the Mailing & Fulfillment Center, the industry’s largest mailing event anywhere in the Americas; the second annual GREENspace, a showcase on sustainability and eco-friendly products and services; the Prepress/Software-Design and Press/Finishing sections; and Education Main Street, for attendees seeking well-educated, talented industry newcomers to augment their company’s workforce.
For more information about GRAPH EXPO 2010, visit: www.graphexpo.com.
