sonal gupta
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Chris Laszlo
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Greenerprinter is a certified B-Corp that offers a high-quality, responsible printing option to print business cards, marketing collateral, product catalogs, retail packaging, banners, etc. using recycled materials. They utilize soy and vegetable based inks and use carbon neutral shipping to target responsible consumption. Greenerprinter has one essential goal: "offer eco-friendly printing, but do it without sacrificing quality or value", said Steven who is the business development and marketing manager at Greenerprinter. “To achieve this, we have invested in technologies that are not only cleaner but more efficient, meaning they absorb fewer costs for make-ready and reprints. Plus, by offering recycled papers exclusively we are able to purchase paper in discounted bulk quantities, a savings which is passed on to the customer.”
The innovation is Variable Data Printing - a form of one-to-one marketing or personalized printing - that offers customized and targeted encounters with prospective customers. Variable Data Printing technology helps dramatically increase response rates, reducing overall printing costs and thus enhances the performance of even small organizations' marketing tool. It enables one to produce direct communications with customers, print on demand, or produce the same text in different formats.
Variable Data Printing capitalizes on the unique feature of digital printing- each revolution of an imaging cylinder represents a unique impression that is transferred to a page. By picking up the customized artwork for each page based on the customer's information from the database and the algorithms of the Variable Data software program, unique charts, graphs and text can be generated automatically. Variable Data can be flowed into each page on a simple record-by-record basis, or the contents of a page can be controlled by sophisticated rules based on relationships among data fields. Therefore, different elements of text, graphics and images can be changed from document to next.
Greenerprinter tries making all of these operations non-toxic by utilizing digital plate-making technology which removes toxic chemicals from the plate-making process. High quality digital print and data accuracy is assured increasing the overall revenue by 31.6%. Therefore, variable data printing is a reasonable and environmentally sound alternative compared to ordinary printing.
"We decided first to focus on paper. Paper manufacturing has traditionally been one of the most environmentally harmful industries in the world, destroying natural resources and churning out countless tons of waste. When we discovered New Leaf Paper, we knew we'd found a like-minded partner, and in 2005, we rolled out Greenerprinter, the first online printing site to offer recycled paper exclusively," said Mario Assadi, the CEO of Greenerprinter. New Leaf Paper is also a Certified B-corp that produces highest sustainability paper, which is 100% post consumer recycled fiber since 1998.
An all-digital, color-managed work-flow through Variable Data Printing has eliminated the need for costly & wasteful proofing systems. Also, digitally imaged printing plates for Variable Data Printing are developed in chemical free processor, which utilizes only non-toxic processing fluids. These non-toxic fluids have a longer lifespan than traditional, more toxic chemicals. Digital print capabilities for short-run jobs helps print only the quantity needed.
Variable Data Printing can be an especially powerful tool for direct mail applications. Direct mail has been proven to be the most effective marketing tool available, even in the Internet age. As long as people open their mailboxes, there is an opportunity to communicate with them and cater messages to their mail boxes. In addition to unique printed pieces, Variable Data Printing can be used to automatically generate personalized URLs and e-mails which, can be used to collect more information from the customer. This collected data can be used to generate follow-up printed emails or messages and thus generating more orders.
Variable Data Printing is faster than that by normal printer as it provides 34% reduction in response time, and is an economical way to print as it provides ways to print only as many as needed. The order size can be increased by 24% to get prints in the same time as any normal printer will do. The printed data can be first tested in the market by having samples, with partial selection of the database, to be rolled in the market. By increasing the response rates by 36% that it generates, Variable Data Printing can enhance the true value of personalized printing.
"Although we are essentially 'carbon-neutral' through our purchase of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets, we will continue to seek out new ways to bring renewable energy more directly into our operations. While we are proud to have been one of the first printers in the country to become green certified and use recycled papers and soy & vegetable inks exclusively, we realize there is still much to do. That's why we like to say that - Going green is a journey", said Mario Assadi, the CEO of Greenerprinter. Greenerprinter was awarded with Forest Stewardship Council "Chain of Custody" in 2012, for the sustainable path taken by the products from the forest to the consumer through the successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. They have also earned a Certificate of Environmental Stewardship for the Greenerprinter's operations that are 100% offset by investments in Renewable Energy Credits. Greenerprinter is continually working towards the sustainable development goal of responsible consumption and production by implementing Variable Data Printing and including environmental friendly products in its day to day working and operations.
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Steven Berger, Business Development and Marketing Manager
