• 72% of adults said they have replied to direct mail pieces that contained a “buy one, get one free” offer.
• 63% of people have responded to direct mail that offered a percentage discount on a purchase.
• 85% of women age 25-44 read direct mail.

For new ideas involving marketing initiatives contact Allegra Hamilton at 905-528-2999.

* Source: Vertis Communications

“In uncertain economic times, it’s an achievement for an enterprise of any size and in any industry to post gains,” said Carl Gerhardt, president and CEO of Allegra Network. “Gasper and Dave set a standard of excellence among franchise members and the marketing and print communications industry at large.”

For more information on our printing technologies including full-colour printing, short-run digital printing, variable data capabilities, signs, posters and banners, graphic design, mailing services, promotional products, internet solutions and project consulting, contact the award-winning Allegra Hamilton team at (905) 528-2999.

Annually, the Allegra FootPrint Fund awards up to $20,000 in marketing services to nonprofit organizations and associations seeking assistance in launching a worthy, new initiative where they may otherwise not have the resources to do so.

“We continue to be inspired by the response to our FootPRINT initiative in just its third year,” say Allegra Hamilton co-owners Gasper Lipari & Dave Knox. “The groups we are supporting are very diverse, and have an impact on virtually every aspect of life in our community.”

Allegra Hamilton launched the FootPRINT Fund in 2008 as part of its Community Care Campaign, a nationwide effort supported by the company’s franchise headquarters, Allegra Network LLC. To date, Allegra has awarded in excess of $60,000. worth of services. The FootPRINT Fund was launched to help unite and strengthen the Hamilton community by assisting eligible nonprofit organizations and associations in building their awareness through innovative marketing initiatives provided by Allegra.

To have been considered for a FootPRINT Fund award, nonprofit groups, associations and charitable organizations with a main office or branch in the Greater Hamilton area would have had to submit a completed application by March 10. Application forms for next year’s fund are available on our website in the FootPrint Fund section.

Award recipients are selected by a review panel based on how the services, requested in the application, will be used to further the organization’s goals. This includes service expansion and program enhancement as well as the organization’s ability to demonstrate their commitment to the community.

Allegra Hamilton features traditional and advanced printing technologies including full-colour offset and digital printing, graphic design services, high volume copying, signs, posters, banners and vehicle wraps, mailing services, promotional products, web-based solutions such as e-blast email marketing and on-line ordering through web-to-print system. Allegra Hamilton also offers a Brand Builder program structured to help businesses and organizations more clearly define and differentiate their product or service.

For more information or to set up an appointment please email us or call (905) 528-2999.

*Cone Consumer Environmental Survey

**Center for Women’s Business Research

Here are a few ideas for around your office:

1. RECYCLE

• Identify all of the material that is potentially recyclable. Then, target the highest volume of materials that would be the easiest to separate.



• Create incentives for employees. Having an active role in a recycling program that grows, reaches goals and creates benefits will motivate employees to participate.

2. REDUCE

• Use local suppliers and carpool to limit vehicle emissions.
• Rely on technology for information storage.
• Use recycled or reusable materials when possible (coffee mug vs. Styrofoam cup).

3. ENERGY EFFICIENCIES

• Turn all switches to “off” when not in use and set temperatures back.
• Pay special attention to conference rooms, basements, restrooms, walk-in coolers and storage areas.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs.

For your printing, publishing and marketing needs in Hamilton area contact a printer that is conscious of environmental challenges facing today’s businesses. Contact Allegra Hamilton. We will lhelp you put your “green thumbprint” on the environment.

A SINGLE SOURCE

Missed deadlines. No accountability. Details overlooked. All tend to go hand in hand with projects that are divvied up to multiple vendors.

In addition to cost savings, using a single source for designing, printing and mailing also saves time. With one point of contact, project management becomes a whole lot more manageable. The process becomes seamless, you know who’s responsible and who’s going to deliver.

Look to us to handle your jobs from start to finish. And put your time to better use.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

For all businesses, time is money. Technological advancements have made it easier, faster and cheaper to get your hands on a high-quality printed product. The source: digital printing. In contrast to traditional offset printing which uses a press to lay ink on paper, digital printing is like an extremely high-quality color copier.

Digital goes directly from the computer to the printer and takes just minutes. Because it does not require film, plates and other pre-press preparations of offset printing, the time and cost savings is significant.

DESIGNED TO SAVE

When you are designing your materials on computer disk and/or providing a digital file, we’ll output a sample to verify the accuracy of the layout and any color separations.

Also, make it a time- and money-saving habit to complete your revisions before you turn over your layout or digital files.

Keeping costs in line with your budget is easier than you think. It’s best when your print
communications provider can be involved in the up-front planning, including the graphic
design.

Here are a few simple guidelines that will help you to keep your printing costs in check:

• Stick with standard finished sizes to reduce paper waste and minimize your costs.
• Be careful when using bleeds, that is, color or images that run to the edges of the paper.



• Sometimes they require larger sheets that need to be trimmed, meaning higher costs and longer production time.
• Use color to print a large quantity of “shells.” Then, customize the text as your projects come up throughout the year with one color of ink.
• Similarly, spread the cost of color between several jobs. For example, design a series of brochures that share the same colors, and print them at the same time. It can be cheaper than paying separate set-up charges for each.
• Before placing a special order, ask if there is a paper stock in inventory that might be right for your project.

For more cost-saving tips on printing and copying, see the pros at Allegra Hamilton today.

“The marketplace is changing, and small and mid-sized businesses need to take a more strategic approach to their print and marketing communications, “said Allegra Sales Manager Jim Gladun. “Carson proves again and again to be a valuable and knowledgeable resource to marketers who want to see real results from their communications programs.”

With two locations at 255 York Blvd. and 11 Hughson St. South, Allegra is a full-service marketing communications provider with in-house printing technologies including traditional offset and digital printing, variable data capabilities, colour signs, posters and banners, graphic design, mailing services, promotional products, internet marketing solutions and project consulting.

Just because you can do it “in house,” does that make the most sense? It’s true; not every printed project requires all the bells and whistles. But, every time you put together a package of information that lands in someone else’s hands, it deserves the kind of attention to detail that shows you take your professionalism seriously – from top to bottom. Is your company logo on the piece? Then it represents not only your department but your brand, too.

Whether you are printing everyday business forms or copying single-use presentation materials, today’s high-speed, high-volume printing and copying solutions take the pain out of duplication without sacrificing quality.

GO DIGITAL

Today’s digital printing technologies give you great flexibility with speed, personalization and quality. Electronic files go directly to print, eliminating the prep work that’s required with traditional offset printing. That means high-quality results without added costs.

Printing your collateral materials “on demand” allows you to tailor the content to make it relevant to your audience by creating multiple versions. Without the prep work, you can do 50 or 500 and the cost per piece is the same. If your business requires you to make frequent updates to sales sheets or flyers, digital printing will be a welcome partner. You’ll store far fewer, and obsolescence due to outdated facts and figures will become a thing of the past.

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

And, don’t overlook your internal audiences. To succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, you need a well-trained, well informed staff. Orientation information for new employees and training materials for all staff members should be clearly written and presented in a convenient, easily accessible printed format. Professional-quality manuals, handouts, brochures and a variety of finishing services make the right impression when you want to hire and retain the best for your staff.

Your print communications provider can help you to determine the best solution to meet your project needs. By adding tabs, covers and the right binding, you’ll take your printed materials from just so-so to super.

For expert consultation and superior results in printing, call or visit your Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton professionals today.