Lessons Learned

I recently got back from an amazing trip at two of the most significant Print Industry conferences held annually. Although the conference themes were different, much of the conversation at both forums were about survival, but evolved toward the reality of the times. That reality for print providers is that we need to change the fundamentals of our business.

Printers have traditionally been focused on one basic service; putting ink on paper or other substrates and providing a high level of customer service and delivery. Yes we provide other services as well such as finishing services, direct mail and fulfillment, but we generally haven’t been concerned about what happens to the product afterwards. But in today’s world there are so many avenues to market products and services; print is just one channel to communicate to clients.

Many of us at Cedar have seen this coming. We began offering black only document printing soon followed by static and variable (personalized) color printing with segmented messaging and specific data based on certain demographics and other data. We introduced our “Fusion” process in 2006 which integrated Variable Data Printing, direct mail, email, personal URL’s, CRM and back end data collection to track customer response and call to action. This has lead our customers to request more comprehensive data management, list procurement, list cleansing, data segmentation; even marketing and graphic design.

Customers want to know that they are delivering a message through various channels that achieve the highest ROI every time. Cedar Graphics is currently helping our customers achieve this through tools and expertise. Therefore, we are forming business units or teams that are solutions and results oriented to help achieve customer goals using Best Practices. Nevertheless, we do not plan on doing this alone. Our desire is to partner with experts and specific service providers to achieve the best results possible.

Most of us attendees of the aforementioned conferences left understanding the task at hand. Our task, albeit formidable, is to change. Those of us who recognized this early and began the process of change are on the road to success. For those who are just realizing this, it may be too late.

Take care,

Hassan

The Difficulty of Haiti

I don’t understand. Why is it that we as a country are having such difficulty dealing with and helping Haitian people during this epic disaster? It has taken too much time for our government to mobilize relief efforts via the US Marines and other resources to get immediate help to people who are dying by the hour. Is it possible that we focused so much on logistics that we reacted cautiously instead of just getting people on the ground and dealing with what is a fluid situation? I heard an Army or Air Force logistics manager talk on NPR radio specifically about this subject. He said his team could drop just about anything from the air in tight areas and used the example of the grounds surrounding the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. If that is the case, the issue of airplanes not being able to land or being turned back is moot, and of course the use of helicopters is always an option.

With the average American citizen getting information primarily from the news media, it can be somewhat unfair to make judgments based on limited knowledge and experience. Nevertheless, listening to those who are now on the ground in Haiti makes me believe that there certainly is much more we could have done and should be doing.

My argument goes beyond our neighborhood though. I look at the huge cost of human and capital resources we are committing in Iraq and now Afghanistan, which under the most optimistic projections will continue for many years to come, as being the main culprit. And one could argue that these are the types of foreign policy mistakes we have made historically and continue to make in trying to protect our strategic interests around the world. But strategic interests should not be materially based. They need to be based on developing long term relationships where we still have some clout. That is exactly how we will protect ourselves not only from terrorism, but establish the United States as what we purport ourselves to be. Not the world’s policemen, not the capitalistic and material hungry monster bent on maintaining our “western way of life” (which is how many perceive us), but a generous and caring people who accept all races, religions and ways of life with open arms. That is who we really are.

Let’s look at the problem of terrorism and how we are perceived in the world as what it is and not what others who have specific agendas tell us it is. I tell you now and I stand by it firmly, that those who are out to attack us do so not because they hate our “freedom” or our “way of life”, they do so because of our foreign policy record. Why did we help the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, but we didn’t help Chechnya? Why did we rush to liberate Kuwait, but stand by quietly while thousands were murdered in Bosnia-Herzegovina? Oil. Can anyone deny it?

And that brings me back to Haiti. No oil, a poor country, French speaking, why should we care? We have a poor record with the Haitian people. We have occupied her, our troops have killed Haitian citizens, and we have allowed her to languish. During this time of disaster and grief, what a perfect time to undo the perception of the past and show Haiti and the world who we really are, which is a nation of caring, compassion, and endless generosity.

As always, your thoughts are welcome.

Best regards,

Hassan