Print
Solutions September 2005
Case
Study
Tag/Label is Concrete Solution
It’s
not often you get a warm response
to a cold call. But earlier this
year, Marc Laucks, CDC, got lucky.
A
friend who sells office equipment
contacted Laucks, president of
Marc Laucks & Co. Inc., a
distributorship in York, Pa. He
suggested Laucks call on Wagman
Metal Products, a supplier of
power trowel replacement blades
and floating pans for the concrete
industry. When Laucks called and
was forwarded to the company’s
marketing manager, he gave his
standard spiel about value-added
printing and services. Laucks
was pleasantly surprised when
the marketing manager invited
him to visit.
The
marketing manager gave Laucks
a company tour and provided samples
of Wagman’s printed products.
“He said, ‘Here are
all the opportunities I have,’
and he showed me posters, labels,
decals and more,” remembers
Laucks. “He wanted someone
to simplify his process internally.
He could either spend 12 hours
working on this or let someone
else spend 12 hours doing it.”
Laucks
was happy to invest the time,
and the first order he completed
for Wagman was indeed time-consuming.
Teaming with the marketing manager
and manufacturer Barco Labels,
Itasca, Ill., Laucks designed,
tested and supplied a complex
2-color tag/label combination.
Wagman
applies the 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch
tag/labels to float pans prior
to shipping them to industrial
customers. Each label depicts
Wagman’s name and contact
information, renderings of float
pans, instructions for using float
pans and the part number. Then,
customers remove the tags and
attach them to their power trowels
using nylon ties. The tags, which
measure 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches,
include Wagman’s contact
information and reorder part numbers,
making it easy for end users to
replace parts.
The
order was complicated for two
reasons. First, the tag/label
combination needed to be weather-resistant,
abrasion-resistant and impervious
to the alkaline found in concrete.
Second, the tag/labels needed
to run smoothly through Wagman’s
SATO thermal transfer printers,
which the company uses to personalize
the tag/labels with part and reorder
numbers.
After
contacting firms recommended by
peers on DMIA’s members-only
broadcast email system for sourcing,
Laucks received samples from several
suppliers. “I was looking
for a vendor with problem-solving
skills, not one who could do the
order cheaply,” says Laucks.
He compared samples of varying
thicknesses and construction styles,
talked to manufacturers about
the design and decided to use
Barco Labels.
Prior
to producing the full run, Barco
Labels supplied mock-up samples
for Wagman to test. The metal
company ran the samples through
its printers, checked the strength
of the perforations, then tested
the tag/label in the field. The
owner of Wagman attached the tag
under his van for one week: The
tag passed the test. “It
is a very durable label,”
says Laucks.
Barco
Labels produced 10,000 vinyl labels
with a thermal transfer polyester
overlaminate. The manufacturer
applied a high-tack adhesive to
the underside of the labels and
a silicone adhesive deadener underneath
the tag portion to ensure it wouldn’t
inadvertently stick to any surface.
After production, employees at
Barco Labels hand-inspected all
the tag/labels, setting aside
1,000 they believed wouldn’t
meet Wagman’s rigorous requirements.
One
reason this complex piece is effective
is because Laucks anticipated
problems during the design. “We
looked for chinks in the armor,”
he says. So did manufacturer Barco
Labels, which provided invaluable
suggestions, he says. For instance,
the tag/label was originally designed
with the tag on top, so it entered
the customer’s thermal transfer
printers first, then the label.
But because there’s no adhesive
on the tag, Barco Labels was concerned
that when the label portion hit
the printer drum, the liner might
peel off, leaving the label stuck
to the drum. The manufacturer
also suggested the client modify
screens in the artwork for a better
print image and add three ties
to the tag’s hole so it
stays in place on the printer,
yet removes easily when the end
user attaches it to the power
trowel.
Such
attention to detail from Laucks,
Wagman and Barco Labels is what
made the project successful. “It
took a lot of forward-thinking
and flexibility from everyone
involved,” says Laucks.
He has gained the confidence of
Wagman’s marketing manager.
“He was willing to take
a risk and trust me, and it’s
paid off,” says Laucks.
“It wasn’t about what
he paid for [the tag/label]. He
sees the value in what I provide.”
—Susan
Keen Flynn
“Providing
complex products reminds the client
that you’re valuable. Price,
although important, has less value
than the benefits and savings
from an effective printed piece.”
Marc
Laucks, CDC, President
Marc
Laucks & Co. Inc., York, Pa.
1.
Distinguish your firm by tackling
complex jobs. Despite a rapidly
changing industry, there’s
still a need for distributors
with solid forms design skills—professionals
who can combine forms, suggest
alternative constructions and
present creative ideas to printing
problems. “Learn about complex
printed products,” says
Marc Laucks, CDC, president of
Marc Laucks & Company Inc.,
a distributorship in York, Pa.
“They provide a great way
to separate yourself from competitors
who sell on price.”
2.
Be choosy about customers.
Not all clients have the patience
to endure a design and testing
process for complicated printed
products. Laucks encourages distributors
to evaluate their customers before
committing to a lengthy project.
If they get annoyed by questions
and are unresponsive to queries,
consider walking away. “Some
customers sit back at their desks
with their arms crossed and say,
‘It’s just a label.
Why can’t you do it?’”
says Laucks. “If you want
to deliver a value-added product,
you need to have a value-added
product buyer.” Laucks says
Wagman Metal Products’ marketing
manager is patient, calm and a
good communicator. “He’s
top-notch,” Laucks says.
“He knows exactly—exactly—what
he wants.”
3.
Expect long lead times.
“Have the stamina to stick
with technically complicated projects,”
says Laucks. He spent approximately
30 hours during a 2-month period
designing, testing and refining
the tag/label combination for
Wagman. Laucks admits it’s
tempting to abandon tricky projects
for easier orders. But his persistence
paid off: Laucks gained a loyal
customer with a wealth of potential
printing projects.
