Unfortunately, we can’t help you shave off the pounds as a result of indulging over the festive season, but we can help you shave off the pounds when it comes to your print planning for the year ahead.
Budgets are going to be tight next year but the demands to keep talking about your brand don’t disappear. We’ve been thinking about how we can help save our clients’ money on their print collateral and one of the best areas to save money in print is by bulk buying. This doesn’t always suit everyone’s needs and depending on the product, it is not always the best solution, but below are some ideas to help you weigh up if bigger orders could work for your organisation.
Firstly, take time to think about what events or projects you have planned over the year ahead and consider do any of these share the same print or product requirements? You may wish to send your clients a new year’s gift to reconnect with them for example, or if you are taking part in an event later in the year that requires a give-away, you could combine the orders. The budget saving comes in, not only because you are buying in bulk, but also on the delivery charges as well.
Economies of scale can be achieved through purchasing not only promotional items such as notebooks, pens and calendars but also on general business stationery. You may need to stock up on letter headed paper for general use, but, if you are also planning a mail shot where you would need headed paper, you could order both at the same time. You could easily pay less than double for four times the amount! Worth thinking about isn’t it?
Secondly, bulk buying doesn’t suit all products, such as banners and signs, but please do get in touch to discuss your brief, as you could still save on lower delivery costs. It is also important to consider shelf life. Does your project have an expiry date on it? Maybe an offer you have in January won’t be suitable for later in the year, in which case over buying may result in a waste of paper as well as budget. A simple way to get around this could be by revising the wording slightly, if you tweak a few sentences – could you make some items relevant for multiple events or purposes? Something to consider.
Finally, when it comes to signage and advertising consider using a method that has interchangeable graphics. For example, use a pavement sign that has replaceable posters instead of a printed metal panel. This way you can easily change the insert and save money by not having to buy the whole unit again.
So, our top tip for 2021 is to plan your print across the year and bulk buy printed items where you can or perhaps revise the copy slightly to make items flexible for multiple uses. Obviously some products don’t carry these savings with the larger orders but it’s worth thinking about what you have lined up for the year ahead.
Please get in touch to discuss your print planning requirements for 2021, we would be delighted to help you shave off some pounds this year (if only shaving off pounds in other areas was just as easy!).
