Customer Quote
“SmithBates has excelled in meeting our
print collateral and promotional needs — professional, fast and on-budget!
”
— Gin Reschke, wrinkledog, inc.
More quotes >>
Success Stories
At SmithBates, we believe that our customers are our partners in problem solving. SmithBates
pulls from an extensive lineup of experiences and planned successes that can help your company
increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Some of our success stories are detailed below.
A SIMPLE SOLUTION: Good, Better, Best
Sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to find a great solution. You just have to
improve the wheel, enlarge it, maybe add a little grease, or paint the spokes with lively
colors.
That’s what Klamoya Casino discovered when Smith Bates suggested a larger, better
organized and more colorful promotional mailer that actually cost less!
The casino’s flagship monthly self-mailer morphed into a larger, bimonthly, 3-fold sheet
with distinct sections, easy-to-find information, exciting graphics and vibrant colors. The larger
piece cost less to produce annually than the smaller brochure because it was printed and mailed
half as often. Response was enthusiastic.
Even a better wheel can be improved. To keep the mailer in customers’ hands longer, incent
them visit Klamoya and to measure response, Smith Bates suggested an 8-page bound magazine with two
$5 slot coupons on the back cover, one to be redeemed each month. After the first issue in the new
format, ___ customers redeemed coupons. (Can you tell how much those customers spent while
there?)
Marketing Manager Dawnielle Tehama said, “Smith Bates is a great partner in coming up with
creative marketing solutions. We're pleased and proud to work with them to keep Klamoya Casino
customers informed and involved."
PROBLEM:
A global manufacturer needs consistent price cards for a wide range of products distributed by
over 500 store locations. Price cards need an array of variable product options, including regional
pricing, and translation to Spanish. Price cards need to be ordered 24 hours a day through all time
zones, and shipped to arrive within a set schedule so store reps can plan and carry out product
updates and replacements.
SOLUTION:
With a combined effort from sales and service staff at our client company, SmithBates created an
online ordering solution offering a library of templated product cards that incorporate drop down
choices for every available product option. The system composes an automatic proof, for quick
approval, and automatically translates to Spanish from a custom created database of selected
options. The online ordering center allows for 24/7 access, and a shared pool of completed cards
for quick order by sales reps. The online ordering center also provides a full resolution preview
for static price cards, which eliminates ordering errors, and quick comparison on replacement
cards. This solution meets the company's overall goal for consistently branded, quality price cards
on all products for every sales location.
Success on this massive procurement project has led to several additional achievements for large
scale product distribution and fulfillment of company collateral.
PROBLEM:
An expanding staffing company with over 160 branches has branded their corporate identity
and requires that all branches have access to the same stationery and promotional items.
Business cards alone for these branches can total over 1 million cards per year. The corporate
office would like to free up as many as 3 full time people to perform duties other than
typesetting, proofing business cards, and maintaining and filling promo product orders. In
addition, several monthly programs including advertising postcards, safety flyers and employee
check stuffers could be streamlined to reduce costs and handling.
SOLUTION:
SmithBates undertook all business card variations and printed master shells, ready to
imprint, to reduce printing costs for every order. With stock now on hand, SmithBates then
created online ordering templates for each branch to order their
owncards and proof them
automatically, online. In addition, with all branches ordering simultaneously,
SmithBates can combine the imprint orders and offer further printing discounts.
To streamline more than 80 promotional products (such as pens, cups, flashlights, and almost
anything else with a logo on it), SmithBates developed an online ordering catalog with images
and options for each item. Each branch can now login, see their items, and place their orders
any time of day or night. Centralized printing and an online portal allows headquarters a
streamlined way to collaborate with the individual branches and get the word out about new
advertising pieces, and allow for bulk branch ordering to receive quantity printing
discounts.
Coming soon are further website expansions to allow for create and produce custom statement
stuffer's, and customize variable postcards and collateral for specific branch events and
promotional needs. In the meantime, SmithBates has forged an exclusive partnership with this
client for all of their print and promotional needs.
