4 Key Takeaways on the State of Marketing 2022
As we move into the home stretch of 2022, several organizations are releasing their latest “state of marketing” findings for […]
7 Ways to Make Your Direct Mail More Sustainable
Did you know that using paper actually supports the preservation (and even expansion) of U.S. forestland by making forest products […]
What is Banjo?
At More Vang, we strive to keep print both relevant and efficient. That said, it’s almost impossible to scale marketing […]
Defining Nostalgia—Disease or Emotion?
On August 25, 1768, a ship carrying 94 Royal Navy sailors left Plymouth, England with 18 months of provisions. On […]
Designing Data-Driven Direct Mail for Automation
With the growing popularity and prevalence of digital marketing, most graphic designers are well-versed in creating email templates, social media […]
Curiosity Killed the Cat?
Sometime towards the end of the Middle Ages, there lived a very special cat. For the purpose of this fictitious […]
Automating Direct Mail With Marketo
Marketo Engage is one of the leading marketing automation platforms on the market. Most Marketo users are familiar with the […]
Using Social Networks to Build Belief
In 2020, almost twice as many people logged onto Reddit as subscribed to a newspaper. The number of people who […]
Building a Database for Direct Mail
With new data privacy laws taking effect every day, companies are looking past email for new ways to reach prospects. […]
Print Specs 101
While many of our clients have deep experience in direct mail and printing, some are just getting started. If you’ve […]
Creating a Hybrid Gifting Experience
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed incredible adaptability and resilience as people across all industries and […]
Postage 101: First-Class vs. Marketing Mail
Of all the various aspects of direct mail, the one that tends to overwhelm our clients most is postage. Postage […]
How to Use Lead Scoring and Grading to Improve Direct Mail
During economic downturns, marketing budgets tend to be first on the chopping block. So it’s more important than ever not […]
Offsetting Emissions With Carbon Credits
A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about the carbon neutral certification process and how businesses measure emissions. In this […]
Automating Direct Mail With Templates, Assets, & Rules
There are three key elements to any automated direct mail program that collectively answer the questions of who, what, when, […]
What Does It Mean To Be Carbon Neutral?
The climate crisis can only be addressed by changing how consumers and businesses operate. As sustainability is a core component […]
To Connect With Customers, Have a Human Conversation
This past March, I flew from Washington, D.C., to San Diego to attend a trade show. It was my first […]
What Does it Mean to be TRUSTe Certified?
We’ve all been there. You get a letter in the mail informing you that, due to a data breach, your […]
Adam, Eve, and the Apple: The Power of a Single Word
Contrary to popular belief, Eve never handed Adam an “apple” in the Garden of Eden. This might be surprising to […]
Brand Your Space With Experiential Graphics
Historically, we’ve thought of experiential graphics as temporary: event signage, marketing centers to lease a space, construction fencing, advertising, etc. […]
Why We Built Our Own Rendering Engine
You probably already know that More Vang has over 40 years of commercial print experience. What you may not realize […]
Is PCW Recycled Paper the Holy Grail of Sustainability?
Increasingly, our clients are requesting papers with recycled content. At face value, it seems like a sustainability home run; but […]
Using Marketo Custom Objects in Automated Direct Mail
If you’re using a CRM or marketing automation platform (MAP), you’re probably familiar with custom objects. These are records that […]
Exploring the World With an Eye Toward Sustainability
On a bright, sunny morning in 2013, Ambika Anand Prokop was roaming around the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia […]
Toilet Paper’s Environmental Impact Stinks
If I were to ask you to identify the world’s largest undisturbed old growth forest, what would you guess? Does […]
Using Informed Visibility to Track USPS Mail
Critics of direct mail marketing often point to two primary challenges: measuring it effectively and integrating it as part of […]
What is Algorithmic Direct Mail?
At More Vang, we believe in the technology of print—leveraging data, software, and hardware to facilitate more effective use of […]
In Commercial Real Estate, You Always Want a Full House
One of the biggest challenges in commercial real estate is capturing brokers’ attention. There’s so much competing for their time—you […]
Understanding Address Verification
The success of your direct mail campaign begins with one thing: deliverability. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the design is […]
Measuring Direct Mail: Fundamental KPIs
In our last blog post, we talked about different ways to track responses to your direct mail. Once you have […]
Measuring Success: 7 Ways to Track Direct Mail
One of the common arguments against direct mail is that it’s difficult to measure, which makes it a tough sell […]
Some Customers Would Rather Get it Right Than Be Right
When we first started this business over 40 years ago, sales reps drove around with donuts and paper samples in […]
Email May Be Most Popular, But Direct Mail is Still Top of the Class
Marketers tend to favor popular digital channels like email, social, and paid search for their direct response campaigns. But when […]
FWIW, OK Once Made People LOL
I’m OK with modern terms like TBH, LOL, and OG. Yes, in some contexts they look odd and out of […]
The Benefits of Virgin Fiber Paper
Are you prioritizing sustainability in your marketing campaigns? If so, choosing recycled paper might seem like the obvious choice. But […]
5 Ways to Make Your Direct Mail More Relevant Using Data
Today, personalization in direct mail goes way beyond including a recipient’s first name. Consumers have come to expect a highly […]
The Grinch Isn’t the Only One Who’s Green this Holiday Season
Red and green are ubiquitous colors this time of year, but at More Vang, we decided to lean into the […]
In This Buyers’ Market, Differentiation is Key
We all know that COVID has done a number on the commercial real estate industry. Many businesses have closed their […]
When Language Becomes a Legacy
I’ve been busy for the past few months working with our creative team as we launch our new website. I’m […]
How the Jane Goodall Institute Turned Plastic Water Bottles into a Forest
When it comes to sustainability, we often talk about ideas and valuable content. But even the best ideas can disappoint […]
What Do These Environmental Logos Actually Mean?
In truth, not much. Most paper mills have moved to chlorine-free processing these days, and nearly all new printing technology […]
What’s a VOC and Why Should You Care?
If you’ve ever purchased paint for a DIY project, you’re probably familiar with the term “low VOC.” But do you […]
Holiday Gifts That Clients and Employees Are Sure to Appreciate
Whether you’re looking to recognize employees or thank clients and partners, it’s time to start planning your holiday gifts. A […]
Everything You Want to Know About Alternative Fiber Papers
*Special thanks to our intern, Noah Berg, for his research and writing assistance for this article. Where does paper come […]
How to Make Direct Mail More Actionable
Effective marketing is accomplished both online and offline. While the World Wide Web offers access to, ya know, the world, […]
What to Do With Those COA Reports
Anytime we send mail for our clients, we process the data through the National Change of Address System (NCOA) to […]
Your Envelope Can Make or Break Your Direct Mail
Envelopes are perhaps the most underappreciated component of a direct mail package. Marketers tend to focus on the content that […]
USPS rate increase blowing a hole through your marketing budget?
We found the silver lining. When USPS postal rates rise—as they did this past Sunday, August 29, 2021—we all feel […]
Finding the Best Material(s) for Your Project
Picture this: you are moving offices and your boss has put you in charge of rebranding the entire space—from the […]
In Need of Shared Beliefs
As I drove to the office this morning, I heeded a newly installed stop sign placed at an intersection that […]
Three Ways to Integrate Direct Mail Automation into your Digital Campaigns
Thanks to developments in the digital landscape, most companies have invested heavily in automation as an essential component of their […]
Back to the Future
My wife and I love to host dinner parties. We enjoy the challenge of preparing new dishes that test our […]
Creating Print-Ready Files
You’ve created an eye-catching design (and that copy you wrote? … Shakespeare has nothing on you!), but now what? You […]
Create Something Valuable With Your Data
My husband and I recently traded in our well-loved, 11-year-old SUV for a new car. A few weeks after our […]
USPS Update: What You Need to Know When Sending Direct Mail
The perfect storm … a once in a century pandemic colliding with the always maniacal holiday season, multiplied by the […]
Relevant, Custom Marketing at Scale: WoodSpring Suites Case Study
WoodSpring Suites is a network of franchised, independently operated extended stay hotels with 300 locations nationwide. With so many locations, […]
How to Use Direct Mail Throughout the Customer Journey
Have you ever received a postcard in the mail with a coupon offer and put it aside to keep? I […]
To get in with brokers, make sure you stand out.
Avison Young needed to promote their newly renovated office space at Franklin Square to brokers already bombarded with an endless […]
An Old Guy’s Advice for High School Graduates
A few years ago, I was giving a presentation to a group of students at my alma mater. A woman […]
The Future is First-party: Make the Most of Your Customer Data
In a previous post, we covered the difference between first- and third-party cookies and how new consumer privacy laws are […]
Care About Sustainability? Make Your Content Valuable.
In a post about optimism in the early days of COVID, our CEO said “As optimists, our job is to […]
Returning to the office—a question of when or why?
I’m assuming that one day I’ll have grandchildren. I can imagine telling a story about my old work experiences. “Yes, […]
A Primer on Cookies (and No, Not the Chocolate Chip Variety)
If you’re in marketing (and likely even if you’re not), you’ve probably seen a story or two over the last […]
Why EDDM Should Be in Your Marketing Playbook
Have you ever received a piece of mail addressed to someone generic like “postal customer” or “our neighbor”? These are […]
An Argument for POD
In my recent post, It’s Time to Rethink Your Inventory Program, I touched on the risks associated with inventory management. […]
The End of Big Data?
In 1517, a little known monk named Martin Luther wrote a paper calling out some questionable practices of the Catholic […]
How to Keep Your Print Project on Budget
Have you ever planned a project based on initial estimates only to be surprised with a larger invoice at the […]
Tackling The Swag Dilemma: Get Lean, Ditch Inventory, and Move to POD
Each month, the inventory bill rolls around—the bill that companies pay to keep stacks of t-shirts, boxes of pens, and […]
Complex Automated Direct Mail: CTAM Case Study
CTAM, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, is a non-profit cooperative marketing communications company. With member companies including Cox, Comcast, […]
It’s Time to Rethink Your Inventory Program
Inventorying Woes We are often approached by clients asking about our ability to inventory and warehouse materials. My first thought […]
Designing for Direct Mail
With the exponential increase in digital marketing over the past year, it has become increasingly difficult to stand out and […]
A COVID Reality Check
Every Friday afternoon, I hold a company-wide Zoom meeting. We begin with a review of the latest news on COVID. […]
Adding Direct Mail to your Marketing Plan
The pandemic has caused an explosion in digital marketing. Hubspot noted last October that “marketing email volume has increased a […]
Learning to Listen
This past Monday, the More Vang staff participated in a day of learning to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. […]
2021 Postal Rate Changes
Most businesses with more than 20 employees spend over $1,000 a month in postage, so even small increases can have […]
Words and Their Consequences
On Wednesday morning, I was finishing my latest blog post. It was a predictable message, noting the odd human habit […]
Highlight Missed Opportunities to Spur Customers to Action
The Motley Fool is a financial publishing company that provides business and investing advice to DIY investors. The company also […]
Creating a Valuable Onboarding Experience for New Members
IHS is a company that provides in-depth research and consumer data for nearly every industry around the world. Members subscribe […]
What I’m Thankful For
This has been a difficult year, and it’s easy to focus on the consequences and challenges brought on by COVID. […]
Increasing Subscriptions and Renewals with Automation
Business opportunities often come from existing customers. Especially if you’re able to make life easier for them. One of our […]
Back to the office. What am I missing?
I did something strange on Wednesday. I woke up, took a shower and drove to the office. The traffic was […]
Why Words Matter
“Words Matter” is imprinted on the side of my coffee cup. It isn’t a particularly original message, but amplifying language […]
Creating a Social Space Worthy of the Smithsonian
When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce began a building renovation project in Lafayette Square in the spring of 2020, they […]
Modern Meets Vintage at Pacers Navy Yard
The original Boilermaker building, where boilers for Navy ships were once manufactured, underwent a massive renovation in 2011 to make […]
Finding common ground on climate change
The consequences of climate change are real. It’s time to focus on the opportunities. Last week, I found myself driving […]
Teach Our Children Well
In the waning days of August, I managed to escape the confines of the Capital Beltway for a brief family […]
Mapping and Understanding Change
Many years ago, in an attempt to create a broader middle class, the Clinton administration experimented with housing. They created […]
Only The Curious Will Survive
This post is going to sound a bit dark for an optimist like me, but remember—optimism is about accepting a […]
Join us on August 8th
In May, we announced that we had acquired the assets, talents and expertise of Ecoprint in an effort to shift […]
How a Single Postcard Increased Sales
Email is no longer the panacea it once was. Intelligent filtering and increasing volume means less emails reaching less prospects […]
You’re as healthy as your friends are
Assorted wisdom for keeping a business open during COVID I’ve written extensively on our work experiences outside the office. I […]
Empowering Washington’s Top Retail Brokerage to Focus on More Important Things
If you want to lease commercial real estate, you have to make sure people know it’s available. The first step […]
Preparing Ourselves for Change
My wife is passionate about her alma mater. This week, she was texting friends about booking a house near campus […]
Race and Us
Over the past week, I’ve been talking with family, friends and coworkers about racial equity. The recent video evidence presented […]
Time to get back to the office?
It seems like months ago that our school system decided to close for 10 days in an effort to stop […]
How does this end?
This question came up at our dinner table last week. Home-cooked meal number 67, to be exact. We’ve been skirting […]
Finding New Ways to Connect from Afar
Like you, many of us have been working from home over the last two months. Some of us have small […]
The Air Seems Cleaner Right?
My house is crowded these days. I have a small office (closet) where I remotely run our business. My wife […]
A Time for Optimism
We are in desperate need of optimism today. I believe it could save us. Now, I’m not talking about blissful […]
In Real Estate, as in Most Markets, Nothing Beats Experience
How do you convince companies to see an empty building as their new home? That was the predicament facing Vornado […]
A Message to Our Clients
According to federal guidelines, those who manufacture for or provide services to essential businesses are themselves considered essential. As our […]
Maximizing Retail Point of Sale Marketing Opportunities
Retail and point of sale (POS) are valuable opportunities to present offers and brand messages to customers who are in-store […]
The Meaning of Marketing: Determining Your Brand’s Archetypal Identity
Unless your brand embodies a core set of consistent values, you cannot communicate it successfully. In The Hero and the […]
The Meaning of Marketing: The 12 Archetypes, Pt. 4
So far this week, we have walked through the first nine archetypal identities outlined in The Hero and the Outlaw: […]
The Meaning of Marketing: The 12 Archetypes, Pt. 3
In our posts on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we discussed six archetypal identities highlighted in The Hero and the […]
The Meaning of Marketing: The 12 Archetypes, Pt. 2
In yesterday’s post, we tackled the first three archetypal identities—the Innocent, the Explorer and the Sage—as outlined in The Hero […]
Converting pipe and drape into a branded space
In early 2019, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched CO—, an editorial website that provides insights and content aimed at […]
The Meaning of Marketing: The 12 Archetypes, Pt. 1
In our previous post, we introduced the concept of archetypal theory as it pertains to successful branding. In this next […]
When it Comes to Customer Engagement, Shoot for the Stars
The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial services company that provides investment advice to consumers that is always intelligent and […]
The Meaning of Marketing: Introducing Archetypal Brand Identity
Humans have long looked—individually and collectively—to stories for their sense of order and meaning. The world is, in essence, governed […]
Crafts, Crayons, and Holiday Glee
The kids are sitting in a scattered circle on a green rug decorated with bugs and flowers when we walk […]
Empathy for the Economic Architecture Project
Expressing client value happens in many ways at More Vang. We might get involved in developing a campaign or messaging […]
Client Spotlight: Introducing Economic Architecture
In 1998, consumers started buying Fairtrade coffee. In the years since, they have bought more than $250 billion of Fairtrade […]
Get to Know More Vang: Kelly Kornmann
As you know, there are three business divisions at More Vang: Create, Code, and Make. Kelly Kornmann is a Product […]
A Deeper Dive into the Swamp
“The suburbs” often evoke a cookie-cutter picture of Americana: kids playing in fenced green yards, ice cream trucks rumbling around […]
Practice empathy and #embracetheswamp
We’ve talked a lot recently about the meaning of empathy and how we use it to do our best work. […]
Get to Know More Vang: Rob Leake
If you are a More Vang client, chances are you have exchanged an email or two with Rob Leake. Rob […]
Harry Potter Makes You Nicer
We all know that reading makes you smarter, improves your vocabulary, and provides you with interesting tidbits to share at […]
Empathy Briefs. The difference between great work and guesswork.
Our CEO, Jon, recently wrote a blog post about the origins of the word empathy. The English word empathy was […]
To Command Attention, Send an Experience
Audi Financial Services needed to announce their rebrand to participating and prospective automotive dealers—who just happen to be a very […]
No sympathy for misusers of the word empathy
Choose your words carefully A sophisticated vocabulary gives us the ability to express our best ideas, thoughts and beliefs. But […]
Brick & Mortar is Back
The online marketplace completely disrupted the retail shopping experience. But one of the original disruptors, Amazon, is steadily making their […]
Without values, you don’t have a brand.
If I were to ask you to describe brands you are familiar with, you might reference the Nike swoosh or […]
Big Data and Banjo Make the Perfect Pair
Thanks to the freedoms afforded by the 10th amendment, states are free to govern themselves. And regulations abound from state-to-state […]
Monuments and Memory
It’s a classic movie plot. A careless treasure hunter digs up an ancient power that should not have been disturbed. […]
Economic Architecture: A Complex Idea Well Worth Understanding
Economic studies show that financial markets across the globe work extremely well. For about 5% of the population. Everyone else […]
Turning an Empty Space into an Experience
After being fully leased for decades, Presidential Tower was returning to the market. To announce its return, Avison Young wanted […]
Creating an Identity for a Timeless Brand
After nearly 40 years, Hardwood Artisans had multiple retail locations and a reputation for high quality, customizable furniture. But most […]
The teacher, the construction company and the power of a simple idea.
Every job on the production floor has a story. In most cases, the deliverable indicates the job’s why. But every […]
200 miles. 36 hours. Zero sleep. In a word, fun.
They say running is half mental. Some say it’s 90%. We aren’t sure who “they” are but they’ve clearly run […]
Bringing New Meaning to “Auto” for VW’s Training Academy
As a giant in the automotive industry, it’s imperative that Volkswagen maintains a highly knowledgeable workforce for their Audi, VW […]
Words and Their Meanings
“Words are magical in the way they affect the minds of those who use them.” In May of 1940, Aldous […]
Chances are, you’re reading this post on a telephoenician.
“Sing, O muse, of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.” This line, […]
Here’s to change
We’ve been struggling with an identity problem for years. If I were to ask you to describe us to a friend or coworker, what would you say? Would you portray us as a printing company—a proficient manufacturer of books and direct mail? Would you describe us as engineers of experiential graphics—producing trade show booths, product packaging or any of that odd stuff that is printed but not called printing? Or would you be wholly confused by all of this print talk and instead describe us as a creative agency that builds websites or writes brand strategy? And let’s not forget those of you who subscribe to one of our SaaS products or data processing tools. What do you call all of this?
Increasing Customer Loyalty One Cup of Coffee at a Time
The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial services company that provides peer-to-peer sharing of information about building wealth, based on […]
If There’s One Thing We Know, it’s How to Throw a Party
Volkswagen Credit, Inc. and Audi Financial Services asked us to entice car dealers to two related events—their auction pre-party and […]
To Succeed in Sports Marketing, Influence the Influencers
New Balance makes superbly designed and exquisitely engineered athletic shoes and other sports apparel. It is, without question, one of […]