@kendallPress The Blog

Print Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award - Frank Romano

2012-05-11T14:27:00.000-04:00

Neither Xerox, nor HP Indigo, nor Canon could hold a candle to what Kodak just did at Drupa 2012.

By honoring Frank Romano with a Print Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award, Kodak recognized a man from whom many of us in the industry learned our first print world skills. Congratulations Frank.

Thank you Kodak for highlighting a lifelong leading voice for rational and humor filled approaches to the printer's world. Yes, we recognize Kodak is struggling these days but anyone who has followed Frank Romano's career knows he has always been right up front with the changes in the industry that had quick copy shops reaching into the world of commercial print shops who were losing work to low cost internet print aggregators. And where Kodak once was, Xerox moved in and then out followed by Konica Minolta for print shop equipment dominance with a whole lot of others showing their wares along the way, also.

Sure lot's of print buyers are hearing from HP Indigo sales reps these days. The WOW factor is never far from a salesperson's lead offering. But Frank has always put digital and print in their respective places and admonished all vendors to look carefully to COST, QUALITY & TURNAROUND time requirements - The big three considerations for print customers. Does HP Indigo sizzle - sure if you want to pay the premium but ask any commercial print shop how they compete and you'll find many ways to keep the cost lower than digital. A good shop will ask questions like volume, need by date, and variability factors. Frank always had a chart that showed the world the overlaps of technologies and markets. Wise professionals - both customers and print purveyors - always double check their numbers before running off with the newest shiny object in a salesperson's bag.

And what of Sales People? Frank used to host hordes of us Sales Rock Stars at GATF in Pittsburgh PA. He taught me a thing or two back when I was in the Corporate Sales World. The best lessons were the ones that stayed longest - listen, ask questions, ask more questions, double check and then go to print. Ask twice, print once. Save your client money. Do it the right way the first time.

HP Indigo? a fine product but I'd bet there are many jobs any printer could use a range of products to beat the cost once they know the full specs.

Frank Romano? Ten Time Drupa attendee! (that's forty years, folks - it only occurs once every 4 years in Germany).

Champion of Print as a business communication tool!

And yes,. there are many specialized tools that fit various specific needs so look to your trusted partners first.

Frank - you've never steered us wrong and we salute you and congratulate you on your recognition, well deserved!! And for those who don't know a lot about printing. Here's a link to Frank's full history of printing in just fifteen minutes.

A lifetime of education from Gutenberg to today's Modern Print Communication choices.

Keith

Kendall Square Association Third Thursday Event at Venture Cafe with photos

2012-04-20T11:33:00.000-04:00

This month’s Third Thursday Event in Kendall Square gave us a chance to explore the Cambridge Innovation Center and the Venture Café. CIC is home to some 450 startup companies and contributes to Kendall Square being “the most innovative mile on the planet“ TM

Our tour host was none other than Geoff Mamlet, the Managing Director of the CIC. While the group was the usual number of 30-40 attendees, most of the faces were different and evenly split between first timers (at the Venture Café) and fast trackers.
Through the KSA's Community Outreach Program, we met

The Possible Project, a Cambridge-based non-profit serving high school students who have untapped potential but face multiple barriers to success. TPP offers a year-long program for students to learn the basics of business and entrepreneurship; conceive, launch, and run their own businesses; work for one of TPP's in-house businesses; and take part in workshops, events and job shadowing to learn crucial 21st century skills. What better place to learn about them than in the one building on Planet Earth with the greatest number of startups and entrepreneurs.

I don’t’ have a kitchen like this at home but Geoff talked about the power of food to nurture conversation and creativity both of which are in great supply 24/7. He could not disclose the actual numbers of bananas consumed (failure to track not failure to disclose) but he told us they do get replenished every two days.

I split off from the tour so I could take in the KICKSTARTER panel discussion

MC’d by Scott Kirsner and came away with my own box of environmentally and gastronomically friendly popcorn from the good folks at Quinn popcorn

Room reserved for 26 people
Photo shows many more than that

Here’s how Chris, the survey bouncer increased the response rate to better than 80% (come on folks, it’s only a one question survey).

All groups converged at the Venture Café, the regular Thursday night gathering for the creative and entrepreneurial community.

Here’s this Day in Photos by KeithSpiroPhotography courtesy of Kendall PRess.

Keith
an active member of the Kendall Square Association outreach committee

Publish My Book; Getting Published

2012-04-17T07:32:00.001-04:00

We attended the book launch and a house filled book signing party for one of our clients a few weeks back. Margot Bloomstein published a definitive storytelling guide to understanding the power of Content. I call it storytelling because nearly everyone has come to realize that the best lessons transfer via good stories.

The Content Strategy book release party was hosted by iSite Design at the Back Bay Social Club. There were speakers, acknowledgements, loving comments from the crowd of family, friends and business supporters and partners. This was a truly wonderful moment. The book, through major book label Morgan Kaufmann is available on Amazon.

It’s timely and has anecdotal stories about putting quality work on line to help business get found by search engines while providing quality content to readers. While we had no connection to the production of the book, we have done printing and business cards and created tools for Margot for her various business engagements, the most notable one (meaning she said, “you heard about this place and know I’m speaking there?”) being as a speaker at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and long before most Bostonian’s heard of it. Our whole company wished her great success at the book signing and from the size of the crowd and the reviews, we expect that the book will be a great success. Congrats, Margot!

Publish my book – it’s a thought that tugs at the back of my mind. Why not me? And, what would I want to write about. Then again, more importantly, what would others want to read about? This thought of publishing a book has stayed with me for a while now – so I started doing some research….

Do you have any idea how many people want to publish a book right now?
A USA Today survey noted that 82% of American adults are thinking about publishing a book. If you are one of this majority, then we’re happy to tell you it’s easier than you think, but also, the degree of “ease” depends on what you want for results.
Did you know that, on average, only 150 copies of any book are sold? With these kinds of odds, consider whether you can afford to seek out a publisher or if you are suited to self publishing.

Either way, If you want a bigger distribution, you’ll want a well planned out campaign, you'll need a large following of readers or cheerleaders and you need a topic you know will be of interest to others.

Advantages of a publisher: printing and distribution are all taken care of. An editor or staff is available to help you finish, suggest edits, covers and look and feel.

Disadvantages: Unless you are a well known writer or a person with celebrity status, you may not be able to get a publisher very easily or you may be putting your money up front to get published.

Self publishing shifts responsibility to you, but you have so many more options these days. You might want to explore eBook publishing, short run print publishing or some combination. Here at Kendall PRess, we co-sponsor The Boston Internet Marketing Meetup, which is a self motivated group of individuals who meet regularly to explore online marketing and publishing. A specific subgroup within BIMM is focused on Rapid eBook Publishing.

How do architects and students of design prepare that one-off publication for presentation. Many of them use our services as we can turnaround a single copy of a professionally finished book in just a couple of days, depending on the bindery process chosen.

Want one book? Consider the following binding options that Kendall PRess can provide on-demand:

Double Loop Wire Bound:
Classic metal with punch holes can accommodate heavy front and back covers with size and weight of your choosing.

Spiral Bound: Easy plastic spiral with punch gives a contemporary look with a quick result

Perfect Binding: This is the look of “paperback” books and can be done inexpensively and in just a couple of days and yes, we can print and bind just one copy if that is all you need.

Planning on medium or large quantities? Give your print partner enough time to get the work done and ready for distribution.

Two final considerations:
Distribution: Have you got a meeting or house event? This is one way to get your books out there. Amazon has a program to support online distribution but your ranking as an author will play a role in how much support or visibility you can expect.

When you publish a book, you'll want an ISBN: International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique numeric commercial book identifier that is necessary to get a book into bookstores and libraries.

Has this stimulated more questions? Give us a call. We'd be glad to discuss your various options. Also check out the resources on the Meetup website. And, stay tuned. My goal is to publish a book of my own this year! How about you?

Keith

Entrepreneur in Residence at Kendall PRess

2012-03-11T23:19:00.000-04:00

"We no longer go on line, we are always online in this hyper connected new world" said Paul Sagan, Akamai CEO, at the Kendall Square Association Annual Meeting just last week.

The communication revolution spurred by the internet is much like the beginning of the industrial revolution and heeding the advice of Hubspot is much akin to keeping pace with Henry Ford when the auto disrupted travel and time expectations.

Much of technology's rapid pace of change emanates from right here in Kendall Square. What better place to take risk than where the future does live and thrive and grow? It is here that Akamai went from an idea to a $2B business. It is here that Hubspot has become the second fastest growing software company and has recognized the disruption that the internet's efficiency has created in changing the need for sales reps to Inbound Marketers and solutions guide.

And what of Gutenberg's legacy output? A print shop can remain just a print outlet or, like Kendall PRess, become a change agent in the new world of paperNpixels and Business Communications.

After learning from David Meerman Scott and utilizing Hubspot's Grader tools, we have created the position of Entrepreneur in Residence at Kendall PRess to spearhead the transition to a real time business communications support organization. Our clients depend on us to help them deliver their message - only now- that message is often in pixels as well as in print.

Why an entrepreneur in residence? Mark and Cheryl are keen on encouraging this journey into the seismic shift of how companies are marketing themselves and help us take Kendall PRess and our customers to where they need to be right now.

Sure, people know of Kendall PRess as a place to go for letterhead and business card printing, but we have a much bigger story to tell..

Hubspot's Grader tool ranks us as #15 in the Twitter Elite of Cambridge.

We printed the invitations to the Royal Wedding (NECN direct link to Boston) but we also

traveled to New York City for the Venture Emergence event.

We even Beta Tested Guy Kawasaki's new book What the Plus prior to its public launch at SXSW on March 9, 2012.

What is going on here? We all believe that we can best help our clients by taking the very same steps along the journey of the Business Communications revolution. We are living what we preach. We have created the role of Entrepreneur in Residence because our clients who are creating marketing and advertising pieces need the latest news in this communications revolution. Not talking about it but actually doing it and passing along the lessons learned.

Fastest shrinking job title: Sales Associate
Largest dream for better than 82% of all Americans? Getting published.

We've co-sponsored the Boston Internet Marketing Meetup because, indeed, we no longer 'go on line,' we are always on line; listening, finding and curating the best content to provide our clients with what they need to continue to thrive in this fast paced business climate.

Tim Rowe, president of the Kendall Square Association and Founder of the Cambridge Innovation Center pointed out that Most New Jobs are created by Startups - nimble businesses with fewer than 20 employees that can catch the wave and bring others through the changes or create the disruptions that force change and create new jobs.

At Kendall PRess, The Entrepreneur in Residence is in the house. How can we help you with your critical tasks?

Keith

Having a Problem with Sales and Marketing Results?

2012-03-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

The business communications model has changed dramatically and with it, sales and marketing tasks and positions are not, and should not be, what they once were.

Cold calling, long the bane of business is dead. No receptionists. No building access. No phone numbers beyond a phone tree. No rude pushing past the ‘gatekeeper’ to get to your “target decision maker.” Dead, gone and rightly so. In today’s real time communications world, even a phone call without a previously texted request can often be considered rude.

Over the last two years we have studied David Meerman Scott’s New Rules of Marketing and PR (it was a job prerequisite), read Seth Godin’s Linchpin, met and followed (in a nice way) Chris Brogan and have become a big fan of Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, founders of Hubspot and co-authors of Inbound Marketing. Business is fun again. People respond to people, not apps or bots.

We’ve religiously used Hubspot’s Grader tools and soaked up every bit of knowledge gleaned from their webinars. We’ve used Google’s adwords and Analytics and chose to deploy Jungle Torch to deep dive into our data. Owner Mark Lemley and I were both trained in the worlds of science and industry. The data is very, very clear.

Mass marketing is dead. Shutter your factories that crank out millions of the same “stock” items, images, photos, obnoxiously intrusive banner ads, cookies and other sticky intruders. How special can your business be when you use the same email template, stock photography, and sales director deployment as everyone else. Don’t your customers just feel your love when they accidently get that DEAR email blast, and we have all received at least one of those. “Oopps.”
Guy Kawasaki talks about Enchantment and I am a proud beta reader of his new eBook about Google+ to be released at SXSW.

I’m one of Jeff Pulver’s CHARACTERS

and we tested the change from print shop to Business Communications company in a presentation at the State of Now Conference in Boston. Each month our Boston Internet Marketing Meetup group of six hundred members talks about non-paper, non traditional ways of being found by our niche markets. All markets are now niche markets. Some are just bigger than others.

Sales Directors are dinosaurs. We have officially retired our title this morning.
There is nothing to direct, nothing to manage. If we are to successfully assist the transition taking place in Business Communications, we need to lead, use and help each other with the myriad of new tools coming out every day.

These tools are available to each of us, in every business sector, to listen, understand and deliver on the needs of the marketplace. Any marketplace. This is the exciting new world of Business Communications, Analytics and Inbound Marketing.

Welcome.

Keith for Kendall Press

Kendall Square Association Third Thursday Event - Ice Skating

2012-02-17T15:09:00.000-05:00

Last Night was the "not quite snow deep in winter" Ice Skating event sponsored by BioMedRealty with co-sponsors Evoo/Za; Kendall Square Community Ice Skating and introducing a local non-profit, City Sprouts.

We spotted Mark Milone from BMR with Kurt Douty from Bosse City Club just itching to get out onto the ice.

BMR Event Host Ashley Myslinski with City Sprouts Executive Director Jane Hirschi and colleagues posed for the camera just before the arrival of food, drink and ice skating time.

Another local KSA Celeb, Justin Martin from Community Charter School of Cambridge found a new friend in Sylvan Quallo of Bank of America.

T'was an intimate and friendly evening in the Square.

Za's own General Manager, Steve Kurland, is always there to insure the pizza is perfect and plentiful. Thanks Steve!

photos by KeithSpiroPhotography.com
courtesy of Kendall PRess.

Superbowl Sunday? The Bravest Man I Have Met

2012-02-04T12:40:00.001-05:00

is breaking all barriers and was last seen driving his way past the 30 - 20- 10 yard line of information overloads in what he aptly named the exponential economy. Bob Buderi sat on the edge of his seat cheering on presenters at Xconomy's New York's Venture Emergence. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was more excited, presenters like Barry Silbert (Second Market) not discussing Facebook and Fred Wilson (Union Square Ventures) talking Twitter or Bob whose edge of seat excitement was palpable throughout the event. Bob, Bob, this is the only non-blury photo I could find of the offsides charge

of Fred Wilson all worked up discussing Twitter's censorship policies.

Mr. Eli Manning, Mr. Tom Brady, please take a back seat to Xconomy where, the daily play by play on technology emergence and big money, play out on the field of chutzpah and genius.

The New York City forum brought together a standing room only crowd at the most gorgeous Apella Event Center of Alexandria Real Estate on the East Side of Manhattan.

Amidst the field of the offensive dark suited, white shirted New York line, Bob removed his jacket to reveal a Tom Brady jersey and Patriots cap. I worried for his safety, having grown up in NYC, knowing what New Yorkers are capable of doing. But I think Bob's strong defense of Gilt, and Simulmedia snapshots proved HackNY, a mere BarkBox with less bite than I imagined. A bold move with the outfit,Bob. An even bolder move launching Xconomy’s Business Communications revolution at a time when accurate, timely and precise are the keywords disrupting the old news distribution world.
Regardless of who wins the Superbowl this weekend, Bob Buderi and his Xconomy team is the one to watch. And their Cambridge base insures finding more of what Cambridge does best; Innovation and technology teamwork.

Do you really want to know which Superbowl team stacks up best? Get more analytics! And, probably the best place to do that will be in Cambridge MA, at the upcoming MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Just imagine the possible insights into improved performance across all sports...and a chance to meet Mark Cuban.

Keith
(with due apologies to any offended by my mixup of emotions and names of emerging ventures in this pre-SuperBowl moment)

full disclosure: I'm a big fan of Xconomy and provide photos that capture their events in all their glory. Kendall PRess provides Business Communications support to members of the exponential economy in Boston and on occasion - New York; and I'll bet on Mark Cuban any day over Brady or Manning. Take it away Superbowl XLVI.

Ya can't socialize Bricks and Mortar without flesh and blood

2012-01-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

Still looking for that magic button?

The one that says "click here" and your bricks and mortar business will immediately blossom into real-time web, high flying business growth, just like the app developers in the Innovation Marketplace of neato software tools.

Not going to happen! Certainly not without hard work and your commitment and involvement! The tool makers will be making the profits. App developers, like gold rush suppliers of pick axes and Gold Prospectors tools are the ones who will make off with your money.

The recent study done by BIA and Kelsey Group notes that 97% of consumers use online media when researching products and or services in their local area. We got this information from The City of Boston's Socialize Brick and Mortar initiative.

Kendall PRess has entered the Technology Challenge for Innovators precisely because Boston HAS 19 distinct business districts across the City. We're pretty excited at the thought of helping. We'd like to be selected as a finalist and show our stuff. In the meantime, if your business wants to grow sales and "keep it local," you should contact us. We've done it in Kendall Square for some 27 years by meeting the evolving needs of our clients. One thing that hasn't changed? The human face that's both here and on any social media initiative or "app" that we work with.

We know. We are a local business that has built our growth on reputation, trust and loyalty and not discounts or coupons.

Here's a quick checklist you'll need to help us, help you:

Be passionate about what you do.

Identify the people who are most likely to be interested in what you offer.

Share that passion with your intended audience using a variety of vehicles for Business Communications.

See what Happens

Measure results

Review, Modify and Repeat as needed

Get a good partner. One who has been in business for 27 years, like Kendall Press; One who has walked the walk to transitioning to a real-time- Business Communications Company, like Kendall PRess.

Give us a call. We can help leverage the value of Boston Main Streets. We have stats. We're glad to share our secret sauce.
Keith for the team

KSA at the Community Charter School of Cambridge

2012-01-20T16:30:00.002-05:00

Last night we celebrated the Kendall Square Association's Third Thursday event co-sponsored and hosted by Google and the Community Charter School of Cambridge. As with nearly every Third Thursday event since our intrepid outreach and networking committee started this program last year, most all of us learned something new about our neighborhood and our neighbors.

Kendall Square Association Third Thursdays - Images by Keith Spiro

I'm not sure if the draw was the talk by Steve Vinter of Google (and a member of the KSA board of directors) or the offer of Free Food and Drink with catering by Jules or the fact that it was literally just a block away, but we had our largest turnout to date with well over 100 people showing up, mingling and taking tours over the two building complex that makes up the CCSC.

I do have to say that the most exciting part of the night was meeting such an incredible group of young motivated High School students. Their robotics team showed off some neat bowling ball and tennis ball moving technology- most likely their response to being told, once too often, to clean up their floor - this Bot did it very well while being controlled by a computer.

Even more impressive, however, was Paula Evans Founder's Talk about the success of this intimate and engaging High School program. Every member of their first three graduating classes (2009-2011) gained college admissions and 95% of them are enrolled now in college and CCSC was one of only three schools in the state to have 100% of the 10th graders score proficient on the mandated MCAS tests. Let me repeat that statement by Paula, 100% OF THE GRADUATES WERE ACCEPTED AT COLLEGES.

Congratulations on an amazingly important feat. With so much emphasis around Kendall Square on STEM performance this group stands out! I'll add that after meeting a whole cross section of sophomores, juniors and seniors who joined us last night, I am not surprised. These folks help each other, are articulate and mutually supportive. Art projects adorned the halls and walls, printed certificates of completion and recognition were everywhere and they didn't look like the old school of every kid gets a complement - This guys and gals earned their place. A job well done.

Among the many local celebrities were spotted Joe Tulirmieri and Tracy Mercer of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, a big supporter of all this activity here. Also helping out was Carolyn Goff of Eastern Bank, Committee co-chairs Lena Sharp of Alexandria Real Estate and Sarah Gallop representing MIT. The ever wonderful Walter Sullivan who is a community booster in his own right was there along with the better half of the Spiro Boys who is pictured with the business development team from Veolia Energy.

I was all prepared for my quarterly faceoff with Steve in my ongoing discussion over paperNpixels but Google has all these fascinating capabilities in their new products, Currents & Producer, so I simply enjoyed listening to additional methods of self publishing now available If you haven't heard, Google turned my android (and your ipad) into real-time, on-line curating, magazine tools. The fact that Steve has only physically carried around two books this year (loaners) and both he and my wife have large virtual libraries in their eReaders, made my all too heavy book bag weary shoulders jealous...'cept for the fact I've now got 3 books in my smartphone which I use for just about everything but phone calls.

My tour hosts Christy, Sara and Jose made sure I had many good photo opps as they proudly gave me a top to bottom tour of the place they work at from 8 to 4 and insured I was impressed with the space, activities and friends that populate the buildings. Future lawyers, social workers, business people- they've got their plans and dreams and i was glad to be included in their thoughtful conversations. Watch out world - here they come.

Keith
(and for anyone in these photos who'd like a print please contact me and also say something nice about us on this blog or in your favorite means of social communications. Thanks)

Pixels to Paper and paperNpixels Back Again

2012-01-16T06:39:00.000-05:00

That famous comment about the shoemakers kids going barefoot, never was more true than when I came up short for an art show this past month. Matted and Framed photography takes forever and wouldn't do justice to the larger than life images I had collected for the show. Full Color Printed Posters, I decided would do the job just fine. The shop was busy. I was busy. The clock ran down and now I needed posters in a hurry. Fast poster printing- our trademark - never was more put to the test.

POSTERS BIGGER THAN LIFE AND FASTER THAN A SPEEDING DEADLINE
Happily in far less than an afternoon, with the team behind me, we put out 23 big, full color posters, mounted and ready for my show which was to begin the following day. I left Kendall PRess that afternoon with an "ARTSHOW in a box." Literally.

Digital JPG's converted to giant posters, hauled up the old B&M route to its Northern Terminus where the ever patient and efficient Connie Bailey was waiting to set up my show. A day in Photos. Exploring TOPSHAM and a Community Dialogue.

One month, two presentations and a front page news article later, the show itself has come to its natural end. But, the presentations were a surprise outcome. People wanted to talk about the things they saw. The Images held their imagination. Those photos are now the topic of a speaking tour "the immediacy of taking action for people and places that matter." Pixels alone would not have accomplished that. Printed Posters as big as life did.

You can see the front page headline here.

Thank you - team at Kendall PRess
I'm going back to making more shoes
Keith

Three Words to Welcome in 2012

2012-01-01T23:58:00.002-05:00

FAMILY
COLLABORATION
(BUILDING) BRIDGES

Kendall PRess has been guided by the principle that we help our customers accomplish more by being focused on timely, accurate, quality results for the tasks they bring to us. We also listen to their spoken and unspoken needs in this dramatically fast changing business climate.

As technology impacts change, we have committed to evolving with the opportunities. One business leader we respect and learn from is Chris Brogan who says "you aren't just a business, you're a media company;" meaning businesses need to communicate what they are and what they do. Each year on the First of January, he presents three words that he will use to define his goals and experiences thoughout the year. He finds this more effective than a New Year's Resolution and we think this idea merits a try for us as well.

Merging paperNpixels, business communications and print is the easy part. Staying focused on individual goals, team goals and life balance is the hard part. So, with a salute to Chris, here are our three words for 2012:

Family - we all have families but with the amount of time we spend at work, we acknowledge our work family and customers as an integral part of our daily world. We depend on our families. We try to help them and sometimes we finish their thoughts for them (sometimes correctly and sometimes not).

Collaboration - there is just too much work to do and life to live to ever try to just do it alone. Technology has given us an easier way to include collaboration on a daily basis. Collaborative efforts acknowledge the greater good that can be achieved by using the strengths of many.

(Building)Bridges -a metaphor for many things, here we'll define it as reaching out to different constituencies. Building bridges to enhance our understanding and our willingness to help others.

Welcome, 2012
Keith speaking for himself as well as for the team at Kendall PRess

New Year; New Programs; A Preview of 2012 and Season's Greetings that are Timeless

2011-12-19T04:11:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas (and yes, the ever politically correct "Happy Holidays"). Our goal at Kendall PRess is to provide customized service to each of you, our honored clients. If Christmas is your holiday then here's a hearty Merry Christmas! If Chanukah is what you celebrate then Happy Hanukah! If your preference is something else, and we know it, we will be sure to greet you with the specific greetings of your seasonal holiday because, above all else, we are here to provide a unique and personally customized experience to each of you who trust us with your Business Communication needs.

Kendall PRess is NOT your grandfather's printshop. Most of our clients arrive by Word of Mouth because they've heard of our program #paperNpixels (TM) or they've heard about old fashioned service with newfangled technology and lightening fast speed to market. If you can THINK IT, we can deliver it, complete with the old fashioned printer's (triangle) quandary; PRICE, QUALITY & TURNAROUND SPEED; Yup, some things don't change; you can still usually only choose two out of three of these!

But there is significant change in the marketplace since Kendall PRess started twenty eight years ago. Technology has fueled ever faster product and campaign cycles. The best of today's business communicators use a combination of real time web and long-lived recyclable, tangible, paper. Our favorite Business Strategist, David Meerman Scott reported in Google + yesterday from Lapland but our wish to write about it was usurped by just a few hours old news announcement that North Korea's Kim Jong Il just died of a heart attack. The need to be timely, accurate and relevant has never been stronger.

We can't tell you what will happen in the future, but we can promise that in 2012, Kendall PRess will continue to evolve with new print capabilities for faster turnaround of your printed color work and more real time web based initiatives with Web Analytics, Web design and Search Engine awareness along with Public Relations and Marketing support tools for our clients.

We'll introduce new voices to our blog which really means that we've already inducted new employees with new ideas into our business culture.

Stay tuned; a new business year is just around the corner.
Keith for the team at Kendall PRess

Newsjacking: Dead Trees organizing to Fight Back

2011-11-15T11:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, David Meerman Scott released Newsjacking, his newest guide to great tactical business marketing actions. Within hours, his blogpost received numerous comments and notes of thanks from the many readers who downloaded copies immediately of his "short and punchy" EBOOK from his long time publisher Wiley.

However, we've noted one glaring, politically incorrect message in his blogpost.
"NEWWSJACKING WILL NOT BE PRINTED ON DEAD TREES"

This is so wrong for three key reasons, not the least of which is #DeadTreesFightBack:

1. As a former commercial print shop transitioning to a Real Time Business Communications Company, we at Kendall-PRess would not want to see printing on live trees. Graffitti hurts living trees at worst and can been unsightly at best - with limited distribution capabilities in either case.
2. the old adage which he may be referring to "be kind to the environment, save a tree and don't print this out" is out of date...
REALLY want to save a forest or a tree?
REQUEST PAPER; send the signal that trees are a good investment
paper recycled= more paper and more trees
electronics recycled = toxic landfill
3. dead trees serve more than one purpose. They:
>put nutrients back into the soil
>slow erosion
>make good barriers and on the opposing side, good battering rams
>are sturdy things - had OCCUPY WALLSTREETERS lashed themselves to trees rather than linking arms via Twitter, their evictors would have had a much harder time removing them from Zuccotti Park
>They were good enough for the truly American Revolutionary Thomas Paine. Please, folks, use Common Sense.

Before DM Scott insinuated something about "no dead trees," Seth Godin, similarly pounced on the dead tree question by declaring Linchpin to be his last printed book. And now, less than two years later we see "We are all Weird" available in print edition.

God save the Queen
People save the trees
and we at Kendall PRess seek the higher ground of utilizing both #paperNpixels to accomplish communications tasks. After all, even Seth Godin said "Day old News is Fresh enough"

FULL DISCLOSURE:
We are raving fans of David Meerman Scott
We have spent a dollar on a nine month old newspaper
And we have had that story published in Seth Godin's SquidooMags for Thanksgiving Yes, the pixel part of our paperNpixels crusade.
Now if I can only get my wife to loan me her kindle.
We are not opposed to helping #DeadTreesFightBack

Keith

Face the facts, you just blew it! (a Kendall PRess marketing moment)

2011-11-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

OK. This is the last full work week prior to the start of the Thanksgiving through New Year's Holiday season of merry making, stressing out on work not completed and admitting that all those start and finish small jobs, long before Thanksgiving arrives, just didn't get done.

Five Full Days; quick. What three things can you bang out now and be done with.

1. Saying Thanks, before everyone else does; Christmas cards? Holiday greetings? thank you for your business cards? Do up flat cards, post cards and just sign away or hand them off to your employees for slow moments and the personal touch

2. Taking that last run at Year End Goal completion; this is the Monday you want to pull out your 2011 plan and check for progress against plan. What one last thing can you do today that will enable the most gains off the remaining broken up weeks of work this calendar year?

3. Review your LinkedIN, microsoft outlook, Twitter and accounts PAID files for names of people you have NOT been in touch with for a while. Add them to item one above and you'll do the most important thing you can to keep good connections strong. Stay in touch.

Keith

google +1 grab your personal name now.

2011-11-01T06:54:00.003-04:00

Google has opened up their +1 to everyone and while the jury is still out on the full impact of Google +1, these things are certain:

Google is going head to head with Facebook for ‘community' activities and is weighting their search engines toward People oriented, real or perceived dialogue and high activity levels of engagement.

They are undoubtedly trying to weed out PR firms, SEO and wordtracker type crutches and –just like back in school – reward with higher rankings in search, those who have active communities of friends. That being said, we'd recommend the following actions:

DO ENGAGE in on-line conversations. You don't need to go overboard but do stretch a little and figure out what you can talk about that is of interest to others. Yes, big brother is watching all of us, but that is happening anyway.

MAKE FRIENDS and talk (what do they like, what do they do for a living, what do their customers/prospect read or explore for interests)

SIMPLIFY AND FIX YOUR WEBSITE. Yes, websites are still important – but they should be simple, organized, and informational using words that reflect your business and interests. This is the new yellow pages. A quick view to see what you offer.

If you are not a writer but a massage therapist- then words like muscles, massage, towels, weight loss techniques and good health are all important differentiators that will bring the right audience to you.

Blogging is not a public diary. But it can be a beacon of light to a search engine. If you don't feel you have the time to blog and maintain your website and your business, think again. Your on line community can become your weekly networking event. Keep it simple. Keep it consistent and try WordPress – which can combine both in a simple to use format.

Entries should be things that are important to your clients. Choose two days a month like the 1^st and the 15^th and write about something…draw up a list of topics in advance. Think of it as a letter to mum, IT WORKS AND IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A CHORE.

We’re a print shop. We're also a Business Communications Company. So we’re all about communications; tools of communications; business communications; and everything about #paperNpixels that help businesses communicate.

I’m a professional photographer, a 'wild arts guy' as I've so been named. So, when you look at my blog you’ll see me mixing my areas of expertise in visual and marketing and most often sharing in a humorous way with my clients.

KEEP THE GOAL SIMPLE: be yourself, be authentic, and be consistent (once a month or twice a month), but don’t skip a month and disappoint the unforgiving search engines or your growing legion of followers and readers.

Here are a couple of places I've been:

http://blog.kendall-press.com/2011/05/whats-royal-wedding-of-william-and-kate.html

http://blog.kendall-press.com/2011/06/not-your-grandfathers-consul-general.html

If you're a friend of the UK or a friend of Kendall PRess, go to these blogs and leave a comment. Doing so will engage you in the conversation and this will help your own search engine rankings as well as ours. Dialogue. Talking. Amazing things can happen when you engage with others.

Happy All Hallows Eve
and back to shoveling early snow and reconnecting from electrical outages.
Keith for Kendall PRess

Why spend $1 on a nine month old newspaper from a street vendor?

2011-10-17T10:18:00.002-04:00

In a word, DIGNITY.

More than an act of charity- an even exchange between two human beings. The street vendor in question had run out of newspapers. He had only a few copies of a December issue that they made available to him. He let me know this right up front. Shared the potential issue and the opportunity with me and in a previous blog, I've reported on Seth Godin's observation that 'Day old news is good enough. Indeed, the news contained was still relevant, and better yet, I got a bargain. For just a dollar the man on the street gave me a sense of satisfaction, a blessing and some kind words. He retained his dignity. He demonstrated Integrity. We both came away smiling and satisfied.

Ever look deeper into SPARE CHANGE? the newspaper of the street? There is a real business behind it. The street vendors pay a small amount and get a stack of papers. The money they receive pays back their investment and provides for profit and a sense of worth and work.

Spare Change News was founded in 1992 by a group of homeless people and a member of Boston Jobs with Peace. It is one of the earliest street newspapers. Perhaps the whole movement started right here in Boston as many other activities of note have?

But, not just us here in Cambridge USA but how about Cambridge UK? Prince William of Wales wrote an article exclusively for Street News Service (Dec 17, 2010) the news agency of the International Network of Street Papers supporting 115 street papers in 40 countries. He is quoted as saying "The economic downturn has had a devastating effect on the numbers of homeless sleepers in our communities (but) the work of the restorers of hope - street newspapers and other organizations and individuals who care - so inspire me. They give homeless people the tools with which to rebuild their confidence and ultimately, their lives."

We've been sponsoring a vendor. His name is Edward. We provide personalized stickers for his papers with a link to his website. Edward has a good work ethic, is reliable and one of the best vendors in the program in part because he is proud of what he is doing.

There's a lot of conversation today around #OccupyBoston. Lot's of unrest looking for outlets. You can take just one small step and make improvement in a person's life.

We're invested in bettering our community. Prince William? He's invested too. How about you?

Keith for Kendall PRess

Kendall Press at the Entrepreneur's Walk of Fame

2011-09-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

Exciting times in Kendall Square. September 16, 2011 was the inauguration and announcement of the first seven inductees to Kendall Square's Entrepreneur's Walk of Fame. Brainchild of MIT's Bill Aulet, the cause was taken up by Bob Buderi of Xconomy, Tim Rowe of the CIC and Cambridge City Councillor Leland Cheung.

We had been printing and hiding the signs for days and it's good to know that while Hollywood may have its movie stars, Kendall Square is constantly giving birth to life changing, society changing inventions and ideas.
The First round of inductees
Bill Gates - co founder of Microsoft
Steve Jobs - Cofounder of Apple Computer
Bob Swanson - Cofounder of Genetech
Bill Hewlett & David Packard - Cofounders of HP
Mitch Kapor - Founder of Lotus Development Corp.
Thomas Edison - Founder of GE; inventor; innovator and parent of two MIT alums

My absolutely favorite photo opportunity from the event:

(Mitch Kapor presenting and great grandson of Thomas Edison in background with clock) Can't help but get the feeling of Thomas Edison looking over the shoulder of his Great Grandson looking over the shoulder of Mitch; past, present and future.

Kendall Square is truly an amazing place; a place where in the same afternoon you can have an engaging conversation with the Great Grandson of Thomas Edison and a few words with both Mitch Kapor and Desh Deshpande or get your City Councillor in an even livelier discussion.

Here are some images of the posters; go check the real ones out in person - use the #QR codes and continue to merge #paperNpixels past and future in a community filled with Entrepreneurs.

all photos (c) KeithSpiroPhotography.com
Keith

Kendall PRess onboarding with Charles River Canoe & Kayak

2011-09-01T15:47:00.001-04:00

Among the many guests at the Kendall Square Association's Third Thursday program that we co-hosted with Charles River Canoe and Kayak were Tim Rowe, President of the Cambridge Innovation Center and Andre Porter, the Executive Director of Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. You can also see the rest of the photos by clicking on the image.

If you're a small business (and 85% of all businesses in Massachusetts fit this description) and need ideas, support, guidance or great examples of Innovation, you don't need to look much further than Kendall Square. Where else can you find the density of access to people of interest than here. Kendall PRess hosted the evening to give local neighbors and businesses a 'broad' canal view of the opportunities in our midst. We were joined by Cambridge Police dept, the Marriott, Alexandria Real Estate, the Executive Director of KSA and many others. We used visual imagery, paperNpixels, direct mail and eMail to contact the full membership. Please join us - or call for details. September's event will be an art event just down the street from us. Indeed, the center of the Innovation Economy is right here.
Keith

"day old news is fresh enough"

2011-08-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

I start my day with a fresh scoop of Seth Godin. Biz wiz, thinker, guru. His daily blog comment is usually short and succinct. The other day it began with his statement "The value of breaking news is dramatically overrated," and "the cost of keeping up with what someone else thinks is urgent is just too high." He went on to state "If it’s important today, it will be important tomorrow. Far more productive to do the work instead of monitoring what’s next."

This is the same man who announced, knowing his audience, that he would no longer print books - his people would still find him. I was and am still a disbeliever of his main argument but then again, I have found Seth Godin..... hmmn.

Here in Kendall Square we can easily get caught up in this same breaking paperNpixels news with each product launch annoucement. Every new technology toy get's launched with great fanfare.... but if it's important today - it will be even more valuable to adapt to it tomorrow. Just as Godin makes exceptions to the rule for emergency room physicians, we generally and wisely avoid the shiny new objects totay - and give them a chance to mature. My Android is filled with apps that I no longer use. Work that needs doing. Work that's already been identified as critical - that is work worth doing.

This item isn't critical, but it is about fun. Kendall Press is co-sponsoring the Kendall Square Third Thursday's after work event this week. Sign up here and you can canoe or kayak for free right outside our back door from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. We'll provide the popcorn, Charles River Canoe and Kayak will provide the boats and soda; you bring your picnic dinner and a bit to share. Even if you catch this tomorrow or the day after - you'll still be in time. But generally, while this is neither critical nor urgent, this event does require your timeliness - a trait our clients appreciate from us.

Do you know the difference between urgent and critical? Not all urgent requests are critical but all critical tasks are extremely urgent - even if they don't carry the "shiny new object" seal of approval.

Critical tasks include working that business plan you made six months ago; methodically following up with all key stakeholders (who cares which new or old tool you use - long as the recipient responds to your message or request); asking for input from your best of today's clients and then listening to what they say about tomorrow's needs.

Don't stand there, new toy in hand, just do it! or as Seth would say "GO, make something happen" and if you are able to - come bring along a picnic and join us on Thursday evening.

Exploring the State of Education NOW at the #140edu Conference

2011-08-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

What are the effects of Real Time communication tools on the Learning Process?
How has learning and the acquisition of knowledge changed since Wikipedia, Facebook, and Twitter have taken center stage?

Are Twitter quotes, blog citations, and Wikipedia and Google references OK? Why is it not OK to refer to your Smartphone in School...and why do some conference presenters get all upset when they see their audience busy texting at their seats while others encourage it as very appropriate behavior?

Welcome to the world of Real Time Web. To quote @JeffPulver globally renowned thought leader, author and entrepreneur, "the changes in the way we live our lives must create change in the way we teach and learn. The real-time web should create profound changes in the way we think about what and how and why students and teachers can do, create and communicate ."

For Business, understanding these profound changes are critical to success. Customers, employees and prospects are all operating with new tools and new rules. #PaperNpixel choices are made everyday. @KendallPress believes so strongly in the value of good communications that we will be attending the #140edu conference. We exist in a real time marketing and PR world with disruption to tradition everywhere, what should we teach our kids?

If you have strong opinions or questions about the changing modes of Business Communications and what changes should occur in teaching the next generation, we welcome your comments here and will endeavor to carry them to the conference and report back on what we learn.

Keith for the active learners at Kendall PRess

The Future of Marketing

2011-07-22T11:11:00.000-04:00

Marketing? Advertising? Public Relations firms? What do they all have in common?....DISRUPTION. Change to the status quo of that industry as they knew it. #FutureM week will soon be here and among all the hype of the "future" quietly sits the 900 pound gorilla...The truth is, the future of marketing is already here.

Consumers of products, services, and ideologies are much more self confident and connected. They trust their circles of acquaintances and friends more than they trust advertisers or vendors. They, no, WE all trust our actual experience, our eyes and our ears, more than any slick digital or print ad. You Tube is the most watched channel and that camera in nearly everybody's phone now delivers a 'you are there' first hand look at the world around us.

Goodbye Tyranny ..... Arab Spring anyone?
Goodbye US Postal Service - 17% drop in volume in the last 4 years
Goodbye Rupert Murdoch - your information empire behind password gated locks is seeing an endrun by competitors everywhere - including the person on the street who Tweets, blogs, and posts pictures to their world of interested followers, friends, and trusted opinion shapers.

How about this for the DEFINITION OF MARKETING:
having the right information, for the right person, waiting and available to be served up at the right time, in the right format or mode of delivery, in the right place at exactly the moment the individual is seeking it.

A day early and you're a pushy advertiser or, worse yet, spammer.
A second late and you indeed came in second best, the first loser after the decision button gets pushed.

WHAT TO DO:

Be your authentic self - your business, a beacon of what you stand for

use a variety of tools mixing #paperNpixels to get your message across

Gather your tribe, your communities, your circles, your fans around you - and be of service to each and every one of them - in every way that you can, with 110% effort.

You never know who that stranger walking through your portal or door is or how they are connected. You don't want to create 'stuff' with the hope of it going viral; You want to create value in everything you touch and let others decide where that message goes. Fact is, you can no longer control information or messages except at the source and then, just barely. So, be the embodiment of your message, have your business do the same, try to shape it at the source, but don't expect to control it. Them were the good old days of delusion.

Don't prognosticate about the Future. Dig your hands in to the work at hand and just do it. It will be more satisfying and you'll get the results you are looking for. Persistence, Perseverance and Focus on the things you truly care about, on things and people that matter.

If you do these things, you won't have to worry much about the future of marketing; your best clients and collaborators will find you.

Keith,
for the team at Kendall PRess

PRESS RELEASE: Kendall Press Delivers First Edible QR Code in Cambridge

2011-07-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

To the best of our knowledge, the first edible QR code was created and tested last week by Kendall PRess in Kendall Square, in Cambridge MA; the Innovation Capitol of the World.

Collaborating and sometimes competing (when it comes to innovation and new product launches, lunches?) with the likes of MIT, Harvard, various media labs and industry leaders like Microsoft, Google, Oneforty, and Hubspot, the team at Kendall PRess

launched the second decade of Mark & Cheryl's leadership at the twenty seven year young Business Communications Company that began right here in Kendall Square.

Smartphones transmitted the images via jpgs as a workaround to some bar code interpreter difficulties created by prior nibbling but the QR coded message was eloquently clear.

A proclamation from Cambridge Mayor David Maher was read aloud and Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Kelly Thompson Clark presented the award to a rather surprised but genuinely happy Leadership Team.

Good Business results are dependent upon good communications and flawlessly executed teamwork; Both were in abundance along with several specially invited guests.

"Team members, customers, and members of the Cambridge Business community...we could not do this without you," Mr. Lemley was quoted as saying. "Here's to the next ten years and our continuing metamorphosis to support all the changes they will bring to our customer's requirements" and with that statement, Lemley boldly drew the line across to the future of Effective Business Communications.

Stepping into the future, dicing and slicing it up and distributing essentials to our fans and customers as we strive to continue to be both an effective and creative partner.

Keith for the team

TRUST - and my summer reading list

2011-06-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

Trust.

It's an easily understood word with a very complex set of actions over time that affect one's level of trust of another greatly.

Do I trust you?

Have your actions over time given me the confidence and subconscious sense of safety in taking value in what you say...and here in business....in what you promise. Trust is easily lost with only one poorly handled act.

I was thinking about this today as I commuted into Kendall Square, reading my email, reading Seth's blogpost with his summer reading list. Next to each item was a BUY NOW button, but I was comfortable with that as the very top of his Squidoo page had his full disclosure of where the proceeds from any sale was going. Pretty cool move. Put me right at ease. I ordered one of the books. Instant transaction on Amazon. I then saw another book - that I should have ordered.

Panic.

Lost opportunity for free shipping? No, Amazon let me cancel and re-create my open order. Take advantage of the spending level discounts and put me back into shipping status. Nothing like choosing 'regular' response so you have time to think about your decision.

Oh, by the way. One of the books I ordered was Linchpin by @ThisisSethsblog I paid less money for it NEW in Hardcover than they were asking for it on the Kindle edition. Wrapped up all my reading shopping before I even landed at my station.

I admit that I'm still not happy about Seth's decision not to publish printed editions anymore; but I do take back my other bad thoughts about his stance - I trust him and continue to learn from him.
Keith

Your Brand and Your Reputation are in Hands of Unknown Loyalties

2011-06-13T15:47:00.000-04:00

Are those hands friend or foe? Satisfied or angry? Whatever the answer, they are more and more frequently hands and minds that are social media savvy.

Twitter, Facebook, bloggers all can have a go at your carefully cultivated image and make a shambles of your "communications plan" in no time flat.

The best way to protect against angry grenades lobbed in your direction is to step up your communication capabilities with customers both present and future. Do you truly listen to what your clients are telling you? Do you have an open means of communication to gather trends and comments.

Social Media channels as we know them today include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Each of these represent a source of critical information for you and your business.

Is there conversation around you? Are you engaging clients in dialogue where they congregate? Kendall PRess can be found @kendallpress on Twitter; We have a Facebook Fan page and we welcome our clients to follow our company on Linked In.

Best Practice Business Communications today utilizes a combination of Print and OnLine creations that engage your current and future customers in ways that they find engaging!

Questions? Need help building an integrated approach. Give us a call 617-354-2584. We live, daily in this transitional communication workspace and we're glad to share our experiences -both good and otherwise!

Not Your Grandfather's Consul General

2011-06-06T11:04:00.000-04:00

Not your grandfather’s Consul General

Of the 20 employee’s at the office of the British Consulate-General,Boston, 13 are exclusively connected to Trade and Investment; none issue visas– for that you contact a regular office. This is the UK Trade and Investment division and they are not really in Boston, but Cambridge; Kendall Square to be specific.

Here, the UKTI group, like most everyone else in Kendall Square, is focused on science, technology, industry and investment. UK companies provide more than 40,000 jobs in Massachusetts alone.

Little wonder that Governor Duval Patrick, recently returned from a hosted delegation to the UK and Israel was the keynote speaker at the first in a series of conferences hosted by the UK delegation. Dr. Phil Budden, HM Consul General introduced the Governor who spoke warmly about our Education and Innovation infrastructure. Both he and Dr. Budden mentioned Tim Rowe and the Cambridge Innovation Center as a shining light in that infrastructure. A warm welcome was extended to Peter Thier VP Global Business Development of Sagentia which has recently located at the CIC.

The Mass Challenge was mentioned as the world’s largest and most successful business accelerator and London’s tech city was compared to greater Boston’s incubators.

Two panels of companies with business on both sides of the pond; the first included the Governor, RBS/Citizens Bank, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Cambridge Consulting with offices in two Cambridges; one across the street the other across the pond.
A second panel included Enernoc, Flybridge Capitol and Scott Griffith the CEO of Zipcar who talked about regulations on either side of the Atlantic.

Not Your Father’s Printshop.

Have you figured out why Kendall PRess is here? Aside from a similar named printshop in the UK that we have no connection with, we are a citizen of Kendall Square and as such are morphing into the Business Communications Company that meets our clients needs for paper N pixels. Business Communications success goes far beyond websites, conference materials, business cards, and posters. Today, we all need nimble partners.

Except for a brief period of unpleasantries several hundred years ago, the British have always been here and have been a favored partner; Closer to our time zone with an East Coast workday overlap and a shorter commute, they almost speak the same language.

Want more details? Give us a call 617-354-2584.