A few blocks from the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota lies a university campus with a reputation as one of the most beautiful in the state. Its 110 picturesque acres are home to St. Catherine University. Often referred to as St. Kate’s, it’s where more than 5000 students, mostly women, are learning to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Founded in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, it’s an idyllic setting where teaching and learning are treasured.

The project

When the University’s development officers needed to reach out to prospective donors, donors who help perpetuate the University and its mission, the task fell to Art Director Carol Evans Smith. Carol and the development team set a new course: Instead of creating a piece with photography of the gorgeous campus, why not, for the first time, create a piece depicting the campus’ graceful beauty with original artwork?

The objective was clear: The development officers needed a leave-behind for their meetings with prospective major donors, something of quality, something beautiful enough to be kept. Original artwork was ideal especially for its likely appeal to alumni with fond memories of the campus. It needed to be a bound book that would describe all of the fundraising programs and possibilities in one place—so donors could see all of the giving possibilities in a simple format.

The rendering

To find an illustrator, a number of artists were invited to submit samples of their work and in the end one stood out, Twin Cities-based Alicia Schwab. Carol had a sense that her style was right for the job. “I could just picture it!”

Alicia’s style included the use of a thick gesso base into which, using a comb-like tool, she created a textured surface of concentric circles. The circles reflected a theme established in the opening pages of the book: “We are a circle that ripples outward with the joy and satisfaction of giving.”

Atop the textured surface, Alicia created vibrant images of landmarks, buildings and campus life. Each image was rich in its colors and each subtly revealed the circles of giving.

Which way to go?

A wire-o binding system was chosen so the pages would lay flat on a desktop or coffee table. It also allowed a wraparound cover illustration, offering the look and feel of a more traditional book. The quantity would be small, 350, for presentation only to select prospective donors. A small run and the wire binding system would mean that later, pages could be updated and the book re-bound inexpensively.

By now, Carol had partnered with GLS and Account Executive Nick Herschi. Working together to ensure both quality and economy, they decided that digital printing was a perfect fit. The short run would take advantage of the digital press’s optimal price point—but it had another benefit as well.

“The color in the original paintings looked almost fluorescent,” Carol said. “The pallet was so vibrant Nick and I agreed that the Indigo press was perfect. The ink dries quickly and sets up well on the paper, particularly with the uncoated stock we were using.” They were right: The colors come alive.

Tweaking

Before going on press, the digital images had to be prepared, of course. Here, GLS and the Indigo press were helpful as well. GLS scanned the final selection the art with special attention to preserving the visibility of the raised texture. Was there a trick to getting the circles to remain visible? Carol laughs, “The ‘trick’ to it,” she says, “was in GLS’ skill!”

To ensure the best possible color match, Nick suggested using actual press proofs to compare color with the original art. It was possible because of the simpler setup on the digital press. Carol marked up the proofs, printed on the actual stock that would be used in the final run, and GLS responded with color correction in the digital files.

Looking for a solution

One issue came up during final concept development: On what kind of stock would the art be printed? Carol thought card stock would give each page of art a feeling of weight and quality, more like a canvas. But when mocked up, the book seemed a little too thin. Nick loves a challenge Carol says, “So he came up with the idea of using the same stock but in a French fold, giving the book more air and heft. It resolved the issue beautifully.”

Ultimately, Carol says her internal clients were thrilled with the final product, noting the book’s elegance and utility. “It was so much more than they expected!” At GLS, we were pleased too!

To learn more about St. Catherine University, visit www.stkate.edu

Click this link to see GLS Companies featured on the FOLD of the WEEK.

The danger is real

If you aren’t spooked by the potential for your—or your clients’—proprietary information being compromised, perhaps you should be. Maybe not so much on your premises, but with outsourcing and third-party suppliers so much a fact of life, you might not want to assume your trusted supplier can be, well, trusted.

Last year, clients of Epsilon Data Management, a company that sends 40 billion emails each year, found its customer data compromised. Hackers breached network security accessing customer names and email addresses of more than 40 clients including Best Buy, Target and Capital One. The data loss meant their customers were susceptible to phishing attacks that could lead to fraud and identity theft.

Closer to home

Virtually all communications professionals depend on third party suppliers for some part of our production process. This dependency increases the risk that your suppliers may not meet your security needs—including print and mailing service providers.

Think about this: You’ve created a masterful product launch kit. You’re mailing it to a select group of your top independent sales representatives. The list is precious but it’s out of your hands once it’s sent to the supplier handling the mailing. Your computer data network is secure, but is theirs? And let’s say their network firewall is tight, but who has access to the data center, and is there video surveillance?

Think of it this way

It is easy to make the mistake of thinking of security only in terms of digital data. Instead, it’s often more useful to think of security in terms of assets. According to GLS’ Chief Technology Officer Frank Powell, every time you entrust your supplier with information, it needs protection.

“Every time they tell us they’ll be mailing a specific quantity on a certain date, or send us their logo with a new color, that’s a part of their marketing plan,” he notes. “Every time they tell us what’s going into a new sales flyer or provide us with new product images—that is confidential information.”

Assets may be physical as well. Maybe its gift cards being sent to customers as a thank you promotion, or valuable 3-D mailers. Whether it is lists or images, mailing schedules or coffee mugs, these are all customer assets and each requires security.

A new name for security

To guarantee the greatest security for our clients’ assets, GLS recently completed a lengthy third-party audit of security and confidentially policies and procedures. The audit process, called SOC 2, was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and was designed to provide a reliable accounting of suppliers’ security. The intent is to give client companies a report with which to compare their suppliers’ security practices and judge how effective these are likely to be.

GLS Companies is among the first printing companies in the nation to have successfully completed this rigorous security review.

The process included not only an exhaustive review of the physical, network security and data security practices used to protect our clients’ assets, but it also included an evaluation of how well we actually adhered to our policies over time.

Out with the old

The new SOC 2 audits replace an older standard for reviewing security called SAS 70, a standard that is now outdated. It is important to remember that this earlier standard is more limited in scope and was designed nearly 20 years ago primarily to fit the needs of the financial industry. As a matter of fact, SAS 70 audits are no longer even offered by AICPA audit firms.

In the end, it means quality

For GLS, the policies and procedures designed to ensure security are not limited to SOC 2 audits. Powell says the company responds to client-specific needs, including completion of detailed, client-generated security surveys and makes its executives available for detailed security interviews. Overall, he likes to tell his colleagues to think about security as simply a part of the GLS culture of quality. “Stop thinking of security as a separate challenge,” he says. “Instead, recognize that client asset security is an integral part of quality.”

To learn more about GLS, SOC 2 and how we can meet your security needs, contact your GLS account executive or visit us at www.glsmn.com.

Printing at high speed on both sides of the paper, web presses can offer advantages in turn-around times, job cost and, sometimes, they can even reduce bindery expenses.

Late last year, GLS added a second web press—a Komori System 20 “half-web”—at its Saint Paul campus, and if only one word were used to describe its benefits to our clients it would be flexibility!

The new half-web runs a paper roll width about half that of our full web, but like its big brother, the half-web prints six colors so, for many jobs, either press can be used alone or they can work together. For example, the full-web can print 16 pages and the half-web eight pages of the same 24-page catalog, shortening turnaround.

It also means we have an ideal solution for smaller, publications and specialty projects. In fact, one of the major features of our half-web is a finishing unit that does spine pasting then trims pages at high speed. The result: a two- four- or eight-page publication is delivered as a totally finished product. No shipping to the bindery. No nothing. Job done.

The new Komori has a few other tricks all its own. Among them are a pattern perforator and a pattern gluer—perfect for producing finished coupon books or projects where re-moisten glue needs to be applied, like closures for envelopes.

Each job is different but at the end of the day our new half-web greatly expands our capabilities, and that ensures a great fit for your project.

To learn more about GLS’ Komori half-web and what it can mean to you, contact your GLS account executive or visit us at www.glsmn.com.

Successfully marketing a franchising opportunity can be a sizable challenge. Although a good franchise often provides the tools needed for success, it also often requires a substantial investment by owners of both money and time. Among other things, prospective franchise owners need to be made aware of the opportunity, understand the business model, see the profit potential and appreciate the differences that set the opportunity apart from the competition.

So Primrose Schools had a full plate as it considered a new franchise marketing campaign. Founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1982, Primrose operates and franchises child care preschool schools in about twenty states. A preschool school? Well, you could call it day care or child care centers but the company has revolutionized the concept of child care by making education a key part of the business model.

Key distinctions

Primrose Schools provide preschoolers with a Balanced Learning^® curriculum that actually prepares the children for success in their school careers. In the end, a wide range of franchisee benefits and requirements sets the schools apart as providing quality, upscale child care in a premium setting—very much including the look and feel of the schools themselves.

Although some of the schools may retrofit existing buildings, franchisees are encouraged to build them from the ground up to create the look and feel of a small, traditional school house, with brick facing, a copula adorned with a weathervane, and friendly interior décor, providing a comfortable hominess.

It’s a concept where franchise owners must make a significant investment.

The project

With about 220 schools in more than 15 states, Primrose asked Minneapolis-based Hot Dish Advertising for assistance in developing a direct mail marketing campaign to support its franchise marketing effort as it introduces its schools in new markets. Hot Dish, specializing in franchise marketing, was ultimately given the challenge to create a campaign that would introduce Primrose to consumers in expansion markets, communicate the franchise’s business model to prospective owners, and feature the unique building design as a key aspect of the Primrose School branding.

And, oh, it had to be inexpensive to mail.

At its core

One aspect of Primrose is central to its brand, at the core of its visual identity for prospective consumers and franchise owners alike: the quaint, inviting schoolhouse interior and exterior design.

So Hot Dish persuaded their client to mail an entire building.

The mailing

But how would it fit in an envelope? The answer, of course, was an elaborate die-cut replica of a typical Primrose School, folded flat and designed to quickly be assembled with artwork depicting the exterior, including the cupola, and photo realism illustrating the building’s interior as well.

The Hot Dish creative team hit on a winner: Working from a rough mock-up, the GLS team, led by Account Executive Larry Douglas, provided a detailed, CAD generated, final version onto which Hot Dish applied art, including details of a typical warm and welcoming Primrose School interior.

With a single interactive device, consumers looking for premium child care were introduced to the school’s visual identity and prospective franchisees were invited to build their own school!

But wait, there’s more!

Hot Dish designed three additional inserts. Printed on cardstock each featured promotional copy addressing key sales points, along with perforated “paper dolls” that parents could share with their children. Featuring girl and boy cutouts, one insert introduced Primrose and its learning philosophy. Another spoke of the curriculum and preparing children for school. It featured costumes that could be popped out and applied to the paper dolls. A final insert featured a mom and dad and invited the reader to consider the possibility of owning their own school, along with contact information.

GLS handled the mailing to a select, upscale list of about 22,000 addresses in various markets, supplied by Hot Dish. The package introduced the concept clearly, communicated the visual identity and invited consideration of the franchise opportunity. It mailed flat a in full-color envelope and, oh…inexpensively.

Thrilled

The story ends well. Hot Dish Vice President Jen Campbell, says her clients were thrilled. “They felt it really positioned the brand for those who were unfamiliar with it.” With regard to the production team, Jen credits GLS for the CAD design work involved in creating the die-cut, pop-up school house, central to realizing the creative concept. “That’s something we can’t do, and GLS made it come to life!”

To learn more about Hot Dish Advertising, visit their website at www.hotdishad.com. To learn more about Primrose Schools go to: www.primroseschools.com.

Created to capture the attention of its top-performing independent financial professionals, the program was designed to tease, then remind, and finally present details of the new annuity product with materials that conveyed Allianz branding cues, elegance and high visual impact.

The first of three components was an eye-catching, pull-out tray and slide-out card containing a saddle-stitched mini-brochure noting the product’s key features. The clever die-cut package was presented at a recognition dinner for key producers. The cover and slide-out card were imprinted with the headline “The product you’ve been waiting for…only better”.

In a design theme that would be replicated in each piece, the package featured a Pantone blue and metallic silver, both associated with Allianz and its exclusive Allianz Preferred^SM product line. Creating the look and feel of elegance, the background features a leather grain graphic coated with a luxurious, tactilely delightful “Soft Touch” coating.

A second piece was mailed to an expanded list of professionals with the headline “It’s exclusive. And it’s coming.” Finally, a full-sized, debossed launch kit containing a cover letter, data sheets and saddle-stitched brochures was delivered via UPS in a see-through mailer for maximum impact.

GLS Account Executive Julie Nelson worked with Art Director Vangie Johnson and the Allianz design team throughout development. Allianz Senior Production Buyer Lisa Mosbek says the program was highly successful with sales exceeding previous launches in the first month!

“Each program element was clever, eye-catching—and effective,” said Gary Garner, GLS President and CEO. “We are grateful to have been part of the team!”

Once again one of GLS Companies’ dimensional designs caught the attention of Trish Witkowski, an award-winning designer with extensive experience in marketing and collateral design, POP, packaging, direct mail and the presenter of foldfactory’s “Fold of the WEEK”.

Click this link to see GLS Companies featured on the FOLD of the WEEK.

But for some of our clients, it can be just as important at GLS, where client data, such as a client’s customer list, is integral to a direct mail marketing campaign or other personalized promotions. Proprietary customer data, which could potentially find its way into a competitor’s hands, can put any business in jeopardy!

Enter a puzzling acronym: SOC 2…it stands for Service Organizations Control #2. It’s a new audit process developed by the American Institute of CPAs to assure companies that their service vendors have established adequate data security policies and practices. In some cases, it even provides companies in need of data safety assurances with detailed reports on vendors’ security levels.

SOC 2 reports offer a security audit and evaluation describing physical, hardware and software controls, and can only be provided by qualified 3rd party auditors. GLS’ focus on SOC 2 compliance is a part of our ongoing commitment to the highest standards in providing information systems with high levels of security, up-time availability, data integrity and confidentiality.

At GLS, there are dozens of tools and processes which we use to create both a secure physical environment for materials and data, plus a secure IT environment to protect data from outside influences­—everything from video security systems and state-of-the-art firewalls, to user access audits, network intrusion detection and server hardening processes.

If you have any questions about SOC 2 or GLS Companies’ ongoing efforts to assure your data security, contact your account executive.

As the holidays are quickly approaching, GLS Companies is ready to shine with its annual holiday card. This card features an unique dimensional design that makes it standout in a sea of seasonal mailings. Digitally printed on an HP 7500 6-color digital press and die-cut on a Kluge entirely in-house, this card was printed CMYK plus 2X opaque white on a metallic C1S sheet. Variable data customized the 3400 pieces for improved direct mail response.

The exceptional quality and innovational nature of this dimensional design caught the attention of Trish Witkowski, an award-winning designer with extensive experience in marketing and collateral design, POP, packaging, direct mail and the presenter of foldfactory’s “Fold of the WEEK”.

Click this link to see GLS Holiday Card as featured on the FOLD of the WEEK.

Gary Garner, CEO of GLS Companies, Inc.

Brooklyn Park, Minn., November 28, 2011 — Digital Solutions Cooperative―known as “Dscoop”―has named Gary Garner, president and CEO of GLS Companies, Inc., to its board of directors. Dscoop is an independent, global community of print and graphics arts industry professionals involved in digital graphics using HP Indigo and Scitex equipment and related solutions.

The appointment of Garner to a two-year term on the board was announced as part of Dscoop Americas’ new leadership team.  Dscoop, with additional units in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, provides digital graphics professionals with a collaborative community to share experiences and improve performance of the industry.

Garner, who founded GLS Companies in 1984, is also a past member of the board of directors of the Printing Industry of Minnesota―PIM―and an active member of the Printing Industries of America. He serves on the HP’s Digital Printing Advisory Council and is a member of the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association.

GLS is a Minnesota-based print, direct mail and marketing services company with national reach that combines state-of-the-art conventional printing with expertise in a full range of digital and new-media technologies. The company assists clients with development and implementation of targeted, multi-channel marketing communications programs.