'Print Media is Not Dead' - Direct Impressions Offers Printing, Mailing, and Direct-Mail Services
Aug 24, 2021 06:07AM ● By Jessica Wagner
Photo Courtesy of Direct Impressions
Direct Impressions is a printing, mailing, and direct-mail service that has both local and national clients. They are committed to providing the highest level of service and quality at the best price. Services range from layout and design to delivering and mailing. This is your one-stop shop when it comes to all of your paper marketing needs!
We were able to catch up with one of Direct Impressions’ owners, Steve Delaney, to chat about all things printing, marketing, and mailing! He provides valuable insight into how print media is still incredibly beneficial, even with the digital age we live in.
What is Direct Impressions? How would you describe it to a friend?Direct Impressions offers it all. Everything from layout & design, full-color offset printing, digital color printing, embellishment capabilities offering foil, soft-touch, Tower UV, Spot UV, and an automated letter shop. Our equipment investment gives Direct Impressions the horsepower to complete the simplest and the most complex jobs all under one roof. Direct Impressions offers not only the convenience of one-stop shopping but the experience and knowledge that are truly unmatched.  When and why did you start the business?Direct Impressions started in May of 1992 but the business model was created by Bob Boye 6 years earlier under the name of Advanced Printing. I started working for Bob in 1987 and became his partner when we created Direct Impressions in 1992. Bob’s vision to create a printing facility that offered mailing services under 1 roof was a very unique concept that no one at the time was doing. We quickly grew the business over the years offering this convenient one-stop shopping for our clients. Skip 10 years later and the printing industry followed suit offering mailing services. What's something you wish people knew about your business?Our ability to create custom direct mail campaigns that offer specific targeting to get tremendous results for our clients. We have been creative with specialized lists that enable us to target smaller niche marketing groups to maximize the return on advertising spent dollars. Our knowledge of the industry’s available mailing lists and ongoing working relationship with the postal service can guide you to your best potential client. Our commitment is to help you reach the proper audience, at the proper time, with an exciting offer and creative mail piece. This combination will provide remarkable results!  What is a common question you get? Your answer to it?Can we get this printed by tomorrow? Many clients do not plan ahead to have a printed piece or a direct mail campaign ready when they need to, so we constantly are jumping through hoops to get jobs done for them. We have both small and large digital presses that can help turn print jobs around quickly but will always coach our clients to properly plan ahead for their next printing or mailing project. This allows for better design and a better well-thought-out campaign.
What's the biggest compliment you've received?Outside of our quality product, I believe the biggest, most consistent compliment is our responsiveness. We still answer the phone with a real live person who is involved in our entire process. I personally will make every effort to get back to a client immediately even if it is to let them know that I will be in touch shortly. People like good communication and I make every effort to make them feel they are in good hands and their project is very important to us. What is your most popular service?Although Direct Impressions offers an abundant amount of services, I believe our most popular service is direct mail. We have been educating our clients over the past 30+ years on how to include important elements in the design of direct mail pieces, as well as to narrow in on what would be their best potential customer with specific specialty mailing lists.  Are you involved with or do you support any local nonprofits, community organizations, or causes?Direct Impressions works with many non-profit theatre groups helping with printing and direct mail projects, as well as Abuse Counseling & Treatment in which we have been printing their annual Arts for Act program for the last 10+ years. Direct Impressions is a standing member of the local Advertising Federation of SWFL, which also donates many different printing needs throughout the year. Why did you choose to be in Cape Coral?My partner, Bob Boye, who created the business model back in 1985 lived in Cape Coral at the time, so he had ties to the community, as well as a better opportunity to obtain commercial space at a better price point. What is the importance of the Cape Coral community to you?Cape Coral has been home to Direct Impressions since its inception in 1992 and is also home to 75% of its employees. Direct Impressions employs 30 people, many of which live right here in Cape Coral and have families that are involved in schools and sports here locally. We have seen tremendous growth in Cape Coral over the past 30+ years and it now offers everything you would need.  Do you have any upcoming events, specials, or new products/services that people should know about?Yes. Direct Impressions has recently added capabilities for embellishments to any printing. This is most commonly used for Magazine covers, flyers, or brochures to engage the recipient and offer a very high perceived value. Direct Impressions now offers billing services as part of our mailing capabilities to enable government entities, as well as larger businesses to outsource this and save money. We have helped many companies actually save money as we can sort their mail to obtain better postage rates while at the same time eliminating the need for them to perform the work. Anything else you'd like to add? Anything else we should know about you, the business & activities, how people can get involved, etc?
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