Blog

05.06.2020

Content adapted from Business Matters by Canada Post. Business across Canada are turning to direct mail marketing as a way to break through the digital noise so they can effectively communicate changes and engage with the community. Direct mail marketing gives businesses the opportunity to reach a broad audience on a more personal level than email marketing alone can provide, and is making a comeback as businesses adapt to reach customers wherever they are. 81% of Canadians say they read their mail the same day they receive it. Why More Businesses Are Using Direct Mail Despite stereotypes that direct mail is outdated or "old school", research shows that it is far more effective than you might think. Young People Like Direct Mail It's a common misconception that older generations are more responsive to direct mail. In fact, an article by Forbes states that 36% of people under 30 look forward to checking their mail daily, and 95% of 18-to-29-year-olds have a positive response to receiving personal mail. Canadians Pay Attention to Direct Mail To further prove the effectiveness of direct mail, a study by Canada Post revealed that 74% of Canadian consumers always or sometimes notice advertising in direct mail, 81% read their mail the same day they receive it, and 85% will open mail if it looks interesting. Designed by WCD Creative. 5 Reasons Direct Mail Marketing Works So we know the research proves that direct mail marketing works, but now let's talk about why it works. Here are five of the top reasons direct mail is so effective: 1) Precision-Targeted Reach Today, direct mail can be hyper targeted through demographics and location. It starts by defining your audience, crafting meaningful content with stand-out design, and honing in on your audience through precision-targeted mailing. With Canada Post's Precision Targeter™, businesses can narrow down their audience by choosing from 14 demographic categories like driving distance from your business, household age and income, as well as the type of residence. They can also use interactive maps to target specific neighbourhoods or regions, and more. Designed by WCD Creative. 2) High Engagement Compared with digital marketing, direct mail receives high engagement from consumers. In fact, postcard marketing has a much higher response rate on average (4.4%) when compared to digital marketing (0.12%). Postcard direct mail marketing has a 4.4% average response rate, compared with 0.12% for digital marketing tactics. 3) Customizable Content When compared to digital marketing tactics, direct mail marketing is highly customizable and has fewer limitations, especially in the realm of creativity. Free from the constraints of CASL compliance, costly email marketing tools and ad blockers, direct mail can be fully customized to whatever purpose you desire and is guaranteed to make it to your customer's mailbox. 4) Affordability Direct mail can be incredibly cost effective for a business hoping to find new customers or engage existing ones. If your business doesn't have the in-house capability to design, print and develop a mailing list, you may need to engage a Canada Post Smartmail™ Marketing Expert Partner like West Canadian. Once you have developed your direct mail piece, Canada Post's pricing for mailing is simpler than you may think. For Neighbourhood Mail, sending one flyer or postcard to approximately 500 addresses on a postal route will cost as little as $0.164 for each flyer. That equals out to only $82 for mailing to 500 potential new and existing customers! Of course, prices are subject to change and are dependent on the complexity of your campaign. 5) Design Potential What makes direct mail stand out is its tangibility. An email or online ad simply can't compare to receiving an eye-catching, well-designed piece of mail that's personally addressed to you. At West Canadian, our in-house design experts at Orange Door are direct mail experts and can work with your unique needs to develop a stand-out piece. Designed by WCD Creative. Get started with Direct Mail When executed with a thoughtful strategy, direct mail marketing can significantly elevate your brand's visibility and engagement. Download our FREE 6-Step Guide to Direct Mail Marketing to begin crafting campaigns that not only reach but resonate with your audience. Or, contact us to get started today.

04.18.2020

If you're driving southbound on Calgary's Deerfoot Trail today, you may notice that the TELUS Spark building has a new banner hanging proudly for highway-goers to see. Paying homage to the scientists that are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and inform the public to keep us safe, the banner delivers a bold message for the world to see: "Thank you scientists." Photo credit: James Greig Media Around the world, people are finding unique ways to salute those that work in essential services, from balcony cheering for healthcare workersin Belgium to celebrating essential transportation personnel at Canada's St. John's port. As an organization that teaches the public about science through interactive exhibits, school programs and unique events, TELUS Spark is calling on our heroes of science to thank them for all they do. "Scientists express what’s going on in amperes, nanometers, degrees. Very very slowly, what we know through science makes its way into what we do as society. But it takes a long time," says Mary Anne Moser, President & CEO at TELUS Spark. "When, as in the case of COVID-19, what’s going on is measured in units of human bodies, it doesn’t take as long. So right now, I join millions around the world to say thank you scientists." "So right now, I join millions around the world to say thank you scientists." — Mary Anne Moser, President & CEO at Telus Spark Photo credit: James Greig Media Experts in signage solutions, the West Canadian Signage Team produced and installed the 65 x 43 foot banner using a perforated vinyl mesh banner, enabling heavy winds to pass through the sign without causing wear and tear. "West Canadian is proud to have been involved with this initiative to show our support for TELUS Spark, an organization that is deeply woven into the spirit of Calgary's community," says West Canadian's President & CEO, Karen Brookman. Video footage credit: James Greig Media

03.09.2020

In Part One of our series on Digital Transformation for Alberta's School Boards, we spoke about asking the right questions to prepare for digitization. In Part Two, we will cover the basics of the first step in the process: scanning existing paper records. The first step on the Digital Transformation On-Ramp is digitization and document imaging. This involves capturing historical and day-forward records in a secure and accessible digital format. Before developing a day-forward scanning strategy, most organizations will scan their existing records (backfiles) and develop a strategy for managing them digitally. Using a backfile scanning strategy, organizations convert existing paper documents into compliant electronic records, allowing records administrators and students to easily access files digitally. There are several benefits of digitizing backfiles before developing a day-forward strategy: As you organize past records into an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system, you develop a solid organizational framework that becomes foundational to your day-forward strategyBeing part of the conversion process, staff become internal champions so when it’s time to develop a day-forward strategy and transition records processes, there is an existing internal support During this phase of Digital Transformation, you may choose to hire a strategic partner to securely transport and scan your records. It’s likely that your school board has a high volume of documents to scan, which is why hiring experts in security and compliance that use high-speed industrial scanners will help to ensure the job gets done right. As you are preparing your backfile scanning strategy, here are some questions to consider: How many records do we need to be scanned?Are they stored in several locations? Do they need to be transported or can they be scanned on-site? Are there compliance standards or regulations we have to adhere to? Do the paper records need to be restored after they are scanned for compliance purposes, or will they need to be destroyed?Do we have the hardware and software required to scan these documents in house?What are our budget and timeline? Download the Paper Volume Estimator > A backfile strategy will dive deep into your specific requirements, addressing all of the above questions and outlining the people, processes and technology required to get the job done. Once your documents are scanned and data is extracted, they will need to be uploaded into an enterprise content management (ECM) system. An ECM system will organize your content based on a unique architectural structure that works best for you. For many Alberta school boards, student records are uploaded into PASI. But for others with more unique requirements, there may be more than one content management system that is suitable for hosting your organization's information. In Part 3 of our series on Digital Transformation in Education, we will dive into what you should look for when selecting a content repository or ECM system for your student records.

01.22.2020

Christina Fauser becomes Creative Director at Orange Door Direct and launches an affordable pricing model for high quality design and expert direct marketing solutions. Calgary, Alberta (January 22, 2020) – West Canadian Digital Imaging Inc. (“West Canadian”) today announced an exciting change in leadership and a revised pricing model for their subsidiary, Orange Door Direct (“Orange Door”), that will bring a new competitive edge to the Calgary-based boutique design agency. Christina Fauser returns to Orange Door as Director/Creative Lead. Fauser brings to the team a highly versatile skillset in both digital and print design and over 10 years of industry experience, including four years as a full-time Art Director with Orange Door. In 2018, Fauser left Orange Door to open her own boutique agency but remained a valued designer on contract. Her new leadership position will enable her to use her talent, experience and entrepreneurial spirit to help grow and build the next generation of Orange Door. “This opportunity came at the perfect moment, as I was looking to take my business to the next level,” says Fauser. “Returning to Orange Door in a leadership role allows me to continue my passion for design and solving challenges in creative ways – only now I’ll have the support of a well-respected team of designers and the backing of a 65-year-old company. I'm excited to show both my current and prospective customers what Orange Door is capable of.” Today, Orange Door is also introducing an updated pricing model for all new projects with a goal of fostering long-term trusted relationships by providing high-quality yet affordable creative design and direct marketing solutions. "We are seeing a surge in the marketplace with customers looking to run cost-effective direct marketing campaigns with great design and seamless execution," says Jennifer Brookman, Vice President of Marketing at West Canadian. "By combining Orange Door’s expertise in strategy, print and digital design, data analysis and mail fulfillment, with West Canadian’s innovative digital print and signage capabilities, we are in a unique position to provide end-to-end marketing solutions that are affordable for our customers.” For more information about Orange Door Direct, please visit orangedoordirect.com. About West Canadian Digital Imaging Inc. For over 60 years, West Canadian Digital Imaging Inc. has enabled businesses to manage their information, tell their story and drive change that matters using an unparalleled breadth of innovative and flexible digital solutions that span from back-office to brand. Our services are designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency and provide our customers with the confidence to take their business to the next level. Our rich history and deep roots in the community have forged lifetime relationships with clients, partners and staff across Canada. Headquartered in Calgary, we have offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Fort McMurray, Alberta as well as Toronto, Mississauga and Sarnia, Ontario.  Learn more at www.westcanadian.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. About Orange Door Direct Founded in 2001 as a subsidiary of West Canadian Digital Imaging Inc., Orange Door Direct is a boutique design agency that crafts holistic brand solutions to help customers solve unique business challenges. Based out of Calgary, Orange Door works with organizations across Canada, from small business to large enterprise, using data-driven insights, innovative technology and strategic creative design to provide award winning marketing solutions. Backed by West Canadian’s robust print and signage production capabilities, the agency provides end-to-end creative services from concept to completion. Orange Door is a Canada Post Smartmail Marketing Expert Partner™. Learn more about creative services.

11.25.2019

The most magical part of the holiday season is watching joy flood the faces of your loved ones as they open the gifts you thoughtfully picked just for them. And ironically, the most stressful part of the holiday season is finding those perfect gifts in the first place. It doesn't have to be. With a personalized photo book, you can show your family, friends, and even your customers just how much they mean to you this holiday season. Here's why a photo book is the best gift to give: 1) Photo Books Give the Gift of Memories As the clock ticks on towards the holiday deadline, we often find ourselves scrambling towards a bustling shopping centre in search of last-minute gifts. Because there's nothing quite like a gift made with love, save yourself the trip this year and create a personalized photo book filled with memories that will mean more to your special someone than any pair of pajamas ever could. 2) Photo Books are Timeless Trends come and go, clothing wears, and technology fades away, but the memories captured in a personalized photo book last a lifetime. Years down the road, your loved ones will look back at their special photo book and feel the same warmth they felt when they first received such a special gift. 3) Photo Books are Easy and Affordable Using an online photo book creator like Mixbook, it's easier than ever to upload your favourite photos, choose a custom template and create a professional-looking, quality-made book. From start to finish, you'll have your order in faster than you can find a parking spot at the mall during the holiday season. For the latest promotions offered by Mixbook or to get started on your holiday photo books today, visit www.mixbook.com.Looking for on-demand print and fulfilment solutions? Now offered through Cober Solutions.

11.18.2019

Karen Brookman becomes CEO with long-time Alberta-based digital imaging and printing company to guide future direction and expansion Calgary, Alberta (November 18, 2019) – West Canadian Digital Imaging Inc. (“West Canadian” or “the company”) today announced a CEO transition that activates the company’s succession plan. Owner and current Chief Executive Officer George Brookman becomes Chairman and Company Ambassador of West Canadian. The company was founded in 1952 and was later acquired by George in 1984. Under his leadership, the company grew from a traditional microfilm and reprographic service provider to a modern document management company with services that range from digital printing, signage and graphic design to enterprise content management, digital imaging and on-site managed services. With this move, the company’s current Chief Innovation Officer Karen Brookman is promoted to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of West Canadian, putting in place the fulfillment of a long-held family dream. “This is such great news for West Canadian. I am so proud that my daughter Karen will take the reins of this extraordinary company. Karen and I have worked closely for many years so I am absolutely certain she is the right leader to take West Canadian into the future. She has already earned the trust of our people and has tremendous energy and passion for our business and for our customers,” said George Brookman. Karen Brookman steps into her new role after joining West Canadian in Calgary as Chief Innovation Officer in 2018. In that role she oversaw the full range of business functions while spearheading innovation initiatives that lead to business growth. The work resulted in the development of an updated business strategy for the company that leverages its strengths in the area of customer service and technical expertise as well as anticipates expansion into new business activities and growth areas. Karen was previously President of Commonwealth Legal, a West Canadian subsidiary company based in Toronto where she worked from 1997 to 2014. Under her leadership, Commonwealth Legal grew from a regional imaging company to an industry-leading national legal document management company. In 2014, Commonwealth Legal was acquired by Ricoh Canada. Karen was appointed Vice President, Services for Toronto-based Ricoh Canada where she oversaw multiple business units with combined revenue of over $100 million. Reflecting on the leadership transition, George noted, “I saw Karen’s drive, determination and business instincts when she was at Commonwealth Legal. She made great advances while with Ricoh Canada and we are fortunate we were able to attract her back to the family business. With her experience, her ability to develop business strategy, and her commitment to building the leadership team to deliver on the strategy, she is the ideal candidate to guide West Canadian on its future path.” As Karen assumes the new position, she shares a perspective on what sets West Canadian apart. “We talk about the importance of culture and values at West Canadian. We want the best and brightest talent to come to the company to build their careers, enjoy their work and contribute to our local community. We are a customer-first organization where we draw from our staff’s creativity and their big ideas. That will not change. In fact, those values and that drive will be more important to us than ever before. We want to continue to service our customers and to empower them to make their businesses more successful. Innovative technology offerings and providing industry leading solutions will be key to our future direction. I look forward to carrying on the legacy started by my father and those before me at West Canadian.” George and Karen have worked with the West Canadian leadership team to develop a detailed transition plan for the business which is being implemented through the balance of the year. As the company’s Chairman and Company Ambassador, George will contribute to corporate strategy, long-term growth planning and key customer relationships. A former Calgary Stampede President and well-known community leader, George will continue to be very connected and involved with local business and community initiatives. About West Canadian Digital Imaging For over 60 years, West Canadian has enabled businesses to manage their information, tell their story and drive change that matters using an unparalleled breadth of innovative and flexible digital solutions that span from back-office to brand. Our services are designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency and provide our customers with the confidence to take their business to the next level. Our rich history and deep roots in the community have forged lifetime relationships with clients, partners and staff across Canada. Headquartered in Calgary, we have offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Fort McMurray, Alberta as well as Toronto, Mississauga and Sarnia, Ontario. Find us on LinkedIn or follow us @WestCanDigital on Twitter or Facebook. For more information:Stephen LewisTelephone: (403) 472-6574 Email: slewis@swlconsulting.ca

10.31.2019

As a business owner or marketer, your goals are to tell your story, create meaningful connections with customers, and produce revenue. While digital marketing has taken the business world by storm, traditional advertising techniques are still proven effective if approached with great strategy and creative. Often, businesses may not even realize the opportunity they have to tell their story by utilizing assets and space in creative ways. Here are three ways businesses can take advantage of space to establish brand awareness: 1) Windows, Walls and Floors If you own a storefront business, do your windows invite and entice new customers to stop by? Or if you work in a corporate office, do your employees and customers love coming to your space? By using your windows, walls and floors in creative ways, you can take your customers on a journey, immerse them in a creative space and create an environment that makes them want to keep coming back. Using vinyl wraps and decals, you can showcase your visual brand, create a colourful and vibrant space, educate your customers and attract new and repeat visitors to your space. 2) Vehicles and Fleets Your company fleet is practically a moving billboard, so if you haven't wrapped it with a creative and eye-catching design, you're missing out on the best type of local advertising! There are several options for branding your fleet. Subtle decals help with brand recognition, while a more elaborate and creative design can show off your company's personality and encourage viewers to visit your website, call your business or visit your storefront. 3) Events From conferences to trade shows, golf tournaments and fundraisers, your business is busy hosting, attending and sponsoring all sorts of events. But are you maximizing your presence in a way that captures the attention of your audience and produces ROI? Signage plays an important role in creating a meaningful brand experience at events. If you can excite the people at your events with creative displays, you'll maximize your return and build connections that last. Just think of those Instagram worthy moments! Looking for creative inspiration? You don't have to be a creative expert to get started—WCD Creative can help with that. Let our experts come to your space, create a vision and design a space you'll never want to leave. We can even help you manage the print process working alongside our strategic print and signage partner, Cober Solutions.

08.20.2019

Alberta’s school boards are undergoing an unprecedented transformation, paving the way by bringing student education into the digital era. Driven by the Provincial Approach to Student Information (PASI) initiative, Alberta’s school boards have collectively agreed to develop paperless processes and digitize student records by September 2020. But with the paper records of tens of thousands of students in storage and an influx of over 70,000 new students entering Alberta’s education system each year, educators are challenged to develop an effective strategy that can withstand budget, time and compliance constraints. Asking the Right Questions Each of Alberta’s school boards is at a different stage in the Digital Transformation process. While some are still using traditional paper-based processes, others have begun to digitize. Regardless of where you are on your journey, it’s important to look at the larger picture and ask the right questions. Are we prepared for Digital Transformation? If not, how can we get there? Before diving into digitization, a good place to start is to assess your school board’s readiness to undergo Digital Transformation so that you can identify areas that may need attention. Begin by asking yourself these questions: Do our senior leaders recognize digitization as essential for success?What is the culture around a change in our school board? Are our employees on board? Can our current technology sustain these upcoming changes?Do we have supporting policies and procedures, resources and skillsets to enable Digital Transformation? How willing is our school board to innovate and conceptualize new business processes? How will we convert our documents into a digital format? Is outsourcing the best option? Choosing an approach to scanning your paper records is dependent on a number of factors. Perhaps you work at a smaller school board that started scanning student records several years ago and has the internal administrative capabilities to keep most of the work in-house. On the other hand, you may have a larger volume of records to capture that are physically dispersed at several schools, and given the September 2020 deadline, you know your internal administrative team would be hard-pressed to complete the work in-house. To help with the decision, consider the following: What is the volume of records you need to be scanned?Are the file collections located in several locations and will need to be transported? Does your school board own the hardware/software needed to scan in-house?What are your budget and timeline? Depending on your answers to these questions, you may decide to keep the work in-house or outsource it. You may also use a hybrid approach so that your team is involved in the work but is enabled by a third party that brings added expertise and capabilities to the mix. In Part 2 of our series on Digital Transformation in Education, we will review strategies for completing the first step in Digital Transformation: the capture and digitization of backfile record collections.

01.10.2017

Robotic and Process Automation “Robotic process automation (or RPA) is an emerging form of clerical process automation technology based on the notion of software robots or artificial intelligence (AI) workers.” - BrainBotics In a nutshell, this means we take current human-based activity and automate it using software automation. RPA operates on the surface, so if a user goes to a website and copies some information and then goes to their accounting system and pastes that information in, we can do the same thing, only without the person needing to perform the action. This approach means you don’t need to redefine the process—instead, the robot actually records the action and then repeats it with a few variables in place. It also means you don’t need to be a programmer to make one. That all sounds great but isn’t that what BPM and BPA tools do? Actually, it isn’t. BPM is a process for improving business processes and has its foundation in operations management. BPM is a part of quality control. Its purpose is to provide a process map that can be measured and improved upon over time, and it is the driver behind programs like Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. The primary way BPM helps organizations is through a reduction in variance and through proper metrics, without those as a foundation, organizations (especially manufacturers) would have difficulty improving. BPA Tools are often referred to as workflow tools and provide a way for you to map and automate business processes. The approach in a BPA tool is to recreate the process from the ground up, automating process steps through either predefined steps, like sending an email, or through programming functionality. Some tools are pretty easy to use and don’t require a developer, while others require a workflow developer to create the code to build a workflow. Where there is a real need for RPA is within systems integration. Often, systems integration projects are costly and time-consuming, but with an RPA tool, you can pull from one system and move information to another without any programming required. If a user can show a robot how it is done, then the robot can do it. RPA and BPA tools all have the same end goal in mind: save the organization time and money. Using the right tool for the right job will help your organization, no matter the requirement. It will also pay for itself in a very short period of time. Most organizations purchase these tools for a specific pain point but quickly learn that they can be used in other processes, providing better value. Before you decide on a tool, you should consider where it can be used in the organization as a whole. If you can quickly identify three or more internal processes that could use the tool, you are likely to show a return on investment in the first year. Both RPA and BPA serve a specific purpose, just the approach is different. No matter which tool we use, BPM should be the foundation for the process moving forward. If you dig down, you are going to find your organization probably has a need for all three. Even the best-run organizations have room to improve. Find out how WCD can help you incorporate RPA into your business processes.