1. Do Not Mail Testimony. Here’s a shout-out to three local printers: John Madden at AAA in Bellevue, Beth Snider at Trade Printery in Seattle, and Phillip Parrish at PrintWest in Woodinville. These brave folks stood up for all of us at the recent Seattle City Council hearing regarding the local Do Not Mail issue. They presented a well thought- out case showing that the issue is misguided and ill advised. Thanks guys! Unfortunately, the council approved the resolution 8-1 against the facts presented by our print reps. Fortunately, the resolution accomplishes nothing, really. It is only advisory. Read the Seattle Times version of the hearing here or watch the video of the proceedings here.

2. Offline-Online Media Bridge. There’s a “new” technology that’s been generating some buzz among printers and marketers lately: QR codes. These are high-density barcodes that can be read by QR-enabled cell phones. (Most new phones are QR-enabled.) While the technology was invented almost 20 years ago to track automotive parts manufacturing, recent applications could offer huge potential for our industry. Basically, QRs (meaning ‘quick response’) are a point-and-click technology that’s being used on clothing, billboards and signage. There’s even a website that allows you to generate QR codes for free. According to Printing Impressions author, Cary Sherburne, “LinkedIn has a 2D barcode group established called 2D Codes for Global Media that has 632 members.” The technology is relatively low visibility in the US right now, but is already popular in Europe and Asia. . .all the more reason for us to be checking it out, I think. Click here for the PI article.

3. SBA-backed Loans on the Rise. I don’t know about you, but I always feel more secure if I have loan options in case I need ‘em. So it was good news to read that the SBA, thanks to stimulus-related initiatives, has stepped up to the plate to fill the financing vacuum created by the struggling banking system. According to a Wall Street Journal article, over the past year SBA-backed loans have been averaging between 10% to 15% of overall small business loans versus the more typical 1% to 8%. On the down side, the article also states that “business owners may still have to do some searching to find a participating lender. . . (since) While hundreds of lenders have jumped into SBA lending this past year, many others have stayed on the sidelines because the loans involve extra paperwork.” Click here for the WSJ article.

4. Sociopathic Bosses. I remember going to the movie Nine to Five and being somewhat surprised when the audience started clapping and cheering when the female employees struck back at their boss. Well, it appears most everyone has an urge to “get even” with toxic bosses, according to an interesting Washington Post article: “Our fascination with sociopathic bosses.” Author Aubrey Daniels suggests that audiences love those bad-boss movies and reality shows because they give employees vicarious empowerment. But, he says, they really should teach bosses how not to lead: “One truth of leadership is you get more of what you reinforce. Overly demanding bosses reinforce performance based on fear. That may deliver short-term results, but such bosses miss the vital opportunity to capture the heart, spirit and personal effort of employees...The science of behavior analysis teaches us that when positive reinforcement is used appropriately and genuinely, it can produce long-term positive results for the organization.” Something all of us should try to remember. For the article, click here.

5. Content Marketing Budgets Increase. Always on the lookout for good news, I found this piece in BtoB Magazine: A poll of 259 marketers found that nearly 60% of them plan to increase their spending on content in 2010. In the article, content marketing is defined as “the creation of compelling and relevant content for a targeted audience, designed to maintain or create some kind of action.” While many of the channels to disseminate this rich content are online, such as e-newsletters, blogs, and online video, content marketing strategies include print as well, such as case studies, white papers, articles, etc. The article cites a campaign example, Russell Investments, that’s enlightening. Might be a door opener for discussion with customers? Check it out here.

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