In-plant Awareness Month Starts Tomorrow

If you were waiting for a reason to promote your in-plant, here it is: February is In-plant Awareness Month, an annual event created by the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA). The idea is to recognize and celebrate the special contributions of in-house design, printing, mailing and distribution professionals.

The University of Texas, Austin, held a showcase event in a university ballroom last year for In-plant Awareness Month.

All around the country, in-plants will be promoting the value they provide to their parent organizations this month. Ideas include inviting customers to visit via an open house, inviting your suppliers for coffee/muffins, giving away prizes and creating a flier with tips for customers and a discount coupon.

Here are some other ideas:

• Announce your upcoming celebration plans through e-mails, your website, a newsletter, job tickets, even your voice mail greeting.
• Create signs or banners announcing In-plant Awareness Week and position them in high-traffic areas.
• Post an in-plant related status once a week on Facebook and LinkedIn
• Hold a drawing each day of the week and encourage customers to stop by your shop every day to enter.
• Display your competitive pricing.
• Create signs throughout your organization to show your savings compared to outside vendors.
• Post a video on YouTube or Periscope (e.g., virtual tour of your in-plant, meet the team, etc.)
• Hand deliver customer thank-you notes.
• Invite upper management to a pizza party.
• Offer free “how-to” seminars for customers.

Don’t forget to show appreciation to your own staff next month too. Leave each staff member a personalized note of appreciation, suggests IPMA, or host a pot luck lunch. Whatever you do, send us some pictures so we can show others how you promoted your in-plant.

For more ideas on how to celebrate In-plant Awareness Month, visit the IPMA website.