Our new favourite airline is Kulula

We reckon this company is a reason to move to South Africa. Weather, people, big tournaments and safari's aside, this airline sells South Africa to us! 

Airlines and airports are a world of compliance and one in which you have that burning desire inside of you to make a joke about a bomb or liquids or something to try and lighten the mood. You don't dare though as you can, and probably will, be arrested for it. Kulula airlines are a breath of fresh air and it would be nice to see them in Britain maybe poking fun at some of our low cost airlines. 

How would they do it? Toilet paper printed with Ryanair money, flight times exaggerated by 2 hours so that Easyjet always look on time (but still fail!)?

We will leave it to Kulula and if our boss won't move us to SA, will Kulula please come to the UK?

The pictures of the plane’s livery hints at the humour and below are some quotes from the Kulula staff on the flights. You can view more pictures of the plane livery in our photo albums on our facebook page.

Quotes from on board Kulula airlines;

On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

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On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

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On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."

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"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this aeroplane."

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"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

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As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

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After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

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From a Kulula employee: “Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

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"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."

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Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."

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"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

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"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

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And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

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Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town, the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt.”

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Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town , on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our aeroplane to the gate!"

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Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing:

"We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

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An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.

Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?"

The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

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After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal".

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Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."

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Heard on a Kulula flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this aeroplane is on the wing.. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

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A plane was taking off from Durban Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from Durban to Cape Town , The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight.. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOODNESS!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier.

While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"

A passenger then yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

Direct Mail Part 5: Increasing effectiveness

The final instalment of our Direct Mail series is just some quick hints and tips that can increase your mailshot effectiveness.

1. Change the headline on your letter. Your product may not change but your opener can
2. Change the timing of your mailshot. By varying the day of the week we increased readership of our own e-mailer by over 20%.
3. Focus on a different product benefit each time to see what works best
4. Get the right message to the right people. Send different messages to different people based on demographics
5. Include a brochure as well as a letter.
6. Include a free gift. It can convince people to respond
7. Learn from experience. Use your direct mail to improve your data
8. Offer a payment option such as interest free credit
9. Provide an early bird incentive. Prompt early action by limiting the time an offer is valid for
10. Offer a number of ways in which people can get in touch.

I hope you have found this series useful and if you wish anymore information please do not hesitate to contact us on;

01356 625033

enquiries@printmatters.info

PrintMatters on Facebook www.printmatters.info/facebook 

Direct Mail Part 4:

Last week we discussed how to successfully design your mailshot so this week we will make the natural progression onto production and despatch.

There are a few things you have to decide when producing your mailshot mainly whether it will be a standard letter or a fully designed mailer. PrintMatters can do both for you.

The important thing is that you maintain your database to assist mailshot production. Accuracy of information is key as an up-to-date database;

•  Increases response rates
• Reduces production and postage costs
• Helps ensure compliance with data protection regulations

So what about responses?

You really need to sort out your response method before you send out your direct mail. If you have not planned your response then a warm prospect can quickly turn to a cold shoulder.

Don’t fall into the trap of swamping yourself in responses.

Start off with smaller mailshots initially to gain an idea of the feedback you will receive, and then slowly increase the volume until you are comfortable.

There is no point in performing a large mailshot then not being able to handle the responses. This would not only result in a lost order, it will be a lost prospect that will be reluctant to do business with you again.

Next week I will give you the final part in our Direct Mail series.

Direct Mail Part 3: Writing your mailshot

Last week we discussed how to plan your mailshot. This week we will cover the main points to consider when writing your mailshot.

1.     After your greeting entice the reader with a Main benefit headline.

2.     Expand on this benefit

3.     Give other reasons to buy the product or service

4.     Give reassurance such as highlighting popularity or giving a guarantee

5.     Explain in one sentence what makes your company special

6.     Give details of opening hours, locations or just basic contact details encouraging the customer to respond

7.     Stipulate an end date to the benefit to encourage a quick response

8.     If you wish you can also include a further incentive, free gift, giveaway or such like to be redeemed by returning a voucher.

Of course you can write a non-sales mailer which could be thanking customers for repeat business, season’s greetings or congratulating on special dates. All the while highlighting other products or services you offer. Be discreet.

When designing the letter make sure to keep it simple, do not be afraid of white space.

Finally the envelope, we all receive special money off colourful envelopes but this can have an adverse effect. If you are not doing a large mailshot why not handwrite the envelopes?

You always open those ones first don’t you!

Next week we will discuss production and dispatch. 01356 625033 enquiries@printmatters.info 

Direct Mail Part 2: Planning your mailshot

Last week I discussed how direct mail can help you. This week you need to decide what you want to realistically achieve from your mailshot. Set yourself some targets whether it is number of enquiries, revenue generated or encouraging visits to your website.

If you want to target new customers then you will need new names and addresses. An external supplier can source names for you or you can generate the data yourself.

• Business directories
• Online sources such as yell.com
• Other peoples lists. Look at the person sitting next to you; they are a non-competing business in your area so why not swap lists?

To get a response you have to understand what people respond to.  Self interest and the need for news are two things that you need to focus on.

People take notice if they can make money, save money, save time or impress others.

Now you have grabbed the attention you need to give the recipient the opportunity to respond.

This could be a tear off slip, an order form an entry form for a competition. Whatever it is, make sure to gain more contact information.

Next week we will discuss writing and designing the mailshot.

enquiries@printmatters.info 01356 625033

How does Direct Mail help my business?

Over the next five weeks I will be enlightening you all to the benefits of direct mail.

Part one is working out how direct mail will help your business.

The reason why direct mail is so effective is because the first thing that people do when they get home from work, or arrive in work, is check the mail.

Direct mail helps you to achieve the following objectives;

• Increase sales to existing customers
• Build customer loyalty
• Re-establish contact with lapsed customers
• Generate new business

Direct mail does not suit everyone but here are some types of companies and what they can achieve by using it;

Ø Small businesses – a cost effective way of building relationships with old and new customers

Ø Start-ups – with a relatively small outlay for direct mail this is a great way to get your business off the ground with potentially high returns

Ø Retailers – use direct mail to build customer relationships and develop reputation of the brand

Ø Sales – to generate leads to follow up or to launch new products

Ø Events – get the relevant timely message out such as insurance renewals

Ø Fundraisers – one of the most effective use of direct mail to generate huge amounts of money

Next week we will talk about planning mail shots. 
PrintMatters; enquiries@printmatters.info. 01356 625 033.

Direct Mail tips

If you’re not contacting your customers, you can bet that someone will be. Imagine if that someone was your competitor?

The majority of businesses lose customers through lack of communication not bad service or poor products.

Contact your current customers via targeted direct mail. They already know how to spend money with you so it’s a lot easier to get them spending again.

Why not obtain a mailing list based on your current customer’s profile. Did you know you can receive up to 1000 business contacts from a local Business association absolutely free?

Repeat

In order for your message to be noticed you have to repeat it at least 3 times.

Personalise

Remember PrintMatters are a digital print company so we can personalise every individual piece of mail.

Be friendly

When writing the mailer write it to an individual and it will sound much more appealing.

Dont drown them

You want to create an interest in your product, service or company, you don’t want to bore them to death. Focus on the key benefits and what they will do to improve their life.

At PrintMatters we can design, print, post and cleanse your list through our mail return system.

PrintMatters, we do more. enquiries@printmatters.info 01356 625 033

Local company local prices

At PrintMatters we are constantly keeping an eye on our competitors.

Our regular customers know our prices and our service and return to us. However you will often bump into someone at an event or just in passing who will always enquire as to your price.

We often hear from this person who does not have all the information in front of them “that’s quite expensive” and “you are competing with the internet so you will never be as cheap as online”

The one that is often cast up to us is printing.com. Mass printing, mass customers, mass marketing. One thing is for sure the marketing works. Everyone has the perception that they are dirt cheap and we could never compete with them.

Here are some top line prices for you;

Stationery pack consisting of 500 letterheads, business cards and compliment slips;

printing.com with 20% off is £167 or £209 normally

PrintMatters standard price is £129

Roll up banner;

Printing.com is £128

PrintMatters is £99

So why are printing.com so expensive, we can only guess that you are paying for all the adverts. 

They confuse you with the pricing strategy as well, by pricing banners separate from banner stands you think you are getting a deal. At PrintMatters if you want a banner you get the stand anyway, its common sense.

PrintMatters; local pricing from a local company, and you can even speak to us on the phone.

Online shop coming soon!

Flexible and Functional

We are now well into 2010 and we find a lot of our customers gearing up and going on a push. Many have now switched focus from the standard business stationery to promotional print.

As a digital printer PrintMatters is incredibly flexible. As we manage a lot of our customer’s professional communications they are returning to us asking;

“Can you do this?”

“This sounds weird but can you...?”

“bear with me on this one but I want to....?”

The answer to all of the questions above has been and will continue to be yes. We have the capability to print standard business stationery and the machinery to provide all manner of promotional print and large format advertising signage whether for buildings, exhibitions or vehicles.

As well as that weird and wonderful item that you know will stand out from the crowd and get your company noticed.

It’s the season of events, exhibitions and shows so everyone should be geared up commercially.

So if you want to go “on a bit of a push” we have our roll up banners on offer for £99 apiece and the essential accompaniment of the obligatory A5 flyers from £89 per thousand. That’s more than enough for a season of exhibitions or to send out with your invoices and statements promoting your wares.

Is the question “Can i afford this” or is it “Can I afford not to do this”.

For all your promotional print speak to PrintMatters.

Bright Ideas

Imagine the frustration. You receive a new set of corporate stationery from your printer You open the box to see your new corporate image which is going to convey all manner of professionalism to your customers and propel you to that next level.

Then you spot a mistake.

Surely its not like that on everything?! But it is. All 2000 invoices, all 2000 compliment slips and everyone of your 3000 letterheads. You check the signed proof. The mistake was on the design all along but you missed it.

Darn it.

Your printer says “Sorry but you proofed it” but surely after all the business you have given them over the years they will be able to help you out somehow?! Discount on the reprint or sell the stock or something.

Nope. “Sorry your fault your problem.”

You are fuming. So you start thinking how can I fix this? Labels, its not a big mistake if I just get labels printed up and stick one on every time we send things. Great.

So you phone a few printers and they give you the price for the labels its just as much as the bleedin’ stationery.

You phone and ask the local printer in Yellow Pages and are met with a similar response. “They will not save you much; it will look tacky to send that out with your new logo.” Your heart sinks.

Then you hear the question “Have you got all your letterheads?”

You spark up thinking, glimmer of hope. “Yes”

“Tell you what bring them in. We could chop the top and bottom off the letterheads to make your compliment slips that way your not paying for more paper than you need.

“Brilliant, what will it cost to do it all?”

“About 1/3^rd of what you paid originally”

Relief washes over you. A very bad day turned brighter.

PrintMatters. We do more.

01356 625033 enquiries@printmatters.info

Flyers distribution

Last week I discussed the effectiveness of one of the simplest promotional tools around. Flyers.

We constantly promote ourselves as a “print solutions provider”, what the hell does that mean I hear you ask? Well put simply we do more. More than just print.

Having hundreds or thousands of flyers is one thing, but they are no use to anyone sitting in a box in your cupboard. As a business owner you don’t have the time to sort out who gets the flyers where and when. We can do all that for you.

Not only will we consult with you, design and print your flyers we will also deliver them to your potential customers taking the time and effort to ensure that your message is not only created and printed, its delivered, driving new customers to your business.

What does it cost? Well if we deal with our immediate local area; to print and deliver flyers to 94-96% of the households in Brechin it will cost you from only £299.For Montrose it will cost from only £439. That’s to print and deliver 7,000 flyers and apart from writing the cheque you will not have to lift a finger.

Last week we mentioned some of the little gems that make your promotional materials stand out from the crowd;

Heavier stock to reduce throwaways and increase retention

Coupons to measure effectiveness and generate footfall

Pairing up your promotional activities through advertising, door drops, in store promotions and even seasonal “on van” promotions or adverts to maximise exposure. Remember it takes 5 sights of an advert before it registers with a customer.

We don’t just print, we design, we consult, we market, we distribute, we deliver.

Come and speak to PrintMatters….we do more.

01356 625033

Flyers as a promotional tool

One of our customers based in the depths of Englandshire has a plumbing business and is always competing for business with a plethora of competitors.

In a conversation with PrintMatters he had asked displayed his frustration at not being able to gain an edge over the competition. When we had mentioned to him promotional flyers and door drops his reply was pretty curt in that there was no way he could afford the flyers and the delivery.

When we hinted to him at the actual cost he was slightly taken aback. So much so that he was looking at larger quantities.

The majority of promotional flyers are printed on 130gsm paper but for this we went for 170gsm with a silk finish. The reason for this is that the recipient will always get a feel for the professionalism of a company is from its promotional material.

In order to increase retention we advised a coupon that would do two things;

1. Firstly allow the company to measure the response from the flyers

2. And secondly give the recipient a reason to hold on to the flyer until it is needed rather than bin it.

Using a distribution company the flyers can be handed out door to door in a designated post code area in a matter of weeks.

The response was incredible so much so that he is looking to do another larger mailing expanding his initial area and slightly changing the offer.

So how much was it? For printing 20,000 flyers on 170gsm matt finish paper it was only £429 which he recouped very quickly. We can do larger runs like his next one of 70,000 or the more modest runs of 5000 for £149.

PrintMatters. Where our only limit is your imagination.

Award winners!

On Wednesday night Bill and Sandra our illustrious leaders were guests of Dundee College at the Business to College Awards ceremony in Edinburgh.

We have been working closely with Dundee College for about 9 months now and they have been instrumental in training and developing our workforce through knowledge transfer schemes and training courses.

One of which, you will all be amused to hear, Bill is on called Leadership for Growth.

Based on the work undertaken with PrintMatters and the results achieved in the project, both Dundee College and PrintMatters were successful in winning the award for Impact in the private sector and the College went on to win College of the year 2010.

Through all the training we have been receiving our workforce has increased production capacity and it also means we can offer our extended services such as design and marketing to our normal print customers.

For your print requirement, no matter how large or small, give us a call on 01356 625033 where our only limit is your imagination.

Letterhead legal requirements

Many people when ordering company letterheads only consider the design and the quality of paper they are printed on.

However, as mentioned last week, your company letterhead and order form need to follow several legal requirements. If you fail to implement these then a reprint could be required wasting vital cash.

The requirements are simple and vary depending on your business. PrintMatters will be on hand to make sure that you meet the necessary requirements.

If you are a sole trader you can trade under your own name or you can choose a different business name. If you choose a business name that is not your own name, you must include your own name and the business address on all letterheads and order forms.

If you are a partnership business your letterheads, order forms, receipts and even invoices must include the names of all partners and the address of the main office. If there are many partners then it is also acceptable to state where a list of partners may be found.

If your company is trading as a limited company the letterhead and order form stationary must include:

· Your full registered company name

· The company registration number and place of registration

· The company registered address and the address of its place of business, if different

· There is no need to include the names of the directors on the letterhead for a limited company, but be aware if you choose to name a director you must name all of them

It is also sensible to include all your generic company contact information such as a telephone and fax number, a url for the business' website and an email address.

Depending on your business type other statements must be made on the letterhead;

An investment company must state that it is such a company.

A company exempt from using the word 'limited' in its name must state that it is a limited company

Charitable companies whose name excludes the words 'charity' or 'charitable' must state the fact that it is a charity on its stationary.

For any enquiries in relation to printed letterheads please contact us on 01356 625033 or enquiries@printmatters.info.

Business printing are you compliant?

Print is not something that is interesting to talk about or has any special black magic to it like our other two sectors (motorsport and canine). It’s just a case of printing.

What we provide to our customers is a reliable, efficient, friendly and cost effective service. If you call us, email us or in this day and age facebook us then we can turn your job around within 5 working days from proof of artwork.

Business cards; the best networking tool around and we can provide runs of 250 cards from £34

Compliment Slips, it pays to be polite, 1/3 A4 size full colour on one side again 250 of them only £33. For the more polite among you we can do 1,500 for £85.

Letterheads have legal requirements. Limited companies must include the company registration number and place of registration. Requirements also extend to partnerships, sole traders and charities among others. Contact us to make sure you are compliant. We can print 500 for £61 going to 2,000 for £199 and beyond.

Leaflets are perhaps the best way to promote your company locally, to your existing customers through deliveries and monthly statements or just to read at your premises. 5,000 A5 leaflets full colour double sided only £149. If you would like PrintMatters to design them for you there will be a small surcharge.

For any enquiries about printing or the legal requirements of letterheads please call us on 01356 625 033 or email enquiries@printmatters.info.

Design partner

PrintMatters are more than just a print company. By strengthening our skillset we have been able to offer our customers a lot more than just a printing service. We have already highlighted our Marketing service but one of our longest standing services is Design.

Any printer worth its salt must have a design function. Very few actually offer the service to customers. We don’t have to design things for print only, our designers are skilled in web design, e-newsletter design and implementation as well as any advertising you would like designed for local papers, yellow pages or online box advertising.

Last time we talked about how to market to your customers through existing communications methods such as invoices, statements and emails. Why not ask our design department to review your documentation and suggest additions such as strategically placed adverts that will catch the eye but not detract from the serious nature of the communication?

By starting with the basics each company can make every outbound communication a valued and professional one. How many emails do you send to your customers or prospective customers, how many invoices and statements do you send, how many deliveries do you post out and do they convey the correct message?

Each communication you send out only needs a slight amendment to convey your message of the month. Designing these documents does not cost the earth either. We charge and hourly rate of £30 for designing customer work and that is broken down into 15minute segments. No minimum charge. If it is 15 minutes of design time then you will only be charged £7.50.

A professional look to your communications is not expensive but it makes all the difference to the perception of your company, and if we get to print something out of it, all the better!

Marketing partner

PrintMatters are more than just a print company. Over the past 18 months we have been strengthening our workforce which has enabled us to widen our skillset. This has allowed us to increase our own business but crucially allowed us the opportunity to work closely with our customers to enable them to grow their own business. After all the stronger our customers business is the stronger our business is.

By investing in Marketing personnel PrintMatters can now not only print and design your future communications but we can also work with you to gain more from your exisitng customers and generate new customers. Every business has a customer base and means of contacting them but very few actually use the database to alert customers to special offers, new services or products and even just wishing them a happy new year. The only time the majority of companies will actually contact customers is when they are moving premises which is a forced communication.

You are now probably thinking that contacting all your customers is going to cost an absolute fortune. Traditional mail outs can be costly due to the postage, but how often do you contact your customers through day to day business?

By starting with the basics each company can make every outbound communication a valued one. How many emails do you send to your customers or prospective customers, how many invoices and statements do you send, how many deliveries do you post out?

Simple questions of which only you will know the answer but why should an invoice which is costing you a stamp to send out anyway not also be used to communicate your latest special deal. Email footers can be easily changed to carry a promotional message and deliveries can have a leaflet or letter of thanks in them. Each communication you send out only needs a slight amendment to convey your message of the month.

Did you know it takes one person 5 individual views of an advert before they will actually acknowledge or take notice?

Marketing need not cost the earth it is about considered communications with your existing customer base. It is far more cost effective to grow business with an existing customer than it is to attract a new one.

fraser@printmatters.info. 01356 625 033

Direct Mailing

Direct mail is a long established marketing tool and is considered a cost-effective way to attract attention to a company or product.

People tend to like receiving post and are statistically more likely to spend more time looking at what the postman’s delivered than what’s landed in their email inbox. Direct mail is tangible, you can hold it and the very act of opening a piece of DM already engages prospective customers much more so than an email.

Even if an email gets through the spamfilter and firewall the recipient still has only the subject line to decide whether they open or delete the message. This is a very small window of opportunity for the company advertising to “sell” to the recipient.

Traditionally direct mail has been one message to a mass of people where only a minority will respond positively to the advertising material. As a digital print company PrintMatters can target your data based on things such as postcode, name, or any other data that you hold on your customers or prospective customers. This data can then be used to change the message the recipient receives providing a much targeted mailing relevant to all your customers.

Due to the huge explosion in online and new media communications in the last ten years many companies are switching to direct mail as a way to stand out amongst the crowd.

Further evidence shows that while print is growing rapidly in its effectiveness and email communication diminishing; response rates can double by combining email and print in a direct marketing campaign. By following up print with a targeted email the response rates can double to that of print alone.

For more information on our previous direct mailing exercises or for a quote please contact us on 01356 625 033 or email enquiries@printmatters.info.