Pepper Mail House and Print Services

Pepper News

Apprentice Printer Chris Head becomes Chief Executive of BPIF For a Day in a Job Swap for National Apprentice

As part of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (1 - 5 February 2010), our very own apprentice Printer Chris, takes on the role as Chief Executive of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) in London.

On Monday 1 February, Chris will spend the day at one of Britain’s leading trade associations, experiencing what his life could be like in the future. Chris will lead a meeting with BPIF staff, visit BPIF member company 1 st Byte, as well as attending a reception at the House of Commons.

Chris was Highly Commended by the judges at the BPIF PrintWeek Excellence Awards in 2009 in the Apprentice Award category, for his dedicated work at Pepper Communications. Christopher said, “Heading up BPIF for a day is pretty exciting. I’ll give it my best shot; I’m really looking forward to my day in London.”

Meanwhile in Plymouth, BPIF Chief Executive Michael Johnson will be returning to familiar surroundings. As an ex Devonport Naval Commander, Johnson will take on Chris’s duties at Pepper Communications, working alongside the team. This will include running a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 printing press.

As well as Micheal we look forward to welcoming a number orflocal, national and trade press who will be covering the story throughout the day! Jake Whitford, Production Manager at Pepper Communications, commented, “We’re looking forward to welcoming Michael. We’ll keep him busy and try not to ‘press’ him to hard!”

Kathy Woodward, Executive Chair of BPIF Training, said: “A well-trained, motivated workforce is vital for any business, and the BPIF is excited to be a part of the National Apprenticeship Programme 2010. We look forward to having Chris with us for the day, and are certain he will do a great job as Chief Executive. His passion for the industry he works in is truly exceptional, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

 

Pepper Attain ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 Quality and Environmental Management Standards
27th October 2009

We are proud to announce we have been certified to ISO 9001 Standard for Quality and ISO 14001 Standard for Environmental management by BSI in line with our strategic objectives. For you our customer this has the following Benefits

The Kitemark means that...

the products are regularly tested Benefit: You can be confident that our product will be compliant with the relevant standards.

the testing is always independent Benefit: You can be sure that the testing has been done correctly.

BSI regularly assesses the quality system of the factory site Benefit: You can be sure that systems are in place to maintain the same high product standards, week in, week out.

BSI has certified the product Benefit: The world's most respected standards body has certified the product.

considerable time and effort has been devoted by Pepper Benefit: You can be sure that we are committed to product quality.

Press Release

The standards were achieved through an intranet based combined Quality and Environmental Management System (QEMS) which covers the design and supply of lithographic & digital printing, print finishing & mailing services.

We have implemented a strategy of continuous improvement to drive quality and reduce its impact on the environment. This builds on ongoing initiatives having under taken a Vision in Print Programme earlier in the year, and environmental foundations of BS8555 and FSC & PEFC Chain of Custody accreditation, which the company was awarded last year.

Saul Whitford who was responsible for the implementation of the system across the company says “The need for accreditation became increasingly important as it is becoming the benchmark of top class companies within our industry and as our client base has evolved to include larger corporates and public sector contracts it became a necessity.”

We are using the systems as a tool to drive change in the organisation and are looking to expand the system to incorporate other aspects of the business such as Investors in People.

The standards have helped promote a performance and improvement culture of lean processes and high quality with a right first time mentality with quality checks at each stage of the production process. This aims to reduce wastage and encourage recycling of all items as well as having clear measurable objectives throughout the organisation.

Jude Whitford, Commercial Director says: “These standards help us in continuing to deliver customer satisfaction, meeting our customers needs and expectations with regard to both the quality of the print and customer service underpinned with a strong environmental ethos. It demonstrates our commitment to both quality and the environment and most important of all our customers.”

We are also running to FOGRA and ISO 12647 standards for colour and are self certified PAS 2020.

Free Letter from Santa
08th December 2009

Every Christmas, Royal Mail offer a free letter from Santa and it’s a great way to bring little bit of magic to the little uns at Christmas.

All you need to do is ask your child to write a letter to Father Christmas, including details of what they wish to tell Santa – don’t forget to include a reply address.

Pop it in an envelope with a 1st or 2nd stamp on it and send it to the following address by Friday 11th December 2009:

Santa
Santa’s Grotto
Reindeerland
SAN TA1

Please remember a reply address to ensure your letter back and post it to Santa by Friday 11th December 2009.

 

Vision In Print
27th October 2009

Here at Pepper we are always striving to improve, which is why we have recently undertaken a Vision in Print programme which highlighted key areas and opportunities for improvement in our office and pre-press workflow and developed an action plan to become a world class company, cutting costs and still ensuring we offer our customers an efficient and quality service.

VIP provides an industry-specific and cost-effective service to help proactively improve productivity and competitiveness. To achieve this goal, Vision in Print employs continuous improvement and Lean Manufacturing techniques, established in world-class manufacturing industries. With print- and packaging-based knowledge and a close working relationship with industry partners, it has built up a wealth of experience.

We initially undertook a Snap Shot which highlighted areas for improvement, subsequently we embarked on a 5 day 0ffice and Pre-Press change cycle which established the root causes of the inefficiencies in our workflow, from this came 3 critical Success Projects to resolve the inefficiencies and cut costs and time. We will keep you updated to how these projects are going through out the year.

Royal Mail Strike Action - A Real Alternative
25th October 2009

With the continuation of the Royal Mail strikes and talks of more on the way we thought that we would offer some real alternatives to make sure your addressed mail arrives on time. As well as Royal Mail we also use TNT Post who are a Down Stream Access (DSA) provider. They have their own collections and Sortation centres and inject directly into Royal Mai l Inward Mailing Centres , for Royal Mail.

Royal Mail will continue to accept mail at their IMCs. At the end of the strike period Royal Mail will then deliver mail in order of availability and due to the nature of Down Stream Access our mail will be the first to be processed.

In preparation for the strike on October 29 th – 31 st we have taken the following actions to mitigate any impact on our customers. They include:

• Provision of additional resource to cover collections and handover (double manning of vehicles to support drivers to achieve 100% handover to Royal Mail).
• Working closely with Royal Mail to help facilitate and achieve 100% handover at IMCs
• Putting in place a contingency plan for additional/alternative consumables to be supplied to consumers in case of prolonged strike activity.
• Setting up of a TNT Post strike task force who will monitor and evaluate the impact of strike action. They will ensure customers are informed of any impact on their mailings and provide up to date handover statistics.

To find out more about how you can use TNT Post please call our sales team on 08450 603050 now.

Meet Jake our Production Manager.
27th October 2009

Jake Whitford is our Production Manager, he ensures that all of the work flows through the manufacturing process smoothly dealing with personnel, scheduling and outwork requirements.

A Business Information Systems graduate from UWE, Jake joined the company in 2000 as an account manager, a forward facing sales support and customer service role before managing the move to our new premises 8yrs ago. He's now been in Production Manager Position since the beginning of 2008.

As Production Manager he is ultimately responsible for the whole of production, all its resources, and the production office. It is his responsibility to manage the flow of work throughout the company by overseeing the planning and scheduling of work, co-ordinating the systems and procedures, assuring quality and ensuring the employees perform to the best of their abilities. What this means for you is that your work is done to the best of our ability to the highest quality and delivered on time.

 

How much paper can you get from one tree?
27th October 2009

A good question but difficult answer. Lets assume that you can get an amount of wood from one tree that’s 8 feet wide x 4 feet deep and 4 feet high (this is known in papermaking circles as a ‘cord’) you could produce enough paper to manufacture the following printed items.
· 942 copies of 100 page hard backed book
· 4,384,000 commemorative sized postage stamps
· 460,000 personal cheques
· 1200 copies of National Geographic Magazine
· 2700 copies of an average daily newspaper

Royal Mail Strike Action - Renewed 3 day strike
25th October 2009

The CWU and Royal Mail have failed to come to a resolution over working conditions & pay once again and CWU have announced a further nationwide 3 day strike from Thursday 29th October to Saturday 31st October.

Thursday 29th October – Inward Mailing Centre staff will be on strike
Friday 30th October - Encoding departments will be on strike. This will only affect
handwritten items and items without the correct postcode.
Saturday 31st October - Delivery Office staff will be on strike.

 

Royal Mail Strike Action - continues
20th October 2009

Royal Mail have announced Fresh industrial action after talks broke down, please see below for dates and a break down of effected areas.

 

 

Royal Mail Strike Action
14 July 2009

Royal Mail have announced industrial action due to take place on Friday 17th July and Saturday 18th July in some Mail Centres and Delivery Offices.

Well over 90% of the country remains unaffected.

The affected areas are London ( Mail Centres, Distribution Centres and the majority of delivery Offices), also affected are a small number of delivery offices in Scotland, Midlands, Bristol and East Anglia and Mail Centres in Darlington and Plymouth.

Please be assured that contingencies are in place to minimise any disruption and every effort will be made to return to normal service as soon as possible. Inevitably though, deliveries will be affected in these areas.

If you have any major concerns please contact your account manager on 08450 603050.

Apprentice Printer Chris Head Highly commended at Printweek Excellence Awards 200
5th July 2009

Apprentice printer Chris Head has been highly commended in the apprentice category of the Printweek Excellence Awards. His quick progression from the bindery to running a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 showed Christopher’s aptitude and keenness to progress. While his friends complain that they have work tomorrow, he says “I can’t wait – I love it.”

Described as well organised, passionate and a team player his entry stood out, especially his ability to contribute to the company’s business objectives and profitability. Congratulations Chris!

For more information see http://www.printweek.com/news/917270

 

 

Carbon Calculator Launched
20th March 2009

We have now come a step closer in our on-going quest for true carbon neutrality with an industry specific carbon calculator which will allow us to accurately measure our carbon footprint giving us a figure to reduce and offset against.

This means you will be able to produce carbon neutral jobs and use of the easily recognisable Carbon Neutral logo on your products printed by us. A clear sign of your environmental commitment.

This is the first and most comprehensive calculator focused exclusively on the print industry and is aligned with the principles of the BSI British Standard PAS2050, the first true methodology for calculating carbon emissions.   We will be able to measure in detail the impact of specific print jobs, enabling a proactive approach to carbon emissions.

The Calculator took a year to produce and was developed by and BPIF in association with The Carbon Neutral Company® has consulted widely with The Carbon Neutral Company®, its members, associates, and trade bodies nationally and internationally. 

For more info go to www.carbonneutral.com or BPIF website

Royal Mail Price Increases2009
15th March 2009

Royal Mail have announced their price increases for 2009. The price of First and Second class stamps for standard letters weighing up to 100g would rise by 3p, to 39p and 30p respectively, from 6 April 2009 , in line with the price controls set by the regulator, Postcomm.

Business customers will see price increases averaging 4.2%, but the changes include a range of measures to ensure that both large and small businesses can get the best value for money from Royal Mail’s services:

- Smaller price increases for businesses using franking machines and pre-paid accounts;

- Increased discounts for machineable mail and lower than inflation increases for many bulk business services including Mailsort 2.

Royal Mail’s most recent independently measured Quality of Service report showed all First and Second Class mail, Standard Parcels, Special Delivery and bulk business services were delivered at target beating performance levels.

Business mail services

Download prices for services including First and Second Class, Special Delivery™, Cleanmail ®, Contract Packets, Collection & Delivery options and International services.

Business mail services price guide (PDF 988KB Opens in new window) 

Marketing & bulk mail services

Find out about prices for services such as Mailsort ®, Sustainable Mail™, Walksort ®, Presstream ® and Door to Door.

Marketing & bulk mail services price guide (PDF 1,201KB Opens in a new window)

International contract services

See our prices high-volume overseas mail including International Unsorted, Format Sort and No Sort.

International contract services price guide (PDF 968KB Opens in a new window)

Price wallcharts

Print these handy wall charts to display on your wall.

Inland postage prices wall chart (PDF 104KB Opens in a new window)

International postage prices wall chart (PDF 91KB Opens in a new window)

For the full break down of prices go to www.royalmail.com/prices2009

Updated Artwork Guides
26th February 2009

We are in the process of updating all of our artwork guides to make them as up to date and useful as possible. Please see our latest update on common problems on our resource pages or alternatively download the PDF here.

 

Congratulations to Darren Hall
20th February 2009

Congratulations are in order for Darren Hall, our pre press manager, who recently took and passed his Snooker Referee Grade III examination. Using his underlying skills on the snooker table Darren always has his eye on the ball at work, never missing a trick to ensure your jobs are perfect every time and your never snookered!

Sustainable Mail
13th February 2009

The Royal Mail are launching a new incentive on April 6th 2009* designed to help you increase the use of environmentally-friendly materials in your mailings, while reducing the amount of mail in the waste stream. By meeting our specification not only will you be able to demonstrate your commitment to recycling, sustainability and reduced waste, but you’ll also be saving money on your postage costs. And to ensure the specification is up-to-date with current sustainable thinking it has been aligned it to PAS 2020 – the new environmental standard for direct marketing developed by the direct marketing industry in partnership with the British Standards Institute (BSI). For more info check out the full specification here or Royal Mail pages here.

*Subject to Postcomm approval

FSC Anniversary
4th February 2008

This week we celebrate our first year of being FSC certified. In the past year we’ve completed over 360 FSC certified jobs, that’s nearly one every single day that we have been certified and we plan to do a lot more in 2009. As more and more people jump on the FSC bandwagon it’s nice to know that we were one of the front runners and can provide you with experienced advice on these issues. As always we are offering our clients a free FSC consultation on all their print and mailing requirements please call 08450 603050 to arrange yours or check out our FSC pages here.

 

New Heidelberg B1 XL105 Press Installed
20th November 2008

We have now taken delivery of our new B1 XL 105 and the build stages are complete. The rollers are currently being put in and training will be held over the coming weeks.

The press offers peak performance in its class with reduced make ready times and faster running speeds. It will be linked to Image Control colour management system, along with our existing presses, to complete our closed loop colour management workflow ensuring ISO 12647 colour standards for the best quality print every time.

Reduced cost, faster turnaround and superior colour quality everytime. Guaranteed!

One of our new printers Luke puts in the new rollers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Christmas Mailing Dates
15th November 2008

These are the latest dates that you can send post and guarantee that it's there before Christmas. Don't get caught out!

Monday 15th December - Mailsort®3
Thursday 18th December – Standard 2 nd Class, Mailsort®2, Presstream™2, Walksort®2, Royal Mail Tracked™
Saturday 20thDecember - Standard1 st Class, Mailsort®1, Presstream™1 and Walksort®
Tuesday 23rd December - Special Delivery™

Changes to Royal Mail PPI Specification
15th November 2008

From 1st December adherence to the new PPI specification will start to be enforced.

Mail which does not meet the new standard will not be accepted & mail found with an error will be returned for correction. Please check that the PPI/HQ number used is the correct one allocated to your account. See below for the changes.

• Where an Agents PPI number is used as a contingency but the mailing is processed on the end client Account Number. (The HQ PPI number used for a mailing should associate to the Account Number on which the posting is made.)
• Where an Agent uses their client's PPI number but dockets against the own account. ( Usually a practice when clients have no access to a particular or required RM product/service.)
• Where the PPI design does not meet the design specifications.

Full details of the Mailsort PPI specifications and artwork are available from www.royalmail.com/clearaddressing.

New Heidelberg B1 XL105 Press
20th October 2008

Pepper is pleased to announce that we'll soon be taking delivery of a new B1 press from Heidelberg. The press will offer peak performance in its class and will be linked to Image Control colour management system, as will our other presses, to complete our closed loop colour management workflow ensuring the best quality every time.

Along with running to colour standards the new press will also allow for reduced make ready times and faster running speeds which means that turnaround times will be reduced meaning you get the same quality job for less and faster..

We now cover the whole spectrum of the sheetfed market from B1 to digital.

Pepper Opens Bristol Office
19th October 2008

We are proud to announce the opening of our brand new Bristol office set in an idyllic barn conversion located between Bath and Bristol close to the M4. The Bristol team consists of 3 sales representatives, 2 account managers and a designer. The offices will act as a satellite from our main manufacturing plant in Plymouth and is part of our strategic growth plan. Over the coming weeks we’ll have an intro to each of our new team.

FSC Friday -26th September
16th September 2008

The inaugural FSC Friday is being held on 26 th September with the aim to raise awareness of the FSC logo and to encourage people to look for the logo when buying wood or paper products. 

FSC UK is also hoping to highlight the importance of UK forests and there will be a range of events taking place in FSC certified forests over the weekend.

FSC UK’s Marketing Officer, Rosie Teasdale, explains “ We want to use FSC Friday to make people more aware of the importance of responsible forestry and the role of FSC.  Ancient forests are still being destroyed at an alarming rate, jeopardising the wildlife and the future of the people who live and work in the forests.  Unfortunately, the products of illegal logging do find their way into the British marketplace.  The FSC logo gives consumers confidence that they are not supporting this destructive industry.”

“The FSC logo is appearing on a growing number of products.  As well as garden furniture and timber for DIY, the logo can now be seen on books, magazines, tissues, food packaging, wooden toys and much more.  We hope that FSC Friday will encourage consumers to look out for these FSC products when they are out shopping – and make every day an FSC Day!”

FSC UK is offering prizes for the best photographs of an FSC Friday event - whether this be an organised FSC Friday activity or just a family walk in an FSC forest.  There will also be a prize for the most innovative celebration of FSC Friday.  Anyone interested in organising an event should contact Rosie Teasdale (rosie@fsc-uk.org) for more details.

 

FOGRA ISO 12647 - The Standard for Colour
15th September 2008

We are now running to the FOGRA standard which is based on ISO 12647 quality standard for colour in print.  Our displays and proofing devices have been calibrated and CTP curves modified so that we can match proofs for colour 99% correct on press. 

Our proofing paper is not a true representation of the paper stock actually supplied but is used as a base to provide a true representation of the final colour to be achieved on press accurately simulating coated and uncoated paper stocks.

Although Fogra is based on ISO 12647-2 it incorporates much more than just print and requires the control and measurement of displays, proofs, plates and lighting as well.

 

Magazine Week 2008
18th July 2008

Magazine Week is part of the PPA's remit to promote and protect the interests of the magazine industry. This year it takes place from 29 September to 5 October. The initiative is designed to increase awareness of the magazine industry in the UK today and to communicate the breadth of the magazine offering.

The week will combine retail promotion and branding with a packed PR schedule, to excite and educate the general public about the vast range of titles available.

For more information visit www.magazineweek.net

Personalised Your Stamp Available Through TNT
15th July 2008

TNT Post has developed an innovative marketing tool to help increase envelope opening rates, response uplift and reach for direct, transpromo or transactional mail. This is achieved by personalising the mail piece with your own stamp design – so that recipients deem the mail piece to be higher in value than mail with a standard pre-printed indicia.

your Stamp can be used to raise brand awareness, highlight a promotion, celebrate an anniversary or simply highlight change of address details – the only limit is your imagination. yourStamp is the first of its kind and tests have shown using stamps on direct mail can, where appropriately used, increase response. They have no intrinsic monetary value but give you the opportunity to personalise a stamp with your own design.

Click here to see a case study and some interesting results.

Carbon Neutral Mailings Through TNT Post

15th July 2008

Pepper is now proud to offer Carbon Neutral Mailings via our prefered DSA (Down Stream Access) supplier TNT Post. This is a new initiative for our customers to enable them to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. It is an added value service that works in addition to any of the current TNT Post UK mail services we offer.

The offering can be broken down into four key areas; Evaluation, Reduction, Offset and Accreditation. To find out more visit our Carbon Neutral Mailing page or contact one of our account directors on 08450 603050.

Designer Innes MacLean Weds
1st July 2008

Congratulations are in order for newly married Designer Innes Macclean and wife Becki. The happy couple wed on the 26th June.

Pepper Visits Drupa
10th June 2008

From the 27th May -11th June Drupa, the worlds largest Print Media exhibition took place in Düsseldorf , Germany . Our team of directors were lucky enough to be guests of Heidelberg, the largest exhibitor and arguably the most influential. The vastness of the show is mind blowing with all the major players in the industry, and many smaller ones, coming together to show off their wares.

Here is what director Jude Whitford had to say – “It’s a great place to come and get an overall feel of what the print industry as a whole is doing and see the latest innovations and technological developments which will help us and our clients strive into the future.”

Jude and Steve Whitford were taken on a VIP dinner and treated to a dance interpretation of the history of print. We all enjoyed the Altstadt (Old Town) area and stayed on interesting hotel boats moored on the Rhine River.

All in all it was a good trip and offered great insight into the future of our industry.

Jamie Ahearn Players Player
5th June 2008

Account Manager Jamie Ahearn who captains Launceston FC in the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League was awarded the Players Player award for most outstanding player of the season as voted for by his fellow team mates. Jamie also won the managers player award which is voted for by the management team for who they think was the best player over the season..   

Jamies says - "The Players Player is the best trophy to win at any club. It shows what your other team mates think of you as a player and it gives you a really good buzz inside knowing you are respected by your fellow team players."

Congratulations Jamie!

 

David Timmins Kicks his Way to a Green Belt.
2nd June 2008

Sales director David Timmins has attained his Green Belt in Kick boxing. After months of training and a rigorous grading exam where he had to not only perform a set of routine combinations, pad work and continuous fitness but spar two partners for 10mins! He passed convincingly to collect his Green belt, the 4th in the series. Congratulations David!

 

New Consumer Protection Legislation
14th May 2008

The Consumer Protection for Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 comes into force on 26 May, subject to the Regulations passing smoothly through Parliament. This major new piece of consumer protection legislation replaces many existing laws with new concepts of misleading actions/omissions and aggressive practices. There is also a general provision imposing a duty not to trade unfairly, and for the first time in the areas of marketing and advertising, breaches can attract criminal sanctions as well as civil penalties.

There are 31 listed trade practices which are explicitly banned, for example restricting the use of the word ‘free’ or making persistent and unwanted solicitations by telephone, fax, email or other remote media, both of which can be punishable by jail.

A summary of what the legislation means for you can be found here and the DMA is also offering advice.

Devon Wildlife Trust Corporate Members
8th May 2008

We are proud to announce our continuing support of the Devon Wildlife Trust who do such good work all around the county in which our headquarters and main manufacturing plant is based.

Established as a registered charity in 1962, the Devon Wildlife Trust has a unique and influential position. Unique because it is the only organisation concerned with all aspects of wildlife conservation in Devon . Influential because it is a member of The Wildlife Trusts partnership, a nationwide network dedicated to the achievement of a UK richer in wildlife.

Devon Wildlife Trust's vision for Devon :

• A place where the future of wildlife is secure - DWT strives to safeguard threatened species and landscapes.
• A place where wildlife is plentiful, varied and widespread - DWT works with all kinds - in the city and in the countryside, on land and in our seas.
• A place where the benefits of wildlife are shared and enjoyed by all - DWT works for people too, giving everyone the chance to share and enjoy Devon 's natural heritage and help secure it for future generations.

 

UK 3rd Largest importer of illegal Logging
15th April 2008

According to research from the WWF, the conservation group, estimates that the EU is responsible for €3bn (£2bn) of the global €10bn-€15bn in revenue lost to countries of origin. Of Britain 's annual imports of about 7.9 million cubic metres of wood, the environmental group believes 2.2 million cubic metres is illegally logged: 600,000 hectares of forest each year - nearly three times the size of Luxembourg .

28 per cent of timber arriving in the UK comes from trees that should still be standing and if you include timber and paper made from illegally logged trees (bringing the UK to 2.3 million cubic metres) there are only 2 worse offenders in the EU - Finland and Sweden, responsible for 5.1 million and 2.6 million respectively. Britain 's total is 50 per cent higher than Germany 's, almost double that of France and four times that of Spain .

Illegal logging causes manifold social and environmental problems, including climate change, lower public revenue, increased corruption, removal of indigenous people from tribal land and habitat loss for endangered animals.

The WWF's estimates (no one can be sure) are based on the levels of illegal logging in exporter countries, which can be as high as 80 per cent for countries such as Indonesia , which have widespread corruption. Indonesia accounts for the highest value of wood imports into the EU - about five per cent.

The wood arrives in many forms in the UK , sometimes as logs, as plywood, or as finished products such as garden furniture. However, it is not illegal in Britain to import timber illegally logged abroad.

In the UK , consumers can make sure their furniture, floors, toys and other goods are legal by buying wood carrying the label of the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC oversees teams of auditors that check forests to ensure trees are being re-planted and the rate of felling is sustainable. Most certified forests are in Europe and North America .

Nick Cliffe, the director of the Forest Stewardship Council UK , said: " Look for the FSC mark and if you don't see it walk away."

 

DM Perceptions
15th April 2008

Direct Marketing has always been an industry that strives to understand and respond to the changing needs of consumers. Keeping up to date with trends has been vital in ensuring the continued health and ongoing, robust growth of the sector.

Consumers are becoming actively involved in the marketing process in an attempt to filter the information so that they only have what they need.

The findings from Participation Media 2007 conducted by the DMA provide positive indications for the direct marketing industry in 2008. It provides excellent evidence for the effectiveness of many of the key media and methods from the consumer’s perspective.

Below is a summary of some of the key points

:• Responses to direct mail were almost twice as positive in reality than first perceived.

• Door drops scored highly in terms of convenience and provision of information.

• The valuable role of marketing is demonstrated by those who value access to information before they make a purchase. The desire to be well informed prior to purchase is consistent across all demographic types.

• Consumers are becoming more reluctant to share their personal information with companies due to heightened awareness of identity fraud and high profile incidences of data loss in the media.

• The internet through its role in changing society has a knock on effect of changing the way in which consumers react to marketing messages.

• Each medium has a role to play with the right audience at the right time.

• Positive responses to email marketing have increased by 3.1%, indicating a growing acceptance and appreciation of the medium.

• Television and radio ads, field marketing, customer magazines and inserts lead the field in generating retail traffic.

New Heidelberg Stahlfolder TH/KH
12th April 2008

The Stahlfolders of the new TH/KH generation delivers the quality and speed that buyers now expect of print shops and binderies. Their efficient automation components speed make-ready to greatly boost output. Their new, ergonomic control systems effectively support the user from start to finish. Complete integration of these folding machines in both the production line and the management workflow makes job handling much more transparent. Once captured or defined, production data can be used throughout the process. This taps additional potentials for realizing savings while making production more reliable.

For more information on how you can utilise this new technology in your next job contact your account director

New TNT Post Option
8th April 2008

After a review of our down stream postal provider we have chosen TNT Post as our preferred DSA provider. Through TNT we can now offer a 2 day definite service offering faster, more reliable and more cost effective delivery of bulk mail. This is TNT Post's alternative to Mailsort 1 and 2 for all sortation outputs: 120, 700 and 1400. Utilising the size, scale, resources, delivery and logistics expertise of TNT's UK operations we collect your mail, sorted to Royal Mail specifications, before delivery to their mail centres within agreed time slots.

Premier offers organizations a fast, reliable and cost effective delivery of pre-sorted bulk mail. The service is based on a simple principle, the more work that is done to sort your post before it is handed to TNT Post, the greater the savings and better the efficiency!

Benefits:

• Competitive and flexible pricing providing savings
• 100% UK Coverage
• Fast and reliable 2 day service
• Late, flexible pick up times
• Use of tracking systems enabling improved visibility prompt discrepancy reporting, proof of delivery, management and control

Contact your account director to discuss how you could save money switching to TNT.

Royal Mail Rate Changes
6th April 2008

Royal Mail have new pricing structures for products and services, which came into effect on Monday 7 April 2008.

For more details of these prices you can download the appropriate price guide below. The guides are in PDF format, and you can view them using the free Acrobat Reader.

Business mail services
Download prices for services including Special Delivery™, Cleanmail®, Contract Packets, Collection & Delivery options and UK and International services.

Business mail services price guide.pdf (541KB)

Marketing & bulk mail services
Find out about prices for services such as Door to Door, Royal Mail Heavyweight™, Big Book, Mailsort®, Walksort® and Presstream®.

Marketing & bulk mail services price guide.pdf (472KB)

International contract services
See prices for International Response Services and high-volume overseas mail services including International No Sort and International Zone & Format Sort.

International contract services price guide.pdf (329KB)

Price wallcharts
View postage prices at a glance with these convenient printable wallcharts.

UK postage prices wallchart.pdf
(147KB)
International postage prices wallchart.pdf A4
(120KB)
International postage prices wallchart.pdf A3
(147KB)

 

PEPPER ACHIEVES FSC CERTIFICATION
14thFEBRUARY 2008

We have recently been independently audited and certified as an FSC Certified Printing Company. This acknowledges that we are deemed compliant with the FSC's stringent regulations to become part of the FSC Chain of Custody system. To celebrate we have launched a new environmental section of our website. Go here to read about our Enviromental Ethos. To find out what Chain of Custody is and how you can utilise the power of on product labeling on your printed products visit our dedicated FSC page or call your account manager who will be happy to answer any questions you may have and send you the logo's so you can add them to your artwork.

 

SETH WHITFORD TO PRESENT AT ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SEMINAR
31th January 2008

This month director Seth Whitford will take to the stage to give a presentation on how going green makes good business sense as part of an Environmental Law seminar organized by Envision.

Seth is one of a number of speakers from companies such as Bond Pearce and The Environment Agency who will be presenting. Seth will illustrate how Pepper, by going green, has not only reduced our carbon footprint and helped save the planet but also saved on costs and increased efficiency. To see Envisions case study on Pepper click here.

Envision who are hosting the event help companies realize the business benefits of going green. The event takes place in Plymouth on 21st February 2008 and in Bodmin on 26th February 2008 from 09:45 until 13:00 with lunch and refreshments provided. For more information click here.

AMANDA BOTHA WINS VALENTINES PACKAGE!
30th January 2008

Amanda Botha from Team Europe has won our Valentines package of Champagne, roses and chocolates for this picture!

Apparently dancing on the table inevitably led to a drinks spillage and a very wet crotch for one unlucky fellow!

Congratulations Amanda!

JAKE WHITFORD APPOINTED AS NEW PRODUCTION MANAGER
18th January 2008

 

Jake Whitford has taken on a new role this year as Production Manager. Having been an account manager on the mailing side of the business for several years and prior to that, project managing the move to our new premises Jake is now ready for his next challenge.

To find out a little more about Jake click here.

CUSTOMER DELIGHT!
18th January 2008

Part of Our key focus this year is on customer delight, real honest-to-god customer service of un-paralleled quality, striving for customer sovereignty at unprecedented levels in the print industry. Just send us in a spec for an up coming print or mailing job to quote on and you’ll receive a whole packet for free!

 

PEPPER HAS A SPECIAL GUEST
15th January 2008

Hiding behind Daddy!	All curled up

Honey the Old English Mastiff has been joining us in work this week to escape the noisy work men at home. Her contributions of the odd bark and slober have not always been welcomed but she mostly keeps her self to her self, just snoozing around the office! A good thing too as she weighs in at around 74 Kilos! And she's only 1!

Whats that flashing thing?	Nice ear rub from Seth

 

WIN ROSES, CHAMPAGNE AND CHOCOLATES FOR VALENTINES, JUST SEND US YOU OFFICE PARTY PICS!
8th January 2008

The office Christmas party may seem like a distant memory now, and for some that will be a welcome thought but this month we want to really see what went on. We've uploaded a few pictures from our party night so there's no need to feel shy. If you embarrassed your self silly, let yourself, the other half or indeed everyone that knows you down, then we want to see the evidence. In return we'll make your valentines a breeze with champagne, roses and chocolates for that special someone in your life! All you need to do to send them is click here We look forward to your pics and good luck!

We love cider!	Darren and Michelle
Cheecky smile from Em	Innes and Becki
Dave and Pauline with a kiss from steve!	Young love never to be spoken of again!

Photography: Innes Maclean, Claudine Eastwood.

 

 

 

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Tel: 0845 0603050 Fax: 0845 0603051

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