News
- November 17, 2008, DCP Produces Digital Edition of Hastings Magazine
- November 17, 2008, DCP Wins Five Pearl Awards, Including 3 Gold Awards
- November 17, 2008, DCP Launches New Consumer Newsletter for Brown & Toland Physicians
- September 23, 2008, DCP Hosts West Coast Judging for 2008 Pearl Awards
- September 23, 2008, DCP Helps San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Reconnect With Their Community
- September 23, 2008, DCP Launches Magalog for Draeger's
- July 15, 2008, DCP Earns Four Maggie Finalist Certificates of Excellence and Two Apex Awards in 2008
- July 2, 2008, DCP Earns Five Healthcare Advertising Awards in 2008
- June 12, 2008, DCP Earns Two Aster Awards in 2008
- June 12, 2008, DCP is Platinum Sponsor of Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) 2008 Annual Conference
- April 8, 2008, DCP Announces New Custom Publication Launch for Hastings College of the Law
- April 7, 2008, The 2008 "Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume & Type of Custom Publications in America"
- February 22, 2008, DCP Gets Great Marks on Customer Satisfaction
- February 22, 2008, DCP Publishes Custom Book for Mills-Peninsula Health Services
- February 22, 2008, CPC Organizes First Ever Custom Content Conference
November 17, 2008, DCP Produces Digital Edition of Hastings Magazine
In April of 2008, DCP launched a redesigned Hastings Magazine for the UC Hastings Law Alumni Center. The underlying goals of the reinvented bi-annual publication were to deepen the bonds between 19,000 alumni and Hastings, and to shift readers’ perception of Hastings from "conservative" to "cutting edge".
When the second issue of Hastings Magazine was published in September of 2008, the Department decided to extend the reach of this popular magazine by hiring DCP to produce a digital edition. Prominently displayed on the publications page of the Hastings Alumni website, Hastings Magazine has garnered lots of attention. The statistics are:
• Nearly 1,000 total visits
• 750 unique visitors
• Approaching 25,000 total page views
• Average visit length over 5 minutes
• 26 average page views per visit
The new 60-page magazine conveys a more sophisticated, fresh, progressive feel that departs from traditional law school magazine style. Using a style where text is reduced and photos dominate pages, Hastings Magazine showcases alumni, faculty and programs in meaningful ways and inspires alumni to reconnect with their alma mater.
“With this digital edition, we give alumni an alternative way to interact with Hastings Magazine and we create another potential touch point with our audience,” says Jacqueline Ervin, Assistant Dean Advancement & Communications at UC Hastings Law. “It’s great to work with a partner like DCP that can help us communicate effectively across multiple channels.”
“Creating a digital edition of Hastings Magazine was a smart decision because it takes captivating content and makes it easily accessible to everyone interested in learning about UC Hastings Law,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “We’re delighted that Hastings followed the sound communications practice of providing multiple channels for their readers.”
November 17, 2008, DCP Wins Five Pearl Awards, Including 3 Gold Awards
DCP was honored with five prestigious Pearl Awards. Recognizing the best in design, editorial and strategic initiatives for B2B and consumer custom publications, the Custom Publishing Council (CPC) feted 53 companies with bronze, silver and gold awards at New York City’s Rainbow Room on November 13, 2008. The fifth annual Pearl Awards were presented to an audience of 150 custom publishing executives. This year’s 614 entries represent 70 companies in six countries.
DCP had its best showing yet, taking three Gold Awards, one Silver Award, and one Bronze Award. The high honors were received in five distinct categories—Most Improved; Best Newsletter; Best Annual; Best Achievement of Corporate Objectives; Best Editorial. The five specific awards are:
• Gold: Draeger's Cooking (Design: Most Improved Publication)
• Gold: Solage (Design: Best New Newsletter)
• Gold: Chevron Next* (Design: Best Annual)
• Silver: Frito-Lay Good Fun (Strategy: Best Achievement of Corporate Objectives)
• Bronze: Chevron Next* (Best Editorial: Best Annual)
“In these challenging times, delivering great work to our clients is more important than ever,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP and past president of the CPC Executive Board. “I couldn't be more pleased to share these five distinguished awards with all of the members of the DCP team and our smart, creative clients. Being recognized in three distinct areas—design, editorial and strategy—means that everyone at DCP played a key role in this success.”
About the CPC
The CPC is the leading professional organization representing custom publishers in North America. Founded in 1998, the organization has seen its membership more than double in the last two years. All custom publishing companies, including independent custom publishers, divisions of larger publishing houses, advertising agencies, and other media conglomerates—whether or not they were currently members of the CPC—were invited to enter the competition. Judges were key marketing executives, academics, journalists, designers, corporate strategists and publishers.
About DCP
DCP (www.dcpubs.com), the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading custom publisher, provides complete print and online custom publishing services to a diverse group of clients, including the American Cancer Society, Catholic Healthcare West, Comcast, Chevron, WebEx, the Oakland Athletics, and the San Francisco Giants. With nearly 30 years experience and an award-winning creative and editorial team, DCP develops integrated marketing programs that help companies communicate brand value, deepen customer loyalty, and increase revenue. DCP is part of the Diablo Publications group, one of the country’s largest independent regional publishers.
November 17, 2008, DCP Launches New Consumer Newsletter for Brown & Toland Physicians
DCP recently launched a redesigned consumer newsletter for Brown & Toland Physicians in print and online versions. Brown & Toland Physicians is an innovative provider of integrated health care to HMO and PPO members in the San Francisco Bay Area. The largest organization of its kind in San Francisco, Brown & Toland Physicians is recognized as a well-operating independent practice association (IPA) and a prestigious leader in health care initiatives.
Brown & Toland Physicians selected DCP to enhance its member magazine, HealthLink, in an effort to raise awareness of and affinity for its brand in the minds of San Francisco and Bay Area health care consumers and practitioners. DCP presented Brown & Toland Physicians with an exciting new editorial outline and creative designs to match. The primary focus of these improvements was to infuse vital local information into HealthLink that would distinguish Brown & Toland Physicians as San Francisco’s leading health care resource.
In the premiere issue of this 16-page newsletter, readers will find meaningful health tips and advice complemented by a distinct Bay Area flavor that includes food shopping secrets from top local chefs, a sampling of farmers’ markets, and a 4-page calendar of health and wellness programs in the area.
To make this information accessible to everyone who is interested in learning more about Brown & Toland Physicians, DCP created a digital version of HealthLink that will soon be posted on Brown & Toland Physicians’ website. This E-pub lets website visitors quickly retrieve information housed in the newsletter.
In addition, Brown & Toland Physicians has hired DCP to develop and manage a turnkey e-newsletter program created exclusively to communicate with subscribing physicians. This monthly HTML-based email will provide links to pertinent articles on Brown & Toland Physicians’ website, as well as other reliable web sources. Through this e-newsletter, Brown & Toland Physicians will keep physicians current on pressing topics.
“Our main goal in the HealthLink redesign was to demonstrate to consumers the value of being a Brown & Toland Physicians member; that membership benefits extend beyond picking the group associated with their physician,” says Richard Angeloni, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Brown & Toland Physicians. “It’s important to us that consumers are aware of what we do as an organization to provide superior, coordinated and comprehensive medical services. We believe that DCP has helped make HealthLink much more appealing and relevant to our local consumers.”
“With this comprehensive and integrated program, Brown & Toland Physicians is certain to increase brand awareness and deepen relations with both consumers and physicians,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “We are excited to be Brown & Toland Physicians’ partner in these efforts and anticipate profitable results.”
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September 23, 2008, DCP Hosts West Coast Judging for 2008 Pearl Awards
DCP was selected once again to host the West Coast judging for the 2008 Pearl Awards on October 3, 2008. The Pearl Awards is conducted by the Custom Publishing Council (CPC) to recognize excellence in the custom publishing industry. Awards are offered for distinction in editorial, design and strategy, in 39 different print and online categories. The 2008 Pearl Awards will be given out at a dinner ceremony on November 13, 2008 at the world-famous Rainbow Room in New York.
The Pearls have become the industry standard for quality, with previous winners including Lexus magazine, Ritz-Carlton magazine, WebMD the Magazine, and many more. Last year DCP won three Pearl awards in recognition of the WebEx custom publication, Connect. The specific awards are: Gold—Editorial (Best New Publication/Newsletter); Bronze—Design (Best New Publication/Newsletter); Bronze—Strategy (Best Launch).
A team of over thirty judges in three locations across the country will identify publications demonstrating the best in strategy, design and editorial. The editorial and design award categories focus on the best new, ongoing, and improved publications, while the strategy categories look at how well the publications complement the sponsoring organization’s integrated marketing campaigns, how well they achieve the organization’s goals, how they prove a return on investment, and what type of distribution strategy they employ.
All custom publishing companies, including independent custom publishers, divisions of large publishing houses, advertising agencies, and other media conglomerates—whether or not they are members of the CPC—are invited to enter the competition. Judges are key marketing executives, academics, journalists, designers, corporate strategists, and publishers.
“Considering the significance of the Pearl Awards in our industry, DCP is delighted to host the West Coast judging panel,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP and member of the CPC Executive Board.
In order to ensure impartiality, West Coast judges will not be involved in judging DCP entries in the awards.
About the CPC
The CPC is the leading professional organization representing custom publishers in North America and is focused on promoting the growth and vitality of this dynamic marketing discipline. Marketers across the country, the media and other interested constituencies rely on the Custom Publishing Council as the authoritative source of industry news, data and trends, information on the effectiveness of custom publishing, and referrals to the top custom publishers in North America. More information can be found at www.custompublishingcouncil.com.
September 23, 2008, DCP Helps San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Reconnect With Their Community
After 48 years of providing quality healthcare services, the staff at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center (SGVMC) needed to re-introduce themselves to their community. They wanted to let people in the surrounding area know that SGVMC had recently become locally owned and that along with the new ownership they were even more passionate about helping people enjoy a long, healthy life.
DCP was brought in to develop a direct mail campaign that would grab people’s attention, inform them of the ownership change, reacquaint them with San Gabriel Valley Medical Center and inspire them to return the postage-paid card with their contact information.
The results exceeded expectations. Below is what Eileen Diamond, Director of Marketing & Communications at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center reports on the program.
“We have had an excellent rate of response of about 5.5%, and as a result, we now have a very valuable data base of over 5,000 individuals in our service area who have responded positively to a mailing from the hospital.”
“The piece, designed by DCP, has an intriguing message on the front: ‘What’s Different About this Picture?’, which raised the interest level of the recipients. As a result, many people read the mailer in its entirety and our message was delivered, as is evidenced by the exceptional rate of return!”
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September 23, 2008, DCP Launches Magalog for Draeger's
DCP recently launched a completely redesigned custom publication for Draeger’s. An innovator in the food industry since 1925, Draeger’s is a one-stop shop for food lovers. Along with satisfying consumers’ grocery needs, Draeger’s offers an extensive wine list, fine bakery, ready-made meals, catering services, and a broad assortment of classes in their premier cooking school. While Draeger’s customers are familiar with a sophisticated store and top-notch products, the cooking class catalog did not reflect Draeger’s image.
Draeger’s wanted to update the look of the catalog to complement their brand image and offer readers valuable information that would:
> Give readers more reasons to shop Draeger’s and take classes
> Motivate readers to rely on Draeger’s as their culinary expert
> Portray Draeger’s Cooking School as a resource for cooks of all levels—from the first time cook to the experienced gourmet
DCP recommended numerous editorial structure and design enhancements to the Draeger’s magalog, including:
> Redesign the look of the catalog
> Increase the number of articles
> Highlight chefs in a more engaging manner
> Inform the community about local farmers and events
> Include more enticing recipes
Vice President Richard Draeger says, “Draeger's found DCP to be very professional in transitioning its Cooking School Catalog into a publication that would brand Draeger's more clearly for its new East Bay customers. We were pleased with the level of experience that the DCP team exhibited. They made us comfortable with their perspective and vision for reformatting this crucial marketing vehicle for our company. Our confidence in their ability was well placed.”
DCP’s redesign of Draeger’s cooking school catalog transforms a standard catalog into a contemporary magalog. By adding large, beautiful graphic images that are linked to recipes and feature stories, readers gather interesting culinary-related information. Through a more modern use of colors, images, fonts throughout, the publication now accurately reflects Draeger’s sophisticated image.
“It was a joy to work with the DCP team,” says Kathleen Taggart, Draeger’s HOME and Cooking School Director. “Their creativity and enthusiasm infused us with new energy and focus. I am delighted with the finished product and the response from our students and customers has been overwhelmingly positive. I am looking forward to a long, happy, and creative relationship with DCP.”
July 15, 2008, DCP Earns Four Maggie Finalist Certificates of Excellence and Two Apex Awards in 2008
DCP is the proud recipient of four 2008 Maggie Finalist Certificates of Excellence and two 2008 Apex Awards for Publication Excellence.
2008 Maggie Finalist Certificates of Excellence:
• Buzz, Comcast Corporation—For excellence in the category of Single Sponsor
• Solage, Solage Hotels & Resorts —For excellence in the category of Single Sponsor
• Next*, Chevron Corporation—For excellence in the category of Corporate or In-House
• Connect, WebEx—For excellence in the category of Newsletters
2008 Apex Awards for Publication Excellence:
• Buzz, Comcast Corporation—For Custom-Published Newsletters
• Next*, Chevron Corporation—For Magazine & Journal Design & Layout
“We are very proud of each of these four winning publications and consider them to be “best of breed” communications,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “It’s incredibly rewarding when respected judges confirm the value of our work, especially when that work spans a diverse set of audiences. In essence, these six awards validate that DCP effectively communicates with consumers and business people on topics from entertainment and media to hospitality to high-technology to oil and gas exploration.”
The 57th Annual Maggie Awards, hosted by the Western Publications Association (WPA), are the largest and most prestigious publishing awards in the western United States. Known as “the Oscars of the magazine industry”, the Maggies honor the best in magazine and electronic publishing. With over fifty years of service and 224 member companies, the WPA received nearly 2,000 entries representing more than 500 magazines. The Maggie Awards recognize the hard work, dedication and creative talents working in the publishing industry today.
The 20th Annual APEX Awards for Publication Excellence is an annual competition for communications professionals. With close to 4,500 entries, the APEX awards are determined based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry—in the opinion of the judges—in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence.
July 2, 2008, DCP Earns Five Healthcare Advertising Awards in 2008
DCP is the proud recipient of five 2008 Healthcare Advertising Awards awards.
- Gold Award—St. John’s Health Newsletter, St. John’s Regional Medical Center
- Silver Award—Advances Newsletter, American Cancer Society
- Merit Award— Sequoia Health Newsletter, Sequoia Hospital
- Merit Award—Health Link Newsletter, Methodist Hospital of Sacramento
- Merit Award— Professional Recruitment Direct Mail, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center
Three of the five Healthcare Advertising Awards were granted to newsletter publications created for Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) hospitals. St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Sequoia Hospital, and Methodist Hospital of Sacramento are three of the many CHW hospitals that DCP works with. St. John’s Health, Sequoia Health, and Health Link have their own unique designs but share the same fundamental goals—to educate their local communities on issues of health and wellness, and to remind readers that their local hospital is the trusted source for high-quality care and compassion.
One of the Healthcare Advertising Awards was bestowed upon Advances newsletter, a communication vehicle that allows the American Cancer Society to show its appreciation of significant donors and inform readers of what the ACS is doing in the areas of research, lobbying efforts, and patient interactions.
The fifth Healthcare Advertising Award recognized a professional recruitment direct mail postcard, “Our Staff Deserves the Best”, developed for San Gabriel Valley Medical Center. In search of top flight R.N.s and other staff, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center was able to successfully fill all of the desired positions with this direct response campaign.
“We are thrilled to receive such prominent recognition for our work in the healthcare field,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “These five awards confirm that DCP remains at the forefront of healthcare custom media and demonstrate that DCP creates a broad range of successful healthcare marketing communications.”
The 25th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report, are the oldest, largest, and most widely respected advertising awards competition. A record 4,400 entries were received in this year’s competition. A national panel of judges reviewed all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.
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June 12, 2008, DCP Earns Two Aster Awards in 2008
DCP is the proud recipient of two Aster awards. These latest honors were granted to the following publications:
• Choose Health from Woodland Healthcare—Gold Aster Award
• Sequoia Health from Sequoia Hospital—Silver Aster Award
Woodland Healthcare and Sequoia Hospital are two of the many Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) hospitals that DCP works with. As the preferred provider of custom publishing services to CHW hospitals, DCP creates a comprehensive set of CHW-approved marketing communications, including community newsletters, direct mail promotions, collateral materials, foundation publications and more. Choose Health and Sequoia Health have their own unique designs but share the same fundamental goals—to educate their local communities on issues of health and wellness, and to remind readers that their local hospital is the trusted source for high-quality care and compassion.
The Aster Awards Program provides national-level recognition for healthcare organizations and advertising agencies who strive for excellence in medical marketing. A panel of design and healthcare marketing professionals with decades of combined experience judge each entry based on creativity, layout/design, typography, production, quality & overall effectiveness. The Aster Awards is hosted by Creative Images, Inc., an internationally recognized firm that has specialized in strategic healthcare marketing for more than 16 years.
“For 10 years, DCP has helped hospitals in the CHW system publish effective custom publications,” says Dennis Cook, Senior Account Manager at DCP. “We’ve developed close working relationships with our CHW partners, and every year we get better at anticipating their needs, meeting their challenges, and exceeding their expectations. I view these two awards as another confirmation that we are serving our customers well.”
June 12, 2008, DCP is Platinum Sponsor of Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) 2008 Annual Conference
DCP is proud to announce that it is a Platinum sponsor for the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development’s 2008 Annual Conference and Exhibits, to be held from September 17-20 in San Francisco. As a leader in consumer healthcare marketing, DCP wants to support and be involved in this significant effort—the biggest and most diversified conference for healthcare strategy professionals. During these four days, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, trade ideas with peers, evaluate current practices, and build relationships with colleagues.
DCP works with dozens of healthcare organizations to improve brand recognition, build patient trust, and promote core services and service lines through a variety of marketing communications tools, including community and member newsletters, web publications, direct mail postcards, podcasts, email newsletters, brochures, and commemorative books. Healthcare marketing is a core DCP practice.
“DCP typically attends this annual event and uses it as an opportunity to stay up on the latest trends and meet with our clients in a more relaxed setting,” says Dennis Cook, Senior Account Manager at DCP. “This year, with the conference happening in our neighborhood, we want to step up our involvement and visibility. We look forward to many strategic and forward-thinking conversations with our current and prospective clients.”
SHSMD is the leading voice and resource for healthcare strategy professionals. Its 4,400 healthcare professional members represent a wide range of health strategy disciplines including marketing, planning, communications, public relations, business development, physician relations, and government relations. The Society is one of 11 personal membership groups affiliated with the American Hospital Association.
April 8, 2008, DCP Announces New Custom Publication Launch for Hastings College of the Law
DCP recently launched a redesigned custom publication for University of California Hastings College of Law.
With 19,000 alumni to build and maintain relationships with, the UC Hastings College of the Law Alumni Center publishes a bi-annual magazine that is dedicated to growing that bond. To engage today's busy professional, the Department decided to take this 60-page magazine to the next level with design. They hired DCP to lead a major redesign effort to produce a magazine that catches readers’ attention, draws them in quickly, and is so attractive that alumni are proud to place their law school magazine on their coffee table.
“We’re particularly proud of this custom magazine because it demonstrates the range of DCP’s talents,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “Hastings, targeting a scholarly audience, boasts a sophisticated, intelligent, yet current style. Most importantly, initial feedback has been extremely positive and confirms that we’re on our way to accomplishing our goals.”
April 7, 2008, The 2008 "Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume & Type of Custom Publications in America"
The 2008 “Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume and Type of Custom Publications in America” is out, and it indicates that custom publishing is thriving! The steady upward trend of custom publishing statistics is due in part to increases in titles and the number of custom publishing companies in the U.S.
In 2007 a record number of marketers used custom publishing solutions to promote their products and brands – with impressive results. Other industry reports show that spending on alternative media jumped 22%, with more advertisers seeking out new channels. Custom publishing can be expected to grow even more in 2008 with the increase in Internet distribution of content and creative new media solutions.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY
UNIQUE TITLES
The number of unique custom titles being published in America reached an all-time high this year of 143,173 titles. This is a 14.5% increase from last year and a 48.0% increase since the survey was first conducted in 1999. The nine-year trend of custom titles being produced per company is up 21.1% from 1.9 to 2.3.
MORE REVENUE ALLOCATED
Overall money spent on custom publishing hit $55.0 billion this year, a 150.1% increase since the survey was first launched in 1999. Excluding costs related to personnel assigned to custom publishing projects, Corporate America spent $34.1 billion on the production and distribution of custom publications. Spending on production and distribution, which might reflect Corporate America’s “budget” for custom publications has increased 150.1% from $12.9 million in 2000 to $34.1 million.
FREQUENCY
The average annual frequency of custom publications increased from 8.4 to 9.0 times per year. Although frequency remains lower than its 2003 peak, frequency is still 42.9% higher today than it was in 1999 at 9.0x versus 6.3x.
CIRCULATION & PAGES INCREASE
Total circulation and total pages actually went up because of the increase in frequency and the increase in the number of companies in the U.S., but average circulation and average pages went down, possibly due to in part to increasing paper costs and postage rates.
PAGES PER ISSUE
The average pages per issue for custom publications dropped from 24.9 to 22.2. Since 1999 pages per issue have grown 60.9% from 13.8 pages to 22.2 pages.
CIRCULATION PER ISSUE
The average circulation per issue for custom publications decreased this year for the second year in a row from 35,221 to 30,044.
ANNUAL CIRCULATION PER TITLE
The average circulation per title per year, which combines average frequency per title with average circulation per issue, has decreased to 270,396 copies. Since the onset of the research, annual circulation per title has increase 119.0% from 123,448 copies to 295,856 copies.
PRIMARY AUDIENCE
For the fifth year running, titles targeting external audiences exceeded those targeting internal audiences (64% versus 36%). External audiences comprise businesses (BtoB) and consumers (BtoC). Of those custom publications targeting external audiences, a slight majority of them are BtoB versus BtoC, and that has stayed fairly constant in each of the five years in which this characteristic has been measured.
PUBLICATION FORMAT
Custom publishers seem to have rediscovered the newsletter format this year, possibly due to the recent postal rate hike. For the first time since 2004, newsletters have overtaken magazines as the preferred publication format in custom publishing (40% versus 35). The use of online publications has increased slightly from 17% to 18% however it has remained fairly consistent since 2000.
DISTRIBUTION METHOD
For the first time this year, the study adds the Internet to the choice of distribution methods. A reported 17% of publications were reported as being distributed. The USPS continues to be the preferred distribution channel for custom publications with 61% of titles using the postal service.
MORE SPENT ON PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
The amount spent on the production and distribution of custom publications (as reported in the Communications Industry Forecast by Veronis Suhler Stevenson) also reached its second highest amount at $34.1 billion.
USE OF FOUR COLOR
The use of all four color decreased slightly this year with 61% of companies using all four color and 79% of companies using either some or all four color, compared to 39% and 54%, respectively, in 1999.
AVERAGE AGE PER TITLE
This year the average age continues to hover around 8 years with 45% of titles older than 11 years. This suggests that the true age of the average custom publication is well beyond the average 7.7 years.
PRESENCE OF ADVERTISEMENTS
For the second year in a row, the presence of paid advertising in custom publications slipped backward. Still, 23% of custom publications carry some paid advertising. Also for the second year in a row, custom publications carrying no advertisements of any type has increased with 68% of companies reporting no ads in their publications.
SPONSOR & METHODOLOGY
The research herein was conducted by the monthly subscription newsletter Publications Management (www.publicationsmanagement.com), which is the leading media providing news, information, and research on the custom publishing industry. The research was conducted via a mailed survey targeting a random sample of companies across all industries. More than five thousand surveys were mailed, and approximately 250 were completed and returned, producing a +/- 6% degree of accuracy at a 90% confidence level. Among the responding companies were: ConocoPhillips, Costco Wholesale, Cox Communications, Datalogic Scanning, Inc., Disneyland Resort, General Electric, Green Mountain Energy, Lockheed Martin, RE/MAX International, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., State Farm Insurance, Sunkist Growers, Inc., University of California-Irvine, Welch Allyn, Wells Real Estate Funds, Walgreens.
February 22, 2008, DCP Gets Great Marks on Customer Satisfaction
More than a third of DCP’s customers responded to an online satisfaction survey on performance in a variety of areas from strategic thinking and problem solving to how DCP compares to similar service providers.
DCP got the highest scores on these statements:
• DCP team responds promptly to questions and inquiries.
• DCP team demonstrates a clear understanding of project goals and objectives.
• DCP team does a good job incorporating my goals and objectives into the project.
• DCP team is flexible, responsive and effectively manages change.
• I have just the right amount of access to DCP creative team members.
• Overall, I am pleased with DCP’s customer service.
• Overall, I am pleased with the quality of DCP’s graphic design services.
• Overall, I am pleased with the quality of DCP’s editorial services.
• I am “very satisfied” with my overall experience with DCP.
• I am “very satisfied” with DCP’s customer service.
• I am “very satisfied” with DCP’s graphic design services.
• The DCP project team are effective problem solvers.
• I would recommend DCP services to my colleagues.
• I consider DCP to be better than other companies that offer the same or similar services.
Here are a few answers to, “What do you like most about working with DCP?”:
• “Excellent customer service, professionalism and attentiveness to problems/inquiries.”
• “Great people, excellent product, creative process.”
• “Passion for creating a fantastic product. Flexibility and responsiveness.”
• “Complete and thorough understanding of our project, attention to detail, follow through, timelines, terrific people to work with. Awesome experience!”
Here is one of the customer testimonials submitted:
“Working with DCP has been fantastic. They had a wonderful team in place for our project, outstanding attention to detail, timelines, strategy, design and delivery. The team made all the difference. I absolutely loved working with them!"
-- Deepa Caveney, Marketing Programs Manager, Cisco/WebEx
February 22, 2008, DCP Publishes Custom Book for Mills-Peninsula Health Services
To celebrate the landmark centennial of a prominent Bay Area health care system, Mills-Peninsula Health Services hired DCP to create a vivid pictorial history of its long-standing commitment and service to the community. The result is Caring for Generations: A Centennial History of Mills-Peninsula Health Services, which starts before the 1906 earthquake and ends with a glance into the extraordinary new facility scheduled to open in 2010. Mills-Peninsula offers this 96-page book as a premium gift for donors, contributors and campaign sponsors.
Mills-Peninsula Health Services chose DCP for this project because they were impressed by the award-winning, 106-page coffee-table-quality book DCP created last year for Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Similarly, A Century of Caring: A Pictorial History of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is a spectacular record of photographs and anecdotes that honor the dedicated men and women who built Alta Bates Summit’s proud legacy and those who will inspire and enable the many successes and milestones that lie ahead.
In the past year, DCP has created another type of commemorative piece, titled St. Mary’s Medical Center, 150 Years of Care and Compassion. This 20-page brochure shares a similar look and approach to the custom books mentioned above, but on a smaller scale. St. Mary’s Medical Center, the longest continuously operating hospital in San Francisco, wanted to create a special publication honoring its 150-year heritage of caring. This piece was given to guests at each of the many celebratory events and is available to hospital visitors.
“We’re very proud of the commemorative publications we have created for Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP and member of the Custom Publishing Council Executive Board. “It is an extremely educating and rewarding experience to pull together a historical perspective of such remarkable, momentous organizations.”
Please contact Amy Romanoff at aromanoff@dcpmail.com if you’d like to see a sample of any of these publications.
February 22, 2008, CPC Organizes First Ever Custom Content Conference
The Custom Publishing Council (CPC), the leading association for the custom publishing industry in the United States, is organizing the first ever conference dedicated to custom content. Content ’08: Re-Thinking Brand Content will be held in New Orleans from March 9-11. This conference brings together marketers, advertisers, and custom publishers to network while debating and exchanging ideas for leveraging custom content in today’s digital marketplace.
As one of the founding members of the CPC, DCP’s General Manager Jim Offel will be heading to New Orleans with his management team to participate in this landmark event. Jim has played a key role in the growth of the CPC over the past decade, having served as past President of the Executive Board. Jim is currently serving as a board member.
Marketers across the country, the media and other interested constituencies rely on the Custom Publishing Council as the authoritative source of industry news, data and trends, information on the effectiveness of custom publishing, and referrals to the top custom publishers in North America. At Content ’08, the Custom Publishing Council presents a mix of industry experts including brand designers, trend prognosticators, corporate marketers and technologists. The goal of the conference is to further the growth and vitality of this dynamic marketing discipline.
“Content ’08 is a momentous event for the custom publishing industry,” says Jim Offel, General Manager at DCP. “When the CPC first formed in 1998, most marketers had never heard of the terms custom publishing or custom content. Now, hundreds of marketers and custom publishers will be gathering from around the country to dedicate several days to discussing ways to advance this rapidly growing $56 billion industry.”