Q&A: Marketing Morass

Digital printing and industry experts tackle your top questions, challenges, concerns, and frustrations as 2015 comes to a close:

Q: We recently purchased a flatbed printer and had some printing jigs/templates made so we can print directly to hockey sticks, baseball bats, game-use hockey pucks, and tabletops. We keep finding more and more objects we’re able to print on – and we want to keep growing.

We have always gotten our business via word-of-mouth and are thinking of doing some local marketing. There are so many marketing options that it is overwhelming. At the same time, if we advertise, we might deter the wholesale dealers that we have because their customers may then shop direct.

Any suggestions?

– Robbie Illos-Gerth, president/designer/creator, illistrative gallerie & ministicks.com, Buffalo, New York

A: That’s definitely a tough position to be in with your wholesale dealers. I might suggest that you launch a special campaign to your wholesale dealers to offer a heavier “wholesale” vendor discount, and let them know that you might be advertising on a wider level just so they have a heads up.

As for narrowing down your options for marketing – all I can say is that it’s important to know your audience to market effectively. can have a wide reach, and you can even narrow down Facebook ads by region and preferences.

– Tiffany Wakimoto, marketing manager, Roland

[Questions and responses have been edited for brevity and clarity. Views shared represent those of independent experts and readers.]

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