FRANKLIN PARK, Ill.— Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, is the recipient of the Continuous Improvement Award given by Coinstar, Inc., a leader in automated retail, for its work on Redbox® kiosks’ outdoor signage and merchandising. Coinstar® acknowledged three best-in-class strategic business partners in three different categories. The Continuous Improvement Award is designed to recognize a supplier that is innovative and ambitious when addressing the company’s needs. Being the recipient of such an award is a reflection of the Tukaiz culture, one that thrives on progressive thinking to look creatively at new processes and products in order to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of its client companies.

• Midsize
• Franklin Park, IL
• Est. ’12 b-to-b revenue 36.0mil
• % of revenue from b-to-b 97
• Key Clients: Redbox, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pepsico/Frito Lay
• Number of employees: 200

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“Print is not dead. This misapprehension, fueled by the enthrallment of anything “digital,” has seen its day. Print is as strong as ever into and through 2013—depending on which type of print we refer to.”

Modern variable design and production technologies now can support the brand while giving street level owners and managers more latitude in reaching out to customers in the most relevant way possible.

Read Distributed Marketing Empowers Franchisees and Sustains Brand Integrity at FastCasual.com

Read more about how Brands Customize Marketing Efforts with Backstage at qsrmagazine.com

Read more about how Retailers Look to Mobilize Their Efforts in 2013 at 1to1media.com

The innovative M-Press Leopard will give Tukaiz the ability to output in two days what traditionally takes screen printing two weeks, and with higher quality and at reduced cost. This will allow Tukaiz to provide faster turnaround, at a competitive price point and with the consistent quality for which Tukaiz is known.

The manual-loaded M-Press Leopard will accept substrates that include backlit material, paper, self-adhesive vinyl, fluted display board, metal plates, corrugated board, PVC and most POPOS materials, and in sizes up to 62” x 129”. The M-Press produces extremely high image quality using its advanced print-shuttle and page wide print technology.

“The marketing production landscape is changing and this press will support the need to increase time to market and a higher quality of POP and retail signage, which are reported to be the fastest growing segments of the wide-format market. We see this trend proliferating based on our own customers’ demand,” noted Carl Rozkuszka, executive director of operations at Tukaiz. “The quality of the M-Press is the best of any in its class. It’s revolutionary, producing the highest caliber products on the most sought-after substrates, quicker than ever before,” Rozkuszka added.

Tukaiz had been evaluating the M-Press since seeing it at DRUPA earlier this year. Convinced of its quality construction, productivity and reasonable operating costs, Tukaiz purchased the M-Press in September 2012. Because the system is about the size of a bus, the company had to remove a wall to take delivery.

 Find out what your consumers expect from your branded app at MobileMarketer.com

Matt Giandonato didn't start his career as a numbers geek. Trained as an artist, the digital print manager for Tukaiz finds himself spending less time refining designs in Illustrator these days and more time crunching data in Excel.

Read more about the big data revolution at InfoWorld.com

The Scodix SENSE™ experience is produced through a completely unique digital printing process that registers a clear polymer to imagery in varying levels of thickness. As a result, promotional materials are printed with life-like sensory perception allowing the user to actually feel the texture and offering a more engaging experience with printed pieces. For example, a printed image of a basketball would have dots and grooves on it, mimicking the feel of a real basketball.

“The Scodix1200™ is an excellent addition to our current digital print capabilities,” said Matt Giandonato, digital print supervisor, Tukaiz. “It’s an amazing and creative alternative that adds high-quality differentiation to printed materials. It complements our service offerings by allowing our customers to enhance the value of their marketing initiatives and stand out from the competition. The implementation of this technology further emphasizes Tukaiz’ continued commitment to offering the most innovative marketing services solutions to our customers.”

Adding to the forward-thinking nature of the Scodix technology, the press and associated process are inherently environmentally-friendly. The process requires no plates or silk, minimum electricity usage, contains no polluting additives, and results in virtually no printing waste.

About Scodix

Scodix Ltd. is the leading provider of digital print enhancement for the graphic arts industry, offering the breakthrough Scodix SENSE™ experience in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Asia and Africa. Founded by veterans of the Graphic Arts industry in 2007, the company’s aim is to lead print enhancement into the digital age and to be known for its passion and commitment to providing what its customers need the most – true brand differentiation for today’s highly competitive printing environment. For more information please visit www.scodix.com.

About Tukaiz 

Tukaiz is a results-driven marketing services production company based in Franklin Park, IL. Founded in 1963, Tukaiz is a family-owned and operated company providing products and services to advertising agencies and corporate America. The infrastructure of Tukaiz includes imaging, print, and interactive services comprised of in-house consulting, creative, prepress, color correction and retouching, as well as offset, digital, large format and banner printing, online marketing management and print production systems, software and data applications development, website development/hosting, social media solutions, multimedia solutions, finishing, and mailing and fulfillment services. For more information, please visit http://www.tukaiz.com/.

Franklin Park, IL, January 30, 2012—Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, announced today that among its major accomplishments during a tremendously productive 2011, the company achieved continued revenue growth with an increase of 8.3 percent this year. This impressive growth earned Tukaiz a spot as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Chicago as identified by Crain’s Chicago Business. Notably, sales of Tukaiz’ customized marketing management software product, Backstage, have increased allowing growth of the current client base as well as new business opportunities.

Tukaiz’ CEO, Frank Defino Sr., attributes much of the company’s success to a combination of talented employees, outstanding client relationships, a culture that inspires innovation, and a focus on reinventing the company and staying in front of evolving production trends to lead the marketplace.

“Tukaiz is in a unique position in that we have become big enough to provide seamless end-to-end marketing solutions from a single location, yet we maintain the ability to offer our clients the intimacy and support they deserve,” said Defino. “As the industry progresses, Tukaiz continues to evolve, and we are looking forward to continuing that momentum and mindset into 2012 and beyond.”

In addition to adding new Fortune 500 companies and household name brands to its client roster, Tukaiz had its highest rate of new employment within one year which included 40 new employees throughout the company.

As a part of Tukaiz’ overall business strategy to remain competitive in the industry, the company continues to grow its service offerings, in particular in its web development and creative design capabilities. As a result, Tukaiz currently houses one of the largest Ruby on Rails web and application development teams in Chicago. Tukaiz also expanded its social media and analytics offerings, forming a strategic partnership with one of the industry’s top recognized social media service providers—Brickfish.

Rounding out its successful year, Tukaiz reinvested in the organization by purchasing a variety of new hardware and software to strengthen its infrastructure and enhance its ability to deliver on emerging trends. A few of the new acquisitions include new flatbed and latex large format printers, as well as one of only three Scodix printers in use in the U.S., which adds textures and sensory perception to marketing and point-of-purchase materials.

In order to house all of its new equipment and expanding team, Tukaiz added 40,000 square feet to the existing campus in Franklin Park, IL. Tukaiz also intends to acquire new building space at its Franklin Park location, as well as a satellite office in downtown Chicago in early 2012.

About Tukaiz

Tukaiz is a results-driven marketing services production company based in Franklin Park, IL. Founded in 1963, Tukaiz is a family-owned and operated company providing products and services to advertising agencies and corporate America. The infrastructure of Tukaiz includes imaging, print, and interactive services comprised of in-house consulting, creative, prepress, color correction and retouching, as well as offset, digital, large format and banner printing, online marketing management and print production systems, software and data applications development, website development/hosting, multimedia solutions, finishing, and mailing and fulfillment services. For more information, please visit www.tukaiz.com.

Tukaiz Lends Creative, Design, and Printing Expertise to Support the 50th USO Armed Forces Gala & Gold Medal Dinner

Franklin Park, IL, January 10, 2012—Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, continues to support the United Service Organization (USO) nationwide- most recently donating printed materials for the 50th Armed Forces Gala and Gold Medal Dinner.

Beginning in the summer of 2011, Tukaiz has supported several USO events through generous donations of creative, design and production work. Events like the Annual USO Golf Invitational, the 9/11 Walk and the Veteran’s Day Parade have shaped the partnership into a progressive collaboration that has aided in raising millions of dollars each year to support U.S. troops and their families.

Tukaiz donated everything from event signage, centerpieces, brochures, invitations and special banners to notepads for attendees who wanted to write messages to soldiers serving abroad. All of the donated materials were produced in-house on the Tukaiz campus.

“Tukaiz is a highly valued partner of the USO,” said Brian C. Whiting, president and CEO, USO of Metropolitan New York. “In addition to their substantial donations of time and materials, their creativity and understanding of how to communicate our mission has aided us in our efforts to provide vital programs and services to the brave men and women of our armed forces and their families. We’re lucky to have Tukaiz as a resource and know that together we will continue to successfully support the troops.”

“We are extremely proud of our increasing involvement with the USO,” said John Quinto Defino, vice president and managing director, Tukaiz. “It has been a very humbling experience to be among such inspiring individuals, and we are continually impressed with their organization. We’re looking forward to our growing partnership.”

About Tukaiz

Veteran Tukaiz Sales Associate John Misasi to Lead the Company’s National Growth

Franklin Park, IL, December 19, 2011—Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, has appointed key sales associate John Misasi as director of national sales, a new position, while the company readies to expand its national reach. Over the past few years, Tukaiz has realized tremendous growth, even being recognized this year as one of Crain’s 50 Fastest growing companies in Chicago. As the new director of national sales, Misasi will manage new business opportunities that will bring Tukaiz services to household names outside of the Chicago-land area.

Misasi has been a part of Tukaiz’ evolution since he started in the color department sweeping floors and making color proofs while attending college. He eventually worked his way into sales where he is now one of the longest tenured associates, with a track record of successful sales throughout his career.

“John Misasi has been a key player in much of the growth we have generated in recent years,” said Frank Defino, CEO of Tukaiz. “He has remained successful throughout our evolution into the marketing services production company we are today, and we are very proud to have him on our team.”

“It’s a really exciting time to be at Tukaiz,” said John Misasi. “I’m very proud of what we have accomplished thus far, and I’m looking forward to furthering our marketing expertise on a national level.”

About Tukaiz

Tukaiz is a results-driven marketing services production company based in Franklin Park, IL. Founded in 1963, Tukaiz is a family-owned and operated company providing products and services to advertising agencies and corporate America. The infrastructure of Tukaiz includes imaging, print, and interactive services comprised of in-house consulting, creative, prepress, color correction and retouching, as well as offset, digital, large format and banner printing, online marketing management and print production systems, software and data applications development, website development/hosting, multimedia solutions, finishing, and mailing and fulfillment services. For more information, please visit www.tukaiz.com.

Franklin Park, IL, November 29, 2011—Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, announced the Alzheimer’s Association has selected Tukaiz’ unique suite of image-personalized products to aid in fundraising for its nationwide organization. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading global voluntary health organization, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research.  With the addition of these distinct customized products to their online store, the Alzheimer’s Association will receive a portion of the proceeds to benefit their mission to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through research, providing care and supporting the promotion of brain health.

The image-personalized products include: calendars, notebooks, folders, posters, holiday cards, and note cards, and are an excellent way to show support for friends and loved ones. The advanced image-personalization technology creates individualized products unlike any other on the market today. On any of the printed products offered by the store, a person’s name is incorporated into an image, making it look like the image was photographed that way.

Tukaiz also created a custom micro-site for the personalized products from which Tukaiz can handle the production, shipping and fulfillment of each order. The entire endeavor provides a complete and seamless end-to-end solution for the existing Shop for the Cause initiative at alz.org.

“Alzheimer’s impacts the lives of families in a very personal way and the Alzheimer’s Association appreciates the ability of Tukaiz to personalize products that our constituents will find valuable,” said Nancy Cullen, senior director of corporate initiatives for the Alzheimer’s Association. 

“Tukaiz continually searches for initiatives to support and give back to the community,” said Larry Pagel, executive director of business development for Tukaiz. “With the Alzheimer’s Association and their outstanding dedication to providing families with support and advancing research, we knew this partnership would bring unique value. They are accomplishing some really great milestones as a leading health organization, and we are excited to be included in their cause.”

The new fundraising initiative is part of a two-year cause marketing relationship between Tukaiz and the Alzheimer’s Association that began in September 2011. Twenty-five percent of all revenue collected from hosted product sales will be paid to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Read more about choosing images for direct mail at TargetMarketingMag.com

Read more about how Tukaiz cites personalisation for revenue boost at PrintWeek.com

Read the full article at 1to1media.com

Franklin Park, IL, June 30, 2011—Tukaiz, a leading marketing services production company, has begun working with the USO by providing creative and design work for the organization’s marketing materials, such as signage and printed handouts.  The partnership kicked off during Fleet Week 2011 in the New York harbors, where Tukaiz personnel was invited to board the USS Iwo Jima to hang the donated event signage designed and printed for the USO by Tukaiz.  The work done for Fleet Week was followed by Tukaiz’ creation of prominently-placed banners, table tents, scorecards, and gift certificates for the 16th Annual USO Golf Invitational held on June 13 at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in New Jersey.  Held to honor and express gratitude for the selfless service of our nation’s troops and their families, the Invitational was attended by more than 300 USO supporters, wounded warriors and veterans, and raised a record-breaking $750,000 for the USO.

The success of these early projects in the USO/Tukaiz relationship have led to Tukaiz’ work with other USO chapters in Chicago, Washington and New York, such as the dispatching of a creative team from Tukaiz to completely redesign the USO Theater Room at the Naval Station in Great Lakes, IL, among other initiatives.

“With Tukaiz’ help, it was a record year for us in raising over $750,000 [at the Golf Invitational].  But most importantly, the efforts of companies like Tukaiz have a huge impact on supporting the over 1.6 million men and women in uniform today. These generous donations go a long way to help us ensure the vast majority of our donations go back into valued programs and services.  We thank Tukaiz for their continued support of the USO of Metropolitan New York,” said Brian C. Whiting, president and CEO, USO of Metropolitan New York.

Tukaiz was asked to create and produce the USO’s marketing materials based on its reputation for powerful design and creative capabilities, as well as its diverse print production services.  

“All of us at Tukaiz are very proud and honored to be a part of the USO’s important and admirable mission,” said John Quinto Defino, vice president and managing director, Tukaiz. “We were particularly touched that we had the opportunity to meet several military heroes at these events and express our gratitude to them for their dedicated service to the safety of our nation.”

The quest for a positive customer experience is certainly not new. All of us in marketing have been aware of the need to make a difference when it comes to connecting with our customers. Customers of all types are emotional and, like it or not, tend to rate experiences with a company based on "what is in it for me?"

Read Editors Pick: Giving New Life to Direct Marketing Messages at 1to1media.com

Tukaiz has been offering marketing production services for more than 48 years. It provides imaging, print and interactive services for more than 200 advertising firms and corporations in a variety of industries, most of which are household names. Tukaiz remains under the leadership of the original founders and owners, the Defino Family, whose business model has always been to lead the industry with innovative services that are driven by a keen sense on the pulse of the marketplace. Fostering a culture that attracts and rewards the industry’s best, brightest and most innovative thinkers, Tukaiz employs 167 people in its 150,000 square-foot facility located in Franklin Park.

“Tukaiz is both proud and humbled to be recognized by Crain’s as one of the fifty fastest growing companies in the Chicago area,” said Frank Defino, Sr., CEO of Tukaiz.  “From the very beginning, we have understood the importance of an unwavering focus on customer care and exceeding expectations. This has not changed over the years. We are very grateful for our talented and dedicated employees and our loyal customer base. We would like to thank them today as we know much of our company’s ability to achieve and sustain this outstanding growth rate is due to them.”

To identify its Fast 50 list, Crain’s evaluated companies with headquarters in a six-county area with 2010 revenues of at least $20 million. The companies with the highest five-year percentages of growth became the Fast 50.

About Tukaiz

Tukaiz is a results-driven marketing services production company based in Franklin Park, Ill. Founded in 1963, Tukaiz is a family-owned and operated company providing products and services to advertising agencies and corporate America. The infrastructure of Tukaiz includes: imaging, print, and interactive services comprised of in-house consulting, creative, prepress, color correction and retouching, as well as offset, digital, large format and banner printing, online marketing management and print production systems, software and data applications development, website development/hosting, multimedia solutions, finishing, and mailing and fulfillment services. For more information, please visit www.tukaiz.com.

By implementing an online marketing solution, corporate approved templates and materials promoting national campaigns, such as a bakery's release of holiday LTO menu items or a shop's new line of frozen yogurt, are housed on a single platform accessible by end-users. The local businesses then have the flexibility to order only the materials relevant for their specific location. Let's look at an example of how one national brand has benefited from this option:

Read The case for online marketing management at FastCasual.com

The strategic concept is to keep images current, featuring close-up shots of the current season’s players in action. Tukaiz was chosen to produce these exciting banners based on its reputation as a best-in-class marketing services production company, its diverse production capabilities, and unique ability to produce high caliber products on exotic substrates. The company has routinely been the creative force behind numerous sports campaigns across the Chicago landscape. From 1998 to 2006, WGN Radio called on Tukaiz to produce the opening theme music for its Chicago Cubs broadcasts as well as other marketing services such as the design of its corporate website. Additionally, throughout 2008 and 2009, Tukaiz helped revamp the theme music and player banners for the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

“It’s a new day at Wrigley Field and it is very exciting. Tukaiz has provided us with some amazing work. This image campaign really highlights all of the company’s unique capabilities,” said Sam Coghill, managing director of corporate partnerships for Cubs marketing. “Wrigley Field is the second most visited tourist attraction in the state of Illinois, making the selection of a partner to provide highly visible aesthetic improvements a critical decision. Tukaiz’ culture as a family-owned and operated business was a good fit for the family-owned Chicago Cubs organization.”

“We are honored to be a part of the rejuvenation effort of historic Wrigley Field, home to the Cubs for the past 96 years,” said John Quinto Defino president / partner of Tukaiz. “As die-hard Cubs fans ourselves, contributing to this effort means a great deal to our family and our organization.”

Article Highlights:

PURL campaigns should cater to consumers' personal preferences and have a high quality of their experience at the site
QR codes allow the recipient to access their individual PURL without the need to sit in front of a computer
QR codes offer the ability to lower the barriers often surrounding customer response, leading to an increase in overall campaign response rates

Read Emerging technologies to help your direct mail at imediaconnection.com

For restaurants that want more holistic control over their four-walls marketing initiatives, there's Tukaiz. This program makes it possible for a host of beyond-the-basics marketing materials to live on a company's online management site, including direct mail pieces, POP/POS displays, and more, while giving the people closest to the customer (regional franchisees, for example) the ability to tweak the materials to make more sense for regional audiences.

Read more about Ten technologies that make for better business at FastCasual.com

Today’s marketing climate raises a significant challenge for marketers — finding a marketing solution that’s both economical and efficient when it comes to responding to the ever-changing consumer environment. Long gone are the days of generic marketing kits as marketers have come to realize that every market and region has a different target and each consumer has their own interests. It is important to address all of these factors in order to generate the best response. 

Read Online marketing management allows for customization at bevindustry.com

The Internet and mobile technologies are triggering an explosion in all types of messaging media. Marketers most likely have a clear understanding of the front end of creating and producing a campaign, such as customizing marketing materials to localizing POP/POS items and a host of other attention-getting capabilities available to us today. But then come a host of questions that are sure to be important to all marketers with a budget:

Read Guide to Online Marketing Management at SalesAndMarketing.com

“Larry’s promotion is an acknowledgement of his outstanding leadership qualities and passionate commitment to the Tukaiz mission to develop and deliver truly innovative marketing services and solutions,” said Frank Defino, Jr., vice-president and managing partner for Tukaiz. “Throughout his 21-year tenure at Tukaiz, Larry has made major contributions to the company when it comes to strategic vision, leadership skills, and operational effectiveness. However, what I respect most is his stellar attention to our customers and their needs, taking care of each customer as if they were our only one. We are very pleased to promote Larry to Executive Director of Business Development.”

His new role includes building upon Tukaiz’ newly launched product divisions in the consumer, distributor and Fundraising markets as well as to play a key role in the core business to business sector of Tukaiz as it undertakes new initiatives.

Pagel is a US Naval Veteran and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

Multi-channel media has opened up many new paths to reach potential customers. Marketers everywhere and at any size company must be concerned about maintaining brand integrity across a variety of media and output devices. Because of this, common questions asked by marketers include: will the colors and brand consistency be the same in all printed material? Will the messaging be exactly what I ordered? Will all materials reflect customized text or graphics that meet corporate and/or local compliance requirements? How quickly can the various pieces of a campaign be produced? When was it shipped? And how much does it all cost?

Read "Online Marketing Management Systems Can Help" at Marketing Daily.

Franklin Park, IL, August 26, 2010 – Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, today announced the nomination of Karen Wolz, executive director of client services, for The Chicago Advertising Federation’s (CAF) 2010 Advertising Woman of the Year Award. Each year, the award is presented to an individual who has provided outstanding leadership and has been recognized for her achievement. Nominees are judged based on significant contributions made to her company as well as the greater advertising community, personal and professional accomplishments, and contributions to the development of others. Karen has served as a member of the CAF board of directors and CAF president.   She has a proven commitment to mentorship as a member of the organizing committee for the CAF's annual Career Day event.

Karen Wolz joined Tukaiz in 2007 as a general manager and has since been promoted to executive director of client services. Since joining Tukaiz, she has played a primary role in supporting the company’s innovative imaging, print, and interactive services. She was integral in the development of Backstage, a proprietary online marketing management and production process system, and helped in the development of PixyMe, an iPhone and iPod touch application that uses true-to-life image personalization technology. Additionally, she remains instrumental in the company’s day-to-day forward thinking business practices, quality control programs, and client service production processes.

Wolz began her career at Jahn & Ollier, and has since has held positions at WACE, Seven Worldwide, and Draft Worldwide. During her 31 year career in the graphic arts and production service areas of the advertising business, Karen Wolz has been an integral member of every management team she has been a part of developing and implementing new services, processes, and client-focused strategic solutions.

“It came as no surprise to us that Karen was nominated for this prestigious award,” said Frank Defino, Jr., vice president and managing director of Tukaiz. “Karen understands both the creative side and production process needed to make any concept a reality—a trait of great value in this industry. She understands the urgency needed in client relations and brings value through her efforts. Karen also has a generosity and enthusiasm to give her time and talent to teach others that is unparalleled. She is admired and respected by every employee at Tukaiz and her genuine and grounded character does not go unnoticed. Her commitment to excel, willingness to embrace change, and her continued dedication to our industry are just a few of the many reasons why Karen is deserving of this nomination.”

“Being nominated for the CAF Advertising Woman of the Year award is a great honor,” said Wolz. “With more than thirty-one years of experience guiding companies in implementing or streamlining best-of-breed systems for producing customer communications, I have been fortunate enough to realize that delivering effective marketing services goes well beyond the ability to produce great creative. With this knowledge, I have worked hard to help others in the industry to fully understand how well-defined, high quality production processes can raise the reputation of any company.”

About Tukaiz

Tukaiz is a results-driven marketing communications service provider based in Franklin Park, IL. Founded in 1963, Tukaiz is a family-owned and operated company providing products and services to advertising agencies and corporate America. The infrastructure of Tukaiz includes imaging, print, and interactive services comprised of in-house consulting, creative, prepress, color correction and retouching, as well as prepress, offset, digital, large format and banner printing, online marketing management, data development, website development/hosting, multimedia solutions, finishing, and mailing and fulfillment services. For more information, please visit www.tukaiz.com.

Read "Mobile Marketing - It's a Whole New World" by Frank Defino, Jr. at 1to1media.com.

Read Mobile Marketing: Today’s New Frontier at DirectMag.com

PixyMe is simple to use. Choose an image and add your message, and it is ready to be sent by text or e-mail. For an additional $1.99, you can also have the image made into a real postcard, which Tukaiz will mail to the address you choose.

Read "A Rack of Custom E-Cards in your Phone" by Roy Furchgott at nytimes.com.

Postcards are dull and boring. Wouldn't you like to send one with your name in lights? Or with your name and greeting photographed on a gingerbread cake?
...
My name in lights was the first thing I tried. I got Elvis -- OK, "Elvis" -- to help out and got top billing in Las Vegas. I tried the cake, too. It's been 37 years since anybody wrote my name on a cake; PixyMe did it readily.

Read “PixyMe puts your name in lights” at syracuse.com

Advancements in technology are making it possible to move from a simple Web-to-print solution to a true online marketing management system that gives corporations the ability to produce marketing materials that drill down to specific demographics, cultures, and even the most local of environments being served, while keeping the company's messaging and branding intact. Even better, the ability to add specific business rules or provide intuitive templates make it possible for those closest to the customer to create marketing materials that can be strictly controlled with respect to brand and legal issues.

Read "Moving Beyond Web-to-Print" at 1to1media.com.

The mailer, a 6-inch by 9-inch card die cut in the image of a baseball glove and delivered in a clear envelope, featured the recipients’ first and last names and included a call to action to visit their own personalized Web address to RSVP to the event.
...
WGN executives ... were thrilled with the mailer’s response. “The campaign was hugely successful,” says Wendi Power, director of sales for WGN Radio. “The personalized invitations really set us apart, and our clients were very impressed with their own personalized URL (PURL) to RSVP.”

Read "A Radio Station Mixes Marketing Channels to Lure Advertisers" online at delivermagazine.com

Franklin Park, IL, February 16, 2010 – Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, rocked the social networking application category with its creation PixyMe™, introduced less than 30 days ago. In this short timeframe, PixyMe was chosen by Apple to be listed in Apple’s “What’s Hot” section; and also continues to rank in the top 25 of the “Top 100 Paid Social Networking Apps” in the App Store.

PixyMe’s popularity is due to the fact it is the first postcard messaging application of its kind that uses true-to-life image personalization technology to create and send personalized postcard via email, text message, Facebook or an actual printed postcard through the mail. Users are enjoying the ability to connect with family, friends, and other social networks with attention-getting images that actually integrate the name or short phrase into an object within the photograph, making it appear as if it were photographed that way, such as a name written in leaves on a sidewalk or as fireworks in the sky.

“PixyMe is a natural extension of the innovative marketing production services Tukaiz is known for,” said Frank Defino, Jr., vice-president and managing director of Tukaiz. “We recognize that as mobile phones are fast becoming the primary Internet device they offer an innovative way to drive interactive and print applications. We are confident that people’s fascination with the PixyMe app will pave the way for more innovation in this area and are thrilled to have reached such notable heights within our first month of launching the PixyMe application.”

For more information and to watch the video tour, visit the PixyMe Web site at www.pixyme.com .

Franklin Park, IL, February 8, 2010—Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, has launched PixyMe™, an iPhone and iPod touch application that is the first of its kind using true-to-life image personalization technology to create and send a personalized postcard via email, text message, Facebook, or an actual printed postcard through the mail. PixyMe’s fast rise in popularity to the Top 100 Paid Social Networking Apps stems from the fact it is unlike any other postcard messaging application on the market today. PixyMe connects you with family, friends, or other social networks by artistically placing the recipient’s name into an image to appear as if it was photographed that way, such as the name spelled out across the horizon over a lake at sunset or written on the snowy windshield of a car. The power of PixyMe is its one-of-kind creative approach to picture personalization that is designed to elicit emotion and smiles.

Some of the key features of the PixyMe application are:

• Loaded with over 100 images (visit the supporting page for a preview or to try the technology) broken down by categories such as travel, holidays, celebration, kids, and more
• The ability to key in a name or greeting and watch as the text gets transformed as part of the image with amazing realism
• Provides several custom frames that wrap the personalization around photos from your camera or photo library
• The ability to add a personal note on the postcard and share it via Facebook post, email, text message or by print
• Fast production of image personalized printed postcards
• Fast delivery of printed postcards anywhere in the world including a real stamp mailed First Class

The process is quick and effortless. Users simply visit the App Store from their mobile device or on iTunes and purchase PixyMe for $1.99. The postcards, which are 4.25" x 5.625", are printed on gorgeous card stock and mailed anywhere in the world with an actual stamp included in the price. There is a charge of $1.99 per printed postcard mailed in the U.S., and $2.99 for postcards mailed to all other destinations.

“You have to experience this app to realize that PixyMe is specifically designed for people who want to reach out to others with a greeting or message that will really wow them,” said Frank Defino Jr., vice-president and managing director of Tukaiz. “Once a user shares the PixyMe experience with friends or colleagues, they find it is definitely attention-getting and like no other postcard messaging app on the market. We are excited that PixyMe is the first app of its kind to hit the App Store and that it is catching on so fast.”

For more information and to watch the video tour, visit the PixyMe Web site at www.pixyme.com.

Franklin Park, IL, February, 2010—Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, today announced the launch of Backstage™ by Tukaiz, a proprietary online marketing management system and production process that offers a streamlined, cost effective way to produce more effective marketing materials. A convenient online system, Backstage provides the functionality needed to allow marketing and business users to order and create variable or static materials with highly customized messaging for a specific initiative or audience and have them printed and shipped within 48 hours.

Backstage is the perfect solution for creating such customized materials as it goes beyond basic web-to-print capabilities. Now enterprises can produce a host of POP/POS materials developed for local markets and franchises from approved creative or customized materials for distributors, sales forces, and corporate chains across the world that can be strictly controlled with respect to brand and legal issues. The online ordering system and production process is also perfect for any direct mail campaign since materials can be created with variable messages and image personalization technology and then printed, finished and mailed right from the Tukaiz facility.

Additionally, the software supports the analysis of a company’s marketing efforts with robust reporting and administration capabilities allowing the luxury of instant market research from each campaign to best determine the direction of future campaigns. Flexible and scalable, Backstage can be customized to meet business user’s marketing and budget requirements.

“Providing marketers closest to the customer the ability to customize messages and materials with the assurance they won't compromise the integrity of the brand in the process is a huge advantage for companies that want to incorporate targeted messages in their marketing materials that vary from region to region,” said Dan Defino, vice president and managing director of Tukaiz. “We are very excited about the benefits this technology is bringing to our customers. Backstage is an end-to-end solution that saves time and money with the ability to have customized materials created, printed, finished, and fulfilled within 48 hours from a single site facility.”

Virtual inventory and fulfillment capability is another great convenience that Backstage delivers. Most marketers are purchasing smaller volumes of printed materials to avoid the expense of warehousing them. Backstage makes it possible to print personalized, comprehensive marketing materials on a variety of substrates that can be targeted to smaller, carefully selected audiences, which ultimately means less inventory and less waste.

Reprint follows:

For restaurants that want more holistic control over their four-walls marketing initiatives, there’s Tukaiz. This program makes it possible for a host of beyond-the-basics marketing materials to live on a company’s online management site, including direct mail pieces, POP/POS displays, and more, while giving the people closest to the customer (regional franchisees, for example) the ability to tweak the materials to make more sense for regional audiences. The software can be developed and customized on demand to meet the customer’s marketing and budget needs, according to Dan Defino, vice president of Tukaiz.

Continue reading “Ten technologies that make for better business” at pizzamarketplace.com.

Franklin Park, IL, December 1, 2009—Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, today announced it has renewed its strategic marketing partnership with WGN Radio to once again sell Tukaiz’ exclusive image-personalized calendars on its radio and TV Web sites; and has expanded this enterprise to include other broadcasting stations with a strong online presence. The calendars, which enjoyed widespread appeal as the perfect holiday present last year on the WGN Radio and TV Web sites, are also now featured on the English and Spanish Web sites of HOY, one of the largest Spanish-language daily newspapers in the U.S.; and the Web sites of the St. Louis stations of KMOX NewsRadio, KEZK 102.5, and Y98.

These are not the typical calendars featuring family photos or other standard real-life images. The calendars, a practical yet thoughtful keepsake gift that is reasonably priced and easy to create, use an advanced picture personalization technology to incorporate the recipient’s name into classic scenes chosen from either Chicago or St. Louis. As a gift that lasts all year long, each month the calendar will feature a special image that is packed with emotion—like a familiar city street scene with the surprise addition of the recipient’s name on a street sign or a serene winter landscape with the name spelled out in the snow. Also available only on the WGN Radio and TV Web sites—and new for 2010—are personalized invitations and holiday cards that can be customized using the same high degree of technology.

“The huge popularity of the personalized calendars last year encouraged us to make them available to additional markets, along with adding more product choices for the WGN audience,” said Todd Manley, manager of consumer markets for Tukaiz. “These one-of-a-kind, image-personalized calendars, invites, and holiday cards are instant crowd favorites, and we are looking forward to repeating the success of last year’s partnership program this holiday season.”

“We're excited to once again offer these amazing products to our WGN Radio listeners and visitors at www.wgnradio.com. Our terrific partners at Tukaiz have created yet another unique way to make people smile,” said Jackie Paulus, director of marketing and digital innovation for WGN Radio.

Ordering is as simple as selecting the images and keying in the personalized name. At $14.99, the standing desk calendar measures 5" x 7.5" and features a double-sided flip design. The wall calendar costs $19.99 and measures 11" x 17". The invitations and holiday cards include holiday themed images and measure 5" x 7". The invitations start at $21.99 for a set of five. The holiday cards start at $29.99 for a set of 20. Discounts are offered on larger orders for all of the personalized products.

Franklin Park, IL, November 16, 2009— Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, today announced it has opened an online product store for consumers to sell exclusive image-personalized calendars, invites, and holiday cards. If you want a cool, creative gift for less than $20, anyone can now go online to www.tukaizproducts.com to order uniquely personalized standing desk or wall calendars that have never before been offered to the public. Additionally, for larger orders for businesses, Tukaiz has the capability to put a company logo on each page.

These are not the typical calendars featuring family photos or other standard real-life images. Each month your recipients will see a special image that is packed with emotion—like leaves on the ground spelling out their name or snow on a car that appears as if someone took their finger and spelled the name right on the windshield. Through a special technology brought to the USA from Germany by Tukaiz, the incredible realism of these personalized products is sure to bring a genuine smile and a big thank-you from recipients all year long.

It’s a lot of fun just to visit the interactive site where you can play around with different names and images before you buy. You can order customized invitations and holiday cards with someone’s name, too. The creation process is convenient and reliable because you’re able to preview your order before completing it. The image-personalized calendars are already selling at a fast rate and enjoying widespread appeal as the perfect holiday present:  a practical yet thoughtful keepsake gift that is reasonably priced and easy to create.

Ordering is quick and effortless. You pick the images, type in the personalized name and it’s that simple. At $14.99, the standing desk calendar measures 5" x 7.5" and features a double-sized flip design. The wall calendar costs $19.99 and measures 11" x 17". The 5" x 7" holiday cards and invitations include holiday themed images and start at $21.99 for a set of five. Discounts are offered on larger orders.

Franklin Park, IL, November 16, 2009—If you want a cool, creative gift for less than $20, go online to www.tukaizproducts.com to order uniquely personalized standing desk or wall calendars that have never before been offered to the public. These are not the typical calendars featuring family photos or other standard real-life images. Each month your recipients will see a special image that is packed with emotion—like leaves on the ground spelling out their name or snow on a car that appears as if someone took their finger and spelled the name right on the windshield. Through a special technology brought to the USA from Germany by Tukaiz, the incredible realism of these personalized products is sure to bring a genuine smile and a big thank-you from recipients all year long.

It’s a lot of fun just to visit the interactive site where you can play around with different names and images before you buy. You can order customized invitations and holiday cards with someone’s name, too. The creation process is convenient and reliable because you’re able to preview your order before completing it. The image-personalized calendars are already selling at a fast rate and enjoying widespread appeal as the perfect holiday present:  a practical yet thoughtful keepsake gift that is reasonably priced and easy to create.

Ordering is quick and effortless. You pick the images, type in the personalized name and it’s that simple. At $14.99, the standing desk calendar measures 5" x 7.5" and features a double-sized flip design. The wall calendar costs $19.99 and measures 11" x 17". The 5” x 7” holiday cards and invitations include holiday themed images and start at $21.99 for a set of five. Discounts are offered on larger orders.

According to Frank Defino, Jr., vice president and managing director of Tukaiz, data owners don't cooperate because they don't understand that the same piece of data that will work in a direct mail piece will also work on a landing page. “They sometimes don't know how to put the pieces together,” he says.

Tukaiz's recent work with Ricoh was also shown as an example of the successful use of these campaigns:

Four months prior to the trade show the company sent “backstage passes” to 23,000 recipients. A second mailer urged recipients to sign up online to go to a personal URL (PURL), and a third mailer, which included a Ricoh Rocks T-shirt, was sent to a specific group of high-value prospects the company wanted to meet in person. In addition, Ricoh simultaneously dropped email campaigns, encouraging people to go to their PURLs. (...) The campaign ultimately resulted in the sale of nine printers on the trade show floor—the first time the 72-year-old company signed deals at a trade show.

For the full article, visit 1to1media.com

To generate pre-show interest and drive traffic to the booth, Sterling Kilgore turned to Tukaiz, a provider of imaging, print and interactive services, to help develop an integrated multimedia campaign called “Ricoh Rocks!” Sterling worked with Tukaiz to create visuals that employed vibrant colors to emphasize the Pro C900’s digital color-production system, and depicted silhouettes of hip, rocking figures playing guitars before an audience of wild fans. The copy employed vivid, hipster language, with promises that Ricoh would rock the recipient’s world at Graph Expo 2008.

Read "Are You Ready to Rock?" at delivermagazine.com

“The preparation up to that day was very intense,” says Karen Wolz, general manager for Franklin Park, Illinois-based Tukaiz, which is certified with SFI and has both wide-format and narrow-format digital and offset technologies in-house. “You must be sure you have company-wide commitment. It’s an investment in time and personnel. You have to make sure your workflow is in order, make sure your employees are trained. You want to have everything in place, so you know up front that you are compliant.”

Read the full article at BigPicture.net - The SFI Certification Option

WGN hit a more than 50% response rate this spring with a small, highly personalized mailing targeting advertisers on Chicago Cubs' games.

The radio station sent 300 letters to vice presidents and directors of marketing at major corporate advertisers like Miller Beer, General Motors and others inviting them to an opening day party and ballgame. Each letter included a personalized URL like john.smith.wgn720openingday2009.com where the recipients could reply, says Frank Defino, Jr., managing partner at Tukaiz, WGN's agency.

Read "Get In The Game" at ChiefMarketer.com

I have one propped on my desk right now: a personalized calendar from Tukaiz LLC (UPIC: Tukaiz). My name is incorporated into the image, which this month happens to be a pedestrian crosswalk featuring my first and last name in bold white letters right on the black concrete on which people are strolling.

See “Calendars Get A Jolt Of Cool” as it appeared on ppbmag.com.

"For the first six years, I didn't see sunlight too much," Mr. Defino says. "I missed a lot of events, birthdays. I worked seven days a week. Sometimes I slept three hours."

His business demanded constant customer care, and there was no time for vacation. "It's unbelievable the time-consumption put into this business," he says.

  Read the full article at chicagobusiness.com

A handshake is one widely recognized form of greeting in many cultures. It’s meant to be a warm, friendly gesture, asking for nothing more than welcome and acceptance. This subtle “feel good” approach can also be applied to your marketing initiatives—and can be highly effective in influencing your target audience.

Humans are largely motivated by their emotions, with emotion stimulating the mind 3,000 times faster than rational thought. Recent published findings in neuroscience indicate it’s emotion, not reason, that primarily drives customers’ purchasing decisions. How your company makes a customer feel, how they believe your values align with theirs and your overall likability are all integral to creating clients who are highly favorable toward—and attached to—your business.

Read the full article here.

Reprint follows:

Company Supports 13th Annual Women in P-O-P Benefit to Fight Breast Cancer

Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, is honored to be a Gold Corporate Benefactor for the 13th annual Women in P-O-P Benefit to Fight Breast Cancer. Held at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas at the close of the 2008 In-Store Marketing Expo, the well-attended benefit was billed as an “evening of hope,” honoring lives and celebrating survivors. With over $1 million donated to the cause since its inception, the annual event is made possible by the support of its Corporate Benefactors.

Last spring, the Franklin Park, Ill., company launched a baseball-themed campaign using print image personalization and state-of-the-art technology to show current and potential customers how the combination can bolster their marketing efforts. The one-time mailing was sent out in April (to coincide with baseball’s opening day) to more than 4,000 existing and potential clients nationwide…

Read the entire article at delivermagazine.com

Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services,  today announced it has produced new theme music and player banners for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Chicago Blackhawks, becoming a major force behind the current revitalization of the team’s image.  The dynamic opening theme song, broadcast on WGN Radio across the country, is now playing for all games this year, while the banners will hang prominently around the United Center throughout the season.

“…before implementing a direct mail or email campaign using PURLs, take a moment to consider the power of personalization by itself. For instance, when you get the daily mail, what do you look at first? The grocery store flyer or catalog that everyone on the block has received, or the letter that has your name on it? If the address is handwritten, all the better, because in effect it also incorporates something personal from the sender. It says: This is "me" speaking directly to "you."

 Read the full article at salesandmarketing.com.

FRANKLIN PARK, Ill.--Tukaiz, a leading provider of results-driven marketing communications services, has expanded its strategic marketing partnership with WGN Radio, its first with a major consumer broadcasting company, to sell exclusive image-personalized 2009 calendars via WGN Radio’s website. This alliance represents a rare business-to-business-to-consumer relationship wherein the calendars are promoted on both companies’ websites as well as advertised on WGN Radio airtime. Already fast-selling at a rate of one order every five minutes, the calendars are enjoying widespread appeal as the perfect holiday present: a practical yet thoughtful keepsake gift that is reasonably priced and easy to create. The calendars have also been promoted on WGN TV and in the Chicago Tribune.

“Even the most inexpensive tactics on the production side of a direct mail cam­paign will fail if pieces are sent to recipients who are not interested in your offerings. Save the money you would have spent on printing and postage delivered to the masses — redirect your budget to more creative, higher-qual­ity personalized pieces that speak to each recipient's interests — and prompt action.”

Read the rest of "Get Creative to Cut Direct Mail Costs" at dmnews.com.

“At Tukaiz, the first thing we ask ourselves when producing self-promotional marketing material for our company is how we, as recipients, like to be marketed to,” says Defino. “Marketers are excited about using everything that is new and innovative like structural graphics, clear envelopes, new print technologies, picture personalization, and pURLs,” explains Defino. “I think as a technology becomes more widely available, more robust marketers will figure out how to take advantage of those elements and narrow it down to use in their own focused marketing campaigns.”

Read “Adding a Personalized Touch” at dpsmagazine.com.

Kudos to the Defino family at Tukaiz in Franklin Park, IL. The printer, a digital pioneer, now has 10 HP Indigo presses. The marketing communications specialist does a lot of imaging, print and interactive media work for WGN radio. A recent project, 2009 personalized calendars, are featured on the site Tukaiz created for the station (www.wgnradiocalendars.com). The printer, which recently announced a West Coast expansion, has a dedicated calendar site: www.tukaizcalendars.com/library.php.

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“To effectively reach customers you must present your capabilities and use the tools that you are selling to promote yourself.  Targeted advertising, trade shows, direct mail and public relations are the keys to branding and establishing market awareness in an ever changing technologically advanced culture,” says Frank Defino Jr, VP / Managing Director of Tukaiz