Betty Ann was trained as a graphic designer that actually did board mechanicals! Early on, she discovered a desire for more education in fine arts. She fell in love with print making, paper making and art history. Betty Ann recognized early in the game that she could nurture good graphic design.

Travers/Collins/Partners is a full service marketing communications firm providing solutions for a diverse group of local, regional and national accounts. The agency is staffed with 38 professionals who bring to the table more than 400 years of combined experience in marketing communications. Their breadth of experience in a variety of marketing disciplines includes creative development, research, advertising, sales promotion and training, media planning and buying, investor relations, public relations and production.

Betty Ann is the senior production manager on all agency accounts. Joining the agency in 1996, she has had primary print production responsibility for 20 annual reports produced by the agency since that time. Betty Ann has 10 years agency experience and her background also includes 5 years with a high end color printer.

Betty Ann, tell us about your responsibilities at Travers/Collins/Partners

I am responsible for estimating, planning and production of all advertising and marketing materials produced by the agency. I develop and monitor budgets, solicit competitive vendor bids, inspect materials for accuracy and quality, and oversee the timely and cost-efficient production of all client projects.

In a down economy, ad budgets are the first to go - have you been hurt this year by the cut backs from your clients?

I feel strongly that the economy has been on the downswing and it is reflected by the fact that many of our clients have cut back or eliminated some of their advertising budgets. They are producing fewer collateral pieces and running less/smaller ads. Many projects we do on an annual basis have smaller budgets this year - meaning bigger creative challenges, lower print quantities, no commissioned photography or illustrations, fewer pages, cheaper paper stock and fewer colors.

Your print vendors, how are they doing for you right now?

I have a group of regular vendors that I trust and have come to depend on for their abilities to produce high quality and timely work. Recently, two of my favorite printers have put in direct-to-plate, 8-color 40" presses with coaters and the ability to perfect a job. This has been great for keeping down costs while helping to accelerate the process. I just had an annual report with a very fast turnaround and a complex print design - they were able to turn around changes quickly with direct to plate; ran the job around the clock - including 3:30 am press okays - we got the job done and delivered on time and it looked great.

Any pet peeve’s with your vendors?

Most of my vendors do a very good job, but one complaint I have is when I'm doing a high profile/high budget print project and the salesman doesn't show up for all the press okays. Even if they have a very competent support staff, I want the sales rep to place the same interest and importance on the projects that I do and be there to lend support and advice. Another pet peeve I have is the "good 'ole boy" mentality when it comes to printers entertaining art directors and account people with invitations to play golf. I'm the decision maker on where the printing goes and they're wining and dining "the boys' at the club. I find that offensive.

Has the Internet played a role in demand for print from your clients?

So far, it has had minimal impact on print demand. The most significant difference has been the e-mailing of files to publications vs. going to final film and proof for ads.

Is ordering print a full-time job?

It is not a full-time job for me; I have a variety of responsibilities including establishing and maintaining budgets; being the agency quality control person - accuracy, proofs and press okays, and quality of work produced and keeping everything in budget; being a resource to the creative department; scheduling, etc.

Are you married more to the sales rep or the print firm?

(I just met with) a sales rep that I worked with before he left for another (company.) He called to set up a meeting to try to get me to work with him at his new shop. Although I have confidence in him after working with him for three years, I explained that it would take a while before I would be willing to send work to the new shop. I requested samples, equipment list and I will do a plant tour sometime soon. I've given him the opportunity to quote on a few projects just to see where his pricing is at. If he does get work, he'll have to earn it. I always start with a small project as a test before large budget jobs go to a shop.

Many printers claim to have niche advantages to certain types of jobs. Is it easier and worth it financially for you to track these niches or do you prefer to work with one or two sources for everything?

I prefer to work with a relatively small vendor base of proven performers. But it is important for me to have a total understanding of a printer's niche in the market. I work with tight budgets - and do a competitive three way bid in most cases. I need to source the most cost-effective, timely method of producing a job. By having an understanding of my vendor's capabilities, I can fit the equipment to the job specifications. And because I am producing such a wide variety of materials - everything from banners to outdoor signage, billboards, sell sheets, ads, annual reports, t-shirts to getting copies of press releases, I need to know the right vendor to fit the job. No one shop can do it all. I also try to keep my vendor base local to support the local economy and promote goodwill.

Tell us about one of the most interesting jobs you have had produced.

It was a product launch for one of our foodservice clients and it started with a teaser ad campaign that was followed up with a full range of print materials including apparel, posters, ads, training manuals,etc. I worked with a variety of vendors, one of whom had their husband picking up materials out-of-town because UPS was on strike and we couldn't get some hats and shirts from a supplier in time to have them embroidered and shipped to a training session. Now that's a team player! It was a very hectic and complex project, but when it was all done and successful, it was something to be proud of. All my vendors worked hard to get materials complete and I was happy with everyone's effort and extra effort. I forged many fast friendships on that project.

Do you let your printer influence your paper knowledge or do you have relationships with the mills too?

In my viewpoint, paper is very important to the process, both from a budget standpoint and a creative one. I spend considerable time keeping updated on what's on the current market and often have mill reps in for presentations with the creative staff. My art directors depend on me as a resource to get paper samples and dummies and make recommendations on what stocks are appropriate for the job - end use and budget or what stocks will enhance the creative. I'm very loyal in specifying stocks that have proven to perform well on press.