THINKING DIFFERENTLY - Ussco.com

hot programsSEPT/OCT 2008UNITED’sCoverStudioIt Doesn’t Take A Lot Of Time AndExpense To Get The Look And FeelOf A Professionally-DesignedCustom GL CoverFor many independent office products dealers, the GL catalogis the most visible representation of their business in themarketplace — it’s the face of the business that their customerssee every time they need office supplies. That also makes itthe most valuable promotional real estate that dealers have to establishtheir brand, differentiate their business and communicatetheir unique offerings to their customer base.To help dealers leverage their GL catalogs, United offers a widevariety of cover options, says Jim McCann, director, marketing,United Stationers. “The reason we offer so many choices is so dealerscan find one or more covers that support the branding they’vedeveloped for their dealership — both graphically and throughthe messaging that defines their business.” United’s Cover Studiotakes those choices a step further, according to McCann, providingdealers with greater customization opportunities for their GLcovers.“Cover Studio was developed for the independent dealership thatdoesn’t have the time or the resources to invest in a fully customcover,” says McCann. “It provides some of the flexibility and customizationcapabilities that allow them to present graphics andmessaging consistent with their own branding initiatives — at a18OFFICELINE | www.ussco.comfraction of the cost of doing their own custom cover.”Cover Studio primarily gives dealers three avenues to customizetheir cover choices, says McCann. These are:123Graphics: A dealership can make imagery choices — whetherit’s illustration or photography — as well as alter the colorschemes to better support its brand identity.Messaging: There is a variety of messaging available to dealersthat emphasizes the service, selection, value and/or local aspectsof their businesses. Dealers also have the option of creatingtheir own messaging, which McCann believes is especiallyimportant if they have a local slant or other unique messagingthat supports their service proposition or branding.Products: Dealers can choose from a diverse library of productsto feature or display on their covers.“We understand that dealers might want to emphasize productcategories that are not necessarily the same ones that we emphasizehere at United,” says McCann. “The product library gives them theoption of selecting more furniture or JanSan SKUs, for example,so they can present themselves in a way that makes sense for theirbusiness in their market.”