Multi-Faceted

The many sides of Think Patented

By David McNerney

Open up your mind.

It is a mindset we discuss often at Think Patented. If you can open up your mind to the prospect that every opportunity offers, you can open yourself up to an endless array of possibilities.

Think Patented is a forward thinking, “try to say yes,” high quality marketing execution company. Over the past 43-plus years, our ability to see all the opportunities around us continues to take us down a road of infinite possibilities.

While printing is—and always has been—at our core, we are not just about selling print.

Working closely and seamlessly with our clients, Think Patented is about accomplishing goals—making dreams a reality. Those efforts come in a variety of offerings and services, including offset, digital and wide format printing, mailing, fulfillment solutions, kit-packing, design services, promotional products and digital engagement solutions.

All of this flies under the Think Patented banner—one workflow, one roof.

You do not have to look far to see just how much the power of innovation has changed our industry—the world in general. Innovation’s transformative powers are evident in everything—and just about anything—we do today. It is in how we think, act and engage with our customers.

“Think Patented continues to be on the forefront of where the industry is going. Staying ahead of the curve is where our customers want us to be—and how they want to be reached.”

Being able to house this type of innovative thinking—that open-mindedness—helps us take the limits of human imagination to new and exciting levels. Working with Think Patented means you are working with a team that is open to different ideas, cultures, points of view, modes of expression and styles, and, most importantly, doing what is right.

Trust and integrity are the words that best sum up who and what we strive to be. We want our clients, our vendors, our employees and the community we serve to have complete trust in what we say, what we do, how we do it and what we produce. Internally, we talk about trying to find the best and most efficient ways to say yes. That doesn’t mean we say yes all the time. We understand that our customers have choices. But what it means is that we work hard not to give them a reason to go anywhere else.

Steve Jobs referred to the process as connecting the dots. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward,” he said, “you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

For us, it all goes back to that “one workflow, one roof” mentality. The concept is a combination of being forward thinking, as well as having a value proposition of really being a partner and trusted resource with everything that we offer. Everyone is resource strapped these days, so being able to get more done in less time has been a huge benefit to our clients.

The Think Patented team is committed to being everything our clients need us to be—and more. If all we did was print, our clients might view us as a commodity, which leads to an endless dance of getting quotes from every printer you can find and find who can do it for less.

We are more than that. We provide solutions, such as custom marketing portals that integrate with their internal systems, sample programs with a drip campaign tied to it or automated/personalized enrollment programs. These bring value to the companies and organizations we serve, thus becoming a partner—not a commodity.

The combination of all of our services, under one roof, is the key, including offerings like technology services, and our fulfillment and kit-packing capabilities—each of which continue to drive our success and growth. Being a marketing partner means you are more than just price.

Know who you are…

The way Think Patented evolved into this mindset started in 2006, when our managing partners, industry leaders Niels Winther and Ken McNerney, bought the company. Ahead of the curve of the changes that would come, Neils and Ken saw an industry ripe for transformation.

Their belief back then—like it remains today—was that print is not dead, nor dying. The secret to success is understanding how to mix it with the digital and social channels that continue to drive the way each of us engage. It continues to be the key to our growth and success.

And even more than that, Think Patented continues to be on the forefront of where the industry is going. Staying ahead of the curve is where our customers want us to be—and how they want to be reached.

Our leadership mindset sits at the crux of everything we do. Along with being able to offer the latest innovations and thinking about what our customers need, we become an extension of our clients’ teams. Again, not just a printer, but a partner who is willing to listen, strategize, collaborate and perform.

So, when you think Think Patented, you think about a brand with the right content, messaging and education needed to be a trusted thought leader in an ever-changing landscape that needs leaders.

This is not a one-off mindset, but a daily endeavor.

When I think of the Think Patented way, I am reminded of the story about one of our clients that was struggling to hire people. We uncovered their dilemma during a meeting where we asked about their pain points. Located in a somewhat rural area, they needed, in essence, to fill 100 or so positions. Our team suggested they do a multitouch campaign to certain demographics—a demo of people within a 30-minute drive of their facility.

“Our leadership mindset sits at the crux of everything we do. Along with being able to offer the latest innovations and thinking about what our customers need, we become an extension of our clients’ teams.”

The campaign consisted of two direct mailings and our Mail360 solutions, which combines direct mail with email, social media and digital marketing. While they were resistant at first—as all their hiring has been via online channels only in recent years—they decided to give it a shot.

Within 30 days of the campaign ending, they had 148 applications and hired 22 people. They were elated. Because we were able to open up their minds to the possibilities, they trusted our judgment.

I don’t know about you, but these are the kind of stories that get us excited about being in this industry. It all comes back to those key words: trust and integrity. A trusted partner, vendor, customer and employer are a pretty hard partnership to beat.

Open your mind up to the possibilities.

As Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Think Patented, David McNerney is responsible for the strategic direction, and daily management for sales and marketing. During his 13 years with Think Patented, he has helped the organization grow from $13 million to $22 million, helping lead the expansion into wide format printing, promotional products, design services and digital marketing solutions. Prior to joining Think Patented, McNerney held sales leadership positions in the technology sector. Additionally, he sits on the Board of Trustees, Executive and MarCom committees for the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, as well as a Board member for Dscoop Americas.