In a previous post, I talked about some of the benefits of web-to-print and database publishing for supermarkets. Next to the POS materials, the weekly (or monthly) brochures are one of the biggest parts of this. I promised to go deeper into their advantages.
Seamless integration
First of all, it is very important for your supermarket customers that they don't have to change too many things on their side of the prepress workflow of the brochures. Because this almost invariably significantly increases the budget for the entire database publishing setup. Expecting the IT department of the supermarket to be involved in a major way is often unrealistic.
So you will focus on a database publishing workflow which integrates as tightly as possible to the existing situation. This includes the import of the product information into the PIMS databases and images into the digital asset management system, but also the import of any existing planning tools. Usually, the marketing department plans their brochures in internal Excel files. Importing the information from these files makes their life (and the entire automation project) a lot easier.
Expanded workflow
But they won't necessarily keep working with the Excel file. One of the prime advantages you will offer them in the database publishing workflow is the use of new tools for planning. Rather than do everyithing in the Excel files, central marketing departments can use the database publishing tools for the planning itself as well. Not only for the creation of the final output. This way, you as a service provider are involved in more of the workflow.
Continuous previews
And why would this happen? Because the database publishing tools give the possibility to work with accurate previews during the entire planning process. Rather than work with a static Excel file, PDF files with the available data can be sent out on a regular basis. Everybody will see which images are missing, which texts need to be written, and which product slots are still undecided. InDesign Server can be put to work at regulat times to generate the brochure.
Deadline changes
And let's not forget the possible changes in the deadlines of the database publishing workflow. The software allows the deadline to creep up to the day that the brochure should be printed. Or, if you still want to make a lot of creative changes, at least till two days before the presses should start rolling. The impact for supemarkets who focus on the cheepest prices (or on fresh goods) is obviously enormous.
Creative possibilities
And at the end of the line, it's very important to know that you won't end up with a static-looking folder. InDesign Server can be used to allow a lot of variations in the InDesign Templates, which might give you a completely finished brochure. But more realistically, you will get output which is 80% finished. The InDesign templates will take care of most of the work. But creative DTP personnel will do what InDesign Server can't: provide a human touch. This way, a minimum of time is needed to finalize the brochure, just before it hits the presses.