Ricoh, a global electronics firm with a local office in Malvern, recently helped a small California company make the business leap from being just a local printing service to making a name for itself as a full national marketing service provider.

“We’re well over the hump,” said Jennifer Hudek, president of Pacful. “We are now a full-fledged marketing service provider.”

During the past three years, Ricoh helped Pacful make the transformation by combining strategic insight with powerful tools. Working together, the companies created more than 40 customized Web-based storefronts for Pacful clients.

Pacful clients are typically marketing and event departments within large companies. They need to store their branded content – high-resolution logos, document templates, collateral designs, contact information and other digital assets – in these custom-branded websites.

This maintains critical brand consistency for print jobs, event materials, promotional items and even branded garments. Orders flow directly into Pacful’s print/inventory management systems.

“When clients work in our Web storefronts, they often don’t even realize they’ve left their own intranets,” said Hudek. “That’s because our print management infrastructure is so well integrated into their normal intranet experience. It’s seamless, and with Ricoh’s support, we’ve effectively become an extension of their marketing team. As repeat customers, they don’t need heavy consultation. They get exactly what they want, with consistent quality and turnaround, every time.”

For the web store fronts Pacful uses MarcomCentral software from Ricoh strategic partner PTI Marketing Technologies®. MarcomCentral is a comprehensive Web-to-print system that automates the creation, ordering, printing and delivery of static, personalized and variable data pieces. Clients use it to automate marketing, creative, fulfillment and distribution – even mail or email campaigns – with comprehensive tracking. Clients can easily extend their campaigns to microsites and mobile platforms with MarcomCentral.

“The transition from print service provider to marketing service provider, though difficult, opens up a multitude of opportunities for companies like Pacful that achieve it,” Tim Vellek, vice president for Ricoh’s production printing business group said in a company news release. “By offering campaign management, variable data printing, easy access to marketing materials and much more, a marketing service provider can deepen its relationship with customers and give prospects ample reason to engage with the business. Ricoh is committed to providing the solutions, products, training and business development tools that can help more print service providers succeed in their transition.”