The paper industry is one of the oldest and most prolific, and despite the technological takeover that’s evolved into the norm, paper goods are still highly sought after, especially for promotional products.

Promonotes, the latest company to join the roster of unique and eye-catching products available through supplier International Merchandise Concepts (IMC), keeps the (paper) ball rolling with high-quality products customized using the latest printing technology.

Promonotes attributes much of its success to constantly looking for ways to improve, advance and perfect its products. Based in Poznan, Poland, Promonotes is one of Europe’s largest producers of paper-based promotional products, which include sticky notes, notebooks, calendars and combination sets, along with complementary supplies, like cover materials and elastic strips. The company is housed in a 225,000-square-foot state-of-the-art production facility, with a planned expansion for 650,000 square feet of adjoining land to serve its international markets, which include Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia in Europe, the UK, Africa and Asia. All of Promonotes’ product research is done in-house by its team of more than 200, in addition to seasonal and contracted workers, using technology aimed at continuously improving product quality. All products are printed using a new printing technique called VividPrint for optimal detailed artwork reproduction, pricing, production time and cost efficiency.

Since it delivers paper products, it was important to the Promonotes team that its processes remain aligned with eco-friendly standards—and so all products are sustainable and 100-percent recyclable. The paper used is sourced from managed and sustained European forests from FSC-certified suppliers, permitting the company to trace the origins of its raw materials to ensure that all components are environmentally friendly and safe.

Members of the Promonotes team, which include Jakub Rawecki, vice president and chief operating officer; Maciej Mackowiack, director of business operations; Izabela Jaskolska, director of marketing; Aneta Mrzywka, marketing manager; and Bjorn S. Carlson, business development, say a major reason for their success is the strong capability to customize products from scratch based on client requirements. In addition to the extensive machinery that includes quality printing, conversion, binding and packaging machines, they say what really distinguishes the company from the competition is its ability to perform a large part of the production manually with the highest precision, which ensures customers receive unique products that perfectly reflect their brands.

How did Promonotes get its start?

Promonotes was founded in 1994 by Jakub’s father Kristoffer Rawecki and remains 100-percent family-controlled. Kristoffer is still active in the company and retains majority ownership, while day-to-day operations are run by his son. The company is financially strong with a very healthy balance sheet. It all started with producing basic sticky notes and then continuously broadening the portfolio by adding multiple adaptable sets, calendars, binders, offset products and great quality notebooks under our brand Mindnotes, which has become a great success in the European market.

In an era of ever-growing and ubiquitous technology, what are some of the unique benefits that paper products can offer to recipients?

According to research by the Association of Magazine Media, print marketing is the key to effective brand management and successful campaigns. Reading on paper is slower and deeper, paper-based reading is more focused, print readers comprehend and remember more, print marketing makes products more desirable, print leads to purchases, print works in combination with other platforms and boosts recall of other media and print continues to raise awareness over time. Paper products are also a great medium for creating brand awareness. They are relatively inexpensive products used commonly and they are easy to distribute among friends and co-workers. Thus, they are very efficient for brand promotion. The big marketing advantage of calendars and notebooks with calendar inserts is that they are kept and promote brand awareness throughout the year.

What is important to consider in the design and personalization of notebooks and notepads for promotional campaigns or initiatives?

The most important thing to remember is that the notebook and notepad should represent the brand that it promotes. In our offerings you will find a multitude of options that match the exclusivity of brands, such as gold foil debossing, side gilding, paper bands and boxes; a variety of raw-looking papers, fabrics, nubuck-like PU covers and components; vividness, including side coloring, full-color covers finished with lamination that additionally boost color intensity and inserts of coated papers. If a product is promoting a children’s brand it should include a cartoon graphic or shaped sticky pads to keep them entertained. We have plenty of shapes available, including hedgehogs, flowers and cupcakes. On special request, we also provide covers in Pantone colors.

 Once Promonotes receives the artwork and the order is confirmed, the sticky notes and covers are printed. Next, the sheets with printed covers go to the laminating machine, and both sticky notes and covers are cut.

In a different machine, cardboard is cut into pieces and wrapped with sheets that have already been adjusted for inner and outer covers.

  All components are passed on a special, fully automated machine with a main tray feeder for covers. At each subsequent station, there are small feeders for the rest of the components that are added, one by one, along the way. At the end of the production line, the finished products are packaged into cartons.

The packaged products are directed to the warehouse and sent to the customer.  

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Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB.