As an SPC Account Manager, Kiki Heron is the key link between clients and our production teams. She is the entry point for art & data files while overseeing the overall production process. It’s her job to ensure SPC executes with excellence.
Let’s Dive in to Understand What Kiki Does Day In and Day Out to Serve Our Clients
SPC: What do you enjoy the most about your job?
KH: Big picture: There are so many options along the path of production for a direct mail campaign, and I enjoy the process of assessing each client’s objectives and requirements alongside all the production options to find the absolute best solution.
In the Details: It’s a cool challenge to figure out the final layout & process for an inline mail piece. It’s a puzzle that involves fitting multiple components onto one press form and arranging them in a way that we can stack multiple steps or elements to produce a finished piece. I find it requires left-brain and right-brain thinking, and it is very satisfying to see my solutions come to life!
What specific job was the most memorable?
I’ll answer with a type of job rather than a specific job: I’m lucky to be a part of SPC’s in-house marketing team leading initiatives that communicate who we are. We try to experiment with the latest inks, paper stocks, production methods, and various finishes. We also look to produce marketing collateral to be less wasteful while exploring all the possibilities for future client work. On these tests, I help build the design specifications of a print campaign that usually combine many of SPC’s capabilities into one package—and I always end up learning an incredible amount in the process.
Out of all of SPC’s innovative capabilities, what would you suggest brands utilize in 2020 to have the most success in their marketing campaigns this year?
Consumers are demanding a more personalized, 1:1 experience with their favorite brands, and the print technology now exists to satisfy that demand. Our inkjet web presses allow for full personalization (just a name isn’t enough anymore!) with really cool finishing capabilities to produce a tangible touchpoint that will capture the consumer’s attention and provide them relevant information.
At what point did you know you wanted to work in the print industry?
My entering the print industry was a happy accident. I enrolled in Clemson University’s Graphic Communications program thinking it was a graphic design program. At the time I didn’t know anything about the print industry, so when my classes started talking about the types of printing I passively thought “huh, that’s neat, I’ve never heard of this before.” But then my classes kept getting more in depth about print, and it hit me that I was in a print program and not a graphic design program. Print requires the ability to think creatively (e.g., color science) and analytically (e.g., press layouts). Once I understood all that print encompasses, it was clear to me that my skills and abilities were the right fit for this career path.
Outside of work, what are your hobbies?
I’ve spent a lot of time lately at the wheel throwing pottery. One of my favorite pieces I’ve made is a cake stand that I get to employ for another hobby of mine: baking. I have two of Christina Tosi’s cookbooks and have made 1 pie, 4 types of cookies, and 12 types of cake! Lastly, to balance it all out, I run. For the next 8 months I’ll be running along the lake preparing for my first Chicago Marathon this fall, as a part of Team PAWS Chicago.
Kiki’s drive and dedication show in every campaign she works on. If you have worked with Kiki, you know how much she cares about making client’s happy and successful. Take advantage of our Account Manager’s knowledge of production processes to make the most out of your next campaign.
Kiki Heron
Account Manager
