SPECIAL REPORT
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Direct Mail
Technology
3 important ways print
is transforming direct mail
targetmar ketingmag.com
33
SPECIAL
REPORT
Interactive
Print
Bringing online capabilities
S
ince the dawn of the Web,
people having been finding
excuses to declare print dead.
One of those has long been
that it’s not interactive or as flexible as
digital communications. But what if your
mailpiece could be just as interactive and
flexible as any Web page?
Those capabilities exist now; the only
challenge is getting your customers to
accept them.
Several articles in this issue of Target
Marketing were “activated” using augmented reality technology (we used
Layar, but Actable and Aurasma provide
similar services). This allows our readers
to launch digital content directly from
the pages of the magazine, essentially the
same way you would launch articles or
media directly from an e-newsletter or
other digital media.
That’s not the first time we’ve used
advances in print-related technology
to add digital capabilities to this print
magazine. Many issues have included QR
Codes that launched exclusive Web content. And of course, there are URLs and
social media handles scattered throughout just about any magazine today.
QR Codes and augmented reality may
or may not catch on with users. But the
capabilities they promise have to excite
anyone who works in print—we are talking about the ability to literally make text
and images jump off the page. And that is
only one of the new technologies creating
new opportunities for print marketing.
In this special report, two more articles explore how advances in today’s
printing technology allow marketers to
leverage direct mail like never before.
And of course, we have links to read
more about it online! The conversation
begins in print, but it doesn’t have to end
just because the page does.
34
Press
Printed
That?
F
rom basic wood block printing to advanced industrial processes, the
options for creating print using analog or digital techniques provide a
plethora of options for designers. But designers are always looking for
the next technique they can use for differentiation. Digital print techniques
have been on the frontline as new options for toner, liquid toner and varieties
of ink-jet have opened the door to high coverage printing on a wider variety
of substrates, all supported by innovations in finishing.
How Is Digital Different?
Have you kept up with the times? A surprising number of print designers and
print buyers have missed the revolution in digital print, but it’s never too late
to get educated. Whether you are designing direct mail marketing, billboards,
high-value marketing collateral or even floors and wall coverings, there are
digital options you should be considering.
The definition of digital printing is a good place to start. Throughout this
magazine and across the Internet you can find definitions of digital printing. In
its simplest form, digital printing requires a file that is interpreted by a digital
front end and turned into printed output. For every type of digital printing,
those file formats and digital interpreters will be different, and understanding
them, as well as the technologies they control, is what can give a designer
an advantage.
Starting with marks on a substrate, electrophotographic (EP) printing
technology today provides options for printing white on dark substrates, using
metallic colors, and a wide variety of glossy, matte and textured coatings that
may be printed in-line or added in post-processing. Don’t forget options for
printing with custom-formulated colors and extending the color gamut with
more than the traditional four-color processes that can include light cyan,
light magenta, light yellow and gray variations. If you have never worked with
the new generation of digital presses, it’s worth investigating these options for
your marketing collateral and direct marketing needs.
Moving on to ink-jet technology, the options have grown to include high
resolution printing, custom color formulations and the ability to print on more
substrates. Need custom flooring? There are companies that can take your
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SPECIAL
REPORT
(continued from page 34)
designs and turn them into a customdesigned floor. The same is true with
wall coverings.
Individualization
and Finishing
Both EP and ink-jet technology have
attracted packaging designers who see
the ability to create completely custom
packaging as a path to fraud prevention, as well as customer-directed personalization. When you can print every
box of cereal or every label individually, the options are endless.
Just one example of individualized
printing is a project called “Share a
Coke.” The project is in 32 countries, where the common names in
the country are added to the bottle
labels. Walk into your local store
and find your name for that personal
experience, brought to you by digital
print technology.
Think about how that option might
change your next direct mail campaign, or even your in-store marketing.
Another differentiator can be
your finishing. Have you checked
out Trish Witkowski’s Fold Factory
website (foldfactory.com) to see all
you can do to create unique experiences? FoldFactory has resources and
ideas to free you from the idea that
marketing has to be a flat postcard
and marketing collateral has to be a
simple sheet printed front and back.
Beyond folding, the vendors of
finishing equipment bring new ideas to
every exhibition. They bring kiss cuts
to allow zip-open tabs, window cut-outs
with plastic windows and lamination
to form tear-out cards. These are just
some of the ways you can differentiate
with finishing.
Your takeaway? If you haven’t
looked at what digital printing and
great finishing can do to differentiate
your customer communication, it’s
time you did!
Pat McGrew, M-EDP, CMP, is an evangelist for the Inkjet High-speed Production
Systems division of Palo Alto Ca.-based
print products and services provider HP.
Reach her at [email protected].
targetmar ketingmag.com
Printing
Not so ‘traditional’ advances make mail
one-to-one
C
ontrary to popular belief that online marketing will completely replace
offline marketing, direct mail continues to effectively engage customers
and plays a valuable role in the overall marketing mix. Just as online
capabilities have evolved to better engage target audiences and produce strong
returns, offline technologies have also advanced to better serve marketing
objectives and achieve business goals.
Getting Personal
The primary force driving many of these direct mail technologies is the need
to create one-to-one interactions with customers, rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all campaign approach that is often seen with traditional
offset printing.
Historically, brands have utilized traditional printing presses, which are
used by vendors who print and then personalize (basically adding the recipient name and address). We’re now witnessing a migration away from these
mass mailings, toward more dynamic personalization—far beyond simple
messaging and versioning.
According to eMarketer, 330,000 traditional printing presses have been
removed from the market during the last decade. Meanwhile, digital printing
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37
More
on the Web
Want to read more about how printing technologies can take your direct
mail marketing to the next level?
Here are 12 articles and resources
on targetmarketingmag.com and
directmarketingiq.com that are worth
visiting for more information:
“The Future of Mail Is Here”
“Personalized Mail Works—and
Insurance, Financial Services and
Fundraising Marketers Know It”
“The Top 50 Mailers of 2012” by
the Target Marketing
“Direct Mail Benchmarks From
DMA”
“Augmented Reality,Wearable
Electronics and the Postal
Service’s Future”
“The New Call to Action”
“3 Direct Mail Variants of the
Traditional Envelope”
“‘Food for Thought’ Mail,”
“Geico’s Dominant Mail Piece”
“How Often Should You Mail?
4 Ways to Do It Right”
“5 Best Practices in Direct Mail
Design”
“11 Questions That Make Direct
Mail Pay for Itself” by Keith
38
SPECIAL
REPORT
Scan this page for more
direct mail resources.
(continued from page 37)
is growing dramatically around the globe. In North America, digital color page
volumes grew by an estimated 146 billion pages in 2012, while in Western
Europe volumes reached 100 billion pages, according to Carlson.
Luckily for brands and consumers alike, variable data printing (VDP) can be
leveraged by smart and innovative direct marketers. Variable digital printing
enables the creation of relevant communications by leveraging triggers that
are based on consumer data.
Designed for Big Data
Effective VDP begins with analytic modeling that identifies customers who
are most likely to purchase, along with other triggers in the customer lifestyle.
This information is entered into the digital workflow. Then, similar to email
marketing, wireframes are developed using a standard composition tool.
The data is then mapped onto the
document field-by-field. Conditional
processing, meaning logic, is used
to drive content based on values in
the data. It is used to determine the
appropriate messaging and creative
content. This means a brand can ultimately produce thousands of versions
for the same campaign, all designed
with the individual recipient in mind.
For example, if a retailer wants
to send an acquisition campaign to
those who have recently opted in to
receive direct mail offers from them,
that printer may utilize data in the
digital work flow, such as last item
purchased, age, gender, physical location and how the purchase was made (in-store, online or via direct mail catalog).
These attributes can determine the copy, creative, offer type and nearest store
information to be used for the tailored direct mail piece.
Brands using variable data printing have seen dramatic increases in ROI,
revenue, response rates, conversion rates, incremental customer lifetime value
and customer engagement, along with notable reductions of paper use and
inventory space.
While many direct marketers may be talking about variable data printing,
very few are actually utilizing it today. Epsilon’s annual “Channel Preference
Study” (bit.ly/13yR6i3) has repeatedly found that direct mail is a preferred channel to receive brand communications across many industry verticals. Knowing
direct mail is a trusted and preferred communication channel, and that it allows
brands to reach the right customers with the right offers and message at the
right time, means now is the optimal time to create a business case for VDP.
The primary
force driving
many of these
direct mail
technologies
is the need to
create one-toone interactions
with customers
...
Denny Dee is vice president of production services at Chicago-based response and
engagement marketing services provider Aspen Marketing, a division of Epsilon. Reach
him at [email protected].
TM