SMARTER DIRECT MAIL:
ADVANCES IN PRINT BOOST ROI

There are many sources of pressure to reduce or minimize the cost of postage in hardcopy mailings with commensurate hurdles at every turn. Over the years, postage has been mitigated with workshare discounts that depend on mailing list density, file hygiene, currency of the mailing list and mailpiece shape and design. As the USPS attempts to remove unnecessary costs and employ automation to the max, mailing requirements increase—such as heavier more expensive paper, more tabs or glue, and other creative and preparation demands that can increase costs.

Another pressure is to mail only to those that return an adequate return on the cost of the mailing among existing customers, while at the same time allowing for the prospecting of potential new customers. Add to this the alternate media channels that may be employed in each campaign and the pressure on hardcopy mail increases as does the difficulty in meeting minimum requirements for postage discounts. Nevertheless, direct mail remains an important and viable part of virtually any brand's multichannel mix.

So where is the next realm of postal efficiency and savings going to come from?  There are current solutions out there that have been developed to meet precisely this challenge; commingling, co-mailing, co-palletization to name a few. All of these combine pre-existing mailpieces at some level to achieve better penetration and lower postage rates. They are useful for many marketers - but they may not be applicable for all.

Some brands recognize a more urgent need to communicate in a targeted way that drives improved results; (still) qualify for maximum postal discounts; and, importantly, increase speed to market.

For these marketers, achieving higher returns from direct mail may lay in the capabilities of the latest digital print technology. New high-speed digital color presses increase customization, maximize operating and postal savings, and automate the marketing process while allowing customers to craft personalized offers and messages quickly and easily.

I've been seeing more brands incorporating digital print - also known as print on demand - in their communication and marketing mix. Here's why:

• Increased customization with 100% variable content delivered at full press speed and quality - customers (and prospects) can receive differentiated images, text and offers based on available intelligence derived from data about those customers.


• Time and cost savings because of less waste and spoilage, and there is no needed plate changes and no preprinted stock inventory to be stored. Production processes are far more efficient, and overages are absent.


• Deeper postal discounts thanks to electronic, automated mail piece commingling that is done prior to printing.


• Decreased time to market via a complete high-speed digital production process that starts with white paper and ends with fully customized mail - in line and without job stops and starts. In some vertical markets - retail, real estate, financial services, for example - speed in communication matters, depending on the purpose of the communication. Having such speed in hardcopy communication can elevate customer engagement and response.

With this latest advancement in personalized direct mail variable data print, direct mail makes a serious impact. For example, the HP T230 Inkjet Digital Press, HP pigment and inks and HP print heads produce sharp text, images, graphics and 100 percent variable content in high-quality, four-color (CMYK) production print. (Other manufacturers have similar offerings as well.) That's not something printers could do 10 years ago.

Today's digital presses can create offers that are unique and relevant for each individual, print short runs at no extra expense, receive maximum postal discounts with up-front commingling, print personalized URLs and QR Codes for a multichannel strategy, require no plates and no film—it's all digital—and what used to take days can be done in hours. They save money by reducing on-hand inventory storage and get pieces into the mail stream faster with end-to-end processing.

With single card or simple folded self-mailers, these presses also allow multiple versions to be imaged with complete piece-to-piece personalization effectively commingling the mailing on press. This retains list density that allows for better postage discounts and drop ship entry discounts.

Nearly all brand executions with digital print interact with content management systems, where both creative assets are stored and the analytics-driven business rules and triggers that tap these assets. Such centralization and intelligence enables many benefits: corporate marketing control, the ability to leverage and time multiple contact across channels, trigger campaign capabilities, cloud-based technology for API interface with scalable assets, and individual customer/prospect mapping for location, messages, images and offers. Also, imaging digital interfaces, such as a QR Code, on a personal basis is no challenge at all.  These gains are going to have a profound effect on the future of direct mail, and they are already making a huge difference in what's in consumer mailboxes.

The bottom line is that the latest digital presses allow rapid-response, highly targeted, personalized mail campaigns without the penalty of higher postage.

Source:  Charley Howard, Harte Hanks

4 DesignTips for Mobile Email Marketing

The mobile inbox is a powerful tool if used the right way. We know that smart phone penetration in the US has reached 55% and mobile email open rates are over 40%. Almost half of your database is opening email via their mobile phone. Are you designing your emails to display correctly?

You could be leaving money on the table by not designing effective mobile email. Actually, you ARE leaving money on the table. Here are four design tips to help you design for the mobile inbox. Need more tips?

1. Design for Your Audience

Know your audience—it’s the most basic of all marketing principles. If your brand’s mobile audience is at or above 10%, it’s time to start optimizing for mobile. Weigh the effort required against your content and production timeline, then choose an approach that makes sense for your brand— as it pertains to mobile aware design, responsive design, or a combination of the two.

2. Design for Touch

Do not focus solely on click-based interaction—instead, try to think in terms of swipes and taps? As with any good design, grid-based layouts ensure content is easy to read and digest. Your finger isn’t as precise as a cursor, so elements like buttons and text links need to be a large enough that the user doesn’t accidentally tap the wrong link—or miss entirely. To design a button that’s easy to press, shoot for a height of at least 0.33” (44px or more).

3. Design for Legibility

Consider these factors to ensure your message is legible:

§  Contrast: As we age, less light enters the eye, making it more difficult to see color contrast. Computers and mobile devices also allow users to alter contrast settings, so carefully consider your color choices to ensure the text and images stand out properly against the background. Avoid reversing out small text on a dark background.

§  Text size: We recommend using text of at least 13px for body copy. In order to avoid having to zoom in, try starting at 15-16px (depending on the actual font) and preview it on your mobile device. Be generous with margins and whitespace to ensure text is readable. When it comes to copy, remember that less is more.

§  Imagery: Bold, beautiful imagery is slowly taking over our inboxes, as we take cues from Pinterest and social hubs like Facebook and Twitter. Images help tell your brand’s story, so consider taking the time to choose artful shots that complement your message. For B2B emails, think outside the realm of traditional stock photography to make your messages are unique.

§  Layout: A one-column layout works best in both aware and responsive design. If you have a multi-column layout, carefully plan how elements shift or stack, using a grid to ensure the technical aspect is possible

4. Design for Reality

Circumstances affect accessibility and attention span, so your message may be viewed on a small screen out of consumer preference or sheer convenience. It could be competing with distractions of all kinds, like a small data plan, a business meeting, spotty Wi-Fi connections, or a long line at the grocery store. Tailor your messages accordingly:

§     Keep it simple with direct content.

§ Be incredibly clear the steps for a the call-to-action.

            §     Be brutal with your editing.  Keep the message short and concise.

Source:  Kyle Lacey

Marketing:  It doesn'e have to be complicated.

I love the new AT&T television campaign with the cute guy talking to the group of first graders. If you've been living under a rock and missed them, the guy poses a simple question to the kids like, "What's better? Doing two things at once or just one?"

The kids pause for a moment, consider their options, and then all shout out "TWO! TWO!" with some thrusting two fingers into his face. "You sure?" he asks innocently to one little girl. "I am absolutely positive," she states decisively, flattening her hands on the table for emphasis.

Finally one little boy says "I can do two things ... I can wave my head ..." while he starts waggling it from side to side, "and wave my arm ..." It makes me dizzy just to watch him.

I always laugh out loud at these spots because it reminds me of so many of the focus groups I've witnessed over the years, and the commercial's message, "It doesn't have to be complicated," could be the lesson for many marketers these days.

There are plenty of large, complex brands out there that require lots of intricate strategies and tactics against many different audiences. But many smaller brands have yet to heed the old KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) message that we learned in marketing class many moons ago.

I recently received a direct mail package that directed me to a URL to download a whitepaper. Since I was interested in the topic, I visited the URL. But when I arrived, I couldn't find any mention of the whitepaper, even though I scoured the home page.

Yesterday I clicked on a link in an email to download another whitepaper and it took me to a dedicated registration page that asked four or five simple questions before I could download. So far, so good.

But after completing the form, I ended up on another, differently designed page, asking for most of the same information before I could complete the download. Huh?

Last week I got a phone call from a sales rep telling me he was following up on the package he sent me. When I told him I had no memory of receiving it, he mumbled something that sounded like "damn marketing people" and then said he'd have to call me back. Wha—?

As AT&T states, "It's not complicated"—so why are so many marketing efforts such a chocolate mess?

Here are the 2 marketing rules I always try to live by:

• Make It Easy: Think about your target and what you want them to do. Then make it easy for them to do it. That includes forms (I once challenged an insurance client on the # of questions required on an app for a quote and was able to reduce it from 26 to 6).
• Demand Quality: Always proof (don't get me started) and impose a rigid QC process. For example, test blast your emails and check all the links before you launch the program to your customer/prospect base. If I get one more email addressed to "Dear (Client)" or "Dear Marc," I'm going to scream.

If you make sure you incorporate those principles into your marketing workflow, you might be surprised at the difference it can make.

 

Postal Delivery:  Which will it be 5 day or 6 day delivery?

I just had a great exchange with my letter carrier (as I sometimes do) while at my mailbox today, and I wonder how many times a day my carrier is interrupted in her work, as I interrupted her, to politely chit-chat. Of course, I brought up the likelihood of five-day delivery come August, to which she gave a candid response, "Well, we've been losing money."

Most Americans—and maybe even some carriers—don't know the full story—or any story—about how the United States Postal Service endures pre-funding retirement benefit mandates from Congress, as well as other cost-drivers that have nothing to do with the digital age, electronic bill payments and multichannel communication trends. Nor do they know that both The White House and Congress spend these mandated monies on their own programs, even as the federal deficit spirals.

That's why it's easy to be indignant when some members of Congress, perhaps predictably, jumped onto the current appropriations bill (a continuing resolution to fund the government beyond March 27) with mandates for six-day delivery. Yet, one has to ask, where are the means for real relief from some of the costliest demands of the 2006 postal reform law? Making the Postal Service stick with Saturday delivery isn't the action we need Congress to take.

Is it really enough, or correct, to just counter USPS management efforts to cut costs and right-size the network? Why not delve deeper into the ills that Congress and the Administration—both parties involved here—have heaped onto the Postal Service's bottom line? Why not revisit real postal reform? How many more years must the Postal Service get squeezed, and default on payments, before Congress and the President take seriously its cause, its future, its sustainability?

How Does Collaborative B2B Decision-making Affect Personalization?

In the world of personalization, we rely on data on individual recipients to target and personalize content to be relevant and meaningful to them. But in the world of B2B, decision-making has been more collaborative. In fact, according to IDC, the number of stakeholders for each purchase decision has grown by 40% — from five in 2010 to seven in 2012.

From a digital printing and personalization perspective, the impact of the expanding number of stakeholders could be significant.

As the number of stakeholders in any B2B decision grows, this will impact the ability of marketers to use personalization to promote their products and services. But for the better or the worse?

On one hand, we could say that it makes personalization to the individual less relevant. Stakeholders can range from IT to product management to finance, all of whom have differing agendas and motivations. Even the best, most sophisticated personalization efforts cannot span them all. The higher the number of stakeholders grows, the more watered down the impact of any individual marketing effort to any individual person on that team becomes.

On the other hand, every project often has one individual champion within the organization who advocates for the decision and propels it forward. We never know which of those 5–7 stakeholders on the team it’s going to be. Sometimes all it takes is one. The recipient of that 1:1 marketing piece could be the person who makes the difference.

Source: Digital Nirvana

How To Put Direct Mail Marketing To Work For Your Business

In order for a direct mail marketing campaign to be effective you should see new customers, a return of old customers or an increase in repeat customers. Additionally, you should realize bigger returns on your direct mail campaign investment. If you structure your campaign more effectively you will increase the odds of your direct mail campaign being successful.

By recognizing who your potential customer is, you can tailor a campaign to both generate new customers and bring back repeat customers. Maybe it means offering an incentive to buy from you again, or offering a discount for new customers you want to attract. By understanding exactly what you want to accomplish with your mailing, you can better structure your campaign and pinpoint your audience.
Here are a few suggestions to consider:

• Consider The Newsletter

When you send a newsletter packed with valuable information to existing or potential customers, you might see new business. Make sure the information is timely, relevant and really useful to your reader. Focus on creating a professional publication and you will have found a lasting, successful marketing tool.

• Don’t Forget Free Offers

This is still one of the best ways to attract new business. The lure of the free item, especially one perceived as valuable, will result in people sharing all kinds of useful information you can utilize. Information such as their opinions, interests and contact information which can be very important for personalizing future campaigns. Try tying in your free offer with an up-sell for higher ROI.

• Test Different Formats

Direct mail marketers can utilize various types of formats, such as postcards, booklets, self-mailer, envelope packages, catalogs and more. With so many choices, the best way to determine which format will appeal to your target audience, is to “test the waters”, so to speak. You can assume that a postcard would be best for a retail mailing…or a #10 package would be best for a B2B mailing…but you really don’t know for sure until you get a campaign in the mail and track results.
When your goal is to engage your customer and start a conversation, a professional, targeted and strategically-designed direct mail marketing campaign is still one of the best ways to accomplish that goal.

Source:  Ryan Cote

5 Ways to Reach Customers in the Digital Era

Source:  Kamal Tahir

Marketers have grown up with the foundation of the four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion and place. These are as relevant today as they were when first coined for both online and offline efforts. However, as time passes and the discipline of marketing becomes more complex and more enabled, additional factors come into play to augment and enhance the foundation, especially as marketers navigate a fragmented marketing structure encompassing online and offline data and tactics. Here are five key factors that have the power to impact marketing performance:

5

Predictive: Using modeling and predictive analytics, marketers can better determine who is likely to purchase a certain item, and also when they're most likely to purchase. This is helpful in increasing the effectiveness of campaigns and reducing waste. It also prevents a company from generating negative customer sentiment due to undesired contact or content.

1. Personalized: This goes hand-in-hand with using predictive analytics, but incorporates what's known about customers. Factors range from the preferred mode of communication (e.g., are they more likely to respond to email or direct mail) to the type of messaging that resonates with them. Take for example two people living in the same neighborhood who are in the market to purchase an SUV. Perhaps the same vehicle would fill the needs of both people, but customized communication tailored to their interests and needs would result in one being more outdoor-focused, featuring messaging and images as such, while the other features the same vehicle being used to haul materials for business. Don't forget to customize delivery to a preferred channel — email for one, Facebook for the other. Doing so further creates a personalized experience based on the user's preference.
2. Permission powered: A key way to engage customers and prospects is to have them opt in to receiving communications from your brand. Permission-based marketing is getting more specific in terms of types of products, mode of communication, frequency, etc. Review current personalization capabilities being provided to customers; they provide a detailed road map to help deliver more effective campaigns.
3. Peer reviewed: Peer reviews are important for specifics about a product's performance. The value of peer reviews increases with factors such as location or keywords used by a reviewer to describe themselves. Customers may be more interested in the perspective of a fellow reviewer who is more like them than someone who is less similar to them. Enable shoppers to sort or select the reviews by ratings and various criteria about those providing reviews.
4. Proactive: Being proactive in implementing one or all of the factors above is important. Don't wait for customers to tell you what they want, as they may do so by going to your competition. Don't wait for a "critical mass" in your competitive set to start following these guidelines. Use it as a competitive advantage for better customer engagement and higher return on investment. Listen to your customers, anticipate what they want and when they want it, then deliver it.

Adding Ps to the marketing mix may seem complex and time consuming. While there is an element of complexity present, better planning and proactive solutions take time. The returns, however, can be great. There are a growing set of solutions available to marketers which can help even the smallest of businesses become better engaged and drive better results. It's no longer for just the big companies.

The final P? Stay positive. While trends and buzzwords will come and go, the movement towards better engagement with the factors noted above is a win-win for businesses and buyers.

Kamal Tahir is senior manager of product management at Experian.