Variable Information Printing (VIP) - All You Need to Know

Variable Data Samples - How To Do Them Right

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:46:00 +0000

I work for a printing company - no shocker - that is one of many that perform variable data printing (VDP). Creation of good VDP samples is something critical to printing companies to be able to show capabilities and samples.

Why?

To sell more variable data printing.
To show how variable data printing works (and doesn't).
To explain assorted concepts for VDP uses.

One of the big challenges to creation of good samples is that VDP requires use of data - live and personal data - thus the samples cannot use the supplied data for print samples since the personal data is contained in the final printed piece.

What should the printers do?

Create a standard data set of 10 records for samples which contains: first name, middle initial, last name, company name (unique), address, city, state, zipcode, phone number, member number, fax number, and one number of field.

Then hold onto this data file and use it each time samples are needed. Adding the 10 records to the supplied data, filling in the blank fields with data as needed. Make sure to print 3-5 extra sets of the sample batches.

And just in case you need one, I've posted a sample data file.

Make Your Message Standout!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Each day we're bombarded with messages from tv, radio, mail, email, and billboards - to name a few. Making your marketing message standout from all the others is, in my opinion, a huge challenge. So how do you do it?

Here are my favorite ways to make a message standout:

Relevant - is your message relevant to the audience?
Offer - does the accompanying offer make sense?
Personal - is your message personally directed to the individual?
Emotional - does your message evoke emotion?

All of these play a role in the split second decision someone makes about whether they are going to read, digest and, maybe, act upon your offer. Honing these can make your message STANDOUT.

Interesting Distinction 1:1 Versus Transpromo

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Digital Nirvana posted a great article about the distinctions between 1:1 and Transpromo.

In my opinion, there are 2 items to consider when reading this article:

There is middle ground for the small players - for instance trade association with 100,000 members - 1:1 is an excellent application for member dues renewals and can use transpromo as a part of that renewal process.
A good 1:1 campaign shouldn't be a one-off. It should be designed to be used again and again with constant data feeds and multi-channel touches (not just a print piece). And it must incorporate the 5-5-5 method for tracking of actual response rates.

Now for the article from Digital Nirvana, you can read it here:
http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2009/05/it’s-time-to-draw-the-line-between-11-and-transpromo.

Top 10 Variable Data & Marketing Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:01:00 +0000

Since starting this blog I've found some great articles and blogs about Variable Data Printing, 1:to:1 marketing and marketing in general. I thought I'd share the knowledge so you can enjoy them too. Here is my personal top 10 list:

USPS Deliver Magazine http://www.delivermagazine.com/
Data Guide http://www.dataguide.com/Print-Blog/
Print CEO http://printceo.com/
Big Fat Marketing Blog http://bigfatmarketingblog.com/
Pat McGraw's Marketing Optimization http://www.mcgrawmarketing.com/
Adobe's VDP Resource Center http://www.adobe.com/products/vdp/casestudies/index.html
Spurspectives http://spurspectives.com/
The Print Concierge Blog http://theprintconcierge.wordpress.com/
Kodak's Print Ambassador Site http://www.printambassador.kodak.com/

And just because it's entertaining and informative:

5 Blogs Before Lunch http://daveibsen.typepad.com/5_blogs_before_lunch/

How VDP Embodies the Dale Carnegie Principles

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:06:00 +0000

I had an "A-ha Moment" recently about variable data marketing. It is this: variable data marketing embodies Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People" guiding principles.

Yes, the book is a classic "must read" for those that want to succeed in the business world. And, you know if you've read the book and tried some of the principles, Dale's principles work.

Here are the correlations I see between his principles and variable data marketing that are why variable data marketing works:

Become genuinely interested in other people.
Assuming you start with decent data about the recipient, your marketing piece should use that data to show you are interested in the other person because it embodies their interests (be it culture, sex, or something that person is passionate about).

Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Although it is a basic function of variable data using the person's name in the piece (repeatedly) is mandatory these days.

Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Good variable data marketing always directs the campaign message to the person's interests and passions. Not your own, not your corporate vision, but what truly interests the other person receiving the piece. When you do this well the recipient will look at the piece, read the message and might be interested enough (you hope) to move to the next step in your campaign.

Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Variable data is all about making the recipient feel important, from the data used to the message delivered by the piece. It should center on the "one-to-one" -- one message for one individual, which makes the person feel important. And if you do it well, it is sincere because you've put thought and effort into the campaign to ensure all are included.

Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Who doesn't want to do this with any marketing campaign (or really anything in life)? Focus on keeping your message relevant to each recipient and you will meet this objective.

Variable data marketing is making your marketing message relevant to each person you target through your campaign. The above principles are the ones that make variable data one of the most effective tools a marketer has available.

The Original VDP Guru - Dr. John Leininger

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:44:00 +0000

This week I had the pleasure to meet and listen to Dr. John Leininger of Clemson University's Graphics Department (graphics.clemson.edu) speak at length about variable data printing. He offered very good information about VDP return on investment, how to test response rates and why variable data printing is useful for marketing efforts.

A little background for you, Dr. Leininger is a Professor in the Department of Graphic Arts at Clemson University located in South Carolina. He has lead several studies about variable data printing and it's effectiveness from a marketing standpoint, is a member of the Digital Printing Council Board and reviewer for PODi (and that is just what I know from our meetings).

I thought you all would love the information that he provided. He has published some excellent white papers available for download: http://graphics.clemson.edu/vdp_roi/.

The downloads he provides show the trends and explain his method of "5-5-5" and how to track if a variable data campaign is effective. The concept is that you cannot honestly compare a previously static printed marketing piece to a new variable campaign to see honest response rate changes. This is because market conditions and other influences at the time of the first campaign are not the same as the second campaign.

His recommendation is that you should plan to include a test of the effectiveness in your VDP campaign with the "5-5-5 Rule." Here's a quick summary of the "5-5-5":

1 - Using your variable data software to randomly select 5% of the mailing to receive a static piece (these are still printed variably but instead of personalized they use the same images and the same text, i.e., "Dear Customer").

2 - Using your variable data software to randomly select another 5% of the mailing to receive a basic variable piece (where the text is variable but the images are the same across all pieces).

3 - Using your variable data software to randomly select another 5% of the mailing to receive full variable (where the text and images are variable).

4 - The balance of the names on your list get full variable (text and images).

Then, assuming you've a method to track responses (what's the point if you aren't tracking effectiveness), track how many of the randomly selected recipients respond to each piece. You'll see what the response rate would be if you hadn't used variable data (#1), if you only did basic variable data (#2) and the rates for full variable data (#3). And you'll be able to justify the ROI.

Dr. Leininger has an absolutely great VDP ROI calculation spreadsheet that you should check out that works on the principles described above.

Target Marketing Webinars

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Today I stumbled upon this site to share with you for Target Marketing. It has all sorts of good information about direct marketing that can help with your campaigns:

http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/

Prior webinars are posted too:

http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/webinar/

Enjoy!!!

What is the Total Cost of Ownership?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Any direct marketing project has costs. Most of the time these costs are measured as what you spend on outside vendors. Such as what you pay for printing and postage. But what about the total cost of ownership?

The total cost of ownership is all the costs that go into a project including:

Internal staff time dedicated to the project

Internal database needs

Graphic design

Information technology needs

Inventory and fulfillment costs

Printing

Outside programming

Mailing preparation

Postage fees

As you can see the total cost of ownership really can add up to a much higher number than what you pay your outside vendors.

So...given how much goes into any marketing project you have to ask yourself these critical questions for each project:

1. What are your goals for the campaign?

2. How will you measure the success of the campaign?

3. What data do you actually have to meet your campaign goals?

4. What can you do to lower the total cost of ownership?

If your vendors aren't talking about this then consider looking to other sources. It should be the goal of every single vendor in any economy to provide a lower total cost of ownership.

What the heck is transpromo?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:12:00 +0000

If you're in the printing industry you know that "transpromo" is something that everyone is talking about. That said, my guess is that you also are wondering what the heck transpromo is and why it matters?

A quick definition of transpromo is using your customer data to include targeted offers on transactional communications with your customers. The "targeted offers" are from other companies that seem to combine well with your customer's preferences. Or at least with the preferences that are assumed based on customer history.

The simplest form of transpromo happens at your local grocery store. You make a purchase including a quick swipe of your "rewards" card, it records everything you purchase and then at the time you collect your receipt you get coupons for products in similar categories to those you purchased or have a history of purchasing.

Let's take that a step further - on your credit card statement, you purchase flowers for your mother and on your next bill you get an offer from 1-800-Flowers for 25% off your next order. This offer is because your credit card company has teamed up with either an agency or 1-800-Flowers to offer the promotion to all customers that make a purchase of flowers (or chocolate).

Now onto the question of "why transpromo matters?" It matters because it can give your company higher customer loyalty because the offers are relevant to the customer. It matters because it can give your company an affiliate revenue stream if that is a part of your strategy. It matters because your competition is, in many cases, already doing this - some do it well and some not so well.

It you want to start using transpromo, please remember that the same rules apply to transpromo as they do to any variable information campaign. You cannot go into it without clearly defining your business goal, developing a strategy, identifying partners, implementing it, committing to the program and tracking what works and doesn't work.

Good luck!

Cool Facts about CGX

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:05:00 +0000

CGX, Consolidated Graphics, Inc., is headquartered in Houston, Texas and is one of the largest consolidators of printing companies nationwide. The coolest fact about CGX (and trust me there are lots of them) is that CGX has the largest network of digital presses in the United States.

What is the largest network? 195 digital presses ranging from Xerox iGen3s to HP Indigos and everything in between - that accounts for lots of direct marketing campaigns that use variable data.

And for the large print runs - you know the ones of over 250,000 pieces - where you want to incorporate variable data but avoid the costly "click charge" of a digital press then CGX has a facility with 18 web presses that are customized for all sorts of in-line variable ink-jet printing. Don't believe it? Send me an email and I will send you samples to check out.

Top Ten Reasons to Use Variable Data in Your Marketing Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Here are the top 10 reasons you should use variable data in your marketing campaigns:

#10 - You have the data, you pay to store the data, why not use what you're paying for to work for you?

#9 - It has been proven to increase response rates; sometimes to double-digits - unheard of with traditional direct marketing.

#8 - You want to learn something new.

#7 - It is cool.

#6 - It makes your company stand out from all the other messages being delivered to mail boxes, in boxes, and mobile phones.

#5 - It requires more upfront planning for long-term benefits. Yes, it does, but it will pay off.

#4 - You want to increase market share.

#3 - You want make your company shine.

#2 - You want to make yourself shine.

And...the #1 reason to use variable data in your marketing campaign...

It makes the piece relevant to the consumer which converts to more sales.

More information about variable data printing...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Here's the updated list of sites where you can find more information about variable information printing, direct marketing campaigns, etc.:

Deliver Magazine (USPS)
Direct Mail @ the USPS
Direct Marketing Association
PODi - Print on Demand Initiative
Caslon
InfoTrends / Cap Ventures
Direct Marketing News
Advertising Age
GAIN - Graphic Arts Information Network
Xerox (though much is buried in their LARGE site)

I update this list periodically - so if you know of a relevant site, please either submit a comment below or directly email me (katiek@ags.com).

How can I mail millions of personalized pieces?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000

The only cost-effective way to mail millions of personalized pieces is to use in-line offset print production combined with variable ink-jet technology.

So what is in-line offset print production (besides the coolest print process you'll ever see running)? It is where your marketing message enters the press as paper off rolls and comes off the manufacturing line as a mail piece already die cut, folded, glued, ink-jetted and ready for mail (including sorted for bulk mail savings).

I've seen this process in place at one of our facilities (Cyril Scott) and it is by far the most amazing process. It starts with the design of the piece by the in-house team that works with the client on branding and message and with manufacturing on how to make the piece run through the equipment and come out on the end ready to mail.

It then has a similar process to any variable data piece, data is analyzed and it is determined where the variable data will appear and how (all text based). It will then go through make-ready on the press - complex pieces might take a full week on the make-ready process. Then it is running and hitting the mail.

An interesting fact is that every day direct marketing pieces that Cyril Scott printed are delivered to mail boxes around the country. Over the holidays I counted and found that I got a minimum of 3 per week. Amazing stuff!

Questions Your Printer Will Ask...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:30:00 +0000

If they are doing their job right, a sales person for variable data printing will ask you a ton of questions...don't be surprised if they have nothing to do with printing. Here are my top ten:

What is your campaign goal?
What will determine the success of the campaign?
What kind of data do you have about your targets?
What are the steps of the campaign?
Why are you considering variable data for the marketing process?
Have you used variable data to market in the past?
How do you want to track ROI?
Have you considered the date you'd like the pieces to appear in mail boxes?
Have you designed the piece yet?*
Print specifications - do you have desired paper and size of the piece?*

The more details you provide means you'll get the best proposal.

* I recommend you talk to your printer before you design the piece. They can give you advice on postal regulations, best paper and more.

Feed Shark

Quick Definition: Digital Printing

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:55:00 +0000

A quick definition of digital printing is: best thing since sliced bread (today).

Digital printing is not:

offset printing
screen printing
stochastic printing
dot based printing

It is easy to say that digital printing is the most flexible method of printing short runs of static content (e.g., 1 book, 25 copies) and long runs of variable content (e.g., 350,000 invoices with different content on each).

How do you Find a Printer to do Variable Data?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:50:00 +0000

It seems that all printers these days say they do variable data printing. Everyday I encounter another printer that is marketing variable data printing or direct marketing services -- the concern I (and you) have is can they really do it?

The one way to tell if they do variable data printing (and do it well) is to ask the printer you are considering a few qualifying questions before engaging them further:

What digital press equipment do you have?
Right answers should include at least one of: Xerox iGEN3 or Nuevera, OCE, HP Indigo, or a Kodak NexPress.

How many variable data programmers do you have on staff?
Right answer: at least 1 VDP programmer full-time, ideally you want at least 2 on staff

What software or technology are you using to program variable data print?
Right answer: really depends on the programmer, but if they say Xerox VIPP, PlanetPress, XMPie, PageFlex - any of those and you'll be in good hands.

Do you have samples and/or case studies to share with me?
Right answer: yes! Any printer in this market must have good variable data samples to show you and case studies including client references for you to speak with. Variable data printing is not cheap and you want to ensure your project is in the right hands.

If the printer (or sales person) answers the qualifying questions correctly then I recommend you take the time to meet with them in person and speak with them about the goals of the project, materials you have and then let them get to work on the next step - estimating project costs.

Why does variable data printing take more time to plan than a traditional printing?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:30:00 +0000

It takes more time because of the planning that goes into the front end when you create a variable data campaign. Not only does it take more time on your part, it also takes more time on your vendor's part (which means it typically costs more from a printing standpoint).

Why?

Well, on your end you will have to:

review data: do you have data that will make a good campaign
review goals: what are the goals of the campaign and how does the data fit those?
design of the piece: engage a graphic designer that understand variable printing and digital printing and then design a mail piece that incorporate the data and design
plan for wacky data: integration of data into the design is key because you have to remember to plan for the really long data fields (people with long last names like "Kriemelmeyer" are sensitive to that)
method of mailing: figure out when you want the piece in mail boxes and what you have in the budget for mailing for both the method of mailing (first class mail (1-3 days) vs. standard presort (4-6 days) vs. bulk mail (whenever) and the size of the final piece (letter, postcard or flat)
piece size: piece size is largely determined by amount of content and mailing budget
paper stock: paper is determined by amount of content, desired look and feel and mailing budget
mail design: best to get the mailing panel approved with the postal service to save time and costs on the mailing (best to work with your print vendor because they have a contact with the USPS to ease this through the system)
seed list: always use a seed list which is a group of internal staff on your end that will receive the mailing like your customers (so you know when it gets delivered)
frequency: the GOOD NEWS is that you can re-use all this hard work and run it monthly, pulling new data and sending it to the vendor and they can re-use all their programming to run it (so it does automate)

On your vendor's end, a good vendor will consider:

size of the piece: this matters because not all digital presses have the same sheet size and it is better for client's if multiples can fit on one sheet
manufacturing method: digital versus offset - this is determined both by the actual design, the integration of photos (or not) and quantity - for very large runs (250,000 or more) there are some sophisticated ink jet method that will work with offset print to create a "personalized piece" if you have a run over 250,000 pieces it is worth discussing options with your vendor
data merge: what software to use to integrate the data with the design (could be Planet Press, XMPie, PageFlex)
seed list: yes, the vendor should also have a seed list incorporated into the mailing to track delivery times and how the piece holds up in the mail

These are the main considerations when it comes to variable data printing. I cannot stress enough that once you start a variable program, all of the work on the planning side pays off because the data can be supplied daily, weekly or monthly and your vendor can get the pieces printed and in the mail very quickly once that initial variable programming has been set-up.

Where is there more information?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I thought it might be good to publish a list of sites where you can find more information about variable information printing, direct marketing campaigns, etc. (because although sometimes I like to think I know everything, I am smart enough to know I don't).

PODi - Print on Demand Initiative
Caslon
InfoTrends / Cap Ventures
Direct Marketing News
Advertising Age
GAIN - Graphic Arts Information Network
Xerox (though much is buried in their LARGE site)

I plan to update this list - so if you know of a relevant site, please either submit a comment below or directly email me (katiek@ags.com).

How is data used to create a personalized piece?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:16:00 +0000

At this point I have preached a few times about data and goals. Now the question is how to use the data to actually create a personalized marketing campaign?

And you should know by now that one question begets another...what data is it that you have?

That is the critical question - if you have a limited data set then the piece cannot be too customized. An example of limited data is if you only have first name, last name, and mailing address. For a limited data set, the piece can be customized with the individual's first name - such as "Hi Eric" or "Hi Katie."

If you have a robust data set then the piece can be entirely customized. An example of a robust data set would be first name, last name, mailing address, age, date of last purchase, total of last purchase, store most frequented. For a robust data set, the piece can be customized with the individual's first name - again used in the same manner and then a thank you about their last purchase ("Thank you for visiting our store in Waldorf's Festival Center last month. Below is a coupon for your next visit!" You really can get in depth, even customizing the coupon for an amount or discount based on total purchase price set at a threshold close to their last purchase.

Why do it though? Because using variable data can make the marketing campaign relevant to each customer. And, more importantly, it can increase the return on investment (ROI). It does this because the campaign message is speaking to the individual (tailored to them and their needs).

According to the Response Rate Report: Benchmark information for relevant marketing programs, June 2007(available to members of PODi) from Caslon / PODi, adding personalization that leverages customer history/data to mail can impact response rates anywhere from 3% to 13% based on vertical market. Seems to me personalization is worth the time and efforts since standard direct mail response rates are typically 1% to 2% (if you're lucky).

What is cross channel marketing?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:15:00 +0000

I work with a program called Destination Imagination as a volunteer. The first year working with the program I was totally confused about the terminology. For instance a Team Manager is really a Coach. An appraiser is the same as a judge. I share this with you to highlight the fact the world of digital printing is not the only one that coins new terms and phrases that are in reality things that have existed for years. We're just using them in a new way.

So what is cross channel marketing? Cross channel marketing is using different communication methods to reach a customer. Channels include traditional advertising (tv, radio, bill boards), direct mail and newspaper ads and new media (websites, personalized websites, social media, email, mobile phones, to name a few). Cross just means using more than one channel to deliver the same marketing message.

Variable information printing gives your cross channel marketing program a kick in the ass. It allows you to personalize the marketing message on the assorted channels. The direct mail piece can have a personalized URL (PURL) printed on it. The email will have the same PURL embedded in it. The newspaper advertising can point prospects to a website that allows the user to then create their own PURL. The methods are endless. And best of all, each variable piece of the campaign is generated from the same database with the same branding and imagery.

Print on Demand & Variable Print

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Print on Demand (POD) - that is printing only what is required at the time of order - is another use of variable information printing.

An example of print on demand is what you can do on Amazon's CreateSpace. CreateSpace allows you to post self-publish books, among other media types, for sale - when the order is placed, it then routes to a digital printing press and a book is printed.

The best example of print on demand that I have seen in action are Apple's Photo Books produced through the Mac Software, iPhoto (a part of the iLife suite of software). You load your digital photos into iPhoto and then can assemble digital albums. Once you have a digital album you can then create a variety of printed products such as photo books, calendars, notecards, etc from the album of photos.

Variable information printing and print on demand are revolutionizing the printing industry. I found this cool blog post on the Replicator blog about variable/print on demand with the 10 cool things you can do with print on demand. Check it out!

Where do I start with VDP?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:19:00 +0000

The most common question after "What is Variable Data Printing?" that I hear is "Where do I start?" This is a tricky question because you start at the end - "What is your goal?" Then once defined you figure out what data you have to support that goal.

Data is the information you have about your targeted "customer" list. And you've got to start with that data to craft your campaign. Examples include:

Non-profits that can pull data from their AMS (association management system) such as member id, member name, member mailing address, phone number, member since, member type, other locations, meetings attended, etc.

Charities that draw from their development (donor) database such as donor id, first name, last name, mailing address, last donation, average donation, cause of interest, donor since date, etc.

Policital parties, like the Democratic National Committee, have master voter database. The Dems have one of voters and voter preferences (VoteBuilder) that lets the authorized user drill down and pick information for mailing/marketing campaigns including narrowing down a list to voter district and voter preferences.

Corporations draw from CRM (customer relationship management) systems to extract a list of relevant customers (by region, buying preference, or other) and then contact information, mailing address, last purchase, etc.

Every business or organization has data about customers stored in some sort of database -- even if it is just an Excel file of customers, that is a starting point. Look at what you have and send me your questions.

Who uses variable data printing?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:22:00 +0000

Variable data printing has become fairly popular (has something to do with the excellent response rates) and thus is used across a wide range of industries.

These include:

Politics: election campaigns, union campaigns to push voters to a particular candidate
Hospitality: to highlight bonus/reward points and destination deals
Non-profits: to market upcoming meetings, raise funds, market membership, member dues invoicing
Charities: to solicit funds (example: the Smile Train's recent mailing of labels)
Universities and Colleges: to solicit new students and alumni donations (example: Villa Julie College)
Retailers: to market new stores, drive sales, reward customers (example: DSW Rewards, Target Rewards)
Manufacturing: to market new products to distributors

There is a use for variable direct marketing across all industries. Let me know what you've seen - samples will be posted in the future.

When should you use variable printing?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Deciding to use variable data printing or variable information printing is a personal decision (no pun intended). The decision should be based on your project goals, how much time you have to produce your first variable project and how much you have in your budget.

For instance, is it your goal to get more people to your stores? Is it to sell more per customer visit? Is it to increase year over year, same store revenue? Whatever your goal, it must be supported by the data you have about your customers to have an effective variable information campaign.

An sample goal is a national women's clothing retailer wants to drive traffic to company-owned stores to boost quarterly revenues and profits. Below is a sample of how variable data printing could be used.

Known facts

Industry: Women's Clothing Retailer

Target Demographic: Women shoppers, age 35-65 that are members of the "rewards club"

Goal: entice reward club members to come to the store

Offer: special sale with 15% off for all reward club members that attend the sale during specific hours

Known data points about each customer: date of birth, first name, last name, mailing address, last date of purchase in store or online, preferred method of shopping (in store or online), total spend annually, and all store contact information

Possible solution

A 4 page "invitation" (4" x 6") on a decent weight text stock (100# matte stock) with variable printing.

The cover panel features an image of a woman dressed in one of the retailer's outfits - there are 5 images to pull depending on the age of the recipient so that the model on the mailer is the same age range as recipient.

The inside left-hand panel contains the store information including hours of operation.

The inside right-hand panel contains an invitation to the private sale including a variable percentage off depending on total spend at time of purchase (based on last purchase amount) and date/time of the private sale.

The back features the terms of the sale (in typical small point font).

The invitation is mailed in an envelope with customer's address printed and the return address showing the local store where the customer does all of their shopping.

From a production standpoint this piece is produced using:

Excel file that contains customer last name, first name, date of birth, mailing address, store ID, value of last purchase.

A second Excel file that contains all store data which includes store ID (linked to customer data), address (street, street 2, city, state, zip code), store hours of operation, phone number, and alternate phone number.

5 high quality photo images (in TIFF format) along with instructions as to which image goes with which age group.

Rules for calculating percentage off offer per customer (e.g., if customer spent $200 at last purchase, percentage is 15% off if total purchase is $250).

Final art (Adobe InDesign preferred) including locations for variable data - typically flagged with "< >" surrounding the field name and art for the envelope.

Seed list (this is a list of names, addresses, that should receive all 5 variable pieces in the mail).

Your print partner will review the data and art and then write up the instructions for your review and approval (or they should). The printer will give you a sample set of proofs that show customer with each of the 5 images (totalling 5 proofs). The printer will also process the supplied customer list for NCOA (national change of address), DPV (delivery point validation), and CASS certify the list to get the best postage rates.

Then the printer will produce the project - called a match mailing variable data print project because the envelope must match to the printed invitation (no mistakes). And drop it into the postal stream. Remember postal discounts can also equal postal delivery delays, so you must plan for that accordingly (another topic for this blog on a another day).

Other future topics include: how to find a printer that can do variable data printing and how to evaluate your print supplier (if they can do it well).

Why use VIP?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Kriemelmeyer) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Variable information printing is expensive to produce. And in a future post I'll cover why it is more expensive. But before you consider the expenses you should consider "why use it at all?"

VIP has been proven to increase response rates. And the goal of a marketing campaign is to get a response that meets the goals. A response that converts to a paying customer is fabulous. And a response that turns into a loyal repeat customer the holy grail.

Response rates:

1.26% respond on average to mass market printed direct mail

13.7% respond on average to personalized color direct mail, based on database information

Source:
http://www.mhe-consulting.com/downloads/Color_Evolution_etc_Fall03.pdf

Seems to me if the campaign goals are important that a 13.7% response rate trouces traditional direct mail every time.