Top Ten Reasons to Use Variable Data in Your Marketing Campaign

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...

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?

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...

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:

1. What is your campaign goal?
2. What will determine the success of the campaign?
3. What kind of data do you have about your targets?
4. What are the steps of the campaign?
5. Why are you considering variable data for the marketing process?
6. Have you used variable data to market in the past?
7. How do you want to track ROI?
8. Have you considered the date you'd like the pieces to appear in mail boxes?
9. Have you designed the piece yet?*
10. 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

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).