Giving customers ways to respond to marketing communications has never been easier. WIth new technology and an evolution in communication methods, marketers now have options for response vehicles such as: telephone, business reply cards, and websites. But which one is right for your marketing efforts?

The short answer is “all of them”. The long answer is, “Ideally, all of them in many different configurations but where budget and logistics limit your options: it depends on what you are trying to achieve. Read more…

Sending successful direct mail can be a tricky science. After all, your mailer is competing with thousands of marketing messages a day not to mention 5-10 other mail pieces in your customer’s mailbox alone. You might have the greatest message or offer in the world but if you can’t get their attention, you will lose out on your resulst. Want to maximize the attention your customers gives to your communications? The answer might be closer than you think.

In an article in DM News, entitled “Unite Marketing and Billing“, Pat McGrew writes:

“According to industry studies, people spend more time with their billing statements than any other form of communication. Bills are expected and reviewed, so they hold on to mindshare longer than most mail pieces.”

The big problem, however, is the billing department rarely syncs up with the marketing department in organizations. The marketing department puts out flashy brochures with full color proprietary imagery and up-to-date logos and graphics. The billing department uses ancient lasering machines with pixelated one color logos. Read more…

For years direct marketers have realized the importance of personalization in their communications. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why personalization helps lift response. Put 2 identical pieces of marketing communications side by side with the only difference being a personalized greeting versus a generic one, and 10 times out of 10, the personalized one will get noticed more quickly.

Marketers realized this benefit and began advancing production techniques to allow for variable lasering and inkjetting of information in the printed world. Now, what used to be a generic headline like: “Come visit the new Ace hardware store in your area” became a more enticing and customization-rich headline, “Gregory, come visit the new Ace hardware store on Main Street.”

Lasering evolved. Marketers were happy. But for as much as marketers and clients were happy, designers were not. This was because lasering used to mean black type on a white background, unpredictable type rags, and limited font choices. Read more…