GRAPHICADVISOR

Hidden Treasures: More ways to make an impression with print

In this issue: Impress with vivid color • Print smart! • Add dimension to mail

Your logo here

ISSUE TWENTY SEVEN

Hidden Treasures: More ways to make an impression with print

In this issue: Impress with vivid color • Print smart! • Add dimension to mail

ISSUE TWENTY SEVEN

MARKETINGADVISOR

Your logo here

2

phot

os ©

drea

mst

ime.

com

The topic of color seems simple until you find yourself

in charge of a print campaign

with thousands of Pantone colors

to choose from. That’s when you

realize that color selection requires

specific knowledge, context,

and imagination.

Experienced marketers know that color

sells—increasing brand recognition,

improving readership and comprehension,

and ultimately motivating consumers

to purchase one product or service

over another. The United Parcel Service,

IBM, Home Depot, and Breast Cancer

Awareness are all synonymous with specific

colors because their creative teams have

gone to great lengths to weave these hues

into every facet of communication. Some

companies even trademark specific colors

as brand assets. Think Tiffany’s robin’s

egg blue.

United Parcel Service

IBM

Home Depot

Breast Cancer Awareness

Tiffany & Co.

If you’re utilizing direct mail to deliver

your message, consider a study by G.A

Wright Marketing that found that the use

of high-quality paper and color applications

alone can increase your response rates by

nearly 50%. Specifically, their study showed

that a four-color promotional mailer printed

on a heavy gloss paper stock had more

than a 40% higher response rate than an

identical three-color version printed on a

lighter matte paper stock.

The cost of custom color matching is a

minor investment in a powerful resource.

Colors summon emotions and create

connections with the people surrounding

your brand. Unfortunately for marketers,

reactions can be quite subjective. Warm

colors such as red, orange, and yellow are

associated with a range of emotions, from

simple optimism and excitement to strong

violence. Cool colors like green, violet, and

blue can be calming and nurturing, but can

also be impersonal and antiseptic. Select

colors that will elicit a positive response

from your stakeholders, then balance these

colors in a visually appealing way.

Most any color mix can work as long

as you retain harmony and richness in

your presentation and avoid the hues

used by your competitors. Test

combinations until you find

the scheme that sends the

message you want associated

with your business. Your

customers make split-second

decisions based on color, so

use it to your advantage.

Boost Results and Make a Vivid Impression

with Color

The Color Wheel

Using variations of a single color

will create a visual effect that

is classic and easy on the eyes,

but not as vibrant as it could be.

Enrich the scheme by introducing

analogous colors, selecting three

colors next to each other on the

color wheel. Examples include red/

orange/yellow, green/blue/purple,

and yellow/yellow-green/green.

Consistently use one shade as the

dominant color.

For higher contrast, select a

complementary color scheme,

choosing colors across the wheel

from each other. This works best

when you place a warm color

against a cool color, such as red

and green, blue and orange, or

purple and yellow. Any tint can be

used. Midnight blue and tangerine

or royal purple and gold are

effective combinations.

4

In September 2010, commercial

printing shipments were

$7.58 billion, up 3.4% from

one year earlier. According

to Dr. Joe Webb, director of

WhatTheyThink's Economics

and Research Center,

this continues the

consecutive gain in

current dollar

shipments for

six months.

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drea

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It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Print works. It might not twist and

spin and play interactive games like

online media, but it’s effective. In

spite of the many predictions that

print would continue to decline in

favor of online media—even after

the recession—as the U.S. economy

recovers, marketers are now flocking

back to print.

It’s Not Yesterday’s Print

But if you’ve noticed, it’s not yesterday’s

print. Today’s print marketing looks very

different from the “spray and pray”

method traditionally used in the marketing

world. This is smart print.

What makes it smarter?

1. It’s targeted.

Today’s print is being segmented into

shorter but more targeted runs. Marketers

are segmenting their mailings based on any

variety of factors, whether age, interest,

ethnicity, or other demographic. They may

be marketing the same or similar products

to each demographic group, but they are

speaking to them on a more targeted basis.

This automatically makes the mailings more

effective for very little additional cost.

2. It’s personalized.

We’re living in the “age of me.”

Consumers are used to personalized

recommendations online and personalized

discounts at the cash register. They have

come to expect marketers to cater to them

on an individual basis.

With data-driven print (also

called 1:1 printing, variable

data, or personalized printing),

marketers can provide the same

kind of personalized attention in

direct mail or any other printed piece.

You can talk to each person by name and

personalize messaging or offers based on

what you know about them.

3. It’s multi-channel.

Last year, J.C. Penney shocked the

marketing world when it announced

that it would stop printing its “Big Book”

catalog in favor of slimmer, more targeted

specialty catalogs. And there has been yet

another collective marketing gasp as the

giant retailer has announced that it will

cease printing its specialty catalogs, too.

Multichannel Merchant called the

move “nuts.”

In fact, the retailing magazine reports

that, after shutting down the Big Book

last year, J.C. Penney has admitted that

“ceasing [production] hurt total sales more

than it had expected in the second quarter

of 2010” (MCM, November 2010).

Now the cataloger wants to stop mail

order altogether?

Consistently, research shows that print

and online media have a symbiotic effect.

When print and online channels (email,

social media, Web) are used together, sales

go up. When print is dropped in favor of

online channels alone, sales go down. This

is why print should always be part of any

serious marketing strategy.

So forget about old print. It’s time to smart

print: print that is targeted, personalized,

and part of a larger multi-channel

marketing campaign. Talk to us about

making your print smarter!

From Print to Smart Print!

If you have noticed your mailbox filling up again, there’s a reason. After a long period of decline, marketers are starting to mail again.

It’s time to smart print: print that is targeted, personalized, and part of a larger multi-channel marketing campaign.

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drea

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To that end, there has been a growing trend toward “dimensional” mail. Dimensional

mail is also known by the more

descriptive term “lumpy mail,”

indicating that the idea is to provide

something a bit more substantial—or

“lumpier”—than a flat postcard or

letter. The “lump” itself—the object(s)

included in the package—is an

integral part of the “design” of the

campaign.

Examples of lumpy mail can include:

• an envelope containing a pen or other

useful item bearing the client’s logo

• apackagecontainingproductsamples

• candiesorothertreatsorgifts

accompanying promotional material

• aphysicalobjectthattiesinto,perhaps

symbolically, the campaign’s marketing

message

• basically,anyobjectthedesignerand

client see fit to include

The idea is that everyone likes receiving

something unique—especially when there

is an appealing gift in the box aside from

something promotional. This increases the

likelihood that the recipient will not only

open the package but also respond to the

package’s message. The nature of the lump

can either be literal (a product sample) or

symbolic (say, a foam rubber brain, tied into

the promotional message, “Working with us

is a no-brainer”).

Obviously, a dimensional campaign

will cost more per unit to produce,

assemble, and mail than a regular direct

mail campaign, so it’s important to narrow

down and target the recipients more

carefully. Dimensional mailing campaigns

are best suited for trying to generate sales

of something fairly expensive—a long-term

consulting contract, an insurance policy, a

real estate transaction, an expensive piece of

equipment, etc.

Another challenge, especially in this time

of heightened security, is to not frighten a

recipient with an unmarked package, lest

it be perceived as containing something

dangerous. Be sure that recipients are not

in a business (government, for example)

that might have concerns with mysterious

packages. One way around this is to

integrate the marketing message on the

outside of the envelope or package.

Be sure to check with us if you have any

questions about producing, assembling, or

shipping a lumpy mail campaign.

Add A New

dimeNsio

N

to direct mAil

the goal of d

irect m

ail is

to attract a

ttentio

n. color

printin

g, glossy

finish

es,

personaliza

tion—all a

re

designed to

help a printed

piece stand out fr

om the

rest of th

e mail. m

arketers

and their d

esigners h

ave to

continue in

novating to

get

marketing m

essages n

oticed.

Obviously, a dimensional campaign

will cost more per unit to produce,

assemble, and mail than a regular

direct mail campaign, so it’s important

to narrow down and target the

recipients more carefully.

Here are some general guidelines for dimensional mail campaigns:

• Be relevant. The lump should

be practical (a product sample) or

relate directly to the marketing

message. Bewilderment is not the

sort of attention you want.

• Research production and mailing costs. Return on investment is

crucial, and when developing

a dimensional mail strategy, be

realistic in your expectations. Case

studies can provide guidance and

offer an idea of the response rates

obtained by the kind of campaign

you are considering.

• Consult with the Post Office to

ensure that you are not violating

regulations or mailing something

the USPS (or other carrier) would

deem unshippable, or that you are

paying more to ship something than

you should. Your campaign should

be postally economical.

• Test your campaign by mailing

test samples to yourself or to

colleagues to gauge the impact and

condition of the package. Does it

get wedged into a small mailbox

and mutilated? Does it survive the

mail stream at all?

• Track and measure the results. Establish a realistic benchmark

for success.

• Be creative!

MARKETINGADVISOR

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print this issue?

GRAPHICADVISOR

Printer NamePhasellus porttitor elit

In hac habitasse plateaDonec tempor nonummy

MAILING INFO HERE

About This IssueAbout UsOne or two small paragraphs about

you and your company. One or two

small paragraphs about you and your

company. One or two small para-

graphs about you and your company.

One or two small paragraphs about

you and your company. One or two

small paragraphs about you and your

company. One or two small para-

graphs about you and your company.

One or two small paragraphs about

you and your company.

Programs used:InDesign CS

Illustrator CS

Photoshop CS

Paper used:What paper did you use to print this

issue?

Ink used:What kind of ink did you use to print

this issue?

Coating used:What kind of coating did you use to

print this issue?

Computers used:iMac

Press used:What kind of press did you use to print

this issue?

Bindery used:What kind of bindery did you use to

print this issue?

QR CODE FPONeed a QR code? Call Great Reach

Communications at 978-332-5555

10

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os ©

drea

mst

ime.

com

One of the biggest misconceptions about 1:1

(personalized) printing is that

marketers don’t have the data to

drive it. This might be true in some

cases, but it also can be more

perception than reality.

Often, marketers have more data than

they realize. Maybe their data is not in

great shape. Maybe they don’t know how

to access it. Maybe the data preparation

process seems too overwhelming. Whatever

the reason, marketers can have trouble

getting started.

The first step is understanding that

finding, accessing and preparing your data

are all worth the effort. In a What They

Think Webinar, Barbara A. Pellow, group

director for InfoTrends, observed:

The business market today is changing

rapidly. Those who properly understand

how, what and why customers make

purchases, and those [marketers] who

influence buying decisions with highly

targeted marketing efforts, are those who

will come out on top. . . The ultimate goal

is to identify the best prospects and use

strategic direct marketing campaigns to

cross sell, upsell and resell.

Putting Data to Work

Pellow suggests three ways you can put

your data to work right away:

• Resuscitate a dormant customer

relationship. If a retail customer hasn’t

ordered from you in a period of time,

send him a personalized postcard with a

coupon encouraging him to come back

into the store.

• Proactively cross sell and upsell. If

you are an auto dealer and know a

customer’s lease is about to expire on a

Toyota Corolla, send her a personalized

brochure trying to upgrade her to a

Toyota Camry.

• Create continuity of purchases through

a loyalty program. If you are a local

winery, before visitors leave following a

facility tour, ask them to sign up for a

wine club. Try to obtain birthdates and

anniversaries of their family and friends

so you can use the information to trigger

personalized reminders for gifts for

special occasions later.

Places Where Data Hides

Before you can leverage data, you have to

find it. Where is your data hiding? In more

places than you might think. Here are some

places to start:

• Transactionaldata(bothbrick-and-

mortar and from the online store)

• Webcontactforms

• Customercare(foundinyour

CRM system)

• Businessreplycards

• SMS/cellphonemarketingcontacts

• Responsestoe-mailcampaigns

• Tradeshows/events(getthose“card

swipe” responses back into your system

after post-show follow-up)

• Customerandprospectsurveys

Any good database house can combine

these elements into a comprehensive

marketing tool. If you require additional

data, you can append it with external

sources, such as lists from Acxiom, Experian

or InfoUSA to get a more holistic picture of

your audience.

Need help with the process? Give us a

call and ask!

Database M

arketing:

it’s easier th

an

You think