Use variable data printing to speak one-on-one to your target

You may print hundreds, or thousands, of catalogs featuring your product line. You may send thousands of brochures featuring your top-selling products. But your audience may care only about some of what you’re trying to sell them. Or they may ignore you completely.

For a price, you can print your catalog, brochure or other marketing pieces using variable data printing (VDP) and send a different message to each customer, grab his or her attention immediately and cement a valuable relationship. Check out our guide to variable data printing and show your customers you know exactly what they need.

Talk to a person, not to a market

The technology of the Web has caused a shift away from speaking to a market toward speaking to a specific customer. You now have more ability than ever before to market one-on-one instead of mass advertising. To engage in a personal conversation with individuals rather than shouting messages at them. In print, this translates as something called VDP.

In general terms, it’s talking to the customer in his or her own language. Using this technique, you produce customized mailings that are different for each customer, featuring only what he or she is interested in, rather than producing the same mailer for everyone. The technique is made possible by short-run color digital printing and database integration.

An important tool for improving your customer relationships, this kind of personalized communication will be required to meet customer expectations in the future. But it comes at a high price. You get no price break for quantity. Instead of incurring setup cost that’s spread over thousands of pieces, VDP incurs a setup cost for each piece. So at higher quantities it may become cost-prohibitive. For example, if 10,000 four-color self-mailers produced using traditional printing cost $2,000, those same self-mailers printed using VDP would cost around $13,500. In addition, you need to either have, or be able to get, all the customer data that drives the personalization.

Choose your type of variable data printing

VDP is divided into four categories:

• On-demand short-run — The most basic form and the simplest to produce. You print pre-defined pages in short runs, typically 50 to 200. Even though the contents of the page don’t change, the piece can be focused to a customer, organization or event when used in presentations, binder covers, proposals, focused marketing collateral, etc.
• Personalization — The most common type, you print a person’s name or organization on the page, such as a form letter or sweepstakes entry.
• Selectable printing — The page has defined parts that are static and other parts that are variable and specialized for each customer. The variable objects can be text, images, graphics, account information and more. Customer information from a database determines what will be placed in the specialized sections, which are changed from printing to printing like swapping a puzzle piece. This type is often used with direct mail.
• Full variable — The entire page is filled with text, images and graphics based on database information on customer preferences, demographics or psychographics. This is the purest form of one-on-one communications.

Leverage all types of communications

You can take advantage of VDP in a variety of ways:

• Newsletters — You can pick the cover story based on the customer’s information. A newsletter from a pet store to the owner of a Jack Russell Terrier puppy might feature a story on caring for dogs during summer, with a photo of a Jack Russell. Even better, it could feature a cover article on caring for puppies.
• Direct mail — A Ford owner could receive an offer from Ford for an oil change at his local dealer and feature a photo of his model car, in the color he bought. Or his favorite grocery store can send him coupons for products he enjoys based on his purchase history as recorded by swiping his customer loyalty card.
• Magazines — You can print literally dozens of different versions of the same magazine featuring articles and ads specific to your target. For example, a farming magazine could print one version for corn growers, one for pig farmers, one for vineyards, etc.
• Special offers — If you know what a target owns, you may know what she will likely buy next. If she bought a small SUV several years ago, you may send her a special offer on purchasing a larger SUV.
• Dealer support — Send materials showing customers who their local dealers are. You can also let dealers create their own letterhead, business cards, ads, slick books, etc. Dealers can also use variable technology to create masters used for printing their own materials.
• Customer orders/requests — Customers can request printed materials that will contain exactly what they asked for. Send a customer forms already filled in with his contact information, simplifying the process of completing the forms and increasing return rates. Then send him a personalized binder containing information on just the services he bought, with a personalized welcome letter.

Make an impact your customers can’t ignore

VDP allows you to cut through the clutter of mass marketing and capture a customer’s interest immediately. It’s much more effective and valuable than typical fliers or a “shotgun mailing” that is generic and typically thrown away.

It connects you to your customers in a meaningful way. It boosts retention and response to your message and drives new and cross-sales efforts. The end result is a greatly improved customer experience, greater brand integrity, higher customer retention and new revenue.

Need better results? Variable data printing is just one business communications solution we’ve provided over the past 25 years. To explore some innovative ways to reach your specific literature goals, e-mail Matt Harlow or call 800-800-9547.