Direct Marketing Campaigns That Create Success
Marketing communications have undergone an evolution in recent years. Today’s consumer now sees thousands of digital ads each day. As these digital messages overwhelm consumers, an interesting trend has emerged: the resurgence of printed direct mail.
No longer a stand-alone marketing channel, direct mail has become a tool for driving traffic to other outlets, such as a store or online retailer. The research firm Winterberry Group’s 2016 study “From Theory to Practice: Bringing Omnichannel to Life” reports that US marketers recognize direct mail as one of the best “omnichannel team players,” well-positioned to drive value in concert with other media channels.
Direct mail succeeds because it reaches consumers in ways online communications cannot. It is the only advertising medium that prospects must hold in their hands. Everything about the direct mail—the message, appearance, and feel—must make a connection with the consumer in order for the campaign to succeed.
As a result, marketers must pay more attention to the design of their campaigns, including color, size, paper stock, shapes, and folding techniques.
Direct mail also needs to be customized with the recipient’s personal information and interests.
Fortunately, inkjet-powered printing solutions can keep pace with the demands associated with creating and producing modern direct mail campaigns.
Inkjet solutions allow providers to use variable data to customize their mailings, and produce short- and long-run customized print jobs without time-consuming and expensive setups. In addition, the fast print speeds enable a variety of inkjet solutions to produce jobs quickly without sacrificing quality.
Inkjet printers are also a cost-effective alternative to toner printers. Providers can deliver color printing at a much lower cost of ownership than toner, saving money on each campaign they produce.
Creative touches
Inkjet solutions also expand the range of creative possibilities providers have for enhancing their clients’ brands and increasing reader participation.
To start, these solutions give providers a wide range of color options for creating an engaging and memorable experience.
Many inkjet solutions also offer duplex printing, so both sides of an envelope can be quickly produced in full color. Duplex printing not only speeds up production time, it also gives marketers the advantage of using both sides of the envelope as part of their campaign.
In addition to color, many marketers also use texture as a way to increase engagement that can lead to action. How a direct mail piece feels in the hands of the recipient creates the type of engagement experience that can lead to action. Inkjet solutions give providers the capability to print on an increasing range of media types and envelope options and shapes.
For example, window envelopes can now be used as a creative element. They provide a peek into your envelope’s contents and can reduce addressing costs.
Inkjet printers can also print on thicker media such as padded envelopes or boxes. This type of media is guaranteed to stand out in the recipient’s mailbox. Some inkjet solutions can also accommodate envelopes that are specially designed with creative shapes such as a circle or the outline of a house.
Best of all, these capabilities come at an affordable cost. For example, Memjet-powered (Booth 3822) digital inkjet solutions are available in a range of sizes and prices, giving anyone who produces direct mail the tools to deliver more impactful, short- and long-run campaigns that generate a much higher ROI.
