PERSONAL bests

Personalized Flyer Is Picture of Success

Sales of student photos have been on the decline across the country for years, when measured as a percentage of parents purchasing packages. Inter-State Studio and Publishing (www.inter-state.com) sought to buck this trend and find a more effective way of presenting image treatment options, which increase the dollar value of orders.

For decades, the company had been using the tried-and-true method of creating sales flyers by affixing two unique photographic prints from a child’s photo onto a conventionally printed, stock flyer (Inter-State Commercial Printing is another division of the company). This was the standard marketing method used by school photographers across the industry, but it was a time-consuming process and not terribly innovative.

When digital printing technology became available, Inter-State’s management immediately began to study and test various production methods and techniques. The company ended up purchasing a Xeikon DP500D webfed digital color press for printing school yearbooks (which it still uses today), as well as an HP Indigo 3050 digital color press. It has since added two HP Indigo 5000 presses.

In 2003, the photography studio/commercial printer developed a new way of creating sales flyers that capitalized on its new printing capabilities. In the following school year, Inter-State tested the use of digital variable printing by creating a personalized, four-page flyer that was produced on its HP Indigo digital press.

The household of each student photographed received a unique, digitally printed flyer that incorporated an image of the child. This approach still fell a little short of the goal, however, in that the return envelope for parents to use when ordering prints had to be stapled to each flyer. Customization of the flyers did boost sales, but management wanted to reduce the amount of labor involved.

Special Features

Inter-State next tried generating personalized proofs that featured a student’s image with different special features applied, such as theme borders, black-and-white images and optional special effects such as the child’s autograph. Parents reacted very positively to this piece, to the point of not wanting to return the proof with their orders in some cases.

Based on those results, management decided in 2005 to take the company’s personalization efforts up a level by adapting the proof concept for its flyer. In addition, Inter-State developed a way to turn the piece into a self-mailer by running pre-converted paper stock through its Xeikon rollfed press.

Using a paper stock with all perforations and adhesives already in position to create a self-mailer eliminated the need for stapling a return payment envelope to the flyer. The order/payment envelope was designed into the paper stock, and the flyers were finished using traditional folding equipment.

The new flyer design featured several personalized images—multiple versions of the child’s picture, some with effects applied, and his/her autograph on the front header, as well as in the individual images. When photos are taken, each child is asked to sign a small white card that is then scanned to capture the signature. This enables autographed photos to be offered as a buying option.

Inter-State worked to make the order form as simple and direct as possible. Details of the package and pricing options are printed on the back of each flyer. Parents complete the order form, tear along the perforations and end up with a form to be placed into a return envelope along with a check.

Parents can also order photos from a secure Website; a unique URL (personalized URL, or PURL) and access code for each child’s packages are provided in the flyers. Users can preview different photographic treatments and place an order online. For added security, the unique URLs are set up so that parents can only see the images of their child on the Website. Allowing online access makes it easier for parents, but especially relatives, to view and order photographs and have them delivered directly to their homes.

Digital Products

The company also offers a CD-ROM product that includes all of the digital images taken of the child during photo day along with a copyright release and some electronic activities for the parent and child. This “My Photo Adventure CD” allows the user to enhance the images by adding the student’s autograph, borders, captions, etc., and users can send images as e-mails and create slideshows with or without accompanying MP3 music. Edited images can also be printed in a variety of sizes, ranging from 11⁄2x1˝ to 8x10˝.

With this new and improved personalized marketing program, Inter-State successfully halted the decline in school photo sales. Its winter 2005 season sales even showed a small increase over the previous year’s total.

Average order size grew 30 percent and the company realized a 40 percent reduction in manufacturing costs through the use of pre- converted, rollfed paper. That gain in production efficiency is particularly significant, given that Inter-State produces more than one million packages twice a year.

Management attributes the gain in response rates to showing more variations of the individual child’s image in the flyer and the option to add an autograph to photos. According to Michelle O’Donnell, marketing coordinator, using the actual student’s image in the flyer may seem like a small change, but it has made a big difference.

“It makes it easier for parents to visualize how the purchased images will appear with their selected theme border options,” she explains.

A survey done by the company confirmed that belief, with more than 90 percent of respondents indicating the imaging themes available on the flyer added value to their child’s school portraits.

As an added bonus, this internal product development effort led the company to create a new business, called Convertible Brands, which sells the Fold-N-Go pre-converted stocks for producing self-mailers. PI

This case study was derived from PODi’s annual Best Practices in Digital Print Report, the largest collection ever assembled of successful digital printing projects. Now in its sixth edition, the report has been enhanced with more in-depth coverage of select case studies. PODi is an industry initiative with hundreds of member companies including executive board members EFI, HP, IBM, Kodak, Pitney Bowes, Quark and Xerox. Membership in PODi is open to most organizations involved in digital printing. For more information on joining PODi or submitting your own case study, visit www.mypodi.org/pi1.

Program Objectives
• Increase average order size.
• Sell more higher-value options and packages.

Significant Results Reported By User
• Total sales even with previous year (declining trend halted).
• 30 percent increase in average order size.
• 300 percent improvement in productivity and 40 percent reduction in manufacturing costs through the use of pre-converted, roll-fed paper.