Spotlight: Canon Solutions America
From Netflix and Amazon to Google and Facebook, personalization is the No. 1 trend driving sales and activity online today. It’s not just convenient; in 2018 it’s a given. Consumers expect their OFFLINE experiences to be personalized, too. And that’s where the power of Variable Data Printing (VDP) can mean the difference between direct mail that you’ve painstakingly designed either being set aside for further perusal, or dropped in the recycle bin unread.
It’s OK – Get Personal
One of the greatest strengths of digital printing, VDP uses special software to enable you to produce multiple variations of a single piece all in the same digital print run.
- Want to show each person on your 1,000 person mailing list how close their home is to your client’s store? Add a personalized map to each piece!
- Marketing sports memorabilia? Send postcards to each person on your list featuring a jersey or other item emblazoned with the logo of their favorite team.
- Do design work for a real estate company? Why not suggest that they kick their game up a notch by sending each resident in a neighborhood a postcard with that person’s own home on the front, and what you estimate it to be worth on the back?
- Designing for a retailer? Include “suggested items” based on an individual’s buying history. Or pull in their online shopping profiles or “wish list” and send them a postcard or catalog.
To get even more out of digital printing, add this powerful personalization capability to the other benefits you enjoy when you ask your printer to use digital printers like Océ production inkjet presses and Canon imagePRESS toner devices offered by Canon Solutions America:
- Faster turnaround times
- Impressive and consistent color quality
- Affordable print runs in a wide variety of quantities.
And there you have everything you need to pull off a stunning print marketing campaign in mere days.
You Can’t Argue with Success
Doubtless you’ve heard the term “variable data printing” for years now, but maybe you’ve always considered it a little too “out there” to try. Market trends, however, suggest that VDP isn’t just the wave of the future, this is what you need to be doing to remain relevant right now.
A 2016 Infotrends survey found that 84% of consumers said they were more likely to open direct mail that had been personalized to them.
Invite your clients to think about that for a moment. When was the last time they enjoyed an 84% engagement rate? If that many people say they’re willing to open mail that’s been personalized for them, why on earth WOULDN’T YOU build your print campaign around VDP?
Best of all, they don’t even have to respond to your print piece directly. All it has to do is encourage them to visit your website, and Google’s dynamic remarketing does the rest. Remember those times you’ve visited a site tempted to buy that sweater or book, decided against it, only to find ads for the item seemingly “following” you to other websites? That’s dynamic remarketing, and as you no doubt know from personal experience, it’s amazingly effective.
Using VDP to Retain Customers
Take a look at the ‘Weekend Getaway” postcards below. Notice anything?
That’s right. Each is marketing the same beach resort, but using a different aspect of it to appeal to a different type of vacationer. Are you the type who likes to relax on the beach with a drink and a good book – there’s a card for you. Do you tend to only book holidays for your anniversary, Valentine’s Day or other romantic events? There’s a card featuring sunset strolls. The same goes for underwater exploration.
So how do they know which card to send to which person? You guessed it – these are all going to those who’ve booked time at this resort before. A simple questionnaire filled out during their last visit can easily provide all the information you need to personalize your marketing to them for years to come.
Are people really willing to give up enough personal information to make a print personalization campaign feasible? Definitely.
According to Salesforce Research’s 2016 “State of the Connected Consumer” report, 63% of Millennials and 58% of GenXers are willing to share data with companies in exchange for personalized offers and discounts. They view it as a way to save time in a busy, 24/7 world.
Still curious about what variable data printing can do for you? We don’t blame you. Download your free copy of Canon’s short white paper on the subject right now, and start planning your own variable data printing projects today!
