What is
"Variable Data Printing"?
Variable data printing (also known as one-to-one marketing
or personalized printing) offers customized, targeted encounters with
prospective customers, placing a powerful marketing tool into the hands of even
small organizations. VDP has been shown to dramatically increase response rates
while reducing overall printing costs (due to shorter, more targeted print runs
as opposed to traditional "shotgun" campaigns).
It is an ideal solution for
direct-mail pieces, promotional flyers, event promotions, or any other type of product where you want to speak "directly" to your customer, even if it's just making creative use of their first name.
direct-mail pieces, promotional flyers, event promotions, or any other type of product where you want to speak "directly" to your customer, even if it's just making creative use of their first name.
Imagine the possibilities...
The potential for variable data printing is limited only by
the imagination of the creator. Consider the power of being able to create a
custom message for each recipient, catered to the reader's age, gender,
interests, buying habits, address, etc., and infinite possibilities begin to
unfold.
How does it work?
One of the distinguishing features of digital printing is
that each revolution of an imaging cylinder represents a unique impression that
is transferred to a page. Variable data printing capitalizes on this by picking
up customized artwork for each page based on information from your database and
rules that are set up within the Variable Data software program. Variable
elements can be text, graphics or photos, color or black-and-white. Variable
data can be flowed into each page on a simple record-by-record basis, or the
contents of a page can be controlled by sophisticated rules based on
relationships among data fields. It is even possible to use mathematical data
to automatically generate unique charts & graphs, as is often seen in
Annual Reports, 401(k) Statements, data sheets, etc.
Way beyond "junk
mail".
Variable data printing can be an especially powerful tool
for direct mail applications. Direct mail has been proven to be the most
effective marketing tool available, even in the internet age. Think about it:
The mailbox is immune to spam-blockers, pop-up blockers, caller ID, the
fast-forward button and the mute button. As long as people open their
mailboxes, there is an opportunity for you to communicate with them. Cater your
message directly to the reader, and you have a very unique opportunity indeed.
Saves time and money.
Variable data printing is also a faster, more economical way
to print. Consider the following:
·
Print only as many as you need (depending on the
size of your database).
·
Test-market a piece with a partial selection of
your database, adjust the piece based on response rate (or leave it unchanged)
and finish the run at a later time.
·
Print addresses directly on the piece... there
is no need for labels, hand-addressing, etc., thus reducing mailing costs and
speeding up the fulfillment process.
·
But the true value of personalized printing lies
in the greatly increased response rates that it generates. Variable data
printing gets results.
Web-driven-print (and
vice-versa)
Database-driven print also opens the door to new
opportunities in cross-media marketing. In addition to unique printed pieces,
database information can be used to automatically generate personalized URLs
(PURLs) and e-mails which, for instance, can be used to collect more
information from the customer (via questionnaires, online order forms,
contests, etc.), which can then be used to generate follow-up printed pieces.
Before you know it, your customers are actually marketing you to themselves!
Getting started
We recommend that you first "Test Drive" Variable
Data Printing with a relatively simple project:
Send personalized thank-you cards, special offers, or other
direct marketing materials.
Select a test sample from your database for customized
mailing and measure the results against conventional print.
Prove it to yourself: It works!
MarketInk is equipped to help you distinguish your company
from the competition with this exciting technology. Please contact a MarketInk
Customer Service Representative for more information about our Variable Data
Printing services:
866 245-6723
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