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Taking the plunge into using variable data printing, or VDP as it’s called in the industry, can be a daunting step, even for the most aggressive of marketing organizations. To create successful variable data mailings, you need to be ultra-confident in the accuracy of your database in addition to being able to handle the usual aspects of developing a mailing—compelling copy, creative and offer.
But with increased effort required to properly leverage VDP comes the potential for an increased payoff. Keith Goodman, vice president of corporate solutions at Modern Postcard, a full-service provider of postcard products and services in Carlsbad, Calif., explained some of the basics of VDP in his session, “Variable Data Printing—The Power of Personalization,” which he presented at Modern Marketing Days, a direct mail conference and exposition held in February by Modern Postcard.
Whether your firm is in the B-to-C or B-to-B market, Goodman suggests you consider the following data needs for your VDP efforts.
Data to collect and/or retain on existing customers and prospects:
* Complete name and address, with accurate spelling and capitalization on all fields
* Birth date
* Gender
* Presence of children
* Hobbies
* Business type
* Business size
* Location type
* Busy periods
Data you will want to collect and retain on new prospects:
* Complete name and address, input with an upper/lower case format for better presentation in all variable fields
* Birth date
* Gender
* Presence of children
* Business type (by SIC is preferable)
* Business size
* Location type
* Business affiliations (associations, dealer groups, etc.)
Once you have this information and have ensured that it’s clean and standardized, you can assign values to the different elements and use if-then logic to drive the printing process. The result is a mailpiece that pulls in certain text and imagery based on the combination of factors you’ve selected as being important to your audience and offer.
For example, says Goodman, a casino resort could send a postcard mailer to customers that is personalized to acknowledge their birthday, promote their favorite gaming activity (poker, blackjack, slots), promote their favorite leisure activity at the resort (golf, shopping, dining, fishing) and offer them a specific discount on one of those areas of interest based on their prior spending activity. Personalization at this level, he notes, can increase response between two and four times above the normal rate.
Obviously, an increase in response is only a good thing if your ROI improves, too. The work involved in performing more sophisticated personalization requires time and money. To determine whether variable data printing is a good fit for your business, Goodman advises marketers to ask themselves these questions:
* Do I have a product or service that can leverage personalization? Companies that are having success with VDP include those in the entertainment, travel and membership sectors.
* Do I have and/or can I amass the depth of data to support VDP?
* Does my product or service have a high enough value, either on a lifetime basis or a single-transaction level, to support the increased costs with VDP?
If you answered yes to all questions, then your next step is obvious—investigate VDP now, while you still have a chance of beating your competitors to this tool.
Keith Goodman can be reached at (760) 431-7084.
But with increased effort required to properly leverage VDP comes the potential for an increased payoff. Keith Goodman, vice president of corporate solutions at Modern Postcard, a full-service provider of postcard products and services in Carlsbad, Calif., explained some of the basics of VDP in his session, “Variable Data Printing—The Power of Personalization,” which he presented at Modern Marketing Days, a direct mail conference and exposition held in February by Modern Postcard.
Whether your firm is in the B-to-C or B-to-B market, Goodman suggests you consider the following data needs for your VDP efforts.
Data to collect and/or retain on existing customers and prospects:
* Complete name and address, with accurate spelling and capitalization on all fields
* Birth date
* Gender
* Presence of children
* Hobbies
* Business type
* Business size
* Location type
* Busy periods
Data you will want to collect and retain on new prospects:
* Complete name and address, input with an upper/lower case format for better presentation in all variable fields
* Birth date
* Gender
* Presence of children
* Business type (by SIC is preferable)
* Business size
* Location type
* Business affiliations (associations, dealer groups, etc.)
Once you have this information and have ensured that it’s clean and standardized, you can assign values to the different elements and use if-then logic to drive the printing process. The result is a mailpiece that pulls in certain text and imagery based on the combination of factors you’ve selected as being important to your audience and offer.
For example, says Goodman, a casino resort could send a postcard mailer to customers that is personalized to acknowledge their birthday, promote their favorite gaming activity (poker, blackjack, slots), promote their favorite leisure activity at the resort (golf, shopping, dining, fishing) and offer them a specific discount on one of those areas of interest based on their prior spending activity. Personalization at this level, he notes, can increase response between two and four times above the normal rate.
Obviously, an increase in response is only a good thing if your ROI improves, too. The work involved in performing more sophisticated personalization requires time and money. To determine whether variable data printing is a good fit for your business, Goodman advises marketers to ask themselves these questions:
* Do I have a product or service that can leverage personalization? Companies that are having success with VDP include those in the entertainment, travel and membership sectors.
* Do I have and/or can I amass the depth of data to support VDP?
* Does my product or service have a high enough value, either on a lifetime basis or a single-transaction level, to support the increased costs with VDP?
If you answered yes to all questions, then your next step is obvious—investigate VDP now, while you still have a chance of beating your competitors to this tool.
Keith Goodman can be reached at (760) 431-7084.
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