No marketer is eager to throw money at promotions without knowing whether they work or not. That’s why more and more companies are turning to personalization strategies to ensure they get the right message to the right audience.
These targeted methods are proven to be highly effective:
- 91% of customers (PDF) prefer to shop with brands that send them relevant offers and product recommendations.
- 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from brands that deliver personalized experiences.
- 42% of consumers are annoyed when marketing content isn’t personalized.
The more precisely you can target your marketing message, the better you can engage your audience. While many marketers are using audience targeting strategies for online channels, they often overlook a highly effective offline touchpoint: direct mail.
Unfortunately, most advertisers try to cast a wide net with generic messaging when they send direct mail, even though
72% of consumers only engage with personalized messaging. It’s no wonder some brands are struggling to engage with their customers.
Now, you may wonder whether it’s possible to apply the same level of granularity and personalization to your direct mail campaigns as you do with digital marketing. Well, we have good news for you. Variable data printing technology allows you to deliver a highly personalized experience with printed mailers.
What Is Variable Data Printing?
Variable data printing (VDP) is a form of digital printing that allows users to change elements including text, graphics and images on each printed piece based on information drawn from a customer database or an external file. The technology enables brands to produce customized printed materials without stopping or slowing down the printing process.
How Does Variable Data Printing Work?
VDP takes advantage of the flexibility offered by digital printing technologies to include personalized messages, offers, images, location-specific information and more on a printed piece.
You can use information from sources such as customer relationship management (CRM) software or purchased lists to send targeted messages based on geographic location, purchase history, age, income, household size and more. You can also include bar codes, QR codes, personalized URLs or discount codes to track engagement at a granular level so you can gain in-depth customer insights and improve future campaigns.
Examples of Variable Data Printing
Here’s how our clients in various industries are leveraging VDP to deliver a personalized customer experience that increases the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns:
- Banks and financial institutions can include calculations specific to each customer when promoting a financial product.
- Local retailers can send out a new neighbor package completed with a map and directions to drive foot traffic.
- Fast-casual restaurants can send a new location announcement to customers who live in a specific geographic area.
There are many ways businesses can use VDP to engage with customers through the power of personalized marketing. We have helped companies of all sizes — from local retailers to national marketers — to drive traffic and increase sales.
Maximize the Benefits of Variable Data Printing
Valvoline, a leading worldwide marketer, distributor and producer of branded automotive and industrial products and services, has used our VDP services to successfully drive growth in a mature category. One of its campaigns leveraged personalized URLs and VDP technologies to yield an in-store coupon redemption rate of 7.9%.
Ready to boost your direct mail campaigns with the power of personalization? Here’s how VDP can help:
VDP allows you to produce printed marketing pieces that address your customers’ individual preferences so you can build relationships by sending the most relevant and timely offers. You can cut through the clutter, make every mail piece unique and get more responses by tailoring your promotional messages based on demographic, personal and marketing information.
The technology also allows you to apply a basic layout to the entire campaign so you can increase cost efficiency while keeping a consistent brand image. You can maintain an overarching marketing message while tailoring the experience to specific customers with minimal added cost.
VDP’s ability to include tracking mechanisms (e.g., QR codes and discount codes) can help you better understand customer behaviors and generate in-depth insights to support accurate data-driven decision-making. This makes it a great complement to online tactics such as email marketing and customer surveys.
VDP allows you to deliver customized content and offers that will help you better engage with your audience, improve the response rate by at least 15% and optimize your marketing spend. Here at United Mail, we have the expertise, technology and equipment to help you replicate the online digital experience that consumers expect from leading brands. Our large-scale printing capabilities can help you maximize the ROI of your direct mail campaigns.
It’s time to stop speaking generically to your audience — instead, get specific and personal with your direct mail campaigns. Learn more about our variable printing services and let us help you optimize your next mailer.
