The Surprising Perks of Print On Demand
Heinrich Marketing
Mail has morphed in ways that not even the post office could have predicted. The box looks smaller, but the mail is bigger. The dimensions are different, but the messages are similar. And just as the world turns away from tactility, print on demand is bringing it back. And it’s better.
Why? Because the print-on-demand concept harnesses the hassle-free, cost-efficient, history-tracking hotness of an email message with the old-fashioned power, personalization and physical fit-ness of snail mail.
Suspicious? We were too. But here’s the 411.
But, we asked, what about traditional direct mail? Print on demand isn’t for large-scale jobs, which makes it the perfect complement. But there’s another reason why we think it rocks: It supports the newfound Shangri-la of segmentation and loyalty programs, a tactic we love —because it works.
Say you want to reach a specific level of shoe shoppers — those who spend $500 per month. Rather than doing a en masse direct mail to your President’s Club Level Visa holders, your system activates a personalized thank-you note and coupon whenever one of your star shoppers buys a new pair of Manolos. Some applications, such as Cloud2Mail, utilize USPS intelligence bar codes, which provide delivery receipt. See image below.
Now, imagine that convenience for every communication piece you have: white papers, PDFs, brochures, sales letters, Power Point presentations.
The concept isn’t necessarily new, but the costs are.
“No one argues that more sophisticated targeting and robust personalization drive higher response,” says George Eddy, president of Heinrich, “But with print on demand, there’s less of a trade-off in terms of quality and investment. And that’s crucial.”
 Cloud2Mail |