The Truth About Variable Data Printing

One of the most innovative aspects of digital printing has been the introduction of a technology that is often called variable data printing (or variable information printing). These software programs  allow a marketer to send out thousands of individualized messages to the company customer base or prospects. These messages can be sent as printed mailers, statements, emails, text messages or any other type of digital message.

When it was introduced, it was described at the "one to one"  revolution that was once promised as the marketing ideal. And how does the marketing department currently use it?



 Dear {Name}, How are things in {State}? Since you recently bought {product #1}, we thought you would be interested in {product #2}.

I exaggerate only slightly...

Aside from the mail merge 2.0 example above, we often see the technology used in personalized photos. I'm sure you've seen them. In these glossy, customized photos, the prospect's name is sometimes formed by clouds in the sky,"carved" into some random object, or the recipient's name appears on a city street sign in some attention-getting manner, but depth of the individualized message seems to stop with this Photoshop effect.

If you only know your customers by the products they've bought, you don't know them.

What should we be seeing in direct marketing? Variable data printing allows you to change text in a hundred different ways, according to demographic data, economic data, customer history and a host of other measures. It also allows illustrations in a brochure to match the race, location or interests of the recipient. The messages can be truly unique and compelling, but they are difficult to craft. It's a great deal of work, which is why we keep seeing, "Dear {Name} messages.

Currently, organizations gather operational data (products sold to customer, address etc.). When will we start gathering information about our customers that will demonstrate that we actually know them and have listened to them? We now have the technology. As one printer put it, "We can do more than write the customer's name in yellow snow."

It's like the marketer's back in school, sitting next to the prettiest girl in class and has grown helplessly silent. Perhaps he could try the variable data printing approach:

 "Dear {pretty girl1}, You dated {team quarterback1}, would you like to go out with {me}?

http://www.basicmarketingideas.com/2010/01/truth-about-variable-data-printing-and.html

www.telepathicgraphics.com