The sheer number of marketing messages most people see daily makes it tough for any single message to get noticed. This is especially true when so many of them just create noise with irrelevant content.
Personalized marketing, or variable data printing (VDP) is one solution that cuts through the noise. This strategy gives printers the ability to personalize several fields in a marketing piece such as text, graphics, or images. In a long direct mail run, for example, each piece can differ completely from the one that came before or the one that follows. The personalization can be as simple as a name change; personalization can also target a group or be as complex as individualized pieces targeted to each recipient’s interests, job, buying habits, location, or other criteria.
With VDP capability, printing companies can personalize any piece. Brochures, postcards, catalogs, or transactional documents can become more effective with custom messages. Other forms of VDP include QR codes on labels and packaging, for example, that can take consumers to a specific web page for more information and greater interactivity.
VDP is made possible when artwork is married to a database during a print run. VDP software retrieves information for individual fields at speeds that match the digital printing press without slowing it down. Available camera systems can monitor the print run to ensure the right information is printed on the right sheet.
The Benefits of Personalization
In the world of marketing, VDP is a game changer. Anything that is personalized is inherently more relevant and raises the potential for consumer engagement. VDP can increase product differentiation for marketers. Instead of generic messages about a hardware store sale, direct mail pieces that reference specific tools for recipients set that store apart. A personalized coupon would maximize the impact. When consumers are engaged, marketing naturally yields a greater ROI.
For a print shop, VDP is a highly specialized service that carries a premium charge and is a competitive differentiator. It can create stronger client bonds that make it harder to decamp to another shop.
The Building Blocks of VDP
While the core of a VDP workflow is a digital press—which also handles static runs, some unique elements are also required. A powerful digital front end with the processing power to handle information at press speeds is a must. So is a workflow software system that can create dynamic multi-page documents, automate tasks related to VDP, and manage data.
A talented designer who can create catchy and compelling pitches is crucial, but so is ability in setting up the files. Designers must create rules that accompany the files and label the items to be inserted in each field.
Most crucial, however, is a clean, updated, and accurate database for the target audience. If you don’t have the database, you can’t fill the fields. And while variable pieces may delight recipients, mistakes will ensure a quick failure.
Challenges
VDP has many benefits and promises a great return on investment, but it poses some challenges to manage.
Maintaining those databases is time-consuming and requires appropriate training.
Printers who offer VDP need employees who are skilled at handling confidential client data and assessing the potential for errors. They also need systems that maintain the integrity of the data, protect it against potential failures or compromises with proper encryption, and host it in secure facilities.
Quality control and consistency need proper press calibration. Printers must integrate disparate systems with third-party APIs and control costs with automation software.
Despite the challenges, the rewards of VDP make it a worthwhile investment. It requires expertise and careful attention, but it can yield results that put other marketing approaches to shame.
An approach favored by many DDS customers is hybrid printing. Adding a bolt-on monochrome or full-color inkjet unit like any of the DDS industrial inkjet solutions is by far the most economical way to offer customers all the benefits of VDP without the enormous expense of replacing existing presses and post processing equipment required with going to a new digital inkjet or toner press.