Scodix outlines the clear advantages offered by digital enhancement for personalisation options and its impact on piquing consumer interest as well as why consumers will pay more for that personalised touch.
According to the Direct Mail Association (DMA), as our inboxes overwhelm us with an abundance of marketing messages, direct mail is making a resurgence with response rates that consistently beat digital. Year on year, customer response rates have increased by 43% with prospect response rates reporting an increase of 190%. With the addition of personalisation, the association estimates that campaign ROI (Return On Investment) for direct mail can be increased anywhere from 300% to 1000%.
In today’s digitally-saturated society, the average attention span is said to have reduced to around eight seconds. Multisensory stimulation alters how we process things, often speeding up the activity. Integrating touch into the marketing experience helps the brain reach greater levels of engagement and drives emotional responses. In fact, experiments have shown that something that can be seen and touched is valued 24% (1) more highly than something that can only be seen. Marketing that cuts through the clutter is essential for brands to compete effectively, and a multisensory approach offers a compelling argument – appealing to consumers’ senses and creating strong encoded messages that stand out from the crowd.
The overabundance of choice that the average consumer is exposed to has an impact on all types of marketing and advertising – direct mail is no different. Certain reports suggest that people may sometimes ignore direct mail if that there is simply too much of it (2). It’s seemingly obvious, but consumers are more likely to respond positively to quality direct mail, and they are more likely to pick up and read a direct mailer based on the aesthetic lure and relevance of the content. As a result, direct mail campaigns that are targeted and personalised, using the best print quality, add value, differentiate from the competition and improve ROI.
Scodix allows PSPs to perform all the enhancements needed to distinguish their products, in-house and under their own control. With nine enhancements on one platform, PSPs can leverage Scodix Sense effects to deliver visual and tactile impact for their customers. Consumers are willing to pay more for the personal touch, something businesses can thrive from. For example, customers can have their name not only personalised, but embossed, high UV (Scodix Sense), in foil, or any of the other unique applications Scodix provide.
‘Direct mail has got life,’ stated Jon Otto, Visions, Inc., discussing how Scodix impacts his business’ direct mail campaigns. ‘Our customers are telling us that their response rates are starting to go up. What Scodix is doing for us is opening up markets, it’s getting people excited about print again and it’s allowing us to actually provide the differentiator that our customers are looking for.’
From high gloss to variable density, foil to metallic to glitter, and holograms effects to three dimensional crystals, all able to be personalised with VDP, Scodix provides an abundance of effects in a single system to wow customers with visual and tactile impact. With all the added value for brands, PSPs can command premium pricing, even for short run, translating into higher profitability for the business. Production of highly distinctive premium products in-house – without sending work out for lamination, embossing, hot foil, or other embellishments, or finding space for multiple systems – is now possible.
Digital printing is now a commodity, rather than a competitive advantage, while conventional press manufacturers continue to make presses more automated and competitive for short run applications. Personalisation, postage expertise, and greater automation are viewed by providers as the best business opportunities for direct mail applications. Now, over half of digitally printed pieces are fully personalised with image and text elements. Digital enhancement, a market still in its younger years, provides an opportunity to stand apart. Now is the time for direct mail printers to take advantage.
(1) Cited from Royal Mail – Article – ‘People place value on things they can touch’: https://www.marketreach.co.uk/key-facts/people-place-value-on-things-they-can-touch
(2) Marketing Sherpa – Report – ‘Marketing Chart: When customers ignore direct mail, here’s why they do it (by industry)’: https://marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/when-customers-ignore-direct-mail?_ga=2.265282376.694847019.1532445920-1830729567.1532445920
