Copyright 
North American Publishing Company Apr 2005FIVE WAYS TO INCORPORATE PERSONALIZATION INTO YOUR DIRECT MAIL EFFORTS
To be successful, a direct mail package must grab your customer's attention, build a desire for your product or service, and create a call to action. Today's personalization technology makes it possible to do that, but efficient and effective use of personalization requires a strategy, a budget and an understanding of what your print vendor can do.
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| Create versions of your offer to speak to specific segments of your audience. |
Here are five ways you can incorporate personalization into your next direct mail promotion:
1. It's probably a given that a name and address will appear on your letter, especially when your letter is the address vehicle for yonr package. Additionally, inserting the name in the body of the letter can be effective, as long as it's not overdone.
Think about formality when using a name in the body of the letter. Should the salutation say, "Dear Mr. Jones," or "Dear George"? If using a list that does not have first and last names in separate cells, it's probably better to say, "Dear Friend" or "Dear Member," than "Dear George Jones."
2. Personalizing your response device makes it easier for the recipient to respond. Leave space for corrections and provide clear instructions for making changes. This is a great opportunity to get missing information such as a phone number or e-mail address. Insert a message alongside a blank field that draws attention to the field or offers a special incentive for providing the information. For example: "Give us your e-mail address and we'll send you a coupon for $5 off your next online order."
3. Talk to your vendor about formats that allow yon to personalize other inserts in the same production pass. For example, using an 8 ½'' x 14'' form instead of an 8 ½'' x 11'' form allows you to create a personalized bnckslip that can be trimmed to nest in your letter as if it were a separate insert. You pay for laser personalization by the inches that must travel through the equipmentfull variable copy on an 8 ½'' x 11'' form is the same personalization cost as just name and address.
4. Versioning is a form of personalization that can help create an audience of one. Version preprinted shells or forms with images that target specific segments. If you sell pet products, creating versions for dog owners, cat owners and menagerie owners may drive higher response rates than a generic image that tries to grab the attention of every recipient.
5. To drive store traffic or event marketing, work with your vendor to incorporate mapping into your variable data. Consider showing your closest location in each compass direction to provide multiple options. Use the map and message management to highlight times and dates of special programs by location so your customer, who's busy Tuesday, knows she can attend your program at another location on Thursday.
Personalization used to mean name, address and a 10-word message. Today's imaging technology and databases provide opportunities to draw attention to your offer amidst the many envelopes in the mailbox. A personalized offer will create interest, desire and the call to action you need for a successful campaign.
DEBORA HASKEL is vice president of marketing at IWCO Direct, an integrated direct mail services company located in Chanhassen, Minn. She can be reached at debora.haskel@iwco.com.
Case Study
Relevance Is Key at AutoNation
"Relevance is the most important thing for a marketer to address," says Scott Zientarski, director of database marketing with AutoNation, an automotive retailer based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. According to Zientarski, advancements in printing technology have allowed AutoNation to capitalize on opportunities derived from its database marketing activities and to abandon its previous one-size-fits-all approach for more personalized communications.
One of the most notable ways the auto retailer is creating customized communications for its customers is through its service program. AutoNation represents 285 dealership locations across 18 states. Its service program includes all customers who've purchased a vehicle from an AutoNation dealership or who've brought in their vehicle for service.
A miles-driven algorithm is used to select customers whose cars are in need of service. These customers then are sent an outbound e-mail as well as an automated telemarketing message indicating their car is due for a specific service. If 30 days have passed, and the customer hasn't responded by making a service appointment, AutoNation follows up with a personalized direct mail piece and another phone call.
Messaging is tailored for each of the retailer's 58 database segments and delivered through the appropriate channel with the help of DME, a direct marketing communications company based in Daytona, Fla. For example, if the car is under warranty, a follow-up message may address non-compliance with a manufacturer's warranty if the needed work isn't completed within the appropriate time. Or, if the vehicle is no longer under warranty, the messaging may speak to the safety and reliability of the car if it isn't serviced.
According to Zientarski, the reason for a service visit is addressed in the body of a letter enclosed in a #10 envelope. An additional offer is made via a coupon. For example, if the customer's vehicle needs new tires, the letter will include the tire measurements and tire meter within the body of the letter. The coupon may offer a discount on tires.
To customize the contents of the follow-up direct mail piece, DME uses Xerox's iGen3 Digital Production Press, which allows it to affordably print full color pieces in small quantities. By using an 8½'' x 14'' form instead of an 8½'' x 11'' form, it can print the letter and a personalized coupon in one pass. The coupon then is trimmed and nested in the letter as an insert.
Within two months of adopting a personalized approach to the multichannel service program, Zientarski says AutoNation realized an 8 percent improvement in response.
-Lisa Yorgey Lester
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