Come and Play With Our Toys
We hear a lot about variable print these days, that incredible technology which allows us to vary either the image or the text in our print jobs.
On a seemingly completely unrelated note, we often have clients wondering how much money they could potentially save by using Addressed Admail over Lettermail.
Now, these two things probably don’t seem to have anything it common. Obviously they do, however, or we would not be writing about them both in this blog post. The common element that they share is a set of online “toys” that we have developed on our website. Although these tools have been there for a while, when site visitors actually use them, they seem to unlock doors to new horizons.
Interactive Variable Print Demonstrations
When used properly, variable print is a powerful tool that lets you connect with your customers and prospects in a convincing and insightful way. When used incorrectly, though, it can be dreadfully impersonal and can leave a very bad impression. Of course, the key to success is good clean data and intelligent substitutions.
We actually have two separate demonstrations, one that focuses entirely on variable copy, and another which demonstrates the power of variable imaging. Both demos prompt for specific pieces of information. None of this information is retained, and is used entirely to control the results of the demonstrations. Entering different information will yield different results, so we certainly encourage you to try the demos multiple times, varying the information and watching as the results change.
For example, the variable imaging demo asks for a birth date. I was born in May and, as such, this tool will return a card featuring an emerald as the gemstone. However, if I were to change the birth date, I could get a different card, with the appropriate stone! Of course, I can see up to 12 different stones, based on each of the months in the year. Here is a preview of the output:
The variable text demo is similar, taking the data you provide and returning a custom and targeted letter (along with some explanation). In addition to demonstrating text substitutions, the variable text demo also shows how you can use strategic information to vary content in an insightful way, making each letter more meaningful for the individual recipients. Again, used properly and intelligently, this technique can help to boost your response rates. When playing with the demo, vary the “type of pain” and “preferred remedies” to see how similar, yet strategically different letters are generated. Here is a preview of the demo’s output:
If you want to give these demos a try, then head on over to either the Variable Copy Demo or the Variable Imaging Demo. Be sure to run these “toys” a few times to get a proper feel for them!
Online Postage Calculator
Many years ago, while we were still in our infancy, we developed an online postage calculator that can estimate postage for both Addressed Admail and Lettermail and display the savings that might be realized by using one or the other for a given mailing. All you do is select the size and enter the contents of the mailing piece, as per the on-screen prompts.
As we note on our web site, there are times when you may want to consider Lettermail, even though it is more expensive than Addressed Admail. Using this powerful little tool is an excellent way to get a good idea as to the difference in price. Additionally, if you have never used Addressed Admail, the online postage calculator can show you what your savings might be with Canada’s Post’s premier promotional mail product. Again, here is a preview of the output:
To determine what your own savings you could be, give our online postage calculator a shot!
As you can see, these online “toys” can be used in many different ways. Please take advantage of them as occasions may arise and please feel free to share them with your friends and associates.
As always, if there are any questions regarding the foregoing or mailings in general, do not hesitate to give us a call.
