Mail Print's Blog | Innovation Delivered

Success Shouldn’t Be Variable, Just Your Data

 Variable Data Printing (VDP) is the most exciting thing happening in the printing industry today. This technology has come into its own, and top quality printers are revolutionizing direct mail marketing efforts work.

How does it work?

 VDP has come a long way. It used to be that a personalized greeting including the prospect’s name was all that varied in VDP. Now you can print entire runs of direct mail with every single piece containing a uniquely tailored message for each prospect.

 Not only can the body text vary with database information, so can images, offers and headlines. A car manufacturer can send a run with images of minivans and children for those on their mail lists who are married, and sports cars for young singles. Or better yet, they can program images based on preferences given in a questionnaire. This way, your company’s prospects or clients receive information that you know they want.

What are the benefits of VDP?

 One of the great benefits of VDP is that the prospect is usually going to be interested in the content of your company’s mailer. It allows for more flexibility in catering to the wants and needs of the people targeted. The prospects are more likely to be interested, and thus, more likely to respond. A higher response rate leads to more business and a bigger return on investment.

What about results?

 Evidence shows that response rates of VDP direct mail are vastly superior to static direct mail. According to a CAP Ventures study, VDP has shown 36% higher response rates, a 47% increase in repeat orders, and a 25% increase in average order value. Repeated studies have found that on average, VDP generates response rates ranging from 3 to 10 times higher than traditional direct mail.

 How can we make VDP work for our business?

 Your VDP efforts are only as good as your company’s mail list. The more detailed and updated your list is, the more freedom there is to explore the exciting possibilities of VDP. The more thorough the better. Quality lists with many data fields can also be rented or purchased from list brokers and mailing houses. These lists cost more than some others, but the ROI potential is well worth it.

 Like any other marketing effort, VDP relies on thorough testing to ensure success. And the ability to test with VDP’s nearly one-to-one marketing approach is amazing.

Learn More

 A successful VDP marketing campaign is also dependent on solid creative work and marketing expertise. Graphic artists, copywriters, and marketing professionals are instrumental in making most successful VDP campaigns work. Today, many graphic artists are trained specifically to deal with VDP as a part of their education.

 Contact your direct marketing professionals at Mail Print, Inc. to learn more about how we can implement VDP in your campaign. We have the tools and personnel to help you succeed.