Flipping through your mail, you are drawn to a unique postcard. Something about it is different. Not only are your name and address printed on the mail panel, but your first name is a prominent part of the postcard’s body copy – maybe even the headline!

How’d they do that? Variable data printing.

Variable data printing has come a long way from the days of doing a mail merge for a letter on your personal computer. Today’s variable data printing is a form of on-demand digital printing that allows each print piece to be customized. Text, graphics and even images can be changed from one piece to the next using cues from an external data file. Because the print process is digital rather than traditional sheetfed, all this happens without slowing the presses. As a bonus, variable data can be used for any quantity print run – from a few hundred to tens of thousands.

What’s the benefit? For a typical direct mail campaign, industry rule of thumb states you can expect between a one percent and three percent response rate. However, response rates for marketing campaigns using variable data printing can be anywhere from double at a basic level to 10-15 times for a fully variable print job.  More inquiries and responses mean more opportunities for sales.

A 2006 survey by 1to1 Magazine and Xerox found that customization was on the increase. Nearly 69% of those surveyed customized name, address and other content on their direct mail aimed at new customer acquisition. Higher sales led 44% to say they plan to increase the amount of customization.

If you are interested in seeing samples of variable data printing or finding out if it may work for you, contact me at angela@creative-wise.com.