Innovate Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 12)

the increasing awareness of TransPromo TR ANS P RO MO PATH Perhaps it is the increasing awareness of the powerful potential of TransPromo—if and when it’s done effectively. But that’s a very important “if.” Before implementing a TransPromo initiative, it’s important to consider several things. First, take a look at both spam and junk mail. What do they have in common? Both are deﬁned as unsolicited messages that often are irrelevant to the recipient. Can we turn this around and say that requested information, which is relevant to the recipient, is in a different and better class all together? This is exactly what TransPromo aspires to deliver— targeted, promotional messaging that recipients want and that reﬂect their tastes and interests. And this is how TransPromo can be used most effectively, translating invested time and money into sales that boost the company’s bottom line. TransPromo proponents claim that customers will not only open, but also read their invoices and statements, so accompanying items have a better chance of being noticed. But going from transactional to TransPromo successfully requires welldeﬁned criteria. Making TransPromo Pay The simplest type of TransPromo application might involve integrating various marketing messages into a regular monthly invoice or printing them directly on the statement. Most of us get dozens of these every month—offers for limited-edition coins packaged with the gasoline credit card bill, or the promise of low mortgage rates printed on the checking account statement. The problem is that these messages go to all customers, whether or not they have any particular interest in coins or they’ve reﬁnanced their mortgage two weeks ago. This tactic is simple to implement, perhaps, but ultimately less effective, as it is not relevant or customized based on the recipient’s interest. An effective TransPromo program is more sophisticated, more closely targeted, and more challenging to implement—but not as difﬁcult as it might seem with the right technology in place. Such a program integrates data drawn from an organization’s various information silos, such as customer sales history, the customer relationship management (CRM) system, marketing and sales resources (including graphics), and perhaps even customer credit history and native language. Bringing all these THE Going beyond the buzzword By Scott M. Draeger T Innovate Spring 08 ransPromo is one of the hottest buzzwords in the business world at the moment, and it’s a safe bet that we’ll be hearing more and more about it over coming months. The term stands for “transactional promotion,” and although the concept has received a lot of attention lately, it really isn’t a new idea—just a new catchphrase. You may already know that TransPromo means combining an organization’s regular transactional documents, such as monthly invoices or quarterly statements, with promotional messages. For years, some credit card companies have been adding products and services to the white space of monthly statements. Telephone and utility companies print messages directly on bills for “bundled services” or tips on energy savings directly on their customers’ monthly bills. The software and printing technology to produce these items is readily available and has been for a long time. So, if TransPromo is nothing new, what is all the buzz about? 12

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Innovate Magazine - Spring 2008

Innovate - Spring 2008 Table of Contents 10 Tips for Successful Open Houses The TransPromo Path Escape the Complexity Putting a Price on Value A Welcome Boost to Hospitality Team Approach Earns Accolades Bound Together New Highs in Image Quality Transforming the Business of Processing Photos Predictive Maintenance Making the Right Choice Diving into Digital Book Production Doing More With Less Distributed Document Creation

Innovate Magazine - Spring 2008

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