The Xplor View - October 2008 - (Page 17)

Let’s talk about integrated customer communication You may have heard the term TransPromo and wondered what it means. Or, perhaps you are one of those people who already know, but think it is not for you. Better yet, maybe you practice TransPromo in your current print and mail activities. No matter where you are on the continuum, this article is for you! The goal is to give you the tools so that you can be a successful practitioner of fully integrated customer communication, including TransInfo, TransEd, TransPromo, or any step along the way. Note that the key term is including because there is a lot more to talking to customers than just TransPromo. Let’s start with the idea of integrated customer communication and define it. Integrated Customer Communication encompasses every touch point you have with a customer. Touch points are everything from the first direct mail solicitation to the bills and statements you communicate with monthly. But, it also includes your communication by email, your web pages, banners you pay for on other websites, your mass marketing using broadcast media, and print media advertising. It does not matter if it is personalised or static; it is all part of the customer communication chain. Integrated customer communication is the art and science of tying all of the touch points together so that they work together, use the same messaging, and generally give the impression of a consistent outward look and feel. When it is done well you almost do not notice; but when it is not the practice, it is obvious. Think about all of the things that come in your post each day. Do the bills and statements use the same logo and same design as the print media marketing from the same company? Are the messages included with the bill the same as those you see on television or hear on the radio? Are the web banners you see for the company across the Internet using the same logo and design? For companies that practice integrated customer communication, the answer is always yes! How do TransPromo, and its corollary concepts of TransInfo and TransEd, fit into the picture? They are tools in the strategy, but they should not be the end of the conversation. Definitions may help. TransInfo is the process of adding informational content to transaction communication. The information may be static content that provides market data, product updates, or general education. The goal is to design the communication to take advantage of the best practices in design and make room for additional content. We will talk more about design in a moment since it is key to the successful implementation of good customer communication. Some companies stop at TransInfo and enjoy the benefits of great design and good information content, but others take another step into TransEd. This involves adding educational content to the transaction document that is specific to the customer. Bar charts, graphs, and other visual content that informs the customer about the status of their business relationship is a great way to add value, but the addition of other text-based content is also valuable. The important part is the personalisation of the content so that it is relevant and timely for the recipient. Notice that we still are not selling anything. We are just changing the nature of the communication to make it more useful. We do not really start marketing until we get to TransPromo, and for some industry verticals we may never get there. Regulated industries may not permit marketing on the transaction document, and in some countries it changes the postage required. TransInfo and TransEd can always be used, while TransPromo may have some limitations. So, what is TransPromo? It is the art and science of using what you know about the customer to create targeted, relevant marketing messages. This may sound like one-to-one marketing, and in some implementations it may be down to that level. In most cases, though, customers fall into a handful of well-defined buckets and if the offers are well targeted, it may only look to the customer like it is one-to-one marketing while the marketing department breathes a sigh of relief that they are creating under a dozen specific offers each month. As you can see, the TransInfo, TransEd, TransPromo progression is a crawl, walk, run proposition, but it is not the entire story. We still have not discussed where integration comes in to play. Integration requires communication among all of the departments who create outbound communication, and that is not easy in any company. The players in integrated customer communication include all of the people involved in the billing 17 Issue 6 October 2008 The VIEW Journal Xplor European Edition

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Xplor View - October 2008

The Xplor View -� October 2008 Contents TPE Master Class: Three Ways to Tame your Print-to-Mail Workflow Right Now Mission Impossible: Embracing Environmental Concerns TPE Master Class: Implementing a Lean Working Environment Improving Business Processes Yields Award-Winning Business Performance How Do� You Effectively Win New Business Writing a Marketing Plan to Win New Printing Clients How Buying Strategies Have Affected How the Industry Sells Let's Talk About Integrated Customer Communications Management:�Transpromo...It Takes a Village! Knowledge Management Part 3 XDU: Leading the Education Revolution Kodak plus Xplor equals XDU Around the World Xplor Europe News:�Short News Items for the Xplor UK�Programme and Europe News

The Xplor View - October 2008

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