Variable Print and PURLS - what good are they?

Metrics - that's what today's e-marketing technologies promise as the big advantage over traditional direct mail and PR. Website page views, email opens, cost per click, you name it, there are clear metrics for marketing with technology. And that has been a big advantage over 'snail mail' direct mail. Until now.

I recently visited John Muehling, founder of Market with Ink in Phoenix. John has integrated Fortune 500 print and web technology to create RealStream, a direct mail based marketing system with precise analytics and a centralized database to store and build upon results from campaign to campaign. Why is this important? In the last few years the great advances have been made in variable print technology. This technology allows the marketer to customized the text and graphics to each recipient. In additional to allowing better targeting of message and cool graphic effects, the technology also allows imprinting of a Personal URL (PURL) on each piece. For example, the call to action for a mythical Allen Byington can now be "Allen, go to your personalized web site www.youareonvacation.com/AByington to register for your free marketing assessment." where the 'AByington' part of the URL is personalized to Allen. In addition, when Allen goes enters the PURL in his browser, he will find a personalized web page that includes variable data such as his local sales rep, his contact data to confirm or update, and perhaps graphics appropriate to his location or needs.

Here comes one of the good parts. When Pete accesses the personalized website, the visit is recorded in a online database and a notification is sent to the sales rep responsible for Pete's territory. Next, once Pete completes a form in order to receive his assessment, the form data is entered into the online database and a second notification is sent to the sales rep with the completed data. At this point, the sales rep knows in real time that Pete has taken action on the direct mail piece, and simultaneously, the online database is updated with the same information. At this moment you have clear, real time metrics on the direct mail effectiveness.

The Drawback
There are several companies that offer this or a similar PURL technology. Typically, there is a significant setup cost as well as an additional cost per PURL (or cost per name in the database) of up $0.10 each, plus the cost of the mailing. One drawback, however, is that the database for mailing and recording of responses is an independent database. That means after each mailing the data has to be merged into a main contact management database and reviewed before the next actions are taken. For those of us who have managed multiple databases, this shortcoming clearly restricts the scalability of this marketing method.

Enter Market with Ink
Using advanced database technology, Market with Ink offers all 0f the benefits and functionality mentioned above, with the big advantage of collecting data from multiple campaigns in its online database. Similar to Constant Contact, new lists can be created, depending on response. In addition, the RealStream system allows for customized emails and direct mail to be sent which include PURL marketing. The database also allows recording of various steps in the sales process, assignment of sales value and other functionality only found in full CRM and sales management systems. The value here is that for the price of setting up a typical direct mail PURL program the marketing professional can enjoy access to a full fledged integrated marketing database that even the sales force can use.

RealStream is the type of gem of a marketing tool that 5 year ago would not be accessible at any reasonable price. Today it is vital tool for tracking performance-based marketing programs, including integrated direct mail/telemarketing and email campaigns.