Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial marketing rock for the past few years, you’ve surely heard the words “customization” and “personalization” used to describe direct marketing strategies to increase response rates. These words, in essence, scream…
“Me! Me! Pay attention to me! I am important!”
When we receive a marketing message that was specially-made for us, our habit of selective attention to anything that has our name on it kicks in, and we absorb the message.
What mass appeal looks like
What personalization looks like
Our culture today, and especially the younger “iGeneration“, puts heavy emphasis on fulfilling Maslow’s defined need of esteem, or acquiring recognition and standing out from the masses. We gravitate towards things that speak to our essence and reflect our identity rather than items that reflect the essence of the grand collective.
The preference for customization and tailoring to the individual isn’t specific just to marketing messages. This concept relates directly to what consumers are buying—custom-built products made with only the single buyer in mind.
Though the trend in custom-built products has been a long time in the making, it’s really the evolution of digital technologies and social media that have ramped up consumer’s expectations of a personalized experience.From your smartphone and apps to websites like Pandora and Pinterest, we are constantly building experiences that cater to our daily activities and personal identity.
The customizable experience also transitions into consumer products. Look at Evolvex by Luxmy. Why buy Ikea furniture that everyone else has when you can have furniture that was created by your own creative prowess?
What about your car? We all know that we are very brand-conscious when it comes to the car we drive (I’ll admit I have much pride in my Subaru ownership). For the Jaguar aficionado, take extra pride in your car knowing that you helped build your 2014 F-Type. Makes it seem that more special, doesn’t it?
We can take personalization even further and really showcase our identity with displays of our DNA, fingerprints, and lip prints. Nothing says, “This is who I am” more than the physical elements that actually uniquely identify ourselves. But let’s be honest, having your fingerprints hanging on your wall could really look like anyone’s fingerprints. So it’s not necessarily an outsider recognizing how individualistic you are, it’s you relishing in your own awesome self.
Of course, we wouldn’t get anywhere without mentioning data here. Those who want to boom in the era of “me-commerce” will have to understand who their audience is as individuals and forecast what new features will resonate most with them.
Switching the focus back to personalization in direct marketing communications, it’s important to remember that access to refined data is the beginning step for any successful personalized printing or marketing campaign.
Much like customized products, which tend to come at a premium price, variable data printing and personalized integrated campaigns require more effort, and therefore are more costly. But keep in mind the effectiveness and value in this product when seeing the price tag.
A 2012 InfoTrends study found that personalized cross-media campaign had the highest response and conversion rates.
|
Campaign |
Response Rate |
Conversion Rate |
| Print Only |
6.0% |
16.2% |
| Print and Email |
7.6% |
18.3% |
| Print and PURLs |
7.6% |
15.3% |
| Print, Email and PURLs |
8.2% |
16.5% |
| Print, Email, PURLs and Mobile |
8.7% |
19.0% |
| Source: InfoTrends, 2012 | ||
Before you dismiss a personalized approach to your next marketing campaign due to cost or other implementation barriers, really consider the impact that a customized message could make on your audience—especially if you’re trying to connect with a younger audience! (Remember, we like people to recognize our individual importance)
Want to learn more on how mass-customization can apply to your next print project? Call 804-794-8273 for a free consultation!
By +Maggie Young