case study - webcrafters, inc.€¦ · integrating variable data printing with digital...

Integrating Variable Data Printing with Digital Communications Strategies

Case Study

Introduction

Vertical Market: Education

Business Application: Lead Generation

Situation

Human Relations Media (HRM) is a provider of social related educational video content

for middle and high school. The last 8 years have been a challenging time for education

content providers.

Contributing Factors:

• Since the 2008 recession, budget cuts have never fully returned.

• Changes in purchasing trends forcing catalogers to invest in a strong online presence.

• Technology advancements in free streaming content has reduced previous sources

of revenue.

Like other content providers selling through catalogs and online, HRM has built a strong

database of buying “personas” based on customer types i.e.:

• Principals

• Middle School Guidance Counselors or Health Teachers

• High School Guidance Counselors or Health Teachers

HRM sales from the catalog have been flat. The catalogs are produced and mailed periodically

at the beginning of the school year and emails are sent throughout the year based on various

promotional and clearance criteria.

Educational Content Provider Increases Saleswith Personalized Content and Digital Components


Case Study

ChallengeThe company needs to increase sales. They are currently right sized to address the volume they sell, but do not have a direct sales force calling on schools to create additional reach and awareness.

Additionally, without the internal human resources or technological experience to leveragetheir customer data, they have been unable to market as aggressively and efficiently as someof their larger competitors.

These are the statistics that must be dealt with:

• 80%+ of B2B buyers search the internet before purchasing.

• 46% of B2B buyers prefer to research through social channels.

• 79% believe a recent testimonial is a reliable as a personal reference.

• You have about 5 seconds to establish relevancy and capture their attention

before they click away.

Ease of Engagement

• Over 50% of B2B research is done on a mobile device. Content must be mobile

friendly.

• Must be highly personalized, simple and predictable.

• Content should be available across all touch points and be shared socially.

• Must find the balance between driving offers and over exposure where buyers

“emotionally” unsubscribe.



Case Study

Solution

Webcrafters developed Bridge, a technology platform and consultative service specifically to

help catalogers and direct mailers leverage their data to market more efficiently across print

and electronic channels. By combining the unique attributes of printing variable data catalogs,

highly targeted personal urls and email triggers based the buyer’s interaction, HRM was able to

produce the following results from this test program:

Test vs Control

• Prospect Group A 6,000

• Customer Group B 6,000

• Customer Group C 6,000

Methodology

• Control Version Catalogs only (3 sent over the span of a month)

• Test Versions Catalog + email triggers within 48 hours of delivery of

catalog, plus three additional triggers based on buyer

interaction.



Case Study

Campaign Components – Catalog


Personalized Components

1. Promotion Code: For immediate discounts and

keycode matchbacks.

2. Intelligent Mail Barcode: Postal delivery triggers

first email.

3. Personalized URL: Directs buyer to their

streamlined sales process with personalized content.

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Case Study

Campaign Components – Emails



1. Subject Line and Catalog Cover Image:

Provides campaign continuity, and creates urgency

for buyer to review the catalog and respond.

2. Offer: Clearly states the benefits to buyer to

respond to the campaign.

3. Personalized URL: Another touch point to

direct the buyer to their personalized landing page.

Email Delivery Schedule

Email 1: Triggered by Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB).

Email 2 and 3: Triggered based on customer

interaction with their personalized landing page and

their purchase history.

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Case Study

Campaign Components – Personalized Landing Page



1. Customer Info: Name and Organization/School.

2. Personalized Content: Chosen based on

persona: type of organization and/or purchase

history.

3. Promotion Code: For immediate discounts and

customer tracking.

4. Refer a Colleague: Use “Refer to a Colleague”

for teachers to create and easily share content.

Sales Funnel

• Direct link from the video preview on the landing

page to the relevant page on HRM’s eCommerce

website, highighting videos of value and interest to

the customer.

• Creates simplified sales and purchasing process

with a lower percentage of cart abandonment.

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Case Study

The Finish Line



1. Hyperlink to Play Video: No need to

search the website for a preview.

2. Add to Cart: One click to check out.

3. Related Products: Associated products

are offered at checkout.

Benefits

• Addresses buyer research and purchasing

preferences

• Simple sharing and purchasing process

• Wealth of digital DNA from BridgePurl™

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Case Study

Results

Why This Campaign Was Successful

1. Content with offer was personalized to buyer persona

• Ease of engagement:

– Offers were consistent from Catalog to email.

– Content was easily laid out to be previewed.

– One click to either preview or purchase.

– Content focused on the buyer persona.

2. Multiple touch points

• The physical catalog was the first of four touches based buyer behavior.

• Additional emails were sent, with additional offers and subject lines.

• Option include sharing link to colleague.

• Test multiple offers.

3. Driving catalog buyers online through their personalized url provides:

• Real time reporting into who came to their purl through the catalog or email.

• Buyers who opened or clicked but did not buy.

• The opportunity to share and create similar Purl for another teacher.


Group % increase in orders % increase in volume % of prospect emails

Prospects A +100% +550% * 27%

Customers B +16% +40% ––

Customers C +300% +335% ––*This is an actual result but the test group was not large enough to be statistically predictable.


Case Study

Summary

HRM worked with Webcrafters to leverage the Bridge by Webcrafters technology and best

practices to integrate their catalog and email triggers.

• Webcrafters provided an onboarding process that simplifies the message mapping

and building of customer personas.

• Webcrafters built, hosted and executed all print and electronic components,

providing final review and next steps for future campaigns.

Testimonial

“We have known about marketing automation for the last few years but

never had the time or staff to focus on it. Bridge Technology and Services

made testing an easy decision, and the results speak for themselves.

Virtually every test group out-performed its control version, and we are

already leveraging these insights into our next catalog campaign.”– Yair Kadman, President

Human Relations Media

To learn more about the value of personalization, and to begin the process of

energizing your catalog campaigns through print and digital strategies,

contact your Webcrafters representative.


Webcrafters, Inc.

2211 Fordem Avenue n Madison, WI 53704

Phone: 608.244.3561 n Fax: 608.244.5120

www.webcrafters-inc.com

Thank You.

Case Study

Webcrafters: Personable. Experienced. Dedicated.

Webcrafters is a family-owned printing company with more than a century of proven industry

leadership, combining state-of-the-art technology, strong and supportive suppliers, and

employees committed to giving you their very best. Our long legacy of family commitment –

integrity, straightforwardness and a lack of bureaucracy – continues to have a powerful effect

on our relationships with customers as well as employees, suppliers and the community.

case study - webcrafters, inc.€¦ · integrating variable data printing with digital...

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