Creating Effective Direct Mail

According to a survey by Billets, between October 2009 and March 2010, 92% of direct mail was opened including 99% for personal banking and 96% from supermarkets. With email marketing reaching saturation point and becoming less effective, direct mail is having a renaissance. There are many elements to a successful direct mail campaign but the one I'm going to touch on is design.

Designing a direct mail piece that is attractive to the recipient, economic to print and then mail out can appear a daunting task. I believe creating intrigue is a key factor. Sending a letter in a bright green envelope would do the trick here - but to be more creative why not create a gift/package idea? Or something more elaborate that gives a 3D effect can be very effective and prevents the recipient from condemning the item to the bin.

There's never been a better time to use direct mail as the recipient believes that you have made a true investment in contacting them...in this economic climate that means a lot!

Catalogue printing builds customer loyalty

Catalogue printing can appear to be something of a luxury when it's so easy to pop your products up onto your website and wait for the orders to come in.

OK, you've got to make sure you can be found by the search engines or you may have emailed prospective clients a link to your website. This is standard practice but it also means that everyone else is doing the same as you and that when your prospect searches for a product you may not be in the Google top 5 and never get a look in.

A printed catalogue is an invaluable tool to send to customers and prospects. Only last week, Next reported 11.8% increase in their Directory business as opposed to 3.5% fall in profits in the rest of their business. Once someone has your catalogue they are no longer looking at the competition. This helps ensure you not only keep their bsuiness but also helps maintain your margins.

So next time you think "can I afford to produce a printed catalogue"  or invest in brochure printing , the question you maybe should be asking is, "Can I afford not to?"

Reduce your packaging costs

So you are thinking of adding a new product to your range and you want to test the market. You don't have a fancy budget or need thousands of pieces but you still need the finished packaging to look professional.

This was the task our client Buster Innovations  presented us with. In this scenario the large packaging manufacturers are not always the best option.  Hansell Design had worked closely with us with regards size, colours and finishes. By trimming a few millimeters here and there, with no effect on overall look or functionality, huge savings can be achieved. Getting your packaging to fit to a certain sheet size is the key. We then chose a board that felt substantial yet at the same time produced vibrant colours when printed. The client was keen on certain colours but when we ran through the cost implications we settled on bright colours that could be produced in 4 colour process, thus saving further money.

Once we had agreed these elements we were then able to buy all the component parts at vastly reduced costs. Although 4 different suppliers were required, the overall saving on the sample packs was 45%. Its worth noting that none of the elements or the manufacturing was done by a packaging manufacturer.

2 quick tips to save money on printed folders

Most companies are trying to save money in this economic climate but not all want to compromise on the quality of their printed marketing collateral. If you send information out and think you can't afford a beautifully printed folder to put your brochures, leaflets and price lists in then here's 2 easy ways to save money on your print.

1). Glued Pocket folder or self-locking folder?

With self-locking folders you simply make them up as and when you need them. They are die-cut,  creased and flat. Not only do they take up less storage but also it's 'you' making them up so you're not paying for the print finisher to apply a glue strip, make the folders up and then repack in boxes. In addition to this labour saving, your self-lock folders take up less room in storage. If you like a sample(s) of different types of folder mechanisms then contact us and we will send you some.

Capacity pocket folder or non-capacity folder: If your folder needs to hold more than 15 pages  and standard weight paper (anything up to 170gsm) then you do not need capacity. Anymore than that then the folder needs capacity which means putting in a double crease on the spine and pocket. So, typically if you're sending a lot of information out you will need anything from 3mm to 10mm capacity. You can still have a self-locking mechanism but they do take longer to make up.

2). Make the pocket smaller. For a  folder to take standard A4 items, a pocket of less than 100mm  means that your folder can be printed on a SRA2 sheet rather than B2 sheet. This can save a few hundred pounds in some cases. 

The perfect print finish for brochures and catalogues

Clients often ask us what the best lamination finish is for their brochures and catalogues. There are two main factors to consider here: the look and feel and then secondly the practicality. Lets look at the pros and cons for each laminate

• Gloss lamination : Pros: Hi gloss finish, doesn't show any scratches, increases colour print intensity, durable and protective print finish. Cons: can give the document  the 'Chinese takeaway menu' factor.


• Matt lamination: Pros: soapy, silky feel, non reflective. Cons: flattens the colours (ie Black print looks more grey in tone), scratches and marks easily. If you were to run your nail onto a matt laminated cover a dark line would be visible. Although durable, the covers could look tatty due to marking.

Personally I prefer the look and feel of matt laminate over gloss lamination. So, if the final printed item is more design led then this would be my preference. Conversely if the you are looking to produce a printed product catalogue, then gloss is probably the best option.