Low Cost Effective Direct Marketing Soulutions

Printed media, such as envelopes, bookmarks, business cards, postcards, letterhead, door hangers, magnets and labels, distributed via mail, hand or, passively via display, have long been recognized as cost effective marketing tools with clearly defined and documented expectations for return on investment. The secret to increasing the effectiveness of these kinds of tools is in making them unique and appealing enough to capture the attention, even for a moment, of the jaded recipient who has no interest in even picking up a printed piece.

Javier Zabala, Vice President for Marketing at Prints4.me has enjoyed a varied career that has prepared him for a discussion of the most effective use of postcards, bookmarks, magnets, door hangers, envelopes, business cards, letterhead and labels. As a former director of marketing for a multinational company, he is acutely aware, for instance, of the importance of business cards in the various cultures found the world over. The successful ritualistic exchange of business cards or meishi in Japanese business interactions is absolutely critical. As a world traveler, Javier has observed the use of picture postcards to share personalized greetings and market everything from services to vacation venues and fine art. Javier has observed increasing use of magnets is the US market, with everything from business card sized refrigerator magnets to door panel sized magnets on private vehicles that are used for small business promotion. Javier's personally directed the development of the corporate brand, including logo and its placement on its letterhead and envelopes. Particularly effective was the use of color on letterhead and envelopes used expressly for marketing mailings. It was found by customers that different colored envelopes and letterhead garnered more attention in the inbox than those that were plain white. More frequently, marketers such as Javier are using strategically placed alternative solutions, such as heavily branded bookmarks and labels in their marketing arsenal. IT services in particular, have found the use of labels and bookmarks for keeping their hi tech customers aware of the brand on equipment and in user and technical manuals, respectively. Javier has personally directed the distribution of door hangers in hotel and convention venues as a unique way to remind individual attendees of important events and presentations sponsored by his companies.

In conclusion, it has been found that well branded and designed letterhead, envelopes, business cards and postcards continue to be very cost effective marketing tools that continue to have a place in aggressive, well balanced marketing campaigns. It is also found that use of magnets, labels, bookmarks and door hangers also have a place when used in creative ways that differentiate ones brand.