News
 7
Ways to Trim Production Costs
By Tracy A. Gill, Ballantine Corp.
When it comes to direct mail, everyone wants to find
a way to get the same return on less investment. As
one of the biggest expenditures in a direct mail
campaign, production is a logical and easy place to
start. Tracy A. Gill reveals seven simple things any
company can do to trim some of the fat out of its
production budget.
1.) Use standard-size envelopes. With the
right creative, #10’s, 6" x 9" and the like, have
just as much mailbox impact as their custom
counterparts for a fraction of the price. To keep
standard-size efforts from falling victim to
fatigue, without a major redesign, try folding the
contents in different ways to fit into other
standard size envelopes.
2.) Work with print vendors to determine the
sizes and shapes that will make the best use of
their printing sheets. By trimming a quarter of
an inch here or an eighth of an inch there, you may
be able to print two or three pieces across the
form, resulting in less trim waste and less time on
press. When that math doesn’t work, use the extra
room to print freemiums, lift notes, or other
ancillary pieces.
3.) Don’t be afraid to commit—to your
production. Buy paper in bulk, rather than on an
as-needed basis, to get better rates. Consider using
your best print vendors on a contract basis; many
will offer discounts if you do.
4.) Use four-color printing sparingly and
supplement it with less expensive two- or one-color
designs. For example, impose a brochure so that
one side features all the images in stunning
four-color, while the reverse features one-color
type. Avoid spot colors unless they are absolutely
necessary; that one extra color adds many extra
dollars to your budget.
5.) Look for inexpensive bells and whistles to
add interest to a direct mail piece. For
example, rather than using a costly scratch off to
get prospects to interact with a reply device, have
them play a matching game or sign a “special offer
acceptance” agreement.
6.) Print on lighter paper to reduce both paper
and postage costs. Glossy papers are a good
candidate for this, because they reflect more light
and therefore can be more forgiving of quality.
7.) Get it right the first time. Author
alterations—or even worse, reprints—are killers to
both your time line and your bottom line.
---Source:
Ballantine Corporation 2008 (www.ballantine.com).
|
|
|
Melissa Data
|
 |
| Enhance your
website, software or database with
easy-to-integrate data quality programming tools
and web services. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Save money on postage using leading
mail preparation software and other
direct marketing products. |
|
|
|
|
 |
Update & standardize addresses and
find out more about contacts in your
database.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Find new customers perfect for your
business with our online and
specialty mailing lists.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Locate the business information you
need such as ZIP Codes, address
verification, maps.
|
|
|
|
|
Facebook
Twitter
