Best,

Steve

Quality, Not Quantity: The Importance of List Management

The quality of your mailing list can make or break your direct mail ROI. See how one company refreshed their list to generate more sales and learn how you can improve your direct mail campaign results too.

Since this blog post, we’ve introduced MapMail® into our product offering. It’s an easy and targeted way to reach people that matter most to your business. Learn how direct mail prospecting with MapMail can help you reduce waste, save money and increase ROI.

Surviving the Recession: Marketing Your Value Proposition

Whatever your business, the focus should be one offering value to potential customers. Learn how some companies, notibly Kraft, had to reconfigure their value proposition to maintain business during challenging economic times.

The Positive Side of Failure

See how some of the greats of our time failed before reaching the top.

Did Marketing Help Obama Win The Presidential Election?

Examing the marketing tactics and strategies used by the Obama campaign during the 2008 presidential election — which, some say, helped to catapult him into the Whitehouse.

The Secret to Success

Discover how relationships built out of trust, respect and courtesy help to shape the culture and success of a company.

QuantumDigital provides services for on-demand printing, direct mail and email marketing campaigns.  The Austin, TX-based company has been providing services to a wide range of industries for 23 years, but specializes in offering real estate firms the tools needed to reach home buyers and sellers.

“QuantumDigital has an extensive menu of offerings that makes it easy for brokers and sales associates to reach out to clients,” said Phil Edwards, vice president of LeadingRE’s Leading Real Estate Solutions^TM division.  “They have moved beyond traditional direct mail to incorporate effective e-marketing solutions, which is essential in today’s marketing mix.”

Debbie Gurley, vice president of Real Estate Sales, is eager to formalize the relationship.  “We have worked successfully with many LeadingRE members for years and welcome the opportunity to expand our reach to more of these leading real estate firms,” Gurley said.

For more information on QuantumDigital, please visit quantumdigital.com.

For more information on Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, please visit www.LeadingRE.com.

About Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® (www.LeadingRE.com) is a global real estate network comprised of nearly 700 of the best-known local and regional real estate firms. With more than 5,500 offices and 170,000 sales associates in the United States and 38 countries abroad, LeadingRE affiliates sell nearly $370 billion in home sales representing 1.2 million transactions annually. Six of the United States’ top 10 real estate firms are LeadingRE affiliates, and our members are the Number One firms in 44% of the top 88 markets in the United States, representing a powerful force in American real estate.

About Quantum Digital
QuantumDigital, Inc. is the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions. Founded in 1986 in Austin, Texas, QuantumDigital has been working closely with real estate professionals for over 20 years-featuring innovative, easy-to-use tools and services to help streamline marketing efforts and make them more effective. From delivering targeted direct mail, high-quality print products and email marketing to offering the inside scoop on real estate’s latest marketing trends, QuantumDigital provides it all through one convenient location online. Businesses of all sizes and direct marketing needs can trust the high quality, competitive pricing and fast turnaround that QuantumDigital’s proven technology offers. For additional information on QuantumDigital, please visit quantumdigital.com.

Media Contacts:
QuantumDigital
Jamie Klemcke
Marketing Director
Phone: 512-617-2320
Email: Jamie_Klemcke@QuantumDigital.com

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
Robin LaSure
Phone: 312.424.0436
Email: rlasure@LeadingRE.com

I recently came across an article, When Brain Picking is Rude by Scott Ingram, that is a great read and notes some considerations professionals should take when engaging others for a “brain-picking session.” Here are a few points from his article post:

• The “brain picker” should ask the “pickee” what venue works best for them. Don’t assume a lunch date is appropriate.
•  The picker should ask if there is anything they can offer to the pickee in exchange for their time and information - sort of like bartering.
•  Be prepared. Research the background of the pickee and their work to prevent “asking a question that they’ve (the pickee) already answered in writing someplace…” Also, have your questions ready.
•  Follow up after the meeting.

I know all this sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of professionals don’t follow these best practices. After getting reacquainted with these steps, read Jason Stoddard’s comment to Ingram’s article post. He offers concrete tips and things to do before, during and after your brain-picking session to maximize the experience for both parties.

Takeaway Lesson: Even though, over time, a relationship between one professional and another can feel more relaxed and comfortable, one should never forget the importance of etiquette (and frankly, respect) in business.

Let me know what you think.

Steve

None of these questions are productive. For employees, they stir up more fear and anxiety. For the overall good of the business, it slows down production and creativity. So, what can managers do to quell this nervousness and assure employees that they are an integral role to the company’s success in good times and in bad? Well, I came across an article I’d like to share that talks about team-building exercises for tough times. A lot of businesses may have the misconception that team-building exercises are merely superficial glue that hold groups together. However, the article’s author, Pat Olsen, does a great job at describing how these activities have changed - now being a platform for innovative thinking that can not only strengthen and empower groups within the company, but promote overall success.

Enjoy the read…

“Team-Building Exercises for Tough Times,” by Pat Olsen >

Digital production systems can help you save costs, improve efficiency and get to market faster. Four industry experts discuss how marketers can get started with these bottom line-boosting tactics.

Freddie Baird
EVP & COO, QuantumDigital

There are a few digital production tactics businesses can use to improve efficiency, save money and reduce time to market.

One way is to take advantage of Web-to-print portals to streamline the creation, distri­bution and fulfillment of approved marketing materials and support documentation such as sales and branding guidelines, process documents and approved marketing collat­eral. Through these portals, such items can be made available to associates within days rather than weeks. Additionally, because approved materials are centralized in one location online, businesses can be assured that their associates are accessing and using only the most current version of marketing materials available. This reduces instances of obsolete collateral and waste.

Another digital production method that provides high value is on-demand digital printing. Compared to traditional offset print­ing, the process of preparing files for digital printing is automated and does not require lengthy procedures like color separating or generating plates and screens. This translates to savings of money, resources and time. Additionally, because files are rendered via software programs, variable data may be introduced to projects. With this powerful technology, every single printed piece can be unique, personalized for each individual recipient. Relevancy for your customers equates to increased response rates and ROI for you.

Finally, there are some innovative demo­graphic geo-targeting tools available that can accurately pinpoint where a marketer’s perfect prospects are located. Marketers start by describing the specific demographic char­acteristics of their ideal customer, then, iden­tify a specific mailing area. These tools, like MapMail for example, search sophisticated sets of data from verified national mailing lists to find prospects that match qualities the marketer is targeting. Using such tools allows marketers to be very targeted with direct mail campaigns rather than relying on an ineffective “spray and pray” method.

Understanding the tools and services avail­able to you is the first step to improving efficiency, saving money and reducing time to market. Leveraging the power of digital production tactics like the ones described above will give you a competitive advantage and bottom-line savings

THE TAKEAWAY
Software that searches across mailing lists help print stay on target and sent accurately

Bill Ziercher
Chairman, Gabriel Group

Today’s marketers - whether in the com­mercial or nonprofit worlds - are looking for ways to market more selectively, get to market faster, and to put the best practices of one-to-one marketing into profitable action. We are among the printers that recommend and provide technology, including automat­ed workflows and business intelligence, as well as a proprietary Web-based marketing resource management platform that helps reduce client costs throughout the entire marketing process.

Through a fractional ownership model, marketers effectively “own” a piece of a highly sophisticated marketing engine on an as-needed basis, without the investment in equipment, software and staff.

For example, an international biotech client with 6,800 employees in 35 countries estimates that Web-accessed digital work­flows have reduced marketing costs 25% annually for three consecutive years.

We’ve come a long way from the days when a simple change of address required setting type, placing it on a board, making film, approving film, making proofs, approv­ing proofs, making plates, getting the press set up, and running a press check to make sure that only the address, not the colors on the graphics had changed. Now a change can be made with a few keystrokes with the assurance that only the change will change - there are software tools to measure and assure color consistency from run to run. Multiply this across list selects, variable letters and one-to-one postcards to further present the point.

Other cost savings include staffing requirements. Today’s digital workflows are so well-organized and orderly that it dramatically decreases time spent order­ing, customizing, tracking, proofing, press checking and tracking materials.

Reduced warehousing costs are also saved in digital workflows. Materials sitting on warehouse shelves are gathering some very pricey dust. It’s not just the cash tied up, but the cost of the space and the people and systems who manage it.

Most importantly and least used is improved business intelligence - digital workflows track and account for all kinds of costs, usages and activities. This is valuable business intelligence, providing clues to a whole range of issues.

THE TAKEAWAY
A printing partner with established digital workflows can help speed production

Bill McGrath
CEO, OrangeSprocket

The convergence of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and Enterprise 2.0-based collabo­ration technologies has brought the next generation of project management applica­tions to the forefront. This helps marketers execute their projects on time, on budget and with the right quality.

At OrangeSprocket, we use an online project management system from Clarizen. This provides team members with an easy way to share knowledge, be in sync and ensure that everyone is on the same page. By leveraging team collaboration and a SaaS delivery model, the next generation of proj­ect systems provides a significant advantage for companies in completing their portfolio of design projects on time and increasing their competitive edge.

There are some ways these tools help design marketers need to consider in order to save costs, improve efficiency and get to market faster.

Most marketing projects require multiple people collaborating to make the project happen. Now imagine dozens of such proj­ects all needing to be pushed through a team of limited capacity, with each team member working on multiple projects simul­taneously. Without a clearly defined plan, tasks are likely to slip through the cracks and delay projects.

A good project plan is a starting point. If there are any surprises, the manager creates a revised plan and communicates the new plan, schedule, dependencies and due dates to team members. This process alone can become a huge drain on time, especially when it is repeated on multiple projects and takes time away from other responsibilities.

These tools help the team stay on the same page. One of the biggest reasons that design projects are delayed is because team members are not on the same page. The project manager must ensure that each team member clearly understands their tasks, schedules and dependencies and that they are on the same page with respect to project specifications, revisions and assumptions.

Finally, the ability to always view anup-to-date report on the status of a given project frees many hours every week froma project manager’s schedule for higher value-added tasks.

THE TAKEAWAY
Online project management systems help all stakeholders stay on the same page

Lee Gallagher
Manager, DM Solutions, InfoPrint

The challenging economy is forcing con­sumers to spend less, sending marketers scrambling for solutions that drive results on a shrinking budget. The CMO Council’s recent Routes to Revenue study suggested that 60% of marketers polled will implement more personalized, relevant campaigns, and 45% were determined to do a better job of cross- and up-selling - driving improved financial results with the existing customer base. But exactly how should a marketer go about implementing these campaigns to ensure optimal and maximum results?

Transpromo, the combination of must-read documents with customized, target­ed promotional materials is a strong and proven strategic choice for 2009, because it transforms a traditional cost center into a revenue generating opportunity. To ensure that direct mailers and marketers reach their targeted audience with relevant communica­tions, they need to first take a hard look at the current information they hold on each customer or group of customers.

Strong data analytics play a huge first role in the implementation of transpromo. After the content has been analyzed and processed, a document composition team must step in to ensure that the new mail­ing is different enough to stand out to the customer, while retaining the look and feel they are used to. This is a very fine line to walk so as not to alienate recipients, which is why proven and intelligence document composition tools are so vital.

After this is all completed, will it actually work? Yes. In fact, it has helped two of the world’s largest brands increase sales and delivered an impressive ROI. Both Best Western International and one of the top five leading US cable companies leveraged full digital personalized color statements to build on their bottom line. Overall, both companies saw incremental cost savings, incredibly improved efficiency and impres­sive results that fell right in line with their overall campaign objectives.

Transpromo is one proven tool for deliver­ing personalized, relevant customer commu­nications than enable revenue generation and customer retention. Today’s digital technolo­gies and software are strategic to enhance and improve all aspects of marketing, delivering results in today’s tight economy.

THE TAKEAWAY
Successful transpromo requires strong data analytics and document composition

On October 2008, a small team of astronauts and cosmonauts stepped aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 Spacecraft, and flew to the International Space Station. One of QuantumDigital’s customers carried with them a series of postcards, printed and personalized by QuantumDigital, that would be the first direct mail campaign conducted and mailed from space.

The high response rates reported from this test campaign compelled the direct marketing solutions provider to launch a full-scale fullfilment service that would send direct mail into space before delivering it to a recipient’s mailbox. The service is expected to become available to the public by April 2010.

“People are excited about anything having to do with outer space because it’s a world that the average person can’t experience,”   noted Jamie Klemcke, director of marketing at QuantumDigital. “Well, we recognized this desire and decided to bring the magic of space to the average person via direct mail. Now they can put their hands on something that has been among the stars in the sky. No other direct mail postcard provider can deliver this experience.”

The direct mail recipients included in the small test group were personal contacts of the astronauts and cosmonauts  aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 Spacecraft.  The postcards alerted recipients of the spaceflight’s successful mission and completed more than 170 orbits at a speed of 17,000 mph before returning safely to Earth.

Further developments regarding this new service may be followed via QuantumDigital’s  feed on Twitter and Facebook:

twitter.com/quantumdigital

facebook.com/pages/QuantumDigital/62750917623

If you’re still reading this… we fooled ya. Happy April Fool’s Day!

About QuantumDigital

QuantumDigital, Inc. is the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions. Founded in Austin, Texas, QuantumDigital has pioneered several advances in the industry including on-demand printing and next business day delivery of ordered printed material. Businesses of all sizes and with a range of direct marketing needs can trust the high-quality, competitive pricing and fast turnaround that QuantumDigital’s proven technology offers. For additional information on QuantumDigital, please visit www.quantumdigital.com

Like The Four Seasons resort, the example Bregman uses in his article, QuantumDigital truly values the trust and relationships between our employees and customers. We understand that ‘trust, deeply embedded in the culture of the organization, exemplified in its daily operations’ is what’s driving our success.

This concept should be in the foundation of every business. Without it, cracks are bound to surface, preventing long-term success and meaningful growth.

What do you do to foster open communication and trust with your colleges and clients?

AUSTIN, Texas - March 24, 2009 - QuantumDigital, the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions, prepares to attend the Prudential Real Estate Sales Convention 2009.

Prudential expects to host more than 3,000 real estate professionals this year at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Two of the main topics the QuantumDigtal staff plan to discuss with visitors at the show include a new technology that helps agents be more targeted in their direct mail efforts. This new online tool, called MapMail^®, was created for agents to easily pinpoint their local marketing areas by drawing on a map and then selecting key buyer profile demographics from a menu of options.

New email marketing templates will also be available for agents to review. The email templates provide agents with a consistent method to keep in front of their sphere of influence. Other Prudential branded print collateral such as business cards, house flyers, brochures and door hangers will also be on-hand for agents to view.

“I’m excited to announce a redesign of the Prudential Marketing Center. Agents have stated they want a clean, fast and easy online tool to access their Prudential branded direct mail, print collateral and email templates and we listened,” said Jamie Klemcke, Marketing Director for QuantumDigital. “One of the most important aspects for the show will be helping agents target key new prospects. For example, with the new home buyer tax credit, we can easily give agents demographics or buyer profiles that match this segment.”

Other main topics planned for the show include:

• Educational webinars scheduled for 2009 on the topics of targeted direct mail, designing compelling postcards, using social networks to increase sphere of influence, using email marketing and how to drive prospects to your website.

• Collection of feedback from visitors on Prudential real estate marketing needs and challenges

• Special Show offers for those that visit the QuantumDigital booth #709

• Video opportunities for anyone wanting to speak out on topics like direct mail, targeting buyers, buyer needs in the new economy, etc.

To learn more about what QuantumDigital has to offer specifically for Prudential real estate professionals, visit quantumdigital.com/prudential.

About QuantumDigital

QuantumDigital, Inc. is the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions. Founded in 1986 in Austin, Texas, QuantumDigital has pioneered several advances in the industry including on-demand printing and next business day delivery. Businesses of all sizes and direct marketing needs can trust the high quality, competitive pricing and fast turnaround that QuantumDigital’s proven technology offers. For additional information on QuantumDigital, please visit quantumdigital.com.

Media Contact:
QuantumDigital
Jamie Klemcke
Marketing Director
Phone: 512-617-2320
Email: jamie_klemcke@quantumdigital.com

(Paramus, N.J.; Austin, Tx) March 19, 2009- QuantumDigital, the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions, has earned NAPL’s 2009 Silver Marketing Excellence Award for Sales Support/Lead Generation and a Bronze Marketing Excellence Award for Digital Marketing. The national award distinguishes QuantumDigital as a top company in its field providing outstanding marketing capabilities as part of its full complement of services.

The Marketing Excellence Awards were started by NAPL, the National Association for Printing Leaders, to highlight the high caliber of marketing work being conducted by its members across the country. Made possible through a generous sponsorship by Xerox, the awards showcase those companies who demonstrate superior marketing services both in distinguishing themselves within the industry and in assisting clients in meeting their own business goals.

QuantumDigital received the awards for its submission entitled “Finding Your Perfect Prospect.”   The entry highlighted the use of multiple media types to drive trade show booth traffic to the 2008 Direct Marketing Association show and to drive response to an online survey where visitors could include valuable data as to how they are using direct marketing in their business.

“We are honored to receive such a prestigious award. Our entry demonstrated how customers can use targeted direct mail, email and landing pages to drive response and collect valuable information from their prospects. We are dedicated to helping our customers use technology to target customers and prospects easily and efficiently,” said Steve Damman, CEO of QuantumDigital. “It also demonstrates the marketing excellence that our internal team has worked hard to achieve.”

“We at NAPL are very pleased to congratulate everyone at QuantumDigital for earning this significant industry honor,” says Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and chief executive officer, in announcing the award. “Their high level of achievement exemplifies their ability to achieve long-term prosperity and growth for their customers.”

About QuantumDigital

QuantumDigital, Inc. is the complete online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing solutions.  Founded in 1986 in Austin, Texas, QuantumDigital has pioneered several advances in the industry including on-demand printing and next business day delivery.  Businesses of all sizes and direct marketing needs can trust the high quality, competitive pricing and fast turnaround that QuantumDigital’s proven technology offers.  For additional information on QuantumDigital, please visit quantumdigital.com.

About NAPL

NAPL, the National Association for Printing Leadership, is a not-for-profit business management association representing companies in the $120 billion graphic communications industry. NAPL’s comprehensive slate of business-building solutions provides company leaders with the management tools they need to make informed business decisions in an ever-changing market environment. The association also handles administration of NAQP, the National Association of Quick Printers, which specializes in the unique concerns of small printers nationwide, and the industry’s Research and Engineering Council, which is dedicated to manufacturing technology and productivity.

Media Contact:

QuantumDigital

Jamie Klemcke

Marketing Director

Phone: 512-617-2320

Email: Jamie_Klemcke@quantumdigital.com

The most successful companies understand this point. The foundation of their organization, from internal processes and procedures to their marketing approach and customer support, is based on a solid awareness that giving without expecting immediate returns is what builds referrals, loyalty and true profit. The relationship is key to long-term growth; growth that continues during good times and in bad. Those organizations, where the focus is on the relationship, will thrive - overcoming challenges such as attempts by competitors to steal clients, general mistakes and missteps.  

Keep this in mind when engaging with your prospects and current clients. After all, without them, where would you be?

Recommended Posts:

“Does Anyone Know What Networking Really Means Anymore?” via Duct Tape Marketing (guest post by Susan Wilson Solovic, SBTV.com)

“Warning Your Competition is Calling” via Thom Singer

“Do You Send Business to Your Competition?” via AriWriter

Happy reading. Let me know your thoughts!