Personalisation software

Click here to view the Buyers' Guide tables for personalisation software

The pace of personalisation software development over the past few years has seen highly targeted mailings significantly increase. Today, just about anything can be personalised and, as a result, direct mail response rates have enjoyed massive growth. However, the next big thing on everybody's lips is cross media.

The future is cross-media solutions, believes Neil Bather, product manager at Transeo Media, the UK distributor for personalisation software DirectSmile. For example, when exhibiting at Total Print! Expo, we sent mailers with a URL link inviting people to a personalised ‘visit us’ page.

Above and beyond
Cross media enables printers to dabble in media beyond just print. Campaigns can start with a simple personalised postcard bearing a unique web address. The web page is completely personalised and unique to the individual customer. The marketing drive can then move on from that point and capture all manner of client data.

In terms of the nuts and bolts, the simplest software allows printers and designers to create their own personalised images. Images are processed automatically on a database, with the basic design layout and sent directly to the RIP of a digital press. Most of the technology available on the market is versatile enough to produce anything from a simple mailer or multi-media campaign to a calendar. And it’s easy to use.

Staff familiar with InDesign or Photoshop should be able to use a high-specification product with a two-day training course. But ideally you would need someone studio-based to work on it, says Bather. Some products on the market use complicated VB script and you need a good knowledge of digital pre-press and development languages.

According to Kelvin Bell, e-commerce manager at Vpress, while the market has dramatically increased, so has the competition. At Drupa, we carried out a general competitor analysis within the European market and we stopped when we recognised the number of companies offering some form of personalisation reached 100, says Bell. In December, it found that more than 20% of these companies had disappeared.

Scalability is also important. To start with, basic software is all well and good, but Bather advises investing in a system that can grow as your company does. Also, Bell warns that you should always check who owns the technology, as it could be someone else’s being resold.

Click here to view the Buyers' Guide tables for personalisation software