There are so many different types of media that a company can use to get out a marketing message that it becomes a very confusing choice for any marketing manager. What media is most effective and how do you measure results? The primary objective for most marketing managers today is to produce quantifiable results.

Most consumers now prefer the internet as their primary communication tool. They also have less tolerance for same-to-all types of marketing messages. Recipients to marketing communications generally do not want to respond via telephone or by using a business reply card. Almost half of direct mail recipients prefer to respond online.

Personalized URLs (PURLs) point the recipient of a marketing message to a web page personalized for that recipient. Normally the responder is asked questions that will result in specific follow up protocols for the marketing company. PURLs provide real-time marketplace feedback by:

• Qualifying the interests of customers or potential customers.
• Enhancing and deepen marketing databases for subsequent marketing efforts.
• Measuring response rates to marketing messages.
• Providing better demographic analysis.
• Leading the customer to their specific areas of interest.

Variable Data Printing (VDP) technology allows for the most effective utilization of PURLs. The VDP marketing piece points the recipient to their Personal URL. Response rates by utilizing these two technologies increases dramatically especially when the recipient is familiar with the company sending the message.

Dispatch has considerable experience in providing both VDP and PURL solutions. The most important marketing issues that need to be determined at the outset of any VDP/PURL campaign are:

• What is the goal of the campaign?
• Who is the target audience?
• What call to action will be requested?
• What offer will be made?
• What do we want to know more about?
• Who will receive respondent data?
• What follow up action will be taken?
• What materials and assignments are needed for follow-up?
• What result reporting do we need?
• What privacy concerns do we anticipate?

Dispatch partners with two PURL technology providers. This, combined with Dispatch’s considerable expertise and capabilities in VDP, insures the appropriate solution.