Graphic Arts Monthly has a short blurb on an Arizona utility attempts to have customers switch to online statements:

Electric company Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) wants to stop printing and mailing monthly bills. The utility company is encouraging its 1.1 million customers to receive bills online.

In the first week of campaign only a small percentage signed up for paperless bills:

But the utility has a long way to go. In the first week of its campaign, just 1,000 people opted for paperless bills. APS teamed with the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund ; for each customer that switches to paperless billing through June, APS donates $1 to the fund.

Will the cost savings from reduced printing and distribution outweigh the marketing benefits that will be lost by not targeting customers with personal transpromotional communication?

A study last year conducted by Zoomerang for InfoPrint suggested that marketers were not effectively targeting customers.

The Arizona Public Service story highlights a perfect opportunity for a TransPromo print service provider to step in an provide a consultative sale that will help the utility see monthly statements as a revenue source and not just a cost of doing business.

An electric utility may not have many products or services to sell from its own portfolio, but there are related products and services that provide a good advertising fit. The utility could:

• Sell ad space to local companies that help customers make their home or business more energy efficient.

• Team up with the local (or neighborhood - See Location-Intelligent TransPromo) hardware store to provide coupons for energy efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

Industry educator and commentator Patrick Henry is working with a group of student researchers to define color preferences in transpromotional (TransPromo) documents:

A team of student researchers from the Department of Graphics and Imaging Technologies at Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS) is seeking responses to its online survey about color preferences in transpromotional (TransPromo) documents.

The students, under the direction of Prof. Jesus J. Rodriguez, have received a grant supporting their research from the Electronic Document Scholarship Foundation (EDSF). Their goal is to identify an effective color gamut for transpromotional documents based on the measured appeal of a series of templates that respondents are asked to evaluate. The survey also asks respondents to agree or disagree with statements about the perceived effects of color in transpromotional documents.

Anyone with experience as a recipient or a producer of transpromotional documents is asked to take part in the survey.

Last week Barb Pellow wrote an article at WhatTheyThink.com about using transpromotional (transpromo) communication to to effectively target consumers. Pellow calls transpromo “a tried and true communications medium,” a medium that targets your customers, not the not one-time buyers.

The current state of the economy, rising fuel costs and other economic pressures make advertising and marketing even more important as consumers become more mindful of their spending. Corporation also tend to cut back advertising during a economic slump. According to Pellow, TransPromo is a very cost-effective in comparison to alternatives like billboards, television, the radio, and magazines

TransPromo is a very cost-effective mechanism in comparison to mass media alternatives like billboards, television, the radio, and magazines. Because consumers typically devote significant time to reviewing these transactional documents, businesses are well-positioned to capture more customer mindshare than many other conventional advertising channels.

The power of TransPromo is its reach: the invoice enters the customer’s home (90% of invoices compared to 7% of direct mailings); a personal approach: personalized, eye-catching, full-color graphics that drives customers to act; and its cost: printing and mailing costs have already been paid to send the invoice.

Sponsored Message

There are more reasons than ever to visit the Océ Print City exhibit at drupa 08, opening May 29 in Duesseldorf, Germany. In Stand A44, Hall 6, Océ’s latest hardware and software solutions will cover 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of space. Attendees can experience live application demonstrations, real production workflows and new product introductions designed to help print professionals take business beyond the ordinary in publishing, personalization, promotion, and corporate and technical printing.

Digital book printing
Océ will demonstrate a full range of cut sheet and continuous feed print-on-demand and short-run book manufacturing technology. Solutions will include producing books and loose-leaf booklets in run lengths as short as one, along with newspapers and special interest publications in color and black and white. The Océ VarioPrint 6250, the Océ VarioStream 9710, the Océ CS650 Pro, the Océ ColorStream 10000 and an Océ CPS900 color production system will all focus on profitable book production.

Personalization
Personalized transactional and direct mail printing are experiencing rapid growth. By combining database-driven, personalized messaging with transactional and/or direct mail messages, print professionals can engage recipients through relevant and personal direct marketing pieces and TransPromo bills and statements. High-speed, digital black-and-white and color printing systems from Océ already tuned for personalization include the Océ VarioStream 9240 and Océ VarioStream 8000 continuous feed systems, the Océ JetStream and the Océ CS650 Pro and Océ CPS900 color systems.

Promotion
From collateral to signage, compelling promotional and marketing materials are increasingly important for branding and business identity. Applications include interior and exterior signage, banners, posters and point-of-sale displays, brochures, and materials with unique textural effects. At drupa, Océ is demonstrating advanced digital color and workflow solutions for creating highly effective large format materials using the Océ Arizona 250 GT, the Océ CS9090 system, and an exciting new wide-format innovation. Océ production printing systems for promotional jobs include the Océ ColorStream 10000 and Océ CPS900 color production systems, and the Océ CS650 Pro color production system with a Creo controller.

Corporate and technical printing
To help customers transform the print center into a center of competence for technical printing, high-volume production printing and document management, Océ will demonstrate a suite of wide-format solutions for corporate and technical environments. Guests will experience the latest wide format solutions for printing plans, technical drawings and posters in black & white and color. Products on display include the Océ TCS500 and Océ CS9090 wide format systems and a new wide format innovation soon-to-be-announced.