Comments on: USPS Losses Raise Postal Rate Concerns http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/ Transpromo, Short-Run Book Publishing, Inkjet and other Printing Industry Issues Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:01:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Josefowicz http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Michael Josefowicz Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:20:22 +0000 http://thedigitalnirvana.com/?p=222#comment-409 I just found the following over at WTT.com. I think it shows the build it, buy it or partner it strategy. The big guys can afford the buy it. The rest of have build it or partner it available. MONTREAL, Nov. 18 - Transcontinental ( Web Site Executives Related Articles Google) today announced it has acquired Redwood Custom Communications, a North American leader in custom communications headquartered in Toronto. Redwood is a full service marketing and communications company and creates turn-key custom publishing and branded content solutions for both print and digital platforms. Redwood's offering includes data sciences, research and measurement, database marketing, variable printing, photo studio and premedia tools. This makes it an attractive complement to the services offered by Transcontinental's newly created Marketing Communications Sector, such as database analytics, premedia, email marketing, one-to-one marketing and the printing of marketing products. I just found the following over at WTT.com. I think it shows the build it, buy it or partner it strategy. The big guys can afford the buy it. The rest of have build it or partner it available.

MONTREAL, Nov. 18 – Transcontinental ( Web Site Executives Related Articles Google) today announced it has acquired Redwood Custom Communications, a North American leader in custom communications headquartered in Toronto. Redwood is a full service marketing and communications company and creates turn-key custom publishing and branded content solutions for both print and digital platforms.

Redwood’s offering includes data sciences, research and measurement, database marketing, variable printing, photo studio and premedia tools. This makes it an attractive complement to the services offered by Transcontinental’s newly created Marketing Communications Sector, such as database analytics, premedia, email marketing, one-to-one marketing and the printing of marketing products.

]]> By: Michael Josefowicz http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-405 Michael Josefowicz Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:46:57 +0000 http://thedigitalnirvana.com/?p=222#comment-405 Heidi- We actually agree. I used an fuzzy term for niche. Thanks for clarifying one part of it. As for printers getting database savy, I think that mostly that's not going to happen. Unless they already have mailing intelligence. What's more likely are mailers to go into the print business. Real database savy is hard. Meanwhile printing has actually become pretty easy. Database basics is easy. But exactly because it's easy there is less value. Less value created means more price pressure. So..maybe a more practical approach would be for printers to collaborate and/or network with a good mail house that they trust. Of course the great "who owns the customer?" problem will have to be overcome. But they do say that the prospect of one's hanging, focuses the mind. Heidi-

We actually agree. I used an fuzzy term for niche. Thanks for clarifying one part of it. As for printers getting database savy, I think that mostly that’s not going to happen. Unless they already have mailing intelligence. What’s more likely are mailers to go into the print business.

Real database savy is hard. Meanwhile printing has actually become pretty easy.
Database basics is easy. But exactly because it’s easy there is less value. Less value created means more price pressure.

So..maybe a more practical approach would be for printers to collaborate and/or network with a good mail house that they trust. Of course the great “who owns the customer?” problem will have to be overcome. But they do say that the prospect of one’s hanging, focuses the mind.

]]> By: Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-403 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:37:33 +0000 http://thedigitalnirvana.com/?p=222#comment-403 I agree that the idea of moving into digital print driven markets is a natural consequence of postal increases, but I don't necessarily agree that it's to find niche markets. The logical progression, it seems to me, is to begin slicing and dicing databases to make the mailings more effective. If the budget is shrinking, mail only to the top 10% of your database by profitability, for example, or only to inactive customers to re-build that relationship. Although this requires some database savvy on the part of printers, it doesn't require THAT much savvy. It's database basics. They just need to shift into the mentality of selling this way. When a customer says, "I don't have the budget for a large mailing," this needs to be the checkered flag for the printer that says, "Sell smaller, more targeted mailings — GO!" There are too few printers thinking this way these days, but the higher the postal rate go, perhaps the more this transition will occur. I agree that the idea of moving into digital print driven markets is a natural consequence of postal increases, but I don’t necessarily agree that it’s to find niche markets. The logical progression, it seems to me, is to begin slicing and dicing databases to make the mailings more effective. If the budget is shrinking, mail only to the top 10% of your database by profitability, for example, or only to inactive customers to re-build that relationship. Although this requires some database savvy on the part of printers, it doesn’t require THAT much savvy. It’s database basics. They just need to shift into the mentality of selling this way. When a customer says, “I don’t have the budget for a large mailing,” this needs to be the checkered flag for the printer that says, “Sell smaller, more targeted mailings — GO!” There are too few printers thinking this way these days, but the higher the postal rate go, perhaps the more this transition will occur.

]]> By: Michael Josefowicz http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Michael Josefowicz Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:24:55 +0000 http://thedigitalnirvana.com/?p=222#comment-386 One more cent... So suppose a mailer defines themselves as a part of the message delivery logistics system who today mails stuff/bits. The defensible kernel of value going forward are the people and the earned knowledge of alternatives, methods of delivery and postal regulations. Then suppose the mailer doesn't fight the trend to e messages to customers of large organization, but instead presents a value prop that says "Let me help you make the transition and find just the right balance for you of bits and bytes." If they don't have the talent in house, do a joint venture with an outfit that does. Learn by doing with experts, then decide to partner, buy or build that capability in house. One more cent…

So suppose a mailer defines themselves as a part of the message delivery logistics system who today mails stuff/bits. The defensible kernel of value going forward are the people and the earned knowledge of alternatives, methods of delivery and postal regulations.

Then suppose the mailer doesn’t fight the trend to e messages to customers of large organization, but instead presents a value prop that says “Let me help you make the transition and find just the right balance for you of bits and bytes.”

If they don’t have the talent in house, do a joint venture with an outfit that does. Learn by doing with experts, then decide to partner, buy or build that capability in house.

]]> By: Michael Josefowicz http://thedigitalnirvana.com/2008/11/usps-losses-raise-postal-rate-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-385 Michael Josefowicz Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:05:19 +0000 http://thedigitalnirvana.com/?p=222#comment-385 My 2 cents, I think it points to the long term unavoidable reality of less mass mailings. If you think it can't happen, take a look at GM, or closer to home, every major newspaper in the US. Transpromo will help, but it's a shrinking market. If you are not either 1, 2 or 3 in your part of the mass mailing business, the alternatives are to be bought, to buy, to grow into the 1,2 or 3 supplier in that part of the market. Another approach is to move downstream as fast as possible. Customized short runs for niche and more protected markets. Use mailing expertise and flexible production processes to find new markets that need the security of envelopes, and/or the intelligence of managing mailing lists. Non profits. Schools. Health organizations. Government. Local community organizations. My 2 cents,
I think it points to the long term unavoidable reality of less mass mailings. If you think it can’t happen, take a look at GM, or closer to home, every major newspaper in the US.

Transpromo will help, but it’s a shrinking market. If you are not either 1, 2 or 3 in your part of the mass mailing business, the alternatives are to be bought, to buy, to grow into the 1,2 or 3 supplier in that part of the market.

Another approach is to move downstream as fast as possible.

Customized short runs for niche and more protected markets. Use mailing expertise and flexible production processes to find new markets that need the security of envelopes, and/or the intelligence of managing mailing lists. Non profits. Schools. Health organizations. Government. Local community organizations.

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