This was a presentation given by our Director of Creative Services, that highlights the benefits of personalizing your marketing campaigns.

1. d e s i g n f o r va r i a b l e printing
be personal.
be relevant.
Be specific.
- seth rodin

2. Why Variable Data?
Marketing studies repeatedly show that personalizing communications can
boost their effectiveness. Variable data printing (VDP) has made customized
communications possible on a detailed level. It offers the opportunity to
build a relationship with the customer that inspires greater loyalty.
TyPIcal resPonse raTes
Fundraising
static: 4.46%
Personalized: 7%
Direct to Consumer
static: 1.75%
Personalized: 3.3%
Lead Generation
static: 3.2%
Personalized: 5.7%
Lead Conversion
static: 2%
Personalized: 7.5% 2006 DMA Report

3. Print Works
• US advertisers spend $167 per person in direct mail marketing to earn $2,095
worth of goods per person, scoring an ROI of 13 to 1.
• People gravitate toward print. 85% of mail is either read or visually scanned
by recipients (US Postal Service survey from 2006).
• According to a 2004 report by Interquest the response rate for customized
color direct mail campaigns ranged from 6% to 75%, with an average of
21%. The response rates on average were 5.6 times higher for customized
color versions than simple mail merge applications. The more you
individualize print, the more you are likely to evoke a response.
All of these stats support the fact that Print is still relevant.

4. Creating a Consistent Message Across a Campaign
• Work for relevancy in your marketing messages
• Personalize your marketing messages with relevant variable text and images
• Go for a lean, clean look in the design of all creative: print, email and web
• Find new ways to grab your prospect’s attention, change your design but
keep familiar elements.
• Offer a free report or a simple premium
• Continue the theme across all pieces
- Use a similar graphic look including graphics, fonts, colors
- continue the same message or “call to action”

5. c a m pa i g n e x a m p l e s
• McDaniel College
• JHU Alumni
• echo Calendar

6. McDaniel College
echo’s in-house creative team worked along with the Director of alumni
Relations (DAR) and the Director of Annual Giving (DAG) at McDaniel to
develop the campaign. The target was defined as alumni within a span of 5
decades (1950’s through the 1990’s) with 200-300 alum per decade.
echo’s creative team developed the “remember when...” theme and
developed copy and graphic concepts for each decade. The data drove all
of the text and graphic variables.
The decade triggered the headline copy “Remember When [decade
appropriate phrase]”, the letter introduction “Life may be different than when
[decade appropriate phrase]” and the graphics. The graphic variables were
decade specific images of the campus and pop-culture trends.
The additional copy variables were: first name, class year, major, an ask
amount based off the alum’s gift-giving history, and the signature of the letter
which was from a fellow alum within the same decade.
The combination of a relevant personal message targeted to the decade
along with an appeal to support the college’s mission provides a strong
motivator for alumni to give.

7. all variable areas are circled showing the areas that copy and graphics
were changed to personalize the message to the recipient.

9. Johns Hopkins Alumni
Johns Hopkins annual alumni campaign is to encourage alumni to join the
alumni organization for a year or lifetime and to contribute to the university.
echo’s in-house team worked along with the alumni office to develop the
campaign.
For this years campaign the recipients were broken into 4 groups:
- Recent Graduates
- newer Member/not loyal
- loyal Members
- Donor not Member
A combination of variable text and graphics was used based on year of
graduation, major, past giving history, etc.
each group received different printed pieces with a slightly varied message
but they were all part of the same campaign with the same theme.

10. Each segment received different pieces through different delivery vehicles, with a
slightly altered message around the same theme.
Group Campaign Elements
Message
Recent Graduates
The Hopkins Alumni
Association is inseparable
from your future success!
Graphical ask letter Diagram to Success Custom Courtesy Reply 9” x 12” Full Window
(never tear stock) Magnet Envelope
Newer Member/ Not Loyal
Invitation theme – We
invite you to take a fresh
look at the Alumni
Association.
Invitation style ask letter Window pane flyer Courtesy Reply 6” x 9” Full Window
Envelope
Loyal Members
Thank you for your
continued membership.
Please consider lifetime
membership.
Graphical ask letter Window pane flyer Custom Courtesy Reply 9” x 12” Window
Magnet Envelope
Donor not Member
Invitation for lifetime
membership.
Formal invitation Window pane tri-fold Courtesy Reply #10 Business
style ask letter glossy brochure Envelope Window Envelope
This allows you to spend more money on a certain segment such as higher donors.

11. Variable Graphics
on the window flyer the graphics were customized based upon the school
Diagram to Success
and major.
(never tear stock)
Window pane flyer C

12. echo Calendar
echo created a 2008 calendar for clients and prospects.
The variability was limited to name, company and salesperson.
Even though it was a limited amount of data, the impact was increased
through customized graphics.

13. Customized Graphics
Variable graphics MUST be subtle and unexpected.
To create realistic images using Photoshop or Illustrator you must blend with
the background image. The imagery must look natural and not forced.
some ways to do this are:
- hide text,
- wear & tear,
- match lighting and color, textures, perspective & reflections,
- choose fonts carefully.

14. JANUARY 2008
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 3 4 5
DECEMBER 2007 FEBRUARY
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S

15. rFirst-
Co
Custome
m
pa
ny
OCTOBER 2008
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 3 4
SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S

16. DECEMBER 2008
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 3 4 5 6

17. Customize Your Design
• Speak to your data segments by customizing copy and images into endless
combinations.
• Make your offer prominent.
• Change graphics & copy to create a truly personalized piece to each
recipient.
• Variable data is especially effective when placed where the end-customer
does not expect it. There is a great deal of room for creativity in this process,
which encompasses both graphic design and database innovation.
• You have full creative flexibility to use all features of your design application.
anything you can design on a traditional print piece you can do with VDP
For example: Text on a Curve, Different Font size or type, Rotated text etc.
Color Can Be Variable
• Consumers are 55% more likely to pick up a piece of full color material.
• Color increases retention by 82%. Use Color to emphasize important points.
• Color helps messages be understood by 80%.

18. Tips
• The impact of a campaign is higher when customers receive multiple pieces
(touches).
• Be creative, but be sure the tone of the message is appropriate to the
audience.
• Don’t let limited data stop you. Be creative with the information you do
have.
• Build a unified customer data store and maintain it well.

19. Technical Notes
• Print document must be InDesign (Quark can be converted).
• Fonts must be OpenType for variable type or converted to outlines.
• Supporting files with transparency (ex. layers, drop shadows) must be .psd,
.ai or .pdf files. They cannot be .tif or .eps files.
• Variable data can be placed anywhere within the copy or graphics.
• Variable Layers can be activated for different designs to be pulled for
different groups within a mailing. Ex. Female, Male or Couple
• Variable text can be set up any way text can be set in InDesign, for
example: on a curve, transparent, color, rotated, font, etc.
• Database can contain as little data as name and address or much more
information such as age, gender, product preferences, etc.

20. Questions?
Lindsey Gentel
Strategic Account Manager
Education and Nonprofits
lgentel@echoeffect.com
410.631.4010 x 120