For most of us, marketing begins parading across our view within the first few hours of our day, and continues to try to grab our attention until we call it a night. If you pick up your phone first thing in the morning to check your texts or email, you could see an advertising message within a few seconds of waking up!

With marketing of all types saturating our world, it’s a tall order for a business to break through and get a potential customer to pay attention. Here are a few touches that, while seemingly simple, can help your marketing, particularly in the form of print collateral, stand out and get noticed.

High Color and Print Quality

One of the inevitable consequences of so much advertising content going out into the world is that most of it is low quality. On your computer, you might see ugly, plain text messages pop up on websites, and on your smartphone, pop-up ads that block what you’re trying to do. In your mailbox, you’re likely to find what can only be accurately described as “junk mail,” flyers and cards printed with cheap ink on cheap paper.

In this setting of mediocrity, a piece of printed collateral that is high quality and printed on advanced digital equipment grabs someone’s attention without them quite knowing why. A postcard or flyer like that is pleasant to look at, and in the hand it conveys a feeling of professionalism and trustworthiness. 

Don’t think you can afford to print and mail marketing collateral that has those qualities? Think again: Spectra uses its team’s experience in the print industry and knowledge of the postal system to keep rates low and give clients access to beautifully printed marketing materials.

Specialty Print Techniques

Some specialized printing techniques give the finished product a look and feel that goes even a step further than high quality. The more closely you look at a marketing postcard that’s caught and held your attention, the more tiny details you notice. Some of the lettering may be slightly raised, causing it to literally pop off the surface. There may be a glossy look to the entire piece that is created through sleeking. Or spot UV printing may have been used to vary the textures of different fonts, images, and colors on the page.

These techniques and many more are available with Spectra’s digital print offerings. Clients who need truly outstanding quality for their direct mail marketing campaigns, or who produce brochures for potential clients that need to represent their organization as well as possible, use Spectra to add these techniques to their projects. Other specialty offerings include white ink on colored substrates and metallic inks, which are particularly beautiful additions to certain types of collateral.

Use of Variable Data

Most marketing collateral that people receive is very generic. Even an envelope that otherwise looks professional can be thrown in the trash when the recipient notices that it is addressed to “current resident.” That designation immediately suggests that the message inside is not specific for that person, but is an advertisement that anyone can take advantage of. Even if the message is an offer that that individual could theoretically be interested in pursuing, the lack of personalization tends to alienate most recipients.

With variable data, it is very easy for Spectra to create personalized pieces of mail for a campaign that are clearly and specifically intended for a named recipient. Spectra’s system connects with the US Postal Service to check addresses, correct mistakes, and make other adjustments to maximize the accuracy of a client’s direct mail campaign.

Spectra’s variable data capabilities, however, go far beyond simply addressing an envelope. Our HP Indigo 7000 digital presses can incorporate many different types of personalization, finally making it possible for clients to send fully customized pieces of mail to thousands of recipients in an affordable and efficient way. These marketing messages are clearly differentiated from generic “junk mail” and tend to enjoy much higher open rates among their recipients.

Expanded Print Possibilities

When a client begins a partnership with Spectra for print and distribution services, they quickly discover that there are far-reaching possibilities that they didn’t anticipate. Direct mail campaigns and traditional marketing efforts are just the beginning. The Spectra print shop is equipped to print a wide range of different materials, including catalogs, booklets, calendars, greeting cards, books, and large format projects like signs and banners.

Once these clients begin exploring what other materials Spectra can print and mail for them, they realize just how powerful their partnership can become. The pilot programs and small one-time projects that our clients entrust us with quite often lead to long-term partnerships in which Spectra becomes an integral player in the process of building a larger customer base and expanding on existing relationships. 

Fulfillment Integration

One of those expansion opportunities involves the ability to have the same expert team handle both print and fulfillment for your organization. Spectra not only operates an advanced, SOC 2 Type II certified print facility, but also provides fulfillment services through its modern, climate controlled warehouses. Condensing these services, which are often handled by different third-party providers, is a fantastic way to save money, and with Spectra’s team in charge, clients know that all aspects of their projects will be managed well.

As just a simple example, fulfillment clients of Spectra can use Spectra’s print services to create catalogs and other marketing collateral promoting new product offerings. Spectra then includes that collateral in orders shipped to customers, enabling the client to build on customer relationships that are already positive. The process of printing and using these materials is very efficient, since the same organization is handling everything in-house, from the initial design of the materials to inserting them into shipments for the client.

Are you ready to take your organization’s marketing to the next level? Learn more about our specialty printing techniques, expertise with variable data printing, and fulfillment integration options on our website.