In a PrintWeek interview, George Zengo, RRD Group chief sales officer, explained: "These new applications are in response to client demands for greater levels of personalised messaging - both inside and outside the envelope.
"Our Multiweb offerings, when combined with different market segmentation and data analytics capabilities, enable a fundamentally new type of conversation to take place between our customers and their target audiences."
Among the features the new apps provide is the ability to provide personalized graphs, charts and other data visualization tools. "In virtually all media, people are expecting more of a 'Just for me' experience, whether that is reflected in the playlists they create or the line-up on their DVRs," Zengo said.
"ProteusJet enables variable images to be more easily included in direct response pieces, to deliver a more personalized experience. With ProteusJet, the visuals work in concert with the individualized copy. For example, photographs can reflect local conditions, the agent’s picture can be included, charts and graphs can bring concepts to life. The best way to tell what is working in direct response is to see what the marketers repeat. Our customers are repeating packages that include more visuals."
RRD launched the Multiweb production line that houses ProteusJet's piezoelectric imaging units early in 2012 and allows shorter cycle times than traditionally experienced, enabling for instance credit and financial clients to test new offers, creative designs and copy platforms, all the while meeting legal requirements that vary from state to state.
RRD also noted that telecom and cable marketers will be able to quickly responding to regional competition by presenting consumer offers that match community tastes and languages, while retail clients will be able to improve upon the one-size-fits-all coupon campaign to selectively target discounting.
"ProteusJet imaging technology - both standalone and inline with traditional flexo or web offset printing - has been available to customers for several years now, and the Multiweb configuration of those capabilities, including outer envelope imaging, was introduced earlier this year," Zengo added. "That capability is available now for direct marketers, so credit, telecom and cable, retail and insurance organizations can begin testing and rolling out programs based on its potent functionality."
The ProteusJet platform with the new apps should also provide cost savings, especially on the postage side. "ProteusJet can allow direct mailers to take advantage of exceptionally efficient production runs, which can help to maximize postal discounts," Zengo said. "The key measures for mailers though have to do with return on investment metrics such as response rates, value per response and cost per response. ProteusJet is designed to help drive improved ROI."
