How MEO-Media is Future-Proofing Direct Mail with BW Converting
Outside the city of Osnabrück in northwestern Germany, longstanding commercial print and mailing company Meinders & Elstermann, now operating under the new brand MEO-Media, is redefining what modern direct mail production can look like. With the installation of Germany’s first BW Converting BB816+ inserting system from its W+D brand, the company is consolidating operations and investing in automation to meet growing demand for flexible, high-integrity mail solutions.
The shift from Meinders & Elstermann to MEO-Media marks more than a name change. It’s part of a strategic consolidation that brought together several regional mailing operations under one roof, with the goal of becoming a more agile and scalable production partner. As direct mail becomes increasingly data-driven and results-focused, the company saw an opportunity to reinvent itself - streamlining previously disconnected workflows, reducing labor dependency, and introducing equipment that could meet the evolving needs of their customer base.
The team from MEO Media in front of the W+D BB816+ System, including: Volker Havel, management, MEO-Media; Stefan Aupke, location manager, MEO-Media; Klaus Greiling, head of department, MEO-Media; Alexandra Erber, head of department, MEO-Media; Gregor Bednarczyk, key account manager, MEO-Media; Marko Weber, sales manager, BW Converting.
MEO-Media sought a platform that could not only replace aging systems but also support long-term growth. With rising customer expectations around flexibility, speed, and mailpiece integrity, the BB816+ offered the right mix of automation and adaptability.
Installed in early 2025, MEO-Media’s new BB816+ inserting system is a fully featured system tailored for high-volume, high-integrity inserting. The platform’s modular design allows it to run a wide range of applications - including stitched or perfect-bound booklets, flats, variable-page transactional mail, and personalized direct mail - all on a single line. From a high-speed cut sheet feeder/folder to a shuttle feeder, autoloader, and OC4 vertical delivery stacker, the system offers end-to-end automation for faster, smarter output.
MEO-Media's production floor.
The BB816+ represents the latest evolution of the BB800 platform, integrating the performance pillars BW Converting is known for: speed, modularity, integrity and reporting, ease of use, and self-maintenance features that reduce total cost of ownership. For MEO-Media, those advantages weren’t just technical, they were strategic. The new inserter enables the company to handle complex jobs from multiple clients without adding excessive labor or compromising turnaround, and meeting even tighter service level agreements (SLAs).
Mail in Europe: From Mass Distribution to High-Precision Targeting
Across Europe, the direct mail market is undergoing a quiet but notable evolution. While total mail volumes have declined in recent years, demand for highly personalized, results-driven mail remains strong. Advertisers are rediscovering physical envelope mail’s unique tactile and targeting benefits. Also, expectations have changed: marketers want more precision with omnichannel alignment, variable data integration, and measurable results, all delivered at scale and with full compliance under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
That demand for precision was one of the key drivers behind MEO-Media’s BB816+ investment. With integrated Read & Print capabilities and high-integrity controls, the system ensures that each piece of mail is tracked, verified, and handled with the control that modern campaigns require.
By implementing the BB816+, MEO-Media has unified its inserting workflows and centralized a diverse range of applications - eliminating legacy systems and enhancing overall production responsiveness. With a single platform now handling everything from stitched booklets to variable-page transactional jobs, the company is better equipped to meet client expectations for speed, accuracy, and personalization.
“Calling it a ‘Swiss Army knife inserter’ is such a fitting description,” said Volker Havel, Senior Vice President and Member of the Executive Board at MEO-Media. “The integration of the cut-sheet front end and inline inkjet personalization has significantly simplified our process and created a more efficient workflow within the mailing line,” he added. “With real-time document recognition and matching, the BB816+ ensures GDPR-compliant, traceable inserting of personalized mailpieces.”
“MEO-Media’s system is one of the most comprehensive configurations we’ve delivered,” said Marko Weber, Sales Manager for Germany at BW Converting. “It gives customers like MEO-Media the ability to consolidate jobs that were previously spread across multiple machines, while reducing labor inputs and elevating overall precision.”
As the direct mail industry in Europe continues to evolve, shaped by data privacy regulations, sustainability goals, and rising expectations for campaign performance, companies like MEO-Media are setting the tone for what’s possible. The BB816+ hasn’t just upgraded their inserting capabilities; it has helped reposition the company as a forward-looking partner in a rapidly changing communications landscape.
For MEO-Media, the transformation is still unfolding. With a robust new technology platform in place and a refreshed brand identity to support it, the company is well positioned to navigate the evolving demands of the direct mail market and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.
