Reach the Right Audience — Sherburne

The good news for us is that direct mail is still viewed as the most effective channel of communication by many marketers as they aim to reach consumers with targeted messaging. But in line with their ROI needs, they are also looking for reporting and analysis, as well as recommendations about conducting effective campaigns.

Over the last couple of years, I have spoken to a number of printing operations—increasingly calling themselves marketing services companies or business communications service providers—that have taken this type of feedback to heart and, as a result, they are growing at rates well above the industry average. Many of the owners of these businesses come from outside our industry, bringing with them fresh, new ideas.

One great example is ImageMark, whose owner, Walter Payne, was an executive in the cable TV business, ultimately serving as the vice president of development for a cable company. Although he had no previous experience in the printing industry, Payne decided to acquire ImageMark in 1996 from the estate of victims of the ValueJet crash. ImageMark has 16 full-time and five part-time employees.

Payne has focused the company on select industries, including automotive aftermarket parts and orthodontics. While neither of these industries may sound particularly exciting, Payne has been able to deliver some pretty exciting results for his clients.

Orthodontists, for example, do branding and marketing campaigns targeted at families likely to have small children who may need their services as they grow up. These campaigns are designed to create brand awareness for them. ImageMark provides an online catalog of templates that allows orthodontists to go online, chose a postcard template, customize it to his/her particular needs, upload a list, and order a mailing campaign that is then executed by ImageMark. In addition, orthodontists also have access to brochures and other printed materials through this catalog.