Quadient partnered with IDC to host a webinar: Print or Digital: Why Choice is Critical for Your Customer Communication Strategy. The fourth webinar in The Future of Mail and Communications series highlighted research from our partner, Amy Machado.
The webinar covered key topics, including how to:
- Develop a succinct strategy that includes print and digital
- Adapt current communications in light of digital fatigue
- Add value to print and digital mail with new creative methods
Below is a compilation of the questions and responses from the webinar Print or Digital: Why Choice is Critical for Your Customer Communication Strategy.
What changes have you seen during the crisis that are just temporary? Which ones do you think represent the permanent shifts?
The shift to shorter lead times and runs has been, in my opinion, a permanent shift. We proved to ourselves that we are able to adapt very quickly.
Short run, lead adaptability is just a part of business going forward, particularly as we go after more and more targeted populations.
Additionally, the cross channel ability to produce mail and to deliver the same consistency of experience, physically and digitally, will remain. The most important change are the actual improvements in the ability to manage it and get visibility across all channels. We live in a multi-channel world and all mailers that have the ability to have visibility across that digital, external and internal thresholds are better off when they need to flex and be adaptable.
What can I do to better position my company in 2021 to drive recovery?
We have a number of customers that are investing in specific communications using print and mail going into 2021 that will be targeted investments to drive their recovery. Many are using a combination of transactional mail with promotional capabilities. They are thinking about how to maximize the message using color and design. They are also thinking about how their major service providers help them to improve the quality of that communication. Take more time to think about the call to action and how the design works with the message.
Have you seen any communication shifts and nuances that have been surprising?
People are realizing that print mail is actually a very effective communication strategy, especially if you are trying to reach people in multiple ways. Digital is not the only way to reach people.
Print mail offers a true call to action, and recipients are reacting to the communications. If you truly want to reach people, and have a sticky resonating message with them, mail is the best way to go. It does not get lost in all of the noise that is out there.
What solutions are available for companies looking to handle incoming mail, especially with up to 95% of employees now working from home?
Incoming mail has been a big area of focus and attention and has been a consistent part of the business for a number of years. This year, over the last six months, it has gone through the roof. There are a full range of openers and inserters that have allowed customers to automate the incoming mail stream. With the sudden surge, many have been able to manage inbound mail, unfold, and then process the mail. The different levels at which you can have the surge capacity to process incoming mail is now even more important, needing to process tens of thousands of pieces per hour, which the best equipment in the industry is really designed to do.
Interested in learning more? Visit these resources:
- Hybrid Communication Benefits (and Challenges)
- The Future of Mail: Top 5 Predictions from Industry Experts
- Enabling Your Digital Office for SMB's: Breaking the Barriers to Document Automation
- Does automation improve employee engagement?