Direct mail for 2012

 

With 20 years of providing direct mail in Los Angeles,
Colortrend is the go-to source for on-time and accurate
direct mailers. We provide complete in-house capabilities and knowledgeable customer service. Our production team understands the need to deliver a quality, proven product at a great price.

Looking towards 2012. 

In the direct mail business we have learned many things. Among them is not to predict. Communications change so quickly. At the beginning of 2011 most observes had the direct mail business dead and buried. Email was on the rise, social media was coming on like gang busters. It was time to rethink the viability of direct mail in general, and the direct mail los Angeles business was no exception.

During 2011 the course of events did not bear that prediction out. Email has become problematic. It’s very inexpensive of course, and the impulse to over-send messages is great. With direct mail there are cost barriers that make one consider a mailing. It requires time and planning as well.

Social media and email

Social media continues it’s ascent and it is the future. In the long run, the inter-connected nature of social media may well put an end to direct mail. However, as has been observed by far more insightful thinkers than those of us at Colortrend, the long run can be a very long time. In the meantime, direct mail in Los Angeles or anywhere else is the best, arguably the only way to reach out to new prospects.

As the population changes, and those of us use to reading hard copy die out, it would not be a surprise us to see direct mail go the way of the wagon wheel. In the meantime, Colortrend continually adds services as the direct mail Los Angeles demands of our clients change. During 2011 we see a shift of interest towards variable data printing. Although it’s been around some time, VDP has found renewed interest as business attempt to reduce operating costs.

Variable Data Printing (VDP)

Our direct mail Los Angeles services and VDP can improve direct mail response rates by allowing for greater customization. Studies have consistently shown an improvement in response rates when a mailer mentions the recipients name. Our experiences at Colortrend confirm this.

When we began servicing the Direct mail Los Angeles market we knew it would be challenging; this area has always had a vital and strong resource base for print and direct mail vendors. Los Angeles of course is the home to the entertainment business. Until recently they were large users of print and direct mail services.

As they have moved towards digital communications more and more, the drive to open other markets has increased. It is no longer enough to satisfy client demands. It is equally important to provide additional services above direct mail. VDP is essentially a printing function, but through digital mailing technology it has become a powerful direct mail service as well.

VDP is often referred to as ‘one-to-one printing’. As we apply it to direct mail, it is now ‘one-to-one direct mail. That description may not catch on with the rest of the world, but we kind of think it sums up our service quite nicely.

Ups and downs

During the last twenty years of our direct mail Los Angeles business, we have seen many ups and downs. The real estate market was a driver of the economy, and definitely a driver for direct mail companies. During the peak time, the majority of our clients were connected with real estate.

We worked with many brokers, but mortgage companies as well. In many ways we could have, and in fact did see the problems ahead. In the direct mail business we don’t exactly read what our clients are mailing, but it was hard to avoid observing screaming headlines to the effect: 110% loans at no interest for 5 years and no money down!

The melt-down

Like everyone else we watched the melt-down and saw most of our mortgage clients go out of business. The brokers by and large hung on, but also pulled way back in their marketing expenditures. This seemed particularly true in the San Fernando Valley, adjacent to, but part of Los Angeles.

The local economy took an awful hit. We know find most of our clients in other parts of Los Angeles, but are observing a slow come back in the San Fernando Valley. We are certainly not economists, but the print and direct mail industry have always been good gauges for the overall economy. We hope our direct mail Los Angeles business is a good gauge as well.

Regardless of industry, clients are looking for reduced direct mail costs. They are seeking greater response as well. We feel VDP offers both we used in the right manner. Clients who use VDP have reported success in these areas.

Direct mail Los Angeles services you can count on

Our Team

Our staff is fully trained in postal rules and regulations. We maintain the most up to date postal software available providing the lowest possible postage  rates.

Our production and customer service staff attend regular direct mail USPS seminars. We know the rules to insure your deadline. Many team members have worked at Colortrend since it’s inception.

Our Clients

Our client list is quite varied. They  include nonprofit organizations and financial firms;  real estate companies and manufacturing; service and retail. Our primary territory is Los Angeles, but we work with clients through-out California.

Core services

Custom and ‘packaged’ mailers
On-site print facility
Rush service
Web services
Variable date (personalization)
Mailing lists
Data base services

Resources for direct mail excellence

Here are some excellent resources that discuss expected rates of response and other topics:

Marketingprofs.com
Great article on tips for direct mail in today’s economy, and more.

PODI
A great resource for information on combining direct mail and internet products.

Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing. They promote relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers.

American Marketing Association (AMA) 
The AMA is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide.

Business Marketing Association (BMA)
BMA represents a lifetime of expertise in business-to-business marketing and communications.