A prospective college student interested in music theory might not give a flute about a university's biology department. A student interested in ice hockey might skate past promotional text about the university's new intramural basketball gym.
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Company: Scope 1
Founded: 2000, as a division of
distributorship Superior Business Solutions
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Management: William J. English,
CFC, CEO of Superior Business Solutions and a DMIA Board member; Jim
Richardson, sales manager of Superior Business Solutions
Business in Brief: Scope 1
provides service and consultation in e-commerce applications such as
electronic print on demand, customized marketing and electronic delivery
services. Its technology allows printed and electronic marketing pieces to
be designed and delivered on the fly. Vector Business Systems Inc., a
distributorship in York, Pa., recently merged with Superior Business
Solutions. The companies now
operate as a single firm.
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Problem is, most colleges mail the same brochures and viewbooks (books that include many details about the school) to students requesting information. Basically, they're giving a standard sales pitch, including information on their colleges' histories, academic programs, campus events and extracurricular activities.
But some admissions offices are learning a valuable lesson: If you want more students to apply, make them say, "This information applies to me."
See You in September
Scope 1, a division of Kalamazoo, Mich.-based distributorship Superior Business Solutions, helps colleges--and organizations in many other fields--harness the power of one-to-one marketing. Launched in 2000, Scope 1 provides service and consultation in e-commerce applications such as electronic print on demand, customized marketing and electronic delivery services. Its marketing technology, which is powered by several e-commerce suppliers, allows printed and electronic pieces to be designed and delivered on the fly.
"The first law of sales--whether you're selling a Honda or an education--is that the more personalized your appeal is on an emotional level, the better your chance of success," says Jim Richardson, sales manager of Superior Business Solutions and the person chiefly responsible for customer contact and project management at Scope 1. "Many schools are looking to our solutions to eliminate the need to send students traditional viewbooks that include everything under the sun."
Manchester College, a 4-year institution in North Manchester, Ind., is a case in point. It recently began using Scope 1 to produce print-on-demand, 4-color, 6-panel brochures with variable text and images. The variable data is based on information specified by students in writing or via questionnaires on the college's web site. Each student's name is emblazoned on the brochure's front cover above photographs of the college. Instead of waxing eloquent about its 33 fields of study on the inside pages, the college includes only information in which the student expressed interest. Other variable information can include testimonials from alumni who graduated from specific academic programs and financial-aid information relative to the student's home state. The brochure closes with a photo and personalized letter from the student's would-be admissions counselor (based on the student's home state). The "mini-viewbook" is digitally printed and mailed to the student, who can choose to receive an emailed PDF file as well.
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Scope 1, a division of Kalamazoo, Mich.-based
distributorship Superior Business Solutions, includes four online
demonstrations on its web site at www.scope1.com. One demo shows how clients can create customized brochures on the spot to answer customer inquiries. Visitors see a mock guitar company's web site, where they can select guitar type, expertise level, price range, name-brand preferences and more.
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Immediately after making selections, each visitor is emailed a PDF file of a
4-page brochure based on the selections.
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Because the pieces are printed on demand, Manchester Director of Admissions Dave McFadden doesn't need to worry about inventory, obsolescence and wasted marketing dollars. Fulfillment efforts and high postage costs are greatly reduced, too. "Small-college recruiting is relationship-building," he says. "A good part of that is letting prospects know we understand who they are and what matters to them."
Manchester College enjoyed a 34 percent upswing last year in the number of applicants. "I can't say the new brochure was the sole cause," McFadden says, "but it was one of a few mutually reinforcing strategies Manchester adopted."
Treating Each Customer Differently
Traditional mass marketing doesn't work anymore, says William J. English, CFC, CEO of Superior Business Solutions and a DMIA Board member. Today, people have unique interests and an incredible variety of ways to pursue them. Once they find a product, service or merchant they trust, they tend to stick with it.
Distributors say customer loyalty is becoming increasingly important. One tenet of customer relationship management is that it's far less expensive--and much easier--to retain existing customers than it is to find new ones. "That's one reason why one-to-one marketing isn't a fad," English says. "Most importantly, customers can attain increased response rates and better returns on their investments. We have to realize that every customer is different."
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Scope 1's web site also includes a demo explaining how clients can offer co-branded and tailored customer materials to various sales channels. Visitors see a mock cruise line's web site, where they can act as travel agents and create brochures that can include specials, discounts and seasonal packages.
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That phrase--"Every Customer is Different"--appears next to an image of a stadium crowd when visitors log on to Scope 1's web site (www.scope1.com). Seconds later, the screen zooms in on one row of the crowd. A new phrase appears: "At Last You Have a Tool..." The screen zooms closer until it focuses on only one person. "...That treats them that way."
The site includes four online demonstrations. One of them shows how Scope 1 clients can create customized brochures on the spot to answer customer inquiries. Visitors see a mock guitar company's web site, where they can select guitar type, expertise level, price range, name-brand preferences and more. Immediately after making selections, each visitor is emailed a PDF file of a 4-page brochure based on the selections. (See image on top left of page 38.) Another demo explains how users can provide co-branded and tailored customer materials to various sales channels. Visitors see a mock cruise line's web site, where they can act as travel agents and create brochures that can include specials, discounts and seasonal packages.
Creating an Online Library
Scope 1's key offering is one-to-one marketing, but the division's capabilities are far-reaching. Ohio National Financial Services, a Cincinnati-based firm that offers life insurance, disability insurance, individual annuities and retirement services, had provided sales brochures to its nationwide agents for years. Each of the company's product groups had its own collateral, printed largely in house.
Each Ohio National Financial Services agent needed brochures printed with his or her return address and contact information. The firm's employees often had to typeset materials to customize orders. When the firm's in-house print shop couldn't keep up with increased demand, management decided the agents should customize and send jobs to printers themselves. The process was slow and led to a lack of quality control and consistency, Scope 1 says.
Scope 1 created a private web site for the client that offered a library of 4-color marketing materials that could be customized online. The library included brochures about generic annuities, business 401(k) plans, life stages, term insurance and other products, as well as post cards on variable annuities, disability insurance and retirement services. Three agent groups--registered Ohio National Financial Service agents, independent agents and institutional financial partners--now have access to the site. Each has its own library of collateral documents.
Agents select the brochures they need, customize them with return addresses, select from quantity options and place orders online. Once agents enter their information, they can view or print large proofs of their customized mailers. When ordering, each agent must enter the 9-digit ZIP code provided by the U.S. Postal Service when he or she set up a business-reply account. Scope 1's technology automatically converts the ZIP code to a post office-approved bar code to qualify the mailer for low-cost return postage. Ohio National Financial Service's materials now can be printed within 72 hours.
"The bottom line to Scope 1's technology is increased response for users," Richardson says. "When you provide a personalized approach, you drive greater results."
Broadening Comfort Zones
Scope 1's marketing technology is
user-friendly, but launching the division wasn't easy, English says. "Has the
division brought us increased business? Definitely," he says. "But the reality
is that it has been an educational process more than a revenue
generator."
One challenge the company didn't
anticipate, English says, is the long lead-time often required to convert
companies to one-to-one marketing programs. "Typically, we're involved in
fundamental changes the customer is going through," he says. "You can leave a
meeting and everyone's gung-ho, but we have to tell ourselves the gung-ho
feeling is just the beginning of an involved process."
Scope 1 emphasizes the need to educate
clients and "broaden their comfort zones," English says. "Traditional
salespeople have to do the same thing. A different skill set is required to sell
this technology. You really have to understand business processes and seek ways
to make them efficient."
Because Scope 1 has experience with
one-to-one marketing and understands its challenges, the company encourages
distributorships--including ones that compete against Superior Business
Solutions--to "leverage us for their needs," Richardson says. "We're willing to
partner with other firms that want to target the college market."
That strategy is unconventional, English
says, but it can be mutually beneficial for firms embracing one-to-one
marketing. "The danger in not offering technologies like this is getting
serious," he says. "Companies that don't continuously reach the next level of
value-added service are going to find themselves behind the curve."
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3 Great Markets for One-to-One
Solutions
1. EDUCATION
Old Way: Colleges, universities,
private schools and technical schools send large, impersonal, expensive
viewbooks and brochures to prospective students.
Brochures can include this text:
"We have an extensive intramural sports program."
New Way: They send print-on-demand
materials that tell each prospective student about the things that matter
most to him or her. Variable text is based on information specified by the
student in writing or the student's direct responses to a recruiter or web
site questionnaire.
A brochure can include this text:
"Larry, sports are a big thing around here. We offer 13 different
intramural sports (including your favorite, football). The competition
gets pretty exciting sometimes--just don't forget to go to class,
OK?"
2. HEALTH CARE
Old Way: Hospitals, doctors'
offices and clinics produce general materials with information about
medical conditions, remedies and health tips.
Pamphlets can include this text:
"You'll love our Birthing Center!"
New Way: They produce specific
materials for each patient that include only information about his or her
condition or illness. Sections can include pre-operation and
post-operation instructions, a list of outpatient facilities near the
patient's home and a referral guide customized with carefully selected
specialists.
A pamphlet can include this text:
"Tom and Clare, neo-natal units are important to you. That's why you'll
love our Birthing Center! It's backed by the most experienced neo-natal
unit in the area. We'll make your two other kids welcome, too, so they
don't feel left out!"
3. TRAVEL AND
TOURISM
Old Way: Resort marketers, hotel
managers and travel agencies send glossy, expensive packages to potential
vacationers, storing unused copies in their basements.
Brochures can say, "Our Kids'
Playland will keep younger children occupied."
New Way: They qualify each mail,
telephone an internet request, responding with materials targeted to
specified interests. Each piece is printed on demand, eliminating costly
inventory.
A brochure can say, "Our park is
ideal for young families. Our Kids' Playland features eight different
rides that are thrilling, but not scary, for Timothy. It also features a
place where Samantha can meet some of her favorite cartoon characters and
see animals in our petting zoo!"
Source: Scope 1
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Designing Your E-Commerce Site: 3
Factors
A marketing-driven web site is necessary
for companies hoping to reach their e-commerce goals. When planning (or
updating) the design of your site, consider these three factors:
1. Value proposition. Distill your
unique value proposition and communicate it quickly and clearly. Ask yourself:
What benefits do I offer that differentiate my business?
2. Target audience. Design for your
target audience, not yourself. Articulate benefits and features that visitors
want to know.
3. Ease. Optimize action and eliminate
distraction. Make your site easy enough for a third-grader to follow.
Choosing a Web Host: 4
Factors
Price and reputation aren't the only
considerations when selecting a web site host. Here are five key factors:
1. Scalability. Your host should be able
to upgrade your space and bandwidth as your needs change.
2. Quality support. Your host should
resolve your problems quickly and eagerly.
3. Site management. Your host should
offer appropriate tools and software so you can transfer files and update email
accounts with ease.
4. Superior network. Your host should
have up-to-date servers, high-quality routers, backup generators, firewall
software, a reasonable number of users per server and a reliable operating
system.
Home Pages: 4 Essentials
If your home page doesn't grab visitors,
many of them will leave quickly. Here are four home-page essentials:
1. The W's. Clarify who you are, what
you offer, where you're located and why you're a premier company. Look at your
site from a visitor's perspective and ask, "What's in it for me?"
2. Consistent navigation. Make links to
other sections of your site easy to find. Consider adding drop-down boxes that
transport visitors immediately to specific areas of other sections, as well as
text navigation at the bottom of the page.
3. Search function. Give visitors the
opportunity to search your site by keywords, especially if your site is large.
Search functions are available online at third-party sites such as
www.atomz.com.
4. Recommend box. Add a "Click here to
recommend this site to a friend" box somewhere on the page. This can be done
easily with a free online service such as www.recommend-it.com.
Forms Management Data Systems, a Reno, Nev.-based software provider, can completely convert
all major competitive software systems to its Quantum 2000 forms distributor
management system. FMDS also announced that every system report in the Crystal
Report Writer program of its Quantum 2000 system is now XML-compatible. For more
information, call (800) 328-7804 or visit www.quantum2000.net.
ACOM Solutions Inc., a
MICR laser payment processing provider and e-commerce supplier in Long Beach,
Calif., released Version 7.3 of its EZPayManager payment management solution. It
includes enhancements to the user interface, upgraded security features, and new
options for automated printing, data input, data search and recovery, and
archiving. For more information, call (562) 424-7899, send email to gchurch@acom.com or visit www.acom.com.
ImageX® Inc., an online
solutions provider based in Kirkland, Wash., received a Notice of Allowance from
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that covers online proofing of print-ready
files. The patent notification covers the components necessary to convert a
graphic image file from PostScript® to Bitmap format. This allows users without
access to a PDF viewer (such as Adobe Acrobat) to see proofs of their orders
online. The firm expects to be issued a patent soon. For more information, call
(877) 682-0880 or visit www.imagex.com.
httprint, a San Francisco-based e-commerce
provider, formed a strategic alliance with Emmperative, a provider of enterprise
marketing management software and services. The companies will market their
offerings jointly to global companies that aim to improve print management,
collaboration and procurement. For more information, call (415) 216-4200 or
visit www.httprint.com.
printChannel.com™, a
San Francisco-based e-commerce provider, announced the addition of monthly
flat-fee pricing structure last month at the ON DEMAND Digital Printing &
Publishing Strategy Conference in New York. For more information, call (415)
575-3266, send email to info@printchannel.com or visit www.printchannel.com
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R.R. Donnelley
Logistics, a commercial mailer in Willowbrook, Ill., offers
its Operation Showcase reporting system online. Operation Showcase allows
customers to monitor their mailings from point of entry into the U.S. Postal
Service to final delivery. For more information, visit www.donnelleylogistics.com.
Cardiff Software Inc., a provider of business
process-automation solutions in San Diego, introduced TELEform v8.0, which
enables organizations to remotely capture and process any type of form or
document to a central server. For more information, visit www.cardiff.com.
