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Much has been written about the benefits of using QR Codes in an integrated marketing campaign.  One of the best resources I've seen lately was written by Graphic Communication Students at Clemson University.  To effectively illustrate the "Do's and Don'ts of QR Codes", the students created a fictitious coffee shop called The Nocturnal Bean (hey, I'm not the only coffee addict out there).  Their brochure demonstrates several ways a marketer can use QR Codes to communicate, promote, capture info, and link to other media.  Well done, Clemson students!  CHECK IT OUT HERE

In previous posts, we've shared the importance of having your QR Code point to a mobile-optimized web page (one that's designed to look good on a mobile device).  That's still the number one QR Code tip, and still the one that many marketers can further improve upon.

We came across another helpful article written by our friends at InterlinkONE, and we wanted to share it with you.  You'll learn three valuable ways you can use QR Codes to enhance service to your clients during your fulfillment process.  One that hit home for me (being a guy that actually READS instruction manuals and still has a hard time assembling stuff) is the tip:  "use QR Codes to point to how-to videos and instructions".  Good stuff!  Read the full article for more helpful tips:  qrcodetips

Do you want to grow your business? Incorporating an integrated marketing strategy into your next campaign may be the answer. But first, a few more questions.

WHAT? (What is "integrated marketing"?)
WHY? (Why would you use it?)
HOW? (How should you do it?)
WHEN? (When is the best time to try it?)
WHO? (Who should be on your team?)

WHAT is "integrated marketing"?
Integrated marketing is a strategy that ensures all marketing messages received by a customer or prospect - across multiple communication methods and media - are both relevant and consistent over time and media channel. An integrated marketing campaign may contain some or all of the following: direct mail, email, social media, personalized landing pages and/or micro-sites, SMS text messaging, and mobile marketing (QR codes).

WHY use integrated marketing?
Because results matter. And when integrated, multi-channel marketing is used effectively, your campaign will achieve better results than any single channel used alone. Let's face it, we're all working with tighter budgets, shorter lead times, and increased pressure to perform. Today's consumers are pushing back against irrelevant and unwanted intrusions into their daily lives. Smart marketers are learning that an integrated strategy, using customer data to create personalized and relevant messaging (even to a smaller target) can outperform a broad "shotgun" campaign.

HOW do I start?
A better question may be "how do you want this to end". Good plans need a clear vision.

Step 1: Define your goals.
What's your desired outcome? How will you define success? How will you measure results? Take time answering these questions. You shouldn't have to guess if your campaign was successful or not. And knowing what you're aiming for will help you do some course-correction mid-campaign if you get off track.

Step 2: Gather your facts.
What do you know about your clients? Your target prospects? How do they like to be communicated to? I'll go out on a limb and say the success of your campaign rests NOT on the beauty of your design - but squarely on the quality and accuracy of your DATA. All of your decisions regarding the offer, the media channel, the timing, the response method, the design and the follow up are ALL directly tied to who your target is. Start with the data you already have about your current customers and seek to build on it with every new campaign.

Step 3: Craft your plan.
Now that you've set your desired outcome and you've gathered your data, it's time to develop your campaign plan. It doesn't need to be a novel, keep it brief and actionable. Start with these bullets:

• Target - who are you trying to reach?
• Timing - when does your campaign start and end, when is the best time to reach your desired target?
• Channel - what media channels will you use? Tip: use more than one, it's widely proven that multi-channel campaigns deliver better response rates. Consider direct mail, email, social media, personalized URLs, mobile marketing (QR codes), SMS text messaging, online storefronts.
• Message - what are you trying to say? Tip: keep your messaging consistent across all channels, and be sure your offer is relevant and compelling to your target audience.
• Response - how will you capture responses? Give your target the opportunity to respond in the manner they are most comfortable with - be it email, online, reply card, phone, or any combination.
• Measure - how will you measure your campaign results? Incorporate measurement tools into your campaign. Measure what matters most!

Step 4: Track and refine.
Today's technology allows you to measure campaign responses in real time - especially when your campaign includes an online response component. And with digital printing capabilities, you can refine your offer and your messaging "on the fly" based on your response rates. Many companies do short-run "A-B testing" of two or more offers, then roll out the full campaign based on which offer delivered the best return.

WHEN should I use integrated marketing?
The flip answer is "always". Across all studies and research, an integrated multi-channel campaign will consistently outperform any single-channel campaign. Our experience proves that multi-channel campaigns with online response components (ie: PURL response pages) work especially well for event promotion, for feedback surveys, and for new product/service launches. A typical campaign includes personalized direct mail, follow-up email, personalized landing page (PURL), and an online executive dashboard for tracking response.

WHO should I include on my team?
You don't need to be an expert in everything, as long as you know people who are! Key functions/players on your campaign team should include: data analytics, marketing strategists, copywriters and graphic designers, and a solution provider capable of delivering integrated multi-channel campaigns. Ideally, your provider can integrate all responses into a single database, allowing you to measure and compare all channels of your campaign in a simplified executive report.

CLICK HERE to download an integrated marketing case study from our recent PRINTEGR8 event.

Today's savvy marketers are using personalization to tailor their marketing messages uniquely to each individual. But whether that message has any "personal" value to the recipient depends on the relevance of the content. It may be helpful to think of three levels of personalization:

Level One
This most basic level of personalization identifies the recipient by name ("Dear Sandy" or "Hey Doug" for example). Yes, even a little bit of personalization draws better than "Occupant". But you can do so much better than this.

Level Two
If you have transaction history on your customer, you can use this information to increase the personal value of your messaging. Level Two focuses on creating content that is uniquely relevant to each recipient. Digital printing and email marketing solutions allow you to personalize both text and graphics for each individual, which can dramatically improve campaign response. It is simple - but it may not be easy - and it all starts with your database. You may need to align your IT staff, your sales, and your accounting departments in order to capture all the data you need about your customers. But the results are worth it.

Level Three
I'm reminded of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", where human characters actually interacted with alien beings. Similarly Level Three allows for interaction between the customer and the marketer. There are several ways you can do this. Include a personalized landing page (PURL) to capture new information and engage your customers online. Use email campaigns to deliver personalized and relevant offers, and make it easy for recipients to respond online. Include a QR code in your print ad to allow customers to engage and respond to messages and offers using their mobile device. If you work with a solution provider that offers an integrated marketing database, you are capturing and building valuable data you can use to build loyalty and future sales for your organization.

LEARN MORE about integrated marketing solutions at Westamerica Graphics.

Check out the XEROX 1:1 LAB for real-world case studies on the effective use of personalization.

OK, so by now you know what a QR code is. You're seeing them all over the place - on magazine ads, billboards, movie posters, real estate signs, and help wanted ads. Marketers have figured out they're a great way to drive content to smart phones and other mobile devices. And you're seeing more of them simply because they work.

Instead of explaining what they are and why you should use them, this article will instead focus on the tips and tricks for maximizing the impact of QR codes on your next campaign. Here's my list of Top Five QR Code Tips:

Tip 1: Simple is Better
Simple QR codes are easier to reproduce and offer more consistent results when scanned, compared to more complex codes. Long URLs make for more complex codes. Use a URL shortener before you create your QR code. Check out these samples - both point to the same web page. Which one would you rather use?

Tip 2: Not Every Pixel is Needed
There is redundancy built into every QR code. You can lose as much as 20-25% of the pixels and the QR code will still function. This means you can create some interest by adding a small company logo, or allowing an image to overlap a small portion of the code. Do some testing on multiple smart phones first however, before you commit your fancy new QR code for print production. Note: you must not cover or alter the three larger squares in the corners - those are required for scanner image alignment.

Tip 3: Add Some Color
Most codes you see today are black and white. Be different, and use some color instead! You can even experiment with softening up the hard edges, if that works better in your overall ad design. When choosing colors, the critical factor is contrast. Pastel colors and muted contrasts will not work. Again, do tests using multiple smart phones before you go to print. Note: you must keep a clear border around the outer edges of your QR code - approximately 1/8" or so - your QR code won't function properly if background images bleed into it.

Tip 4: Mobilize Your Content
This is a biggie. In the race to add QR codes to their advertising, many marketers are linking these codes to their standard web page content, without realizing how that content will appear on the small display of a smart phone. The end-user "cool factor" is greatly diminished if they have to scroll around on their phone in order to view your entire page content. Work with your web programmer or service provider to create content that is "mobile optimized" before creating your QR code. Bonus tip: You Tube videos work great on smart phones - why not have your QR code point to some fun and/or relevant video content?

Tip 5: Make it Personal
The majority of QR codes used today point to "static" or generic content. Did you know that you can create personalized QR codes that point the user to a unique personalized landing page? If you've ever used PURLs in a campaign, you know how effective they can be in capturing user data and tracking response rates. It's possible to create QR codes using those same PURLs, so recipients can use their smart phones to easily respond to your invitations and offers. Not every solution provider can offer these special QR codes, so check with your provider. (Commercial announcement - we can help you here at Westamerica.) Bonus tip: Unlike generic QR codes, personalized QR codes are trackable - a huge benefit when verifying the effectiveness of a campaign.

QR codes are "hot" right now, and they're going to get even hotter this summer - thanks to a new promotion from the US Postal Service.

Smart marketers are already incorporating QR codes into their marketing campaigns.  QR codes are driving valuable content to consumers' mobile devices - such as in-store coupons, YouTube demo's or testimonials, related product offers, maps and directions.  And now, the USPS is making QR codes even more attractive.  Marketers can save 3% off their postage rates when they include a QR code in their mailing between July 1 and August 31, 2011. Learn more at 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion - FAQs .  We can help you take advantage of these savings AND improve your marketing results with QR codes - please contact us today to get started!

Give it a try - the QR code above will send an interactive map to our facility directly to your SmartPhone.

Are you using any of these cross-media channels today?

That's the question we asked our attendees when they registered for our recent PRINTEGR8 Integrated Marketing Event.  The results are intriguing.  Here's what they had to say:



Looks like there is a lot of opportunity for growth in the use of New Media.  And let's not forget print.  When used in combination with new media in a truly "integrated marketing" strategy, print can help boost campaign results and drive sales for your organization.  Ask us how to get started today!

We've been promoting the use of QR codes for some time now.  You're seeing them more and more these days - in magazine ads, on billboards, on kiosks and POP displays, even on t-shirts.  Smart marketers are learning how to drive response rates up by driving their printed content to mobile devices.  Here's a great article written by Travis Campbell.  Travis shares 8 Ideas for Using QR Codes in your Marketing 

PRINTEGR8, the West Coast premier Integrated Marketing event hosted by Westamerica on Wed May 11, was a resounding success.  Over 140 attendees enjoyed four fast-paced, information-packed sessions.  Valuable case studies and marketing success strategies were shared by our presenters, including the USPS, Xerox, International Paper, Xpedx, and Grow Socially.  The Long Beach Hyatt Resort provided a beautiful and comfortable setting, and the creme brulee desert was to die for.

Congratulations to Marc Posch, the lucky winner of our iPad2 door prize drawing.  According to Marc  "(winning the iPad2) was really the icing on the cake. Wow. Thanks again. It will come to good use. What I really liked about the presentation was, I learned a lot about the flexible and customized usage of print within a mostly online dominated marketing mix. We lean very much towards recommending everything online as the way to go these days.. so this was good news to me (as someone with a substantial print background). What's interesting though is, that only a few years ago, online marketing was used to navigate consumers to either a brick&mortar store or to order a brochure/catalog.. now it's completely the other way around. We print brochures to lure customers to our clients' websites/e-shops."

The presentation slides are available for download at PRINTEGR8.

On behalf of Westamerica Graphics and the Print Council, we hope you'll continue to include print media in your marketing mix - for YOUR sake (improved results!) not just ours.

The 2010 Omniture Online Analytics Benchmark Survey finds that 80% of marketers believe ROI from online marketing activities is important to measure, but only 31% of those surveyed say they can effectively measure it.  READ MORE...  Then come to PRINTEGR8 to learn new solutions that allow you to actually measure results.

Learn more facts at PRINTEGR8