In recent years, mobile apps have become the biggest thing in loyalty. Virtually every retailer now offers an app-based solution, running in conjunction with conventional voucher-based schemes – research shows that retailer apps saw 43% year-on-year download growth in 2020, and downloads for coupons and rewards apps climbed 27% year-on-year in 2022.

However, the success of these apps is reliant on customers actively downloading and engaging with them. And while everyone takes their phone everywhere, the uptake for app-based loyalty schemes is typically lower than expected. In response, retailers are now pivoting to a dual-channel approach. This means mailing out printed loyalty rewards by default, with the option of an app for consumers who want the full digital experience. This approach gives customers a choice, and it allows retailers to track the success ratios of each channel.

Digital print allows for extremely targeted rewards campaigns, with rewards and coupons tailored to individual recipients based on their spending history and interests. This flexibility can be boundless and is only limited by the available data. For instance, Pets at Home has evolved from printing a few direct mail versions to now having a mailing that offers around 235,000 permutations based on pet type, spending history and other metrics. This has resulted in a massive 1.6 – 1.7 million mailings per year, with different coupons for different recipients.

These hyper-personalised communications don’t only benefit the recipient. They have given the retailer an added bonus – their suppliers have the option to advertise within relevant segments of the mailing to customers who actually want their products. In most instances, the app works best when it runs alongside a print offering. Retailers can then monitor the success of each channel and track where app uptake might fall short – and decide what to do about it if that’s the case.

For instance, the retailer may decide to backfill the shortfall with physical communications to ensure that no customer is left without access to loyalty rewards. Having these insights allows retailers to revert to mailing out rewards to drive in-store footfall.

Retailers can take advantage of transactional history to build a single view of their customers. This allows them to understand their high, mid, and low spenders, frequent visitors, and those that need more engagement to cross-sell and up-sell new products. A single customer view with high-quality data makes print powerful, as retailers can segment their database and focus their marketing budget on areas that are worth targeting.

The conventional model for loyalty schemes is often a quarterly reward mailing, but when combined with digital, an ‘always-on’ approach is possible. Retailers can use browsing behaviour and abandoned basket solutions to talk to customers in real-time, using email and mail as channels to drive re-engagement and lead them to complete purchases.

Retailers need to target their marketing budget on areas that are worth focusing on while not wasting rewards on loyal customers. The dual-platform approach of combining digital and print offers customers choice while providing retailers with valuable insights into which platform works best for their customers. By monitoring and tracking the success of digital and using print to reengage lost customers, retailers can provide a seamless loyalty experience that keeps customers engaged and coming back for more. Happy shoppers!

Mark Brown is account director at direct marketing specialist Go Inspire

The post The power of print to drive loyalty appeared first on Digital Printer.

Matthew Ruff, chair of the IPIA Events Subcommittee commented, ‘The theme for this year’s event encapsulates an issue that is at the very top of business leaders’ minds across the UK print industry: with so many obstacles to growth present in the market – ever-rising running costs, the legacy of significant market disruption, unstable demand and rapidly changing routes to market – how can I grow my business?

‘Rising to the Challenge will provide attendees with insights from print-service-providers and entrepreneurs that are successfully negotiating these hurdles – and which have not just identified growth opportunities – but are actively and successfully exploiting them.’

The speakers will include Lance Hill of Eight Days a Week Print Solutions, Anthony Rowell of Tradeprint, Elizabeth Bowerman of Stephen Austin, Pat Headley of Go Inspire and Mike Hughes of Latcham. More will be announced in the coming weeks.

The conference will also host a special interactive panel discussion entitled Business Growth – by luck or design? This will see an entrepreneurial panel of printers, agencies and finance experts discuss the question ‘is there a formula for business growth that can be identified? Or is it just down to being in the right place at the right time?’

A panel will also answer questions from the audience, providing views and expertise on what it takes to find opportunities and exploit them successfully. The panel will include Jamie Nelson of Compass Business Finance, Simon Cooper of Solopress, Lucy Swanston of Nutshell Creative, Anthony Thirlby of Culverlands Press, and Sarah Kilcoyne-Guilliam of Kingsbury Press.

The conference will also feature an Expo and Networking Hub, with networking opportunities throughout the day in between the talks, where print buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and technology developers can mix and build new business prospects.

Tickets for IPIA/BAPC members are £85, while for non-members it’s £120, both inclusive of food and refreshments.

The post IPIA announces autumn conference schedule appeared first on Digital Printer.

Bloomreach offers a suite of products that support personalisation ​in e-commerce​​,​ which Go Inspire will now use to enhance the services it provides its clients. Go Inspire, which mails a total of over 800million printed items, and sends a total of over 1 billion communications each year, will be now able to deliver personalised messages powered by unified customer and product data with speed and scale thanks to AI optimisation. The company says its clients will benefit by getting revenue-driving digital commerce experiences that work across all channels and customer journeys.  

Dimitri Kyrpianou, managing director of Go Inspire CX, said, ‘As a leading data-led marketing company, we are delighted to integrate Bloomreach solutions within our offer to boost our services to customers.  

‘With technology advancing at its current trajectory, it was important that we stayed ahead of the curve and our partnership with Bloomreach enables us to do just that. We are really excited about what this could mean for us and our clients.’

Chris Williams​, Channel Partnerships team lead, UKI & France, ​Bloomreach, said, ‘Bloomreach is thrilled to be collaborating with Go Inspire, a forward-thinking partner with strong roots in data-driven marketing and technology.  

‘We are confident our collaboration will enable Go Inspire to deliver results, by empowering marketing teams with the right strategy, process, and tools to elevate the customer experience​.​’

Go Inspire was bought by Xerox in July 2022.

The post Go Inspire announces partnership with Bloomreach appeared first on Digital Printer.

Ms Sherwin joins the group from Abacus, where she was working as an account director for numerous clients. Prior to her work at Abacus, she has an additional five years’ experience in data at companies including Acxiom, Transactis and GBG. 

Ms Sherwin said, ‘I’m excited to join Go Inspire, particularly at what I feel is a really pivotal time for the group – I think there are great opportunities to be afforded, not least due to the recent Xerox acquisition. It feels like a good time to join a growing business on its journey, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.’

Dimi Kyprianou, managing director of Go Inspire CX, said, ‘We’re delighted to welcome Becky to the Go Inspire team. She has impressive experience in data-led organisations and a commercial focus, which will prove invaluable when it comes to developing the team and looking out for new business. 2023 already looks set to be a great year for Go Inspire, and I think Becky’s appointment will help us realise our strategic vision.’

Go Inspire recently announced its platinum standard certification from Jicmail, the joint industry currency for mail. The accreditation recognises Go Inspire’s expertise in planning, measuring and evaluating mail campaigns with Jicmail data. 

The post Go Inspire appoints new client development director appeared first on Digital Printer.