Insights and Innovations: Highlights from DMAW’s Annual Production Day!

DMAW’s annual Production Day brings together direct mail professionals from agencies, list brokerages, printers, and mailshops to educate those new to the industry with a full day of presentation! This year’s event was hosted by digital print production powerhouse DCG One right on their very mailshop floor.

Whether you are an industry veteran looking for a refresher on all things production, or new to direct mail and looking to learn the ropes, this is a fantastic event for all knowledge levels.

As a self-proclaimed industry veteran myself, I was honored to speak during the mail shop presentation of the day. Even with almost a decade of experience under my belt, there were several highlights that stood out to me as I watched the presentations throughout the day, further confirming that no matter how long you’ve worked in direct mail, there is always more to learn!

Pre-Production – Everything you need to know to kickstart the creation of your direct mail campaign.

Communication style preferences are different for everyone!

Whether you are a client, supplier, or production partner, it is so important to remember that everyone has a communication style or preference that is unique to them! Some folks prefer a detailed email while others appreciate a quick phone call. Keeping those nuances in mind in everyday communications with your various industry partners is key to efficiency and building lasting professional relationships!

Printing is Not Dead – Covering print technologies for your envelopes, labels and printed components.

A 1/8” difference in size can be the difference in hundreds of dollars!

With cost being a major factor in all direct mail campaigns, it’s important now more than ever to find cost-saving options wherever you can. During this section, an interesting fact was shared about label printing in particular which was 1/8” difference can be the difference in hundreds of dollars. Sometimes even the slightest adjustment to the size of your art can make or break your budget. Remaining open-minded about adjusting the size of a piece, like a label, to a more standardized size can mean hundreds of dollars in savings!

Digital Printing – The types of digital printing and how relevant data can make a real impact.

If you’re already printing something digitally, take advantage and incorporate more personalization!

So many direct mail programs are being produced digitally but aren’t taking advantage of the myriad of additional personalization opportunities. Variable images can be incorporated to target potential donors based on their personal interests, location, and so much more!

Data Hygiene / Data Processing – Amplify the power of your mail files so you can reach the most critical donors!

Without choosing the right audience, even the most perfect mail piece is destined to fail!

It’s so important that the design and print of a direct mail piece is of the highest quality – but if that piece is going to the wrong audience its potential impact could be lost. Working with your agencies and list brokers to ensure you’re choosing the right audience for your message is key to the success of your campaign and potential donations!

Mail Shop – The Ins and Outs of Mail Shop

Choosing the right mail shop partner is about more than just price!

In preparing my presentation of the day, I wanted to bring in a big lesson I have learned working as a Senior Sourcing Manager in the Resource Department. I am always bidding out big annual program RFPs for new and existing clients, and have found that choosing the right mail shop partner is about more than just whoever has the lowest price. Understanding a mail shop’s capabilities and specialties is crucial to picking the right fit for a mail program.

The USPS & Postal Logistics

Participate in USPS promotions to combat ever-increasing postage rates!

With postage rates increasing twice a year, participating in USPS promotions is more important than ever! Make sure you are enrolled and taking advantage of every promo you can! There are several promotions going on now and coming up through the end of 2024.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s DMAW Production Day, be sure to check it out next spring. In the meantime, if you are interested in a crash course in Production 101 with Production Solutions, register for our next session scheduled for May 8^th at 2 pm EST.