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Issue link: https://quickprinting.epubxp.com/i/147657
after the latest subscriber information had been compiled, data for the onsert was sent to SCI with just 48 hours to complete the job. SCI met the deadline with time to spare. Finally, Brown bound the digitally printed signatures with the offset printed signatures, applied the onsert, inserted the mailing into a polybag, addressed, and mailed the November 2011 issue of Popular Mechanics. The concept of personalized advertising that bridged print and online media was put to the test. How would recipients respond? The Popular Mechanics onsert generated a response rate of more than four percent, with 15,228 sweepstakes site visits—exceeding the typical one percent to two percent response rate for direct mail. Mobile platforms accounted for 39 percent of site visits, reports HP's Sexton.Hearst was also able to track the response rate according to the 12 targeted metro regions, which allowed the company to see how different parts of the country responded to the messages. This level of tracking also creates the potential for publishers to alter Web content midstream to adjust for response demographics. "HP technology allows us to offer another level of personal engagement, and we're thrilled with the results we've seen from this first phase of the partnership," says Michael Clinton, president, marketing and publishing director of Hearst Magazines. "It places a new premium on the value of print advertising." According to a custom VISTA survey administered by Affinity Research through PM, readers responded positively to the advertising approach, delivery method, and the HP-branded content. Seventy-four percent viewed HP as "innovative" for delivering a personalized message to them through the onsert, and 82 percent saw the insert as innovative. More than three-quarters of readers reported that they enjoyed reading the content, and two-thirds wanted to see more programs like this one in Popular Mechanics. "Unlike more generic campaigns, this type of personalized advertising delivers specific metrics, so companies know what return they're receiving on their campaign spend," adds Chris Morgan, senior VP of HP's Graphics Solutions Business. The response from other publishers to the HP Innovation Ad Program has been overwhelmingly positive. "HP and Hearst took that leap of faith and we printed [the personalized advertisement] and put it in the magazine. Now everyone wants to know about it," reports SCI's Williams, whose digital print firm gets inquiries about the program nearly every day from publishers. He and ODS's Lovelace see tremendous growth potential for print service providers who need high-volume data processing and printing. "There are so many different applications that this can hit on that we're all going to be busy trying to keep up with it," Williams added. That's one reason why SCI has since upgraded its HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press to a T350. ODS also installed an additional HP T400 at its one-year-old Texas facility. "You don't just want to be the person who prints," Williams advises. "You want to be the one who does more. This was a prime opportunity for companies with a high level of sophistication to step up and show their talents and the power of HP inkjet technology." ✚ Zappos.com Catalog and eMagalog Experiments sharing features that enabled users to share articles and products to their social media pages. Early on in the campaign, Zappos ran ads on Google and Facebook to promote the app. "With this app, we wanted to create more of an experience, rather than just drilling down into 60,000 products with search," said Will Young, engineering director of Zappos.com at the time, who has since moved on to direct Zappos Labs, the frm's research While Zappos.com management is aware of the content customization opportunity ofered by data mining and digital print production, the Internet retailer has "no real plans to invest further, outside of infrequent testing in direct mail," added Darrin Shamo, its director of online marketing. "The magalog was originally conceived as a channel extension for brand co-op, though it evolved to become a way to reach beyond our email house fle," he explained. arm. The e-tailer also stopped producing its "Zappos Life" printed catalog in 2010, after rave reviews a year earlier that average per-transaction sales were consistently twice what it had achieved online. The publication was targeted at the over-40, female crowd, but its momentum fzzled. "After several years of testing and iteration, we determined that the curation required and the return against it no longer justifed its place in the trafc mix," added Shamo. "We still continue to run small test campaigns and will reinstate should the performance ever improve." Just because open minded customers are willing to try new things doesn't mean they always work. But did Zappos.com's experiments fail or were they merely ahead of their time? After only about six months, the Amazonowned online shoe and clothing store zapped the wi-f connection on its "Zappos Now" (ZN) magalog iPad app midway through last year. Launched in late 2011 to complement the Zappos.com shopping app, the digital catalog and lifestyle magazine app sounded like a great idea. ZN included editorial content on current fashion trends and the ability to shop directly within the app. The inaugural issue featured a report on color trends and an interview with a Zappos.com stylist as well as a holiday gift guide. ZN users had the ability to purchase all of the products featured in the editorial pages, make notes about them, and create shopping lists of items to buy later. Previously available on iTunes, it also included social 18 AUGUST 2013 • INKJET'S AGE Not Enough ROI With the beneft of hindsight 15 months later, Young noted recently: "We loved making it [the ZN app] and sharing a new shopping experience with our customers. There was a lot of positive feedback from our customers and our brands, but we didn't quite make the traction we were hoping for. We've shut it down for now and are taking those learnings into new projects." Could those new projects integrate inkjet printed magalogs? Probably not in the present fscal budget at the digi-central frm. www.MyPRINTResource.com