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world, but the target audience, who are often marketing folks, think of these solutions in broader terms," says Foley. "This is where a service provider can actually add greater value if they think outside the box." So, let's get down to the bare bones. According to the PODi blog, the aim of cross-media marketing is pretty simple. "The point of cross-media is to make print more effective, and to measure by how much, by connecting it to digital media channels, which are more easily measurable." Adds Foley, "The idea is to increase interaction and engagement with the audience in the channel and media they are in or the channel/media they use." Right Way, Wrong Way Before we look at some real world examples and considerations, let's outline some obvious pitfalls. First, it is not nearly enough to possess the technical skills to pull off a successful cross-media marketing effort. The one thing that marks most, if not all, failed efforts is a lack of strategy. Tactics are fine, but aren't worth much without a strategy behind their deployment. A potential customer might get all tingly about the spiffy new technology, such as personalized URLs or QR codes, but there has to be a strategic objective. What do you want to accomplish and how will each piece of the campaign help reach that goal? In addition, you also have to set the right expectations and know the target audience and their wants, needs, desires, and influences. One example of a successful cross-media campaign comes from Latcham Direct, an XMPie customer in Europe. It involved Time Magazine Europe, which was handling its subscription process by having customers fill out and mail order forms. Latcham Direct created an online subscription process using cross-media XMPie solutions. The launch was a mailing pack with a subscription solicitation letter, loyalty card, flyer, and return envelope. Each letter also contained a personalized landing page (PURL) to subscribe online. Some 30 percent of prospects responded online to the first cross-media campaign. It was used twice more and ultimately reached 1.6 million potential subscribers and had a 75 percent conversion rate of those who visited their PURL. Closer to Home Of course, the Time campaign is pretty large scale and it seems as if cross-media is a bit farther along in Europe than in the US. However, here are some insights from a variety of printers and print vendors, both here and abroad. "We use several forms of media to push messaging," says Roger Buck, marketing director at The Flesh Company. "However, I'll be the first to say we probably don't do 'real' cross media effectively. We use some media based on the target audience. We use email for a large portion of our accounts and other media for those where we do not have emails. But in my mind, a true cross-media program is pushing the same message to the same target to increase the opportunity for a response through multiple views. We attempt this by using email combined with magazine ads and some direct mail." "(Cross-media) is something we're working on now," says Paul Gardner of Hudson Printing in Salt Lake City, UT. "We've got a great small team together and are seeing significant opportunities. Surprising how little most marketers we've talked with understand about the power of print—and encouraging that most are eager to learn." "In the UK there is a massive market to be exploited," says 14 QUICK PRINTING / December 2013 Richard Allen, director of business development at Kingsdown in Taunton, UK. "Once again it comes down to educating our clients and prospects and telling them that we, as printers, are the experts. I think the biggest hurdle is to ensure that the client/prospect truly comprehends cross-media and the benefits, of which there are so many." "I have been involved in campaigns, demonstrations, and presentations," Allen continues. "Everywhere I go the reception is very positive, but it is quite a departure from 'normal' marketing processes and sometimes it takes time for the client to establish the project, ownership, and to plan a campaign. The concept is not new, but the execution is. There are currently not enough examples in the marketplace." Troy Lister, manager of digital services at ADR in Benton, KS, notes: "We are starting to do a lot of it ourselves. We've had the capabilities for years, but didn't know what to do with them, exactly. Now we've partnered with some ad agencies and are seeing things take off. We've found that the most important factor to get started is putting together a good team with strengths that complement each other." Reimagine Communication "We have to think outside of the box and look to what the customer is trying to accomplish to come up with the most effective marketing campaign for them," says Foley. "I think cross-media is being practiced in the printing industry, but not nearly to its fullest potential." The PODi Insights blog notes: "Cross-media for the next decade will mean much more than personalized URLs. Social media is here to stay, and print easily hooks into that. And now mobile is the fastest growing new digital medium. QR codes and Intelligent Print Recognition enable print to become interactive with mobile devices. Print with embedded NFC tags is just around the corner. Opportunities will abound." "I believe cross-media is still growing slowly due to the complexity of truly effective campaign development," says Buck. "Between pre-campaign data analysis—assuming you have the data—campaign media selection, campaign development, launch, and tracking, it's not something you learn do to in a short time frame. It's an ongoing education." ◗◗ w w w. M y P R I N T R e s o u r c e . c o m