The Power of Trigger Mailings

Posted on by DigitalTeam

Author: Melissa Fransen, Marketing Manager

This summer, I placed an order on a website for a family member’s birthday present. Shortly after placing the order, I received a postcard with an offer of 20% off another order. I was looking for another gift for a different family member, so I placed another order, using my 20% off coupon. A few weeks later, I received another postcard with an offer and guess what? I placed another order. I also followed the company’s social media channels.

This is an example of a tried and true trigger mailing loyalty marketing campaign working its magic. And, yes, it works! I went from a first-time shopper to becoming a repeat customer, keeping this brand top of mind along the way. The product quality was great and I received excellent service throughout the process. I was also reminded of my mailed coupon offers through email marketing and through these trigger mailings, I have become a loyal customer to this brand.

How do Trigger Mailings Work?

Have you heard the term Variable Data Printing (VDP)? If not, variable data printing allows your printed piece to be completely customized to an individual based on data and triggers. It is basically the opportunity for 1:1 marketing using print. Check out our blog that is all about VDP and its advantages.

Think about the trigger mailing example I mentioned above. I was sent trigger mailings based on being a first-time customer. They lured me in after my first purchase with an offer. Then, they lured me in with another offer. I became a repeat customer right off the bat. I also plan to do some of my holiday shopping through this brand due to a great experience with all three purchases.

Getting Started with a Trigger Mailing Program Concept

There are many ways that trigger mailings can be used. Think through your customer’s journey with your brand and how you could use triggered mailings to drive business. Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself:

  1. How can I take a first-time customer and turn them into a loyal customer?
  2. How can I take a customer back to the buying journey with their abandoned cart items?
  3. How can I reach out to lapsed customers and bring them back as a customer?

After you’ve thought through these scenarios, then think about all of the marketing channels that you are using to reach that customer and what makes sense from a timing perspective to keep your brand in front of them through all of these channels. Think about where mail makes sense in this equation.

Working with a Printer on a Trigger Mailing Program

Once you have the strategy ready, the next part is executing it. We have a whole team of data experts at Nahan who can help with API integrations, CRM integrations, and custom programming. Once things are set up systematically, the rest is easy. The trigger mailings you have developed automatically take place based on the concept/behaviors you have identified on your plan. Our team at Nahan holds multiple industry certifications to ensure the protection of your data from beginning to end. We help our customers utilize triggered mailings to drive business, and we can help you too.

Ready to Get Started?

Find out more about our marketing services and how we can help you today!

At Nahan, we pride ourselves as being a tech-forward printer who drives results. We invite the opportunity to talk with you about the power of trigger mailings and how you can get started. Why work with Nahan for your trigger mailing program? Check out our 30-second video on what sets us apart. Contact us today!

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Print Partner – Part 2

Posted on by DigitalTeam

Author: Jim Hesch, Customer Service

It can be quite daunting, challenging, frightening and overwhelming to pick a print partner when you have never printed before. It is common to have many questions. That is why we have developed a list of questions to ask to help make this process easier for you.  Last month, we shared the first set of questions to ask in part 1. In this blog, we will address additional questions to ask.

You may not choose Nahan, but we would like to help you choose wisely.

(Also, here is a link to our FAQ’s page, which contains some useful information).

Environmental Commitment

Location

Technology / Data / Security

“Oooh, technology is the part I like. You guessed it, I am a printing geek. I’d love to tell you about some of our new things at Nahan.” Jim Hesch

We love new toys, things that go faster, do better, do more. Our new CLIDE 2.0 was purchased specifically to do the work our customer needed, (plus it is cool).

(CLIDE means custom digital imaging, it is an integrated folding gluing line that can create complicated folds with tip-ons or clean release cards with imaging / ink jet)

New Toys

The quality of our new in-line ink jet on the web press is second to none, our new inserters run at blazing speeds, our new CLIDE line has incredible flexibility for self-mailers with special folds and attachments. Mike, our Warehouse Manager is especially proud of our new Semi truck. We have also invested in two new high-speed Stitchers in the last 3 years and are pursuing automation and efficiencies today as you read this.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Print Partner

Interested in a sample pack? We would love to send you one!

My name is Jim Hesch, head of customer service, 40 year veteran of print and never done learning…

Nahan Receives Best Of Category Win In Five-State Print Competition

Posted on by DigitalTeam

SAINT CLOUD, MN – April 13, 2020 – Nahan Printing, Inc. has received a Best of Category award win in the annual Star Awards, a five-state print competition hosted by Printing Industry Midwest (PIM), the region’s trade association for the printing, communication and graphic arts industry.

Competing against entries from printing and graphic art firms throughout the Midwest, Nahan was proud to receive the award for Best of Category – Web Press Printing (Uncoated Paper), which is the highest honor a printer can receive in this category. The winning entry was a mailer produced for a renowned multi-channel artisan jeweler. Nahan also received two Awards of Recognition in the Brochures and Broadsheet (Large) categories for two Self-Mailer formats for an iconic New York-based luxury brand retailer. In addition to these awards, Nahan also received 12 Certificates of Merit in other various categories.

The Star Awards recognizes those responsible for the creation and production of print communications in the Midwest. The competition promotes excellence in print communications and rewards companies and individuals who produce the best in print media.

“We are very proud of our winning team,” said John Klumb, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“This was a close competition with a very impressive standard of entries. The judging process was very challenging. Nahan should be proud of the company’s achievement and the excellent work done by employees,” said Steve Bonoff, PIM President.

About Printing Industries Midwest (PIM) and Star Awards

For more information about the Printing Industry Midwest (PIM) and the Star Awards, visit PIM’s website at www.pimw.org or call PIM’s office at 612.400.6200.

About Nahan

Nahan Printing is a Minnesota-based, independent, privately-owned, world-class printer committed to providing end-to-end solutions that add value to our clients. Since its inception in 1962, Nahan has specialized in catalog and direct mail printing for industries such as retail, financial services, healthcare, non-profit and hospitality. With a client roster of legendary brands, Nahan prints iconic work that represents the highest level of quality and innovation in the industry. For more information about Nahan, please visit www.Nahan.com.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Print Partner – Part 1

Posted on by Bryan.Formhals

Author: Jim Hesch, Customer Service

It can be quite daunting, challenging, frightening and overwhelming to pick a print partner when you have never printed before. It is common to have many questions. That is why we have developed a list of questions to ask to help make this process easier for you.  We have also included links to content within our own blogs that address these questions.

You may not choose Nahan, but we would like to help you choose wisely.

(Also, here is a link to our FAQ’s page, which contains some useful information).

Quality and Service

Culture

Strategy

Nahan Mission Statement

To enhance our ability to exceed the needs and expectations of our customers and employees, Nahan is dedicated to producing a quality product and providing dependable service through continual improvement

Our Values

Nahan Values

Stop back next month for Part 2, where we will explore other questions to ask, including questions about environmental sustainability, technology, and more!

My name is Jim Hesch, head of Customer Service, 40 year veteran of print and never done learning… I learn the hard way, so you don’t have to 🙂

Nahan Provides Print & Mailing Solutions for Many European Brands Marketing to US Customers

Posted on by DigitalTeam

Author: Melissa Fransen, Marketing Manager

One of the questions that we frequently get asked is if we provide print and mailing solutions to an International customer base that is interested in mailing to the US Market. The answer is a resounding Yes!

In fact, this continues to be one of Nahan’s specialties and something that we feel truly continues to set us apart in the industry. We have quickly become a printer of choice for retailers and agencies alike in the European market.

Nahan Provides Print & Mailing Solutions for Many European Brands Marketing to US Customers

“If you are a start-up or even an established brand looking to market to a US audience and are looking for a trusted print partner, look no further, our team at Nahan is here to become a seamless extension of your marketing team.  We continue to work with so many great people abroad that have become not only clients but good friends, that really trust our Quality & Service.”

Kelly Marthaler, US & International Catalog/Direct Mail Sales Consultant

Commonly Asked Questions

1. We have formats developed for our UK audience and foreign postal requirements. How do we convert our formats to meet the US postal requirements?

Nahan is highly experienced in working with customers to develop efficient size formats for the US postal stream. Weights and size formats that work in Europe don’t always work here in the US. We specialize in adjusting these sizes or format templates to US formats to help minimize cost and reduce postage rates.  Our focus is really on guiding clients closely through the entire process.

2. What about paper? How does this work?

Our team at Nahan is very familiar with foreign paper spec differences and can help transition to US paper stocks that are of equal or greater paper quality and still be competitively priced.

3. With the time difference, can I expect a quick turnaround on quotes?

At Nahan, you can expect a quote within 24 hours or less. We take a lot of pride in quick-turn quotes and communication. You can come to expect the same timely response from our purchasing and customer service teams even when your office is in a foreign country. 

4. What about mailing schedules? How does this work?

Our postal/logistics team at Nahan works with our customers to develop timely schedules based on in-home dates. We walk through this entire process with each of our foreign clients to ensure there is a clear understanding of what in-homes dates work best with each individual marketing plan and how we can minimize cost as well.

5. What about USPS postal promotions, can I take advantage of these?

Absolutely. Our team at Nahan will guide you through the promotions process to ensure you are getting the most cost-effective rates based on your marketing objectives.

6. What about mailing to other markets, such as Canada?

At Nahan, we utilize the assistance of a third party partner to mail to other foreign markets, such as Canada, and do this quite frequently.  We are close proximity to Canada so this is a very close entry point for us.

7. I’m new to this – how do I even start?

Many of our customers that start out with us don’t have experience in expanding their mailing to the US market. No problem at all! We’ll be very happy to guide you through this process so maximum ROI can be achieved.  We want to take the stress of printing and mailing here in the US out of each foreign marketer’s job. 

Interested in learning more about Nahan’s mailing and marketing services? Contact us today! 

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Is Nahan a Printing or Technology Company?

Posted on by DigitalTeam

Author: Pat Nahan, Vice President of National Accounts

As the printing landscape has evolved over the past two decades, we have all seen huge changes in the way we do our jobs.  Long gone are the days of film and even hard proofs in some cases. We have all seen the benefits of other new and exciting technologies that make getting ink, toner or dyes onto your chosen substrate.  All of this is great, but if your printer of choice doesn’t have the IT infrastructure to support your growing needs then are you really seeing the full benefit of what these advancements can do for you?

Digital Workflow

There are many benefits to a digital workflow but the 4 that I feel benefit the customer most are:

  1. Flexibility
  2. Brand Continuity
  3. Speed to Market
  4. Being able to create a truly tailored message to your consumer

Upon entering into the digital printing arena, it became glaringly apparent to us that to take advantage of this new technology we needed to embrace and fully utilize all that these machines could do.  To execute this we had to take a two pronged approach, the first being security. The second focus was being able to adapt to our customer’s unique needs and to mold our processes around those.  Along with this we had to step out of our comfort zone to truly develop technologies that can meet those needs.  

“Looping back to the title now, I feel that we are rapidly becoming a Technology company that is really great at printing.”

– Pat Nahan

Every day we are taking our years of experience with the ‘big iron” of printing and using it to make the new digital presses better.  The amount of technological development and custom programming that we are doing on a daily basis to meet the needs of our customers is constantly expanding.  Processes that were cutting-edge just 5 years ago are rapidly being replaced with new words like, API’s, web interfaces, and custom integrations.  Is your printer ready to help take you to the next level?

Questions to Ask Your Printer

Ask yourself these five questions when you consider partnering with a printer:

  1. What is their programming strength?
  2. Can they do more than just a presort of my data and take advantage of all their digital equipment can do?
  3. What sort of custom integrations have they done before?
  4. Do they have the knowledge to build any sort of return processing or continuity process that I might need?
  5. Are they a printer that thinks they know how to program or a true four color variable expert? 

Contact us today to learn more about Nahan and how we can help with your next project.

Patrick Nahan has over 20 years of print experience and is the Vice President of National Accounts with Nahan. On a daily basis, Patrick shows the “Nahan Difference” to key accounts and has been instrumental in launching Nahan into the forefront of the ever-changing print landscape. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys, working on cars, boating and trying to keep up with a hectic youth hockey schedule!