Royal Mail launches direct mailing online
Royal Mail announced the launch of DM Online, a new first of its kind service for smaller businesses. The service enables users to undertake the whole process of developing a piece of direct mail from conception to mailing, in their own time and with the benefit of Royal Mail's expertise and purchasing power.
DM Online provides a simple and effective solution for those who currently find it hard to access the services they need to use direct mail. The service enables SME's to utilise state-of-the-art web based design tools as well as to gain access to all the elements of the supply chain necessary to undertake a direct mail campaign.
Access to DM Online is via Royal Mail's web site at www.royalmail.com /dmonline
Services available on DM Online include: list purchase, direct mail design, production, mailing and fulfilment, each of which can be tracked and saved at any point. Offline activities such as printing and mailing can also be tracked for progress on the site.
Andrew Kershaw, Head of Media Information for Royal Mail, said: "The DM Online service will enable any business, regardless of size, to benefit from high quality mailing campaigns. This is great news for smaller businesses, as mail is a proven and effective marketing tool, and the only media to ride the current advertising recession."
Kershaw continued: "The service is designed to be as simple as possible, allowing users to experience each step in developing a piece of DM in their own time, utilising a demo that shows the power of DM Online prior to entering the transactional aspect of the site, all whilst following best practice models."
How users create direct mail using DM Online:
At the heart of DM Online is a planning system that enables customers to assess what size of mailing they want to undertake and establish the likely cost.
A number of data options will then be available. If customers wish to find new contacts DM Online enables them to purchase further names that match their existing customers. If users do not have a customer list the site offers the opportunity to build a list of prospective customers from scratch.
At this stage customers now create the mailing piece using a range of templates based around different business sectors (such as retail or restaurants), generic applications (such as customer offers or loyalty mailings) and different formats of mailing (DL, C4, C5 sizes). The system delivers high quality design in minutes, so saving valuable time.
Customers use the template to enter text, source free imagery from the photo library, or upload their own logo and signature for the mailing. The artwork is output as a PDF file and sent to the customer for approval electronically. All work produced is quality checked by Royal Mail's customer service team prior to being sent for approval.
Once approved, customers choose a quantity to be printed based on prices quoted on the site. These prices are provided by an audited print broker whose prices are checked monthly to remain competitive.
At each stage of the process the customer is aware of both the current cost of the project and total anticipated cost of the campaign. Additionally customers have access to an online progress tracking system to ensure they are fully aware of the exact status of their project.
Once the mailing has been sent the customer can access the site to upload their own response data into a personal campaign archive which not only contains all the cost and volume data necessary to undertake campaign analysis but also maintains an electronic archive of their creative work for re-use or modification in future campaigns.
DM Online will be continually evolving, with increasing levels of functionality and additional templates being added on a regular basis, making the DM Online experience both dynamic and invaluable.
