Your Customers, Their Advertisements. Who Gains?
Posted on Thu, Dec 01, 2011 @ 12:27 PM
Your Customers, Their Advertisements. Who Gains?
There is bidding frenzy for your customers being conducted print service bureaus nationwide, and it is going on right under your nose. This stir in the market is being driven by large print-centric hardware and software providers hoping to extend the life of their antiquated, print-based business model. They figure one way to ward off becoming a commodity is by making your customer statements a billboard for advertising brokers and third-party retailers. On the surface it may seem tempting to sell available white space on your printed statements to advertisers and make a little money in the process. But before you buy into the hype let's look at the real world implications.
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For years you have worked hard to secure customers, build brand loyalty and foster a meaningful relationship with your customers. Your transactional documents -- statements, invoices and other business correspondence -- go to customers that have an established association with your organization. Is it worth a couple of pennies per statement to confuse your clients with advertisements that have no relation to your brand or the products you provide?
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Suppose a particular advertisement imbedded in your white space is issued from an organization that your customer had a bad experience with in the past. You now have endorsed that third party by virtue of the advertisement. Your company is forever linked to that organization in the mind of your customer. Any relationship your customer has with that advertising organization, either in the past or in the future, will reflect on you. Is it worth the risk?
Selling your white space rarely results in meaningful return and is hardly worth the risk and effort. In reality, the hardware and software provider takes the bulk of the revenue between the advertising brokers and retailers. The remainder of the revenue is used to entice the print service bureau into offering the service to their customers. In the end, user companies don't see much, if any, return other than perhaps some free printing in exchange for intimate access to your customers.
Customer loyalty, respect and trust are too valuable to be sold on the open market for pennies on the dollar. Contact us today to find out how we can help you use your monthly transactional communications to offer additional services, products that build your brand...not someone else's.