Color copies are very valuable marketing tools if you carefully create them with end user in mind.

The color copies of your marketing and sales materials could become one of the most sophisticated marketing pieces in your arsenal. To help you create the most effective printed pieces for your marketing efforts, take a look at the case studies below, as we detail the good, the bad, and the ugly of color printed marketing materials. Other less standard pieces such as door hangers will enlarge the scope of opportunities. Door hangers are superb pieces that can be customized to achieve high rates of response

These are real pieces that came in the mail. We hope that the comments will be useful, the next time you create your next advertising piece.

1. Tire Kingdom uses Personalized Direct Mailing made through digital copies


Tire Kingdom is keeping a good record of their customers and are most likely running a software that predicts usage of their vehicle. Based on the data collected from their customers during previous visits to their stores, Tire Kingdom creates highly personalized pieces such as the one shown above. In this case (circled in red) the company is using the client's name, the vehicle's type and based on their estimates, the type of service required. The use of specific data when printing digitally (utilizing the color copy technology) is known as Variable Data Printing or VDP.

Score: 8 out of 10 points

Recommendation:

Include a report of the previous visit explaining what type of maintenance work was done.

Color Copies USA is able to produce this type of sophisticated print marketing and direct mailing campaigns. By using a database, our database department wil create a powerful personalized marketing piece for your company.

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2. El Dorado Furniture


El Dorado Furniture went straight to the point with their message. They know that the first thing people look at when getting the mail is the addressee's name. As soon as you do so with this piece, you immediately find out in a simple way, what this piece is about and whether you are interested in it. In this case, if you do become interested, there is additional information of the other side of the piece.

Score: 9 out of 10 points

Recommendation:

Include directions to the closest store.

At Color Copies USA, we can develop a print marketing strategy that can produce the same result once the recipient gets your piece. We have a team of graphic artists and photographers that will turn your vision into a marketing reality.

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3. Community Blood Center


The Community Blood Center is recruiting volunteers for donating blood. The first thing I notice is that there's a free download music card involved but finding out the essence of the piece is not easy. The message is not clear, the thank-you gift doesn't seems attractive, and the hours when donations are accepted are not posted. Too much effort on the receiver's end has to be done to determine the message from this direct mail piece!

In terms of the cost of mailing this marketing message, their 4"x6" postcard costs the same postage as a larger piece.

Score: 4 out of 10 points

Recommendation:

A larger size would not have increased the price much, but would have been more effective. This direct mail peice requires a redesign. Putting the focus on the noble cause of blood donation is much more powerful than the music download card as a thank you gift.

Read more critiques on actual direct mail pieces.