Explaining 1:1 Personalized Print to Customers

Have you ever tried to explain the value of 1:1 (personalized) printing to a client? It’s not easy. Not only does it require them to think in a different language—a language of databases, “rules,” and return on investment—but it is also a Hydra, with so many heads to tackle that it can be overwhelming.

How do printers used to “talking technology” suddenly shift into the gear and language of marketers? What resources do they use to communicate the message? They can’t just whip out a spec sheet anymore.

At least with short-run digital printing, you could show samples and price lists, and at least on the most basic level, marketers could fill in the gaps. With 1:1 printing, however, the level of explanation, the need for examples and hypotheticals, is far deeper. The cost-benefit of 1:1 isn’t as easy to visualize as short-run printing and just-in-time fulfillment.

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