I will be writing about InfoTrends’ second annual TransPromo Summit in more detail in the pages of WhatTheyThink, but I just wanted to take a moment to scribble down a few thoughts at the conclusion of the first day.

Last year, there were about 300 attendees at the first TransPromo Summit. August in New York? Not necessarily at the top of everyone’s tourist destination. And this year is a difficult year, what with drupa, the overall economic situation, rising air fares and all of the other things business people are worried about these days. This year shows about a 30% increase in attendance, with about 400 people at the Summit. And the increased clarity and sophistication of the content reflects a market opportunity that is rapidly maturing.

The international blend of transactional document issuers, software and service providers and equipment manufacturers at this year’s TransPromo Summit has generated some lively discussions. The audience has been very engaged, with lots of questions, and the presenters are delivering not theoretical pontifications, but real results based on real campaigns that are delivering amazing results. This is backed up by recent InfoTrends research that does a great job of documenting where we are today and where we need to go next.

Industry veteran and InfoTrends Group Director Barb Pellow kicked off the session by introducing to the audience the concept of Simplexity – the title of a new book that talks about how complex things can be simple and simple things complex. This is the perfect concept to help kick TransPromo to the next level. The technology infrastructure for TransPromo is now the simple part. The complex part is more human-related—organizational issues, and even a lack of creativity and vision on the part of implementers.

We have been trying to get variable data and personalization kicked into gear for nearly two decades. What I find interesting is that the perceived obstacles to variable data implementation are the same ones marketers profess to see with TransPromo. It boils down to not being able to see a clear ROI. Hello! It has been proven over and over again that relevant, personalized content (and the effective use of color) drives improvements in response rates and other metrics important to marketers. The issues with TransPromo are no different. But the benefit with TransPromo is that marketers are communicating with an audience that has opted in. The transaction document issuer is a trusted supplier (usually). The documents ARE opened and read. The data is available, and presumably accurate since these are largely bills and statements. As an industry, we need to address Simplexity … Pellow compared it to Google, calling Google’s home page the flag for simplexity, with the functionality of the most complex Swiss Army Knife, but a simple and elegant interface.

If this year’s Summit is any indication, the TransPromo revolution is truly on its way. Big issuers and the service providers that support them “get it.” And they are not only implementing, but are beginning to be willing to share actual results. The next big opportunity, according to Pellow, is to bring this application to the mid-market. According to InfoTrends research, 54.4% of respondents generate between 1000 and 99,000 statements monthly, and there are millions of businesses doing this. With entry level software from providers such as Elixir, Printable and Prinova, TransPromo is within reach of smaller companies and the service providers that support them.

But watch out, USPS! Direct mail is split about 50/50 between customer retention and customer acquisition. If marketers were to take full advantage of TransPromo to leverage customer touch points and eliminate the need for separate mailings to communicate with customers, using transaction communications as the primary printed dialog with the customer, what will that do to mail volume? Of course, not all direct mail will be supplanted by promotional messages on transactional documents. But if even a quarter of them were, the postal service, and the print service providers whose livelihood depends on direct mail, are surely going to take a hit. Time will tell. But it is certainly a warning that anyone involved in direct mail production should sit up and take notice.

Simplexity: The consumer sees a simple, elegant interface, and the complex inner workings make it all happen. This is the mantra for the future of TransPromo. Stay tuned to WhatTheyThink for more.