(Read part 1 of this series here. Read part 2 here.)

At the end of 2017, Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends published a research study entitled Pricing for Digital: Exploring New Models for Transactional Communications Delivery. As part of this research, we conducted over a dozen in-depth interviews with print service providers in North America to gain a deeper understanding of the primary pricing obstacles that stakeholders face in today’s changing market. One of the leading issues that our interviewees identified was the challenges they face in developing and marketing pricing plans that encompass composition and delivery of transactional and marketing messages to various print and electronic channels.

For years, many enterprises segregated their customer communications by purpose and channel, often resulting in inconsistent messaging that frustrated customers and wasted opportunities to cross-sell and upsell. Today’s consumers are more empowered than ever, and they are conditioned to expect instantaneous access to information, goods, and services. As they struggle to reach and engage with these increasingly informed consumers, businesses have been forced to reconsider their approaches. End customers are demanding more relevant communications, and enterprise clients are increasingly interested in coordinating their correspondence. The goal is to develop a cohesive approach that makes the most of every customer touchpoint across every channel, and this has given marketers and technology specialists a greater influence over outbound communications.