Today at drupa 2012 (Dusseldorf, Germany, 3-16 May) DirectSmile has launched its latest version of Cross Media - the easy-to-use software solution for the creation of personalised, automated marketing campaigns across print, online and mobile media. Cross Media Version 5 includes a range of new features, designed to enable printers and marketing professionals to generate new business opportunities through easy implementation of sophisticated, targeted cross media campaigns.

Operating DirectSmile Cross Media requires no programming or HTML skills, making it one of the most user-friendly solutions for designing professional e-mails and websites. This approach has now been improved further, as the software will actively assist the user with the creation of websites. Cross Media Version 5 indicates if final touches on a web page are needed, like a link not yet assigned to an address or a button for which an action needs to be defined.

“Today’s consumer is inundated with marketing messages and as such, brands need to ensure that their message is relevant, targeted and can be communicated across a number of different platforms,” said Harry Raaphorst, Managing Director, DirectSmile. “To anyone who has only ever provided one element of a campaign, this can seem like a daunting task, but that is why we developed Cross Media with the user experience in mind. Our objective is to enable companies, and in particular printers, to offer a comprehensive service across all communication channels, even if they have little or no digital media experience, and Cross Media Version 5 is our most user-friendly solution yet.”

Ensuring that companies can easily integrate all media into their customers’ marketing campaigns, DirectSmile Cross Media Version 5 now enables straightforward creation of mobile landing pages, sales and marketing apps and automated SMS sending. This new tool opens up even more opportunities for innovative mobile sales and marketing strategies, linking print, mobile and online media to further increase campaign effectiveness. Salespeople can now use their phones to enter customer information directly into a database or trigger reminder e-mails to their contacts, and customers can scan a QR code into their mobiles to link to a website or personalised URL (PURL).

‘Dynamic Document’, another new feature of Cross Media Version 5, further enhances and simplifies the design process for the printed element of the campaign. This new online document creation functionality allows users to produce a fully personalised document within the same browser used for website and email creation, eliminating the need for an external layout or design programmes. Simply drag and drop personalised images, introduce QR codes and the imposition editor and colour management tools will ensure the finished document is the optimum quality and ready for print.

Harry Raaphorst continued, “Tell your customers you can deliver personalised content across multiple media channels as well as collect new customer data and track the response rates provided by the digital elements of the campaign, and it’s not surprising they would consider this a complex and impressive feat! But the creative capabilities and intuitive functionalities of Cross Media Version 5 enable companies to deliver all of this and more with little investment and no extra skills. The different applications made possible with DirectSmile Cross Media are endless – from lead generation to customer loyalty ‘tell-a-friend’ campaigns, customer surveys, newsletters and event invitations - creative marketing strategies are no longer limited by the capabilities of technology.”

See how easy it is to introduce a cross-media marketing service and find out how your business could benefit from the new revenue opportunities made possible by this solution - Visit DirectSmile on stand E11 in Hall 7 at drupa.