If you're feeling stale with your direct mail, "Direct Mail Simplified" at GRAPH EXPO, coming October 9th, 2012 to Chicago's McCormick Place, is for you.

"Direct Mail Simplified offers a fresh and systematic approach to mail," shared Trish Witkowski, presenter and Chief Folding Fanatic at foldfactory.com. "The goal is to educate people about the end-to-end process of creating effective mail- giving them a foundation of knowledge and the confidence to use mail as a primary marketing medium."

The event is offered in three consecutive sessions, with each session focused on one part of the process: Design Great Mail; Optimize Format; and, Track and Measure. Each hour and a half session provides an opportunity to explore tested techniques, tips, tricks and technologies that will empower attendees to be successful with direct mail. Attendees can register for any one or all three sessions. "I think anyone who attends will be surprised at what they will learn." says Witkowski. "I have been deeply focused on all things direct mail over the past few years, and it became clear to me that there had to be a way to wade through all of the fragmented information and organize mail into a marked thought process and strategy. The journey has been a real eye-opener to me-and I thought I knew a lot about mail. I can't wait to share my research with everyone." "The focus on Direct Mail brings together research and insight gained from across the industry to bring good content and resources to elevate the impact of Direct Mail with integrated marketing," shared Janice Reese, Chief of Industry Buzz with Foldfactory.com.

As GRAPH EXPO attendees strive to meet changing customer demands, this program is a good example of the variety of sessions offered on how to optimize a key component of today's print-integrated campaigns-direct mail, "said Ralph Nappi, President of GASC, producer of GRAPH EXPO.   "Especially now when decisions, and dollars, are based on a multi-channel approach, ROI from every element is essential."

Direct Mail Simplified is a special "bridge" event at GRAPH EXPO, inviting both the print and design community to leverage the power of direct mail. The event is on October 9th, starting with Design Great Mail (10:30–noon), with Optimize Format starting after the lunch period (2:00–3:30pm) and ending with Track & Measure (4:00–5:30pm). To learn more and to register for the show October 7th -10th , visit: www.graphexpo.com.

Show attendees are invited to visit with the foldfactory.com team at the National Girls Who Print Day celebrating at the PrintMediaCenter in Booth #3861 on Monday October 8th from 2-4 p.m. Bring your creative folded direct mail and marketing samples to compete for prizes.
                
Session 1: Design Great Mail
There are many things to think about before starting a direct mail campaign, including the audience, the message, the offer, the format, technology integration, and any creative techniques you might use to engage the recipient. This session will introduce the many components of a direct mail campaign, and will share ideas and real-world solutions and a methodical approach to planning and creating mail.  
Register @ http://bit.ly/QDXBXe

Session 2: Optimize Format
A great design and compelling marketing copy is an important part of the process of creating effective mail, but choosing how that message is delivered will directly affect your bottom line. Make a careless format-related mistake and you could be paying thousands, or even tens of thousands, in needless surcharges. This session will teach you about the wide variety of direct mail formats that you can use, and the rules you need to abide by to get the best postage rates possible.
Register @ http://bit.ly/Qii9CR

Session 3: Track & Measure
Often overlooked completely is the process of testing, tracking and measuring direct mail campaigns. After all, how can you know what works and what doesn't if you are not constantly evaluating your approach and your results? This session will provide valuable information about the techniques and measures effective marketers are using to get the most out of their direct mail campaigns.
Register @ http://bit.ly/RFwgWT

Contact:
Janice Reese
Chief Industry Buzz
Foldfactory.com
[email protected]
615-876-8738