By Barb Pellow, InfoTrends
 

Insert media is part of today’s mainstream media mix. It incorporates a wide range of vehicles, including package inserts, blow-ins, statements, co-ops, FSIs, sampling, space advertising, and the Web. From apparel, checks, cosmetics, and collectibles to finance, health, insurance, and labels, both mass-market and niche mailers are using insert media. The response rates are not as high as for solo direct mail, but insert media and package insert programs offer advertisers a cost-effective way to reach buyers, virtually at the point of purchase, when interest levels and visibility are high. Additional areas with continued growth include blow-ins, statement inserts, and ride-along programs, which typically offer large volume as well as relative exclusivity.

In today’s market, both insert brokers and managers provide these services to clients. Insert brokers provide clients with all the critical elements of successful mail order advertising. They help clients streamline offline communications with the objective of improving ROI. The services that they provide include media selection, media scheduling, media buying, and analysis of response data for a number of different vehicles, including:

·         Package Insert Programs

·         Blow-in Programs

·         Statement & Invoice Programs

·         Ride-along Programs

·         Cooperative Programs

·         Card Decks

·         FSIs (Free Standing Inserts)

·         Take Ones

There are also managers that work with the corporate accounts to identify non-competitive inserts that will ride inside their outbound packages, catalogs, and statements. The owners can generate immediate revenue; offset postage, printing, and shipping costs; increase exchange opportunities; and enhance the value of their packages. Examples of the insert media programs they develop include:

·         Package Insert Programs

·         Blow-in Programs

·         Ride-along Programs

·         Statement & Invoice Programs

·         Cooperative Programs

Paulette Kranjac, President and CEO of List Process Direct and a former DMA Insert Media Council member, summed up the difference between a manager and a broker by using an apartment building analogy. Think of an apartment building that needs to be rented out—the managing agent has to fill all of the units, while the real estate broker’s job is to locate the best apartment for the client. The insert media manager works to sell all available insert media ad space in the envelope, while the broker ensures that the client has the best available circulation for their ad.

As a member of the insert media world who understands the benefits of TransPromo, Paulette Kranjac attended this year’s TransPromo Summit. According to Kranjac, “The ability to move from the traditional insert to an onsert opens new opportunities for insert media specialists and our client base.” Kranjac highlighted the following benefits for the advertisers she serves:

·         Reduced printing costs

·         Higher open rates with the information on the “face” of the statement

·         A customized, more personal approach

·         Improvements in response rate, especially with regard to coupon redemption

·         Improved quality of recipients

·         An eco-friendly approach

After examining the world of insert media, it has become clear to me that we have a shortfall in our approach to TransPromo. Equipment vendors, software suppliers, and consultant organizations like InfoTrends need to build awareness among world insert media brokers and managers about the transformation from inserts to onserts. The insert media professional is the intermediary between buyers, sellers, and the onsert opportunity for TransPromo. Now is the time to capture this missing link in the value chain. We need to collaborate, reach out, and educate the insert media market. Doing so can provide benefits to everyone!