One-to-One Marketing Can Lead to Increased Profits.

THE days of mass marketing are over. Study after study has proven that more focused, more interactive, more knowledgeable communication with customers makes better use of printing budgets and achieves greater results. So instead of sending one document to 1,000 people, your customers can realize greater rewards by creating 1,000 different, targeted documents and sending one unique message to each specified individual. This breakthrough technology is revolutionizing short-run, full color printing with faster turnaround, targeted custom documents and increased profits.

ACRO Printing Inc., a minority woman-owned business operated by Bonnie Watje, understands the power and potential of one-to-one marketing. In 1991, Bonnie purchased the Whittier-based business from the original 1952 owners with a vision of transforming the small yet successful commercial print shop to a state-of-the-art digital imaging center.

Bonnie and husband Glenn, who has 35 years of printing experience, realized that the commercial printing industry was changing. Customers are demanding color and customized documents even when their budgets are small and their print orders are short. There is a demand for short run digital color because it fills a significant gap in the marketplace that offset printing can not address cost-effectively. Thanks to technological advancements, the short run color printing market is projected to skyrocket 1000% over the next two years -- increasing from a $400 million business to a $4.1 billion business. Bonnie and Glenn knew they had to adjust to the new market trends and meet their customers' requirements. Driven to build on an already successful business, their desire was to eventually pass on their business legacy to their three children, Amy, Sara and Seth, who currently work at ACRO.

When Kathy Smith, Color Marketing Specialist for Xerox Los Angeles Operations, presented Bonnie Watje with the idea of combining variable data with high-speed color digital printing, the concept fit right in with ACRO's strategy. This would enable them to enhance their core business and differentiate themselves from the ten other printers within their five-mile radius. "The XEROX DocuColor 70 Digital Color Press is the first Xerox high end color system to target the commercial printing market. This product is positioned as a complement to offset printing for short run production color and variable data applications," said Bill Valentine, senior vice president, Printing Systems Operations, Xerox Corporation.

Bonnie felt there was no better time to enter into the digital color printing market than right now -- in its infancy. With an established partnership with Xerox, she felt confident in her decision to acquire the Xerox DocuColor 70. Just as important, was Bonnie's trusted relationship with Kathy Smith and the local Los Angeles offices. "Bonnie and her business are very important to us. We have a partnership with ACRO that continues to flourish year to year, and we give a lot of credit to Bonnie's enthusiasm and her ability to embrace new technology," Kathy explained.

At a recent Open House, ACRO had the opportunity to showcase some new and exciting applications while educating their customers about the benefits of one-to-one marketing. "Through Variable Information printing," ACRO explained to her customers, "we can help you create a tangible link between you and your customers. We can do this by cost-effectively creating highly targeted, highly personalized messages that have been proven to secure profitable results."

Equipment demonstrations made believers out of the 250 guests as "offset quality" books, manuals, business forms, catalogs, proof runs, newsletters, signs and brochures were produced before their very eyes, at 70 impressions per minute. "When a guest arrived, we took their picture, asked them a few personal questions, such as 'what's your favorite vacation spot?' When they left, we handed them a custom calendar with their name and photograph against their favorite vacation backdrops. It was a fun way to show our customers the marketing appeal of personalization," said Bonnie. ACRO even applied one-to-one marketing to their open house invitations by creating a series of four catchy, personalized post cards that were mailed to their database. The result? A record-breaking open house attendance.

With technology moving at such a high speed, Bonnie wanted her company to be well positioned for the new millenium. She can now offer her current and prospective customers a host of new digital "marketing tools" as Bonnie puts it. For example, ACRO can now consult with customers who want to use their under-utilized databases to reach their client base in a creative way. ACRO can suggest to a travel services company that they produce personalized vacation itineraries with full-color photos of specific destinations. Or help a major university raise money with personalized fund-raising letters and alumni newsletters by generating nostalgia about the gold old days. With ACRO's services, a home furnishing company can mail out personalized, customized catalogs based on known customer preferences from prior sales while a financial institution can send full-color portfolio breakdowns to major investors.

But the power of one-to-one marketing is in the results. Businesses can experience a 15% response rate versus the standard 2.5% response rate, which translates into increased profits. In addition, a business can effectively remove the time, cost, and complexity barriers of short run, full-color printing by eliminating long lead times and high start-up costs that make color short runs cost-prohibitive. All while offering print quality that rivals offset printing, but with much faster turnaround times.

Bonnie keeps grounded in ACRO's core values as she continues to embrace new technology - "Our business is to help others look professional and stay in business. So we evaluate each project, provide our customers with alternatives and build lasting partnerships. Our equipment must support these core values," she said.

With XEROX's products and services behind her, Bonnie feels confident that she is moving into the digital future with a company she can trust. "I just read that XEROX was named 'Knowledge Company of the Year' for 1999 by KMWorld Magazine, and it confirmed how vital it is to align yourself with a solid company. It's equally important for me to know that can call Kathy Smith anytime, anywhere, and she will pull all the local Los Angeles resources I need to get the job done. Now, that's peace of mind," said Bonnie.

ACRO will continue to stay abreast of technology and network with other commercial printers by attending seminars, national conferences and international trade shows, such as XPLOR and Drupa (the world's biggest and most influential graphic arts industry trade fair). Kathy Smith encourages Bonnie to attend the many local training, workshop and open house events provided by XEROX Los Angeles operations. "The more our customers are informed about technology, the better we can communicate innovative approaches to their business," Kathy said.

ACRO's one-to-one marketing capabilities will help them increase their customer share, and help their customers increase their customer share. "It's a win-win strategy!" said Bonnie.