Insert Media: Panel Uncovers Keys to Hidden Savings

A bulk distribution approach can help keep the high costs of insert media in check. This was the primary theme of an insert media session at last week’s DM Days New York Conference & Expo. Whether it applies to printing your inserts or distributing your mailings, doing so in bulk will help to save you money, the speakers emphasized.

“Talk with your printers to find ways to add volume to your orders,” recommended Deborah Durst, Sr. national account executive for Direct Technologies, and one of three panelists at the seminar. “Find a partner to print with to add quantity to your printing to reduce costs.” Durst stressed creating partnerships, especially with your printers.

Bulk product distribution also yields cost savings. “Insert mail has an advantage in that it has a commonality of date,” said panelist James Reifenberg, chief marketing officer of Fairrington Transportation, a provider of logistic services to the general manufacturing distribution marketplace. “This can allow you to control delivery. Run an annual insert date, then stagger the release dates.” He added that controlling your shipping to bulk shipments only helps to eliminate unnecessary shipments, and therefore added costs. Formatting your labeling according to the specifications of the warehouse can also help drive costs down, he said.

Cutting out middle men can also cut insert media costs. For instance, “Go direct to your transportation provider, instead of having the printer manage the distribution who charges a fee to do this,” Durst said. What’s more, proof of delivery is critical to keeping costs down, and insert media companies need to know that their inserts have gotten into the hands of their consumers. “You need full visibility. So make sure you’re able to watch your product,” Reifenberg said. This can be done through online tracking of your shipment to help ensure on time delivery.