• What is DDM?


• What will DDM do for my organisation?


• How is DDM different to what I do now?


• Is DDM a cost effective investment for my organisation?


• Can DDM be tailored to suit all of our requirements?


• What do the terms Transactional and Promotional mean?


• What about my existing programs and legacy systems?


• I want to know more, so what do I do now?

What is DDM?

Firstly, we need to understand the term media, which is commonly used to describe forms of communication. In this section, media refers to digitally printed and electronic communication, though naturally the term also encompasses newspapers, magazines, television and so on.

DDM is the name we have given to the concept of introducing ‘intelligence’ to the process of producing and delivering these communications.

[ Top of Page ]

What will DDM do for my organisation?

Organisations that send out very similar communications to each of their clients or prospects usually convey the same message to everyone and therefore consistently miss response and activity opportunities, through failing to acknowledge the unique properties of their clients.

Haven't you ever thought how powerful it would be if you could communicate with each of your clients and prospects on a more individual and personal basis? Well you can! You can tell them about what products and services you offer that are relevant only to their needs and not waste time and space telling them about the things that aren't. You can produce incentives and rewards, choosing whether or not to offer it to an individual and, if so, what value of incentive to offer - this could be based on last quarter's turnover for example.
Put on your 'marketing hat' and think of the opportunities in your organisation - they're vast!

[ Top of Page ]

How is DDM different to what I do now?

Traditionally, we have simply 'printed' data on to a static template or business form - a customer's name and address and their account balance for example and then possibly distributed them all via the same means - perhaps by post.

DDM however, harnesses the potential contained within the data itself and then uses it to dynamically create bespoke templates on to which the data can then be printed. Then, conditionally, choosing to output to a particular colour or black and white printing device, create and send an email or even generate an image file to feed in to a document archival system - a truly bespoke communication for each recipient.

[ Top of Page ]

Is DDM a cost effective investment for my organisation?

Until recently, the DDM concept has been an expensive investment, prohibitive to all but the largest institutions, often involving a team of programmers to configure the core system and the payment of significant fees for alterations as your business requirements change over time. As with all advancements in technology, there is gradual erosion in the cost base and it becomes more affordable to a larger market. DDM is becoming a more and more cost effective investment for most SME businesses and, with major advances in usability, the system is usually configurable and changeable by a system administrator, without the need for external specialist assistance.

[ Top of Page ]

Can DDM be tailored to suit all of our requirements?

At the fine end of the DDM spectrum is one2one marketing (which I'll explain later in this section), which utilises the DDM concept to its maximum. At the opposite end of the DDM spectrum there are simple uses whereby you may, for example, decide to omit certain pages from a document because the recipient is an existing client and will have already received this information previously. So, DDM can be used heavily or otherwise, to meet the specific needs for each application.

True one2one marketing communicates with profiled recipients using what 'appear' to be individually created documents. This ability to create individually tailored documents en-masse is the basis of viability for DDM. Because one2one marketing is entirely appropriate to the needs, profiles and statuses of each recipient, these communications attract far higher activity and response rates than those of a traditional 'blanket', non-DDM nature.

[ Top of Page ]

What do the terms Transactional and Promotional mean?

Business communications fall into two distinct categories; transactional and promotional. Transactional communication is primarily the means of reporting accounting information, such as invoices, credit notes and statements. Promotional communication is primarily the means of advertising, such as new opportunities to purchase, special promotions and discounts. DDM is extremely powerful when implemented with transactional or promotional communications.

[ Top of Page ]

What about my existing programs and legacy systems?

Our systems can integrate seamlessly with your current programs, legacy data and business rules. Manual, or touch less processes can be freely set up, with no disruption to your current working practices.

[ Top of Page ]

I want to know more, so what do I do now?

After initial qualification, Integrated Futures will provide you with the consultation and expertise necessary, to establish the level of integration and automation most suitable to your organisation. The modular and scaleable architecture enables a low initial outlay and a rapid ROI. We can demonstrate these and other significant cost savings and benefits during the early stages of discussion.

[ Top of Page ]