Having doctors and health care providers recommend their products is an integral part of market share building strategies. Direct mail is one way that Pharma companies inform doctors and health care providers about their products and services.

Direct mail using variable data printing is proving to be the most effective way to market. Variable data printing is defined as printing of any type that contains unique information to the intended recipient.

The medical field is about as specialized as any industry in our economy. Sending a sales kit to an orthopedic physician about a drug that helps constipation, would hardly be considered effective use of a marketing budget. The ability to use data to target specific potential purchasing behavior allows Pharmaceuticals the most efficient use of their direct mail dollar.

Variable data printing also allows for personalization of a mail piece. A common practice of pharmaceutical companies is to hold dinner seminars to explain the benefits of a given product. With variable data printing the invitations can be personalized for each Physician or Health Care Provider. An invitation that is personalized is much more likely to be read, which in turn increased the chances of attendance. Variable data printing can be used to follow up after the meeting as well. Other data can also be personalized to allow for cost savings.

You can print an entire nationwide campaign together with unique entries for data such as meeting dates, times and locations. This allows companies to receive bulk discounts on printing without having to sacrifice customization. Bulk postage discounts can be as much 40%. It is easy to see why variable data printing is an easy sell for printing companies that work with the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Variable data printing can be used on any print piece you can think of; sell sheets, postcards, invitations, business cards, fliers, brochures, presentations. Combining full color printing and variable data technology we can even customize the images that appear on a print piece. For example, if data shows that a certain doctor has a large senior citizen clientele, the print piece can be customized to contain images that would appeal to an aging audience.

You may have seen this type of variable printing if you have ever received a postcard from a car dealership service department with a picture of your model car and exact color.

You may also have received such a piece on a car that you no longer own. It is easy to see that variable data printing will only take you as far as the quality of the data. Companies who make a commitment to using variable data must also make an investment in quality data accumulation. Not surprisingly variable data printing is very popular with many other industries including: Retail clothing, Restaurants, Automotive, House wares, Health Care, and Construction.