Six-figure-quantity direct mailers seem unwise. Junia Phua, Managing Director of award-winning Generic Print based in Singapore, shares with Christel Lee of Print World Asia how to focus on achieving a higher hit rate with a lesser print run.
Many companies lament the minimal percentage hit rate for direct mailers. The usual 1% hit rate can make printing hundreds of thousands of mailers look wasteful. There are even companies who boast of double or triple hit rate growth if you adopt their technologies. However, Junia Phua, Managing Director of Generic Print, begs to differ.
"'Cost-per-copy' is a phrase everybody hates. There are different ways of looking at this phrase. I recommend 'Go for the hit rate!' Sometimes cost per copy can be a good thing. I tell my clients not to go for big quantities if there is a minute percentage of hit rate. I would suggest they go for a 'safer' number (1000 instead of 100,000) – save the cost, eliminate wastage and focus on emphasising the material to ensure hits," Phua notes.
Having said that, Generic Print's clientele are based in Singapore. Phua adds only a minute fraction of his products are exported.
Going Hybrid with the Force
Generic Print is an offset printer who made the transition to hybrid printing. Like many other printers, there was certainly apprehension. "Society is evolving so much that we have to admit print runs have declined. So digital is a beneficial step to take and we can afford to be more creative. This is not to say digital printing will rule out offset. As a user, I appreciate the complementary benefits digital brings to offset," he shares.
Phua's plant used to operate on A2 and A3 four-colour and single-colour offset presses for marketing collaterals and stationery. Today, two Fuji Xerox presses, sit in his production room churning out high-end, award-winning products.
Phua reminisces, "I started this printing company out of the blue, but to stand out I needed to be different. In hindsight, it would be to our detriment if we had not taken the step to hybrid printing."
That bold move has also rewarded Phua with his first PIXI Award trophy from Fuji Xerox. He produced a limited edition book featuring the globally known blockbuster series 'Star Wars'.
"Hybrid printing is one model that allowed us to open up more markets to serve. There are certain features of print that my offset presses cannot execute, which explains the entry of my digital presses. This print model has brought forth a PIXI award trophy for us – through a project we have related to Star Wars. This is a big bonus for us, as we are dealing with a global brand," Phua highlights.
Phua has since set his sights on more award-winning print competitions.
