Precision Disc Blog

Let’s assume that you are already well-versed in the basics of direct-mail marketing. Now all you have to do is get your target market to spend a moment or two to consider your message. Easier said than done!

In order to get seen, your direct-mail needs to visually stand out from the blizzard of competing marketing materials, because one postcard (or pamphlet, or brochure, etc.) looks much like another despite catchy graphic design and clever phrases.

If you want to get noticed, don’t do the same things your competitors are doing!

Improve the return-on-investment of your direct-mail campaigns!

The use of CD and DVD media for marketing purposes makes economic good-sense, both for production and distribution.  Choose CD and DVD media for greater effectiveness and return-on-investment.

1. Direct-marketing response rates are between 50% and 600% greater than with traditional direct mail (typical print direct mail generating 1-2% response rates versus CD/DVD direct-mail generating between 3% and 12% response rates).

2. Research has also shown that marketing with CD/DVD provides 50% to 60% greater memory retention than with traditional printed materials (10-20% retention with print versus 40-60% with CD/DVD).

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Precision Disc Manufacturing Corp. provides factory-direct CD and DVD manufacturing services, print and eco-packaging solutions and ships daily to clients throughout the United States and Canada.

Of particular interest to business clients is our line of CD Business Cards, Mini CD and Mini DVD discs, as well as an ever-expanding line of eco-friendly CD Sleeve and CD Digipak packaging solutions.

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Most people are familiar with the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” which warns us that what lies within may not be properly represented simply by what you see on the surface or facade. When you’re marketing your CD product quite the opposite holds true as the CD packaging needs to encourage and convince consumers of the value and worth of the disc inside.

Competition is fierce in today’s marketplace with a blizzard of marketing and advertising messages vying for our attention, along with retail shelves and e-store pages lined with products to wade through. Now more than ever it’s important to make an excellent first impression, because a few seconds worth of cursory review may be the only chance your product is going to get. With that being the case, your CD packaging decisions need to be properly thought through.

There are a large number of packaging styles to choose from which include off-the-shelf products as well as custom printed or custom manufactured items. You need to pick a CD packaging style that will be well suited for the type of distribution or environment your product will encounter. Is it a retail product that will be sitting on a shelf surrounded by competing products or perhaps it’s an item that will be purchased on-line and shipped by postal mail or courier? Is it a disc that will be primarily distributed from hand-to-hand through an organization or will it be included within other materials such as in a seminar kit?

The type of package requires careful consideration because you need to determine what level of safety and security the disc will require to survive its environment and what amount of graphics and visual appeal will be required to properly ‘dress up’ the package to entice the consumer to purchase it. A good way to gain some insight is to look at what type of CD packaging the leaders in your industry are using and to evaluate what types of societal trends are in play, such as a shift to environmentally-friendly products and manufacturing methods.

After you’ve picked the style of packaging you will need to consider graphic design (assuming it is applicable to your needs). With the affordability of powerful home computers and ready access to commercial grade graphic design software, an entire generation of do-it-yourself amateur designers has been born. More than any other factor, amateurish design provides the largest impediment for a product trying to make the all-important ‘good first impression’ in a highly competitive marketplace. Again, an excellent benchmark is to look at the most successful of your competitors and evaluate the style and professionalism of their graphic design. Ideally, your product needs to look as good – or better – than theirs.

The final stage of your decision making process will be whom to choose to produce your CD packaging materials. A popular packaging style and impressive graphics will quickly be negated if the quality of printing, assembly and finishing is sub-standard. Do your homework on any potential vendors, always get written quotations from at least three different companies and request samples of work that will be similar in scope to your own. Here’s one final piece of advice: Plan ahead and don’t rush, because there’s another popular old adage that says, “Haste makes waste.”

What would your business cards say if they could talk? Better yet, what you want them to say? If you had a CD Business Card not only would you have a business card that could ‘talk’ but you’d also have one that could display video, text, graphics, documents and even connect to your website. Imagine handing something that powerful and that dynamic to a prospective customer or client – it would raise your promotional and marketing efforts to an entirely new level.

Behold the marketing tool that can provide all of the following benefits in a single easy to use and low cost format:

• The visual impact of television
• The audio impression of radio
• The detail of a catalog
• The targeting of direct mail
• The interactivity of the internet
• The cost-effectiveness of commercial print
• And the sophistication of new media

While this may sound like a novel concept it’s all based on the same CD manufacturing technology and that has been used for years. Despite its distinctive size and shape it’s no different than any other CDROM and works like any other: Simply place it into any tray-loading CD or DVD computer drive and let the disc and its contents go to work.

As a marketing tool the CD Business Card is the perfect marriage of media and message. The unique and eye-catching disc makes it stand out from traditional marketing materials and helps to increase its longevity and the perception of its value. Bottom line, by breaking the cycle of junk-mail, brochures, pamphlets and catalogs, the success rate and return on investment of your direct-marketing efforts increases.

The disc is the delivery vehicle for the message, but it’s the message that makes the viewer really take notice. Despite its diminutive appearance the disc has enough storage capacity to deliver a dynamic and meaningful presentation that makes a lasting impression about your company, products, services and brand. Through the use of multimedia you have the unprecedented ability to inform, stimulate, educate and even entertain your target audience. Discs are the only physical media which has the ability to link through to the business website for immediate contact, breaking news, premium/incentive offerings, additional information, etc. Providing a link through to your website gives you the ability to measure response, educate the visitor on a wider range of products/services, generate web-commerce, and provides increased hits to support on-line advertising revenue streams.

The effectiveness of marketing with a CD Business Card is remarkable. Research has shown that direct-marketing response rates are between 50% and 600% greater than with traditional direct mail (typical print direct mail generating 1-2% response rates versus disc direct mail generating between 3% and 12% response rates). Research has also shown that marketing with CDs provides 50% to 60% greater memory retention than with traditional printed materials (10-20% retention with print versus 40-60% with CD/DVD).

As easy to distribute as regular paper business cards, your CD Business Card is a natural for meetings, presentations, trade shows, direct-mail and as ‘leave behinds’. If sales is the life-blood of your company you’ll want to investigate this little disc for yourself. It may be small but it carries a big marketing punch.

A quick Top-5 list of reasons to promote your business using DVD duplication.

1. DVD duplication provides a single delivery method for marketing and promotional information that cannot be matched by any other form of direct marketing:

» Use of video has the same visual impact of Television.
» Use of audio has the same impression as Radio.
» Provides the detail of a printed Catalogue.
» Has the targeting of Direct Mail.
» Can provide the same interactivity as the Internet.
» Provides even better cost-effectiveness than Commercial Print.
» Portrays the sophistication of New Media.

Through the use of multimedia design, DVDs can relate sounds, images, ideas, and information that can inspire, educate, stimulate, and even entertain the viewer or listener.

2. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to do something unique, different and, whenever possible, something different than what your competitors are doing. Despite the incredibly powerful message that DVD duplication can deliver, the vast majority of direct-marketing is still done using ‘traditional’ means: Bulky catalogues, clumsy brochures and all manner of junk-mail. Or in other words – fodder for garbage cans and recycling bins.

3. Research has shown a response rate between 50% and 600% greater than traditional direct-mail marketing (ie: typical print direct mail generating 1-2% response rates versus disc direct mail generating between 3% and 12% response rates).

4. Research has shown that memory retention is 50% to 60% greater with disc-based multimedia presentations than traditional printed materials (ie: 10-20% retention with print versus 40-60% with discs). Additionally, DVD duplication is more cost effective to manufacture and distribute (in many cases 10% to 40% less expensive) than catalogues, brochures, booklets, etc. Additional savings are realized on postage/shipping costs due to the reduced weight when compared to many printed pieces.

5. Discs are the only physical media which has the ability to link through to your website for immediate contact, breaking news, premium/incentive offerings, additional information, etc.  Marketing through DVD duplication helps to drive website traffic, measure responses to your marketing campaign, generate web-commerce and provides increased hits to support on-line advertising revenue streams.

When you combine the dynamic and meaningful message with such a unique and practical delivery method and then factor in the low-cost of duplication and distribution, you will find no better means to promote your business, products and services than with DVD duplication.