Precision Communications
Hansaprint President and CEO Timo Ketonen says, amid the economic recession and media-sector turmoil, what we need is precision communications, innovation and creativity.
The media sector is in turmoil. The economic crisis has got advertisers adding up their budgets more carefully than ever, and thinking about what to invest in and focus on.
At the same time, the behaviour of consumers and of the media themselves has changed. Media offerings have grown, but fragmented.
Traditional printed products, such as magazines and illustrated catalogues, are still in a strong position, but the electronic media have challenged old operating models. They have added to the number of parallel media realities.
"On the Internet, the public has itself begun to be the content producer in ‘social media' such as FaceBook and YouTube. The role of participation and interactiveness will presumably grow even greater in the future. Mobile media solutions are also developing rapidly, and ‘mobilely' it is possible to offer ncreasingly diverse technical solutions and content," Ketonen muses.
He speculates that the economic crisis could simply speed up the transformation of the media.
"In the current situation, it has become even more important to reach the customer in the right place at the right time, and with the right message," he sums up.
MORE HITS
Ketonen thinks Hansaprint has good chances of doing well in this challenging situation. "In line with its strategy, Hansaprint has invested in multichannel communications solutions," he says.
Hansaprint's range of services includes both traditional printing jobs and, for instance, precisely targeted, personalized direct letters or electronic customer-relationship-marketing content - from story to reality.
Hansaprint's partner in e-media solutions is its sister company Luovia Oy.
"The crucial point is that we don't offer everything every time, but approaches that suit each specific need. We work with the customer to think what is the most sensible and effective way of reaching the recipient," Ketonen says.
"Hansaprint's great strength - targeting and personalizing messages - is becoming increasingly important now, when advertisers are looking for more target hits for less investment."
"We are able to measure the effectiveness of completed campaigns very precisely. The aim of all marketing communications is to increase demand and to augment sales."
"We offer our customers precision weapons against the recession," is how Ketonen puts it.
"We are not a single-issue movement, not just a printing house or just a digital-media agency. Hansaprint is an expert in customer-relationship marketing and an implementer of multichannel marketing-communications solutions."
CONTENT
Targeted, personalized marketing is based on smart analysis of customer information. Ketonen stresses that this is still only a starting point. The technology is only a tool: it is the content and the stories that decide.
"In content, the most sensible - and cost-effective - thing is to invest, not in one-offs, but in longer-lasting solutions, for instance, skilfully constructed campaigns, whose basic framework can be added to later," Ketonen observes.
He mentions as a practical example Luovia's extremely successful, multiyear, multi-channel Felix Abba Pizzaperjantai (Pizza Friday) campaign.
"This campaign relies heavily on music and, this year, they have adopted a heavy-music theme - the campaign website lets you mix your own heavymetal classic or download ringtones," Ketonen says.
"In Hansaprint's own customer-relationship marketing, the Hansapress customer magazine is part of the dialogue with the customer. The image-personalized magazine entices readers to make contact and visit the website. In future, personal customer dialogue will be the most important channel."
IDEAS
Timo Ketonen says innovation is not just one option for coping with the competition, it is a necessity for winning. "Including during periods of economic decline, it is wise to invest heavily in research and development work, and in training and competence development. And that is what we will be doing."
Hansaprint carefully monitors international developments in its fi eld, and also helps create them. This is refl ected in its recent top award in an international digital-printing competition.
Customers play a central role in innovation. They attend joint ideas workshops to look for suitable customerrelationship-marketing solutions.
Ketonen gives an interesting example. "Turku's K-Citymarket retailer Hannu Aaltonen came up with the idea of a special-offer leafl et that could be stuck to a fridge door with a magnet. The result was a totally new product for Hansaprint: a multipurpose HansaMagnet printed on magnetic paper. This is another example of combining an advert with a utility product to serve the consumer."
