Individualization is the first of my I’s – the most important part about any relationship in business and life is to recognise the importance of the individual and pay due respect to that status. It’s what the Internet age has brought us, the ability to pick out and highlight that relationship and deploy new ways of reaching them in an individual way. To be able to execute and deploy individualisation in marketing, communication and products is a necessity in this era.
Personalization is another key one of the I’s, this brings a depth of meaning and thought to that communication which has been proven to add value to both the buyer and the recipient. But to do this well, we must be allowed to choose what is truly personal. Without that personal touch it becomes another one of the I’s – Customization, the ability to choose and deliver from a pre-set list of options is not personal, but it is still better than opting for a generic and standard product. In an era when anything is possible, to not explore this almost makes us seem lazy by comparison.
My final one of the I’s is Localization – making very sure that you consider all the ways you can of keeping the commercial heart of your community beating in an ever increasing globalised world. People recognise and appreciate the value of story telling and provinence in products. The added value of being able to support your local community businesses and still offer a level of personalized content goes to the heart of what is required. Recipients of these products are know to attach much more value to the gesture – a personalized local authentic product carries much greater significance in my opinion.
And all of these businesses have one thing in common – they need print. They need print to work for them in a way that they never understood before, they need print to offer solutions for problems they didn’t know they had. And the good news is….it can! I know the temptation for PSP’s is to look to the stars for the “ big “ global brand campaigns as the future, but there is no such thing as a global customer – just a local one!
Keep these thoughts at the heart of what you offer and with Individualization, Personalization, Customization and Localization – I truly believe that the “ I’s “ Have It!!
Richard Askam is an accomplished speaker and successful entrepreneur who now shares his vast experience with other organisations, and individuals, keen to succeed in our ever-changing world. Key topics include: developing brand strategy, customer engagement, acceptance of failure, employee development, understanding (and sometimes avoiding) new technology and, of course, how to treat your customers personally. His tailored presentations will assist any audience with both their immediate and long-term challenges.
Connect with Richard: website / Twitter @richardaskam1 / LinkedIn / Email: richard@richardaskam.com
