How to add value to Print: Mastering the Personalisation Experience with XMPie

Phil Gaskin, Business Development Channel Manager at XMPie discusses the importance of enhancing print value through effective personalisation using XMPie. He argues that personalisation should be creative, leverage AI, integrate physical and digital elements, streamline ordering, and be scalable. XMPie's tools facilitate this, enabling the transformation of basic print into impactful marketing.

When your client asks for 50,000 personalised baseball caps, are they really just asking for hats? Not quite! What they truly want is to make each recipient feel like a VIP. They're aiming to create a connection and build a brand-to-consumer relationship, one hat at a time!

But as the print service provider, how can you achieve that goal and take the personalisation experience further than just a name on a cap? How can you craft personalised experiences that truly resonate and don't come across as mere gimmicks?

Let's dive into some innovative strategies and tactics to elevate the personalised experience, showcasing the real value XMPie can bring to print.

Creativity and Customisation

If you're creating 50,000 personalised caps, you probably have some extra data about the recipients. Why not use it to your advantage and customise those baseball caps with unique designs or promotional messages that resonate with different segments of your audience? How about special designs for various age groups, interests, or even regional preferences? This level of customisation creates a stronger connection to the brand and makes your marketing effort much more impactful and exciting!

Adding customisation shouldn't force a change in your dream design. XMPie works seamlessly with Adobe, so anything you create can be transformed into a personalised experience without any design limits. Instead of those plain, single-colour caps that everyone has seen a million times and have lost their charm, imagine those 50,000 baseball caps transformed with creative, eye-catching designs that make each recipient feel truly special.

XMPie's Variable Data Printing (VDP) software is perfect for this task as it streamlines the production of personalised caps with automated workflows, making it efficient to produce high volumes of customised items.

Integration with AI

AI is definitely the talk of the town these days, and there are so many innovative ways to use this technology to create highly personalised experiences. Take our baseball cap example: Not only can we maximise the creativity and customise the messaging, but we can also leverage AI image generation tools like DALL-E 3 to create unique variations in the design of each cap. By inputting different prompts and parameters, we can generate a wide range of designs, ensuring that every cap is as unique as the person receiving it. Each cap can feature distinct patterns, graphics, and artistic styles, making it a truly one-of-a-kind accessory.

XMPie is an open software platform that allows you to harness these new tools in the personalised experience. The print job is produced as a single Variable Data Print (VDP) file.

Bridging the Physical and Digital

Print is a fantastic way to kickstart an interactive customer experience. With XMPie's omnichannel capabilities, you can take print to the next level by incorporating QR codes, personalised URLs, augmented reality, or even personalised video messages into your print materials. For example, a QR code on the cap could lead to a video greeting from a favourite celebrity or an augmented reality experience where the cap comes to life with animations.

These innovative touches elevate a simple product into an unforgettable experience. The goal isn't just to hand over a cap; it's about creating a moment that makes the customer feel truly special and valued. By integrating personalised elements, you're not just offering a product, but a unique, interactive journey that resonates on a personal level.

Streamlining the Print Ordering Process

If a single client orders 50,000 baseball caps, you can probably manage that with a few emails and some manual processes. But what happens when you have hundreds of clients or dedicated B2B partners consistently ordering brand collateral in bulk or on-demand?

That's where web-to-print capabilities come in, transforming your workflow. With XMPie, you can automate the entire ordering process, giving your customers control. This improved workflow means consistent, accurate orders every time, saving you precious time and effort.

Take Storbildsbolaget, a large-format printer in Sweden, for example. It uses XMPie's web-to-print solution to offer a customised shopping experience and make repeat purchasing easier through this self-service model. This workflow builds trust, strengthens customer relationships, and aligns with its customers' fast-changing business priorities and sustainability concerns. They need a print provider who can deliver their communications on demand, with smaller, higher-value jobs, more often.

Scalability: Growing Your Print Campaigns with Ease

Whether you're churning out 50,000 pieces or just 1, you need a solution that consistently delivers top-notch quality. XMPie offers a flexible approach with multiple configurations to suit businesses of all sizes, even scaling seamlessly as they grow.

XMPie also just launched Personalia, offering Personalisation as a Service. This service lets brands add advanced personalisation to existing web or eCommerce platforms through an API-first approach without the hassle of heavy installations, maintenance, and operational headaches of on-premise software. So, no matter how big or small, any business can take advantage of this technology to elevate the personalised experience.

Become a Print Marketing Powerhouse

Slapping someone's name on a baseball cap doesn't change the fact that it's still just a commodity print product, which will struggle to create a memorable impression or convey a brand's message effectively. It can be challenging for service providers to make their print stand out in a crowded market, but with XMPie in your toolbox, you can go above and beyond to really shine.

With XMPie, you can add real value by helping your clients achieve their marketing goals. The strategies and innovations we've discussed above can boost customer engagement and response rates, making marketing efforts much more effective. By adopting these approaches, print service providers can stand out from the competition and become indispensable partners in their clients' marketing journeys.
 

Phil Gaskin is an experienced Business Development Channel Manager, and is responsible for XMPie's business in the UK, Ireland, and the Middle East. Phil will be speaking at the SmartHub Conference taking place at Personalisation Experience from 6 - 9 May 2025 at Messe Berlin. The topic he will be discussing is transforming commodity print into marketing gold. Register to attend the conference and the event here and use promo code FESJ513 before 8th April and pay only 50 euros for your entrance ticket.