Using RenderX for TransPromo in a High Volume Statement Print Application

This paper presents one technical solution for injecting dynamic advertising during the format process, leveraging RenderX XEP and the XEP Intermediate Document Format to calculate available space “on the fly” and inject a properly selected advertisement.
What is TransPromo?
TransPromo, also known as “statement based marketing”, integrates TRANSactional documents with proactive PROMOtional marketing. TransPromo provides an opportunity to blend marketing messages with must-read printed materials such as invoices, statements, benefits confirmations, explanations, and other notifications. Ultimately, the goal is to influence behavior and drive business volume and to do so by capturing available advertising space in must read communications.
TransPromo is not stuffing extra brochures or flyers into the envelope with a statement. Rather, the offers are printed directly on the statement itself where it has a much higher chance of being read. Promotional messages can be targeted directly to the prospect's purchase patterns and known interests. The open rates of TransPromo vs. direct mail are much higher because the prospect doesn't immediately identify it as "junk mail".
Credit card bills, healthcare statements, 401k communications—they’re all documents that arrive in the mail and must be opened whether a recipient wants them or not. An almost-guaranteed open rate makes these printed transactional materials prime real estate for sales communications and marketing messages. Promotional messaging is more likely to be noticed when it is part of the reader’s bank or credit card statement.
Study after study shows that statements command the most attention among many other common forms of customer communications. With so much attention paid to this document every month, there is huge potential to communicate directly with each customer, on a "one-to-one" personal level. What were once routine requirements – regulatory notices, privacy updates, invoices – can now become sales opportunities.
Banks, utilities, retailers and credit card providers are among the companies discovering the communications value that previously had gone untouched in their statements. The trend is towards merging transaction and promotional content into one document, and delivering it via print or electronic channels.

Why TransPromo?
Consumers are bombarded with advertising, e-mail, direct mail and other forms of solicitation—up to thousands per day. You now face the increasing challenge of distinguishing your communications from the rest of the pack. Consumers expect accurate, timely communications; instant Web access; loyalty programs; and other convenient ways to conduct business—a trend that favors multi-channel campaigns. TransPromo can help because it gives you a way to target your customers—95 percent of whom open transactional documents and spend as much as 1-3 minutes reviewing each piece.
TransPromo combines personalized marketing messages with must-read statements to help you accomplish two important, measurable results: increased revenue and retained customers. Transaction documents have the compelling “must read” quality that direct marketing strives for, and direct mail has the visual appeal and selling power that statements have been lacking. Combining both in the same document and in the same envelope not only saves money, but also opens up additional revenue opportunities. Creating the document in both print and electronic versions to accommodate the preferences of the individual consumer is quickly becoming the standard. Forward-thinking companies are now incorporating highly tailored messages based on the consumer’s buying habits into transaction documents to provide promotion information relevant to their specific interests. Some companies are even selling ad space to business partners to drive more revenues and teaming up with partners on joint promotional campaigns.
Coupled with high-end variable data printing software and data mining, today’s high-speed continuous feed digital printing systems offer a viable, quick, more cost-effective solution for adding higher-quality color messages on traditional transactional statements.