What You Need to Know
Unless you’re within the marketing world and have been for decades (like us), you may not be super knowledgeable about all the different ins and outs of marketing. That said, you may have heard the term “execution and production”, or “execution” separately from “production”, thrown around, but may not know what they really are, what they mean, and what they can do for your company. We’re here to catch you up – quickly – with this short read.
What is Marketing Execution and Production?
Marketing Execution Services
Generally, marketing execution usually involves the actual practice of executing marketing tools, communication, and materials. It’s a wide-ranged phrase that can mean a lot of things, so when you’re told by a company that they offer “marketing execution” – definitely look into or ask about the details.
These marketing tools, communication, and materials can span from print to digital, and all that’s in between. Digital execution can mean email marketing, website marketing, advertising, print, and so on, while print execution can involve print marketing design, printing, applying, fulfillment, warehousing, and more.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to marketing execution–which is how we’ve always seen it. For Strata, marketing execution involves research, data, design, mailing, application, fulfillment, and warehousing. We also have capabilities to provide digital and print strategy and campaign development as well as workflow. And, we offer things like digital and print combination marketing, multichannel marketing, data-driven marketing, and so on. From a $1 million dollar marketing budget, to a $5k marketing budget, we work with our clients to tailor the right marketing campaign to hit their desired targets quickly and efficiently. Execution is different for every marketing company and works differently to solve every customer’s specific pain-points to fulfill their marketing needs.
Execution of print marketing materials – more specifically mail, could be the implementation of a larger mailing sent by bulk and mass mail, or could be a smaller mailing. Bulk mail can also involve optimized data, postage, and mail-based campaigns, and can use variable data as well, if the campaign calls for it. If execution includes bulk-mailing logistics, this means your provider is knowledgeable of speed to market and in-home dates. And, if data optimization is a part of it, you’ll have access to data services, automation, logistics, and more.
Marketing Production Services
Production is a bit different in that it’s more about the physical creation of marketing services. Usually, marketing production refers to the printing and mailing of marketing materials. It can involve digital printing, large format printing, offset-printing, high-volume printing, variable data printing, ultra-personalized printing, and more, depending on the company you work with.
If these services are all found in-house, this can save you a lot of time, money, and hassle when getting marketing pieces printed. Here’s some information on these various types of printing:
- Digital Printing: Usually printed on HP Indigos, digital printing is high quality (and is known for using ink rather than toner)
- Offset Printing: Used for high volume, high-speed projects. Has high accuracy, longevity, and is great for bigger jobs
- Large-format Printing/Digital Cutting: Used for more immersive, possibly in-store experiences such as wall art, decals, or timelines
Strata has the following printers, used for the various needs of our customers:
- Xante and Oki Envelope Printers: Used to print full color on envelopes
- Kirk Rudy High-Speed Inkjet Printers: Print the addresses on envelopes
- Canon/Oce Black and White Digital Printers: Production printers for black and white pieces
- Indigo Printers: Production printers for color pieces, prints variable on demand from 15 pieces to 15k pieces
- Ryobi 2 Color Offset Press: Can print sheets up to 13in x 19in
- AB Dick 2 Color Press: Can print sheets up to 12in x 18in
- Shinohara 6 Color Press: Can print sheets up to 23in x 29in, has the highest color quality
- HP Latex R2000: Prints large format work on roll-fed material (posters, static clings, etc.) or flat-sheet material (such as signage)
Both Combined
When both execution and production are combined, especially within one marketing partner company, this can make for excellent marketing. It provides all-inclusive strategy, execution, and production – leading to ultimate marketing success through consistency yet improvements over time.
What Can They Do for Your Business?
There are a ton of stats out there about both production and execution success for marketing. Here are just a few:
- 79% of households say they read or scan direct mail ads
- 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing
- 39% of customers say they try a business for the first time because of direct-mail advertising
- 92% of young shoppers say they prefer direct mail for making purchase decisions
- In the Print Advertising segment, the number of readers is expected to amount to 63.5m users by 2026
- Nearly 80% of consumers act on directly printed mail advertisements compared to 45% of consumers that act on electronic advertisements (Potochny, 2017)
Depending on your partner – whether execution or production – or both, marketing execution and production can do a ton for your small or large business.To see some of our production & execution successes, visit our case studies page, here.
Interested in learning more or using Strata’s marketing execution and production services? Contact us.
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