Why are bills so underused by marketers?Did you know, the average person spends 2.9 minutes reading a bill and 21 seconds reading direct mail? The average person opens 98% of transactional mail and 43% of direct mail. Over 80% of people will read a marketing message on a bill, if it's personally relevant to them.

Increased response rates with Transpromo bill marketingIn a period when direct marketing firms are striving for a response rate of three per cent, Avis was astounded to achieve a 10 per cent response in a recent promotion. The result justifies the company's investment in a process set to revolutionise not just marketing, but billing too - utilising bills as marketing tools with Transpromo techniques from OTM.

Avis used their customer bills initially to target different customer segments with unique messages and inserts. They did this in conjunction with key marketing partners. The initial test was so successful that Avis are now planning a further push.

Marketing on bills more cost effective and timelyThe trial has alerted Avis to how bills can be used. If the company has surplus car fleet in one location, this is a quick to market solution to get out a short-term message.

Peviously, promotions were run through direct marketing, call centres, Internet reservations, press or radio advertising, and the Avis rental station network.

OTM's Transpromo approach puts marketing messages on bills which can be as personalised as necessary, segmented down to particular groups or even specifically to one individual. Accessed over the Internet, the data can be manipulated with varied messages being attached to different customer groups, with the data file being sent electronically to OTM for printing and distribution.

OTM's technology reflects the time critical nature of bills and the process, from when the personalised message has been selected to the time it is printed and mailed can take less than a day. Using Transpromo techniques to present messages turns what was once seen purely as a drain on resources into a powerful marketing tool.

And unlike almost any other marketing communication, businesses can be confident that the majority of their customers will actually read it!

Benefits for Avis

• A fully functional and flexible transactional marketing system which offers total - but manageable - control of all key variables
• A professional, user-friendly customer document which enhances the brand
• The ability to generate revenue on the back of a sunk operational overhead
• The capability to leverage that revenue potential through the most precise targeting of customer typology and need - accessing any appropriate company-held data
• Response rates have increased from 2.5% to 10%
• The flexibility to react to market conditions in real time
• Operationally - the capability to transmit multiple data formats and media; cost savings from the rationalisation of processing, printing and despatch; and improved customer service from archival access to 'live' documents