Case Study: Switch Media
Summary:
This forward-looking ISP has increased direct mail-related sales by 12 per cent, while cutting mail operation costs by a third, by integrating imail into its back office systems.
Introduction:
Switch Media is a well-established Internet Service Provider with offices in the UK and Ireland. The company offers a range of business solutions including domain name packages, shared and dedicated web hosting, online UK company formations and web design and development.
Switch Media has built up a hosting customer base in excess of 15,000 and is highly active in the creative sector, with many high-profile clients. The company sends high volumes of both transactional and promotional mail to existing and potential customers. For that reason, it decided to look for a solution that could automate some of the back office mailroom processes.
Switch Media selected imail, having previously tried out alternative hybrid mail solutions to send invoices and mailshots. The company had become a strong advocate of hybrid mail, but realised that imail offered considerable benefits in terms of cost, flexibility and quality of service.
The solution:
As an electronic-to-physical mail solution, imail allows Switch Media to issue mailings via a user-friendly application programming interface (API). With imail integrated with back office IT systems, mail data can be sent electronically without any manual user intervention. The lightweight API has proven to be superior to previous hybrid mail solutions, which required high levels of processing and caused unnecessary backlogs.
Switch Media uses imail's full-colour, two-day letter service to send 150 invoices a day, with regular promotional mailshots of 15,000 items to businesses across the UK. Since using imail, the company has also introduced mailing to the Republic of Ireland, with around 250 items sent on a daily basis.
Benefits:
Following the move from a traditional mail operation, Switch Media achieved an initial cost saving of 28 per cent, which has since increased to 36 per cent. In addition, it has been possible to close the in-house mailroom, freeing up both office space and staff time and removing the need for printing and franking equipment, stationery and consumables.
Switch Media has recruited a dedicated salesperson to make the most of new business opportunities resulting from imail's efficiency in executing direct mail campaigns. This approach has enabled the company to increase related sales by an impressive 12 per cent.
About imail:
imail was launched in 2008 by UK Mail as the only alternative to the first class postal service. It enables users to send letters and postcards with just a click of the mouse from as late as 3pm for next-day delivery, or 6pm for two-day delivery. The mail documents are sent electronically to the UK Mail sorting centre closest to the destination, where they are printed, enveloped and sorted for onward delivery.
imail is ideal for all sizes of business, from SMEs to large corporations, offering a dynamic desktop-to-delivery service at a keystroke that provides a host of cost, time and environmental benefits.
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