When Stephen Denton of Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), Wal-tham, Mass., called Steven Condon, an account executive with The Allied Group, Needham, Mass., he had a lot on his mind.
PHCS, a health-care cost-management company, meets the strategic, financial and quality needs of health-care purchasers by building and maintaining a cost-effective network of health-care providers, and by integrating state-of-the-market medical management services.
Denton needed to create what he called a "visually appealing and creatively designed" product to promote his company's Medical Management program. He envisioned something with "bold imagery, striking color, unique shaping and first-class printing" and decided that direct mail was the route to take.
Said Denton, "When our marketing department was strategizing on how to best promote our recently-enhanced system, we strongly believed that direct mail was the best medium for increasing product awareness."
After designing a direct mail piece that would "captivate the attention of 1,000 health-care executives who were considered strong prospects" for PHCS's Medical Management campaign, Denton looked to The Allied Group—an information managment company—to aid in production and fulfillment.
According to Condon, "PHCS wanted to make a piece that people would really notice. The company worked with us because we can do all of the printing and mailing for these types of projects." The Allied Group coordinated the project through production, proofing and ultimately mailing of the finished product.
Not surprisingly, the award-winning mailer was not easy to construct. Condon admits that there were a number of production challenges along the way.
Strict Color Matching
"We needed to match specific colors that PHCS had previously used on other materials, so we had to make sure that the color schemes on our presses matched those exactly," he said.
In addition to color matching, Condon said certain post-press functions proved challenging. "For example, we had to make sure that the mailer was folded properly to fit into the mailing envelope," he explained.
Speaking of envelopes, Denton chose a translucent design that would grab clients' interest at first sight. "A unique approach for an envelope, it allows the piece to show through. When clients look at it, they immediately see that there is something interesting inside," Condon said.
The end result? A 9x9˝ mailpiece, constructed from 100# Somerset gloss cover stock. Each flap of the brochure outlines a distinct benefit of the PHCS Medical Management program, with an enclosed sliding chart that outlines additional benefits. Said Condon, "A great design helps the customer achieve his or her goal." He pointed out that PHCS's target audience responded favorably to the mailing. "They received a lot of positive feedback, which is the most important thing," he added.
- Manufacturer: The Allied Group, Cranston, R.I.
- Press: 40˝ Komori Lithrone
- Paper: Sappi
By Cynthia T. Graham