by DPS Magazine staff
Mail remains an effective method for communications. From targeted direct mail to transactional communications, DNI Corp. is an expert print and communications service provider for a variety of industries including financial institutions, utilities, non-profits, transportation, healthcare, agencies, and insurance.
Established in 1984 by Bill and Mary Brennan, DNI Corp today is 50-plus employees strong. Starting out of a 200 square foot office in the Coleman Building basement of Nashville, TN’s Greenhill’s neighborhood, the company has expanded into an 83,000 square foot location, also in Nashville, in its nearly 40-year lifespan.
Along with its space, the company’s focus has grown. Today it provides targeted marketing solutions, fulfillment, as well as critical client communications and transactional work for businesses to help inform, activate, engage, and mobilize existing and future customers.
According to Robert Cook, COO, DNI Corp., its client base includes businesses across multiple industries. “We are uniquely set up to support the entire lifecycle of customer engagement for our customers—from marketing to prospective clients through fulfillment of highly personalized, targeted kits, marketing/promotional packaging, and target marketing mail campaigns all the way through to a company’s ongoing compliance and regulatory communications.”
Beyond traditional direct mail, which makes up an estimated half of DNI’s business, the other half includes critical customer communications requirements, including statements, bills, and notices.
Digital Demands
DNI utilizes full-color digital print to provide flexibility in document design as well as drive down costs. “As technology and print capabilities have improved, DNI has adjusted to offer these new capabilities to our customers,” shares Cook.
Its technology has evolved, from inkjet for addressing, to laser printers, and then a digital web press. Its latest acquisition, the Canon varioPRINT iX-3200 Series, was installed in the Spring of 2022. “While our digital web handles a high percentage of transactional work, the Canon press will be engaged in our targeted marketing/direct mail work at approximately the same ratio,” he estimates.
Mail Trends
DNI produces a range of targeted marketing direct mail applications—everything from postcards and letter work to yard signs and door hangers for customers. The print provider also offers fulfillment kits and variable data printing (VDP).
One key trend that Cook notices with VDP is its ability to drill down and highly personalize programs in order to generate higher response rates. He says while the demand for this capability dates back more than a decade, the latest trend is tieing the technology and different platforms together for an omni-channel approach.
DNI uses its DNI360 Engage platform to combine its direct mail, social media, and even USPS Informed Delivery to make ROI stronger. The tool automates direct marketing messages to cross several platforms and enhances connections with follow up messaging and provides mail tracking.
In addition to direct mail, transactional print is a major piece of DNI’s business. “The decision to add transactional mail to our portfolio was twofold,” shares Cook. He says the first reason being diversification and the second was to become more of a one-stop-shop for its customers.
“During the pandemic we saw our decision to move into the transactional space pay off. As marketing dollars were less available and some of our clients saw the support of special events stop, we were able to not only help weather the storm by having the transactional side of our business ongoing, but we were also able to help our clients with critical communications to their clients about how they were handling the pandemic,” recalls Cook.
Getting into the transactional space wasn’t an easy endeavor. It required a lot of research in finding the right technology partner. Eventually they settled on Transformations’ comprehensive CCM software, Uluro. It found the platform easy to implement and use.
Diversify for Success
DNI Corp. focuses on both direct and transactional mail. With a split focus, it is able to diversify itself in the market.
Sep2022, DPS Magazine
