IWCO Direct, an American direct mail and marketing solutions specialist, has announced a $50 million investment in HP technology which will see it install seven high-volume HP PageWide Web Presses.
The presses, including 1067mm (42-inch) HP PageWide T490 HD and 558mm (22-inch) T250 HD models, are set to be installed at the company’s facilities in Minnesota and Pennsylvania over the course of the next 12 months.
Minnesota-based IWCO Direct says that it has been adapting its direct marketing business amid the pandemic in response to a shift to targeted marketing-based on online e-commerce intelligence. The presses will allow it to deliver ‘next-level inkjet colour quality and speed’ for a wide range of direct mail applications across a broad range of substrates such as letters, postcards, catalogs, and folded mailers.
John Ashe, CEO of IWCO Direct, explained the investment, ‘The HP technology upgrades our data-driven performance marketing services to maximise the return on marketing investment for our clients, which is critical in today’s climate. Our clients value the effectiveness of direct mail, but want to produce it faster and integrate it with companion channels, so they can reach their recipients more quickly with personalised, relevant messages.
‘HP web presses will enable us to deliver smarter products for our customers in offset color quality at a faster speed, while offering more flexibility in scheduling and mail piece design.’
Carles Farre, vice president and general manager, HP PageWide Industrial, added, ‘This bold investment highlights the momentum we are seeing for digitally printed direct mail that can be personalized with powerful data capabilities. We are seeing that 1:1 tactile experience delivers significantly higher response rates compared with digital advertising. We at HP PageWide are proud to be IWCO Direct’s provider of choice to take their print business into the future.’
