Santa Ana-based Freedom Communi-cations Inc., publisher of the Orange County Register and other publications and Web sites, now is doing its own direct mail production after making a big investment in equipment.
The company recently bought inserting machines that let it pick and choose different packaging, have better control over flyers, letters, postcards and other direct mail pieces, and use ink jet technology for addressing, according to Keith Gilpin, vice president of advertising distribution at Freedom.
The move is expected to help the company “deliver more inserts to very specific audiences” and lure more advertisers, who like that option, Gilpin said.
“One of our biggest areas of growth is in insert delivery,” Gilpin said. “To capture this business we must make it possible for advertisers to reach neighborhoods and even specific addresses.”
The equipment allows Freedom to hone in on specific homes, not just target different ZIP codes, which is the industry standard, Gilpin said.
Gilpin declined to disclose how much the company spent on the investment, or how much Freedom will save by bringing direct mail packaging in-house.
The company previously hired several different vendors to package inserts, including preprinted postcards and flyers, which were sent via mail in Freedom’s newspapers and magazines. Some direct mail pieces also are sent separately.
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Register insert: Freedom bringing direct mail work in-house |
“Our improved in-house production, combined with our many publications and distribution channels, gives us the flexibility to reach consumers and businesses in a multitude of ways,” Gilpin said.
That’s critical as more advertisers want to “version their inserts,” so all neighborhoods don’t receive the same piece, Gilpin said.
“This may be reflected in different prices, different merchandise or different languages,” he said. “Freedom will continue to create products that fit our diverse market whether that be defined by income, age, merchandise, service offered, or other factors.”
Freedom made the change after listening to its advertisers, Gilpin said.
“The more finite targeting meets their changing needs to market to the neighborhoods and potential clients they want to reach,” he said.
In some cases Freedom can print some direct mail pieces, which gives it more control over quality, Gilpin said.
“Our distribution options now also extend beyond the county to wherever there is a mailbox,” Gilpin said.
More Johnson/Ukropina
Last week, Irvine-based Johnson/
Ukropina Creative Marketing broke news that its longtime partners sold the ad shop and plan to retire. Since, I’ve gotten more feedback from general manager Donna Carter, who bought the company and has big plans.
“I like what we’ve created here, a mighty, independent shop that does very smart creative,” Carter said. “I knew that we had the right core of people to do great work on a go forward basis.”
Carter met the shop’s founders Joyce Ukropina and Carolyn Johnson in 1993, when she hired them to do marketing work.
Three years later, Carter became a consultant at the shop and was hired as a full-time employee in 1999 for strategic planning.
Carter’s first goal: “add new business and as that comes add additional people to the agency,” she said. “I’m expecting that over the next year we’ll add about five people to the mix,” she said.
The shop’s creative and account teams will likely see a boost, according to Carter.
Johnson/Ukropina recently hired an executive creative director, Sandra Luciano, formerly from Young & Rubicam in Irvine, who will help lure more work, she said.
For now, she plans to keep the agency’s name, which has built a solid reputation in the marketplace, she said.
Carter said she also plans to continue focusing on three areas: retail, business-to-business and government.
“This diversification makes us weather the ups and downs of the agency business,” Carter said.
Clients should also expect a “seamless transition” since Carter knows the ropes and has been general manager for the past two years, she said.
“It’s important for me to cultivate the business that we have so we maintain those clients and then also reach out to new clients,” Carter said.
The shop plans to get its own marketing materials in the works so it can do a better job wooing more business, she said.
Phat Beans
Irvine-based El Pollo Loco Inc. is plugging the return of its leaner barbecue black beans in television commercials.
The Mexican fast-food chain plucked the beans from its menu in late 2005 and changed the recipe to remove saturated fat and trans fat, the latest health trend these days.
El Pollo Loco now is offering the beans in two new entrees and as a side dish. The chain also created signs for its restaurants to promote the change.
