Hi <firstname, fallback=’there’>,

We’ve written a fair bit on personalisation in recent times, going hand in hand with all the mentions from thought-leaders about one-to-one communication and the exaggerated eulogies for broadcast media. Now, there’s a new evolution fuelled by advances in technology and data usage, and a new term for it: mass-produced uniqueness.

Taking personalisation of the recipient’s name in an email or letter several steps further, technology can customise content in printed media and digital, including video.

To discuss the continuing developments in technology’s enablement of personalisation in marketing messages, we caught up with one of the founders of Zero-In, a new agency that’s bringing these advancements to Australia.

Andrew Douglas, Zero-In’s managing director and head of creative strategy, has worked in marketing communications for 25 years, holding roles at agencies including Saatchi and Saatchi, Young and Rubicam, McCann and GPJ.

On the driver behind this latest move, Douglas says it was conversations with clients about the quality of data and its usage that spurred the creation of Zero-In.

“As a team of senior marketers with years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing, we were constantly in dialogue with clients about data quality and smart data usage and we established quickly that the majority of data management within the SME and enterprise space was in many cases poor to non existent,” he says.

Zero-In is partnering with US-based DME Studio, which supplies the IP and technical backend, enabling Zero-In to deliver a one-to-one mass marketing product that it says is a first in this market.

The idea of targeting individuals en masse rather than mass targeting requires a shift in thinking in the businesses, says Douglas.

“Businesses need to stop thinking about how to target lots of prospects with a one-size-fits-all message [and] instead start thinking of a target audience of one, in mass.

Also critical is the way data is managed. “We also encourage our clients and prospects to get the data right, otherwise you simply end up with a ‘shit in, shit out’ approach and that’s not productive for anyone,” Douglas says.

“Finally, talk to us about the right technology to deliver the best outcome… whether online, through direct mail, EDM or video content.”