Getting the most from your customer welcome pack

Marketers may be under pressure to cut budgets, but welcome packs more than merit their place in the marketing mix, says Andy Ruddle, sales and marketing director at Real Digital International. Customers are at their most receptive when they've just moved house, signed up to a new service or bought a new product, and the welcome pack is a brand's chance to make the most of this target moment.

He advises on how far businesses should go in personalising their communications and how simple additions to a pack, such as discount vouchers and maps to local stores, loyalty cards and key fobs can all create lasting brand loyalty.

He also explains how technology such as personalised URLs (PURLs) can help drive customers from a printed medium, such as a welcome pack, to the company's website.