How a Leading Memorabilia Supplier Struck Gold with Young Customers

High school rings, yearbooks, graduation announcements, and caps and gowns represent another major segment of Jostens’ market sales. Rick Morton, a sales rep based in Puyallup, WA, wanted to update the methods he utilized to contact students.

Raised on social media and the internet, Gen Z prefers texting for its concise and to the point notifications and updates. The direct mail and phone call reminders that worked in previous decades now appear passé, unreliable, and prohibitively costly.

At a meeting among fellow representatives in Seattle, Morton pitched the benefits of SMS solutions. Soon, more than 20 of his colleagues created individual accounts with EZ Texting.

Students can opt in to receive text updates and be automatically entered to win a free class ring. Reminder Campaigns keep graduating seniors on track for payment deadlines and other appointment prompts. Parents may opt-in as well.

Morton and his colleagues can further segment contacts, blasting out different campaigns to those who’ve already purchased to those still considering. And they can initiate Drip Campaigns, offering information about additional products.

By reaching students on the device they most frequent — their mobile phones — Jostens ensures updates and reminders will be seen, not discarded like direct mail. Morton estimated his office saved over $1000 in postage alone; other colleagues eliminated its use entirely.

Turning in payments and forms on time have reached all-time highs, saving reps both time and money.