IVE Group, in collaboration with HP, has launched a $5.5m investment into its personalised communications offering as it continues to strengthen its capabilities in the sector.

IVE Group launched a $5.5m investment into its personalised communications subsidiary, Blue Star DIRECT, during an event held in Sydney last night, further strengthening its capabilities in the personalised communications sector.

Building on Blue Star DIRECTS existing offering which covers data, digital and print personalised communications services, this latest investment brings a new level of personalised print capability to the
Australian market.

The $5.5m adds a new state of the art HP PageWide T370HD press to Blue Star DIRECT’s operation in Sydney and upgrades the HP PageWide T300 press to a T370HD press based in Melbourne.

“Both T370’s have a unique configuration and are the only two of their kind in the world,” said IVE Group CMO Rob Draper, who spoke at the launch event in Sydney last night.

“We’re excited to be the first to bring this new technology to Australia.

“It opens up a fantastic opportunity for brands that are interested in creating personalised experiences for their customers.”

Blue Star CEO Cliff Brigstocke said: “Never before in Australia have we been able to personalise printed
communication at this quality on this scale.”

“The wealth of customer data currently available to businesses, in conjunction with advancements in digital printing technologies, has fostered the beginning of a new era in mass personalised print communications.

“With our new HP PageWide technology, we can create highly personalised and targeted marketing campaigns at an exceptional quality.

“Our new capability will deliver a far greater return on our clients’ marketing investment whilst improving the customer experience in the process.”

HP Indigo and PageWide Industrial, HP South Pacific, country manager Michael Gillis commented: “As
marketing continues to trend towards data-driven personalisation, printing service providers require presses that offer mass customisation at a competitive cost, and on a variety of media options.

“The HP PageWide Web Press T370HD delivers on each of these demands, while also offering outstanding image quality and enhanced productivity. We’re thrilled to be building our strategic relationship with IVE Group, the market leader in Australia’s personalised communications sector.”

The official launch of the new HP PageWide technology saw international speakers fly in from the U.S.
and live demonstrations of the new mass personalisation technology take place.

Both the Sydney and Melbourne sites are fully operational.