Letterbox distribution giant Salmat has launched Salmathub, its new app designed to provide real-time monitoring of catalogue deliveries. Dave Webster, general manager of marketing solutions at Salmat, says it should encourage more investment in catalogues.
Salmathub uses GPS to monitor the company's network of 14,000 letterbox distributors, helping them plan their routes and sending real-time information back to Salmat to audit the catalogue delivery process. "This particular innovation around auditing and GPS technology is something clients and advertising agencies have been asking for from the letterbox distribution industry. Salmathub provides real-time auditing as the distributors complete their sections," said Webster.
Webster told Print21 that distributors are reporting Salmathub makes their job easier. "They take their device with them, and we can provide GPS plots as they perform their distribution. One of the benefits of Salmathub is that we can now provide very sophisticated mapping tools for our distributors to help them find the most efficient routes possible," he said.
Salmat developed the app in-house, with a soft launch in July last year. The project aimed to improve communication with Salmat's distributors and provide its clients with greater transparency. Webster says it will be a boon to printers, encouraging advertisers to take up catalogues. "The main impact on printers will be that the users of the catalogue channel will be able to more easily track their ROI. That’s a positive for the print industry because it means the biggest users of catalogues will keep printing catalogues, and there is potential for other verticals to start using this advertising channel," he said.