Meet the Mailers: A Guiding Light for Direct Marketers is Polaris Direct

In this episode, I chatted with Judith Maloy, CEO & Founding Director of Polaris Direct. Polaris Direct is a full-service mailing, marketing, and printing supplier and is headquartered in Hooksett, NH.

We talked about how the company has evolved since its founding by Judith and her husband Joe nearly 25 years ago.

Among the many topics we covered:

• Judith’s marketing background and the founding of Polaris Direct
• Personalization & data in mail
• The promise of AI
• Women in mail & print and the importance of mentors
• The company’s commitment to sustainability
• What mail grabs her attention

Here are some questions and answers from our conversation (edited for clarity and space):

• Can you give a rundown of Polaris Direct’s products and services?
  

We started as a letter shop, right? So just pretty much bindery. If you imagine a startup, you need a lot of dollars, a lot of capital, and we didn’t have as much to invest in printing equipment. We would outsource our print production. And then, over time, we’d watch and look at the changes that were happening in the world of print. When high-speed inkjet became something formidable, we were like “let’s jump in, let’s do this.” It was time.

Around 2018, we invested in variable data print technology. So we are a full-service, large-scale, high-volume print production and mail operation. And we have been doing that forever. About the same time, we said, “Now’s the time also to bring agency services to the forefront and to offer that to our clients.” So we’re a full-service, end-to-end solution for creative marketing strategy all the way through print production mail, postal optimization, results tracking and analysis, but really multichannel marketing.

We’ve seen the industry evolve from just print to have all of these channels integrated working together. And at Polaris, we’re able to offer that for our clients as well. So web design,
web page creation, QR code generation, all of the channel integration. We have a platform called Postal Link, and that is our white label for DM 2.0. And we offer up those services around social match. We really believe that mail is the driver in a multichannel campaign. And then we integrate those digital channels to enhance the mail and make it kind of super powerful.

• You began your career in list brokerage and working on the data side of marketing. How did that shape your perspective on print production and the role that data has today in successful campaigns?
  

I think what’s really significant about today in terms of data is that it’s so accessible. You can get it fast. And there’s so much data out there, right? Compared to those early days in list brokerage, where you’re renting that subscription file or whatever.

[W]hat makes a good direct mail campaign? It’s good data. It’s creative content and the format that you choose. It’s a strong offer and call to action…Data for me rises to the top because if you don’t have good data, you can’t fuel your campaign. And so for us, data is extremely important. [F]or other mail service providers or print service providers, their focus on data is more about deliverability of the data and NCOA and all the things, postal optimization, all important parts. But we at Polaris also focus on the targeting, right? And how to be really micro-targeted, how to utilize and leverage data and look at analysis in order to get the right target audience for your message.

• We talk a lot as an industry about personalization. It’s been on my radar for well over 10 years now and seeing where it’s used and how it’s used. But the vast majority of what I see that people mail, they’re still generic offers and designs.
  

When we started strategic marketing services, that was the big message. Talk to our clients about how to use variable data print, how to take as much data as you can possibly give us, and then create that relevant messaging, make it perfectly aligned, personalized to the recipient. And we’ve been singing off that song sheet for a long time, right? Like you say. And have we really moved the mountain, so to speak? [T]here’s been incredible progress, but yeah, there is still such a long way to go when it comes to the amount of data that people are using, that brands are using for their messaging. [I]t really, if you think about it, revolves around regulation, compliance, data privacy, those have all been barriers for kind of bringing more data forward.

Things are changing. And I think we’re seeing that evolution continue. This is an exercise in change management and we need to be patient with some of these clients who have legacy systems for data collection and storage. When all of that goes away and when things change, we’ll be able to use all of that data more effectively, and we’re on that road.

Also with agentic AI, we’re going to see more utilization of data coming into maybe not the initial mail, but then beyond that, in the follow-up, in the response, how data is kind of used in that regard. And we can talk more about agentic AI, which is so exciting. There’s more to come, and I think it’s happening … it’s a slow roll.

• Many campaigns today blend direct mail with digital channels like email, social, online ads. So what does effective integration look like in practice to you and where do you see marketers maybe making mistakes?
  

The strategy, as I mentioned, direct mail, we always like to think that direct mail is the driver in multichannel. So we start there. But that’s not always appropriate for every client or every brand. What’s important is that synergistic messaging and the idea of consistent messaging across channels. And then doing everything timed, as best you can, right? Considering the USPS and SLAs, kind of change. So, as far as timing goes, you need to build in a little flexibility, but you try and sync up the messages, really with an eye on customer experience. So, I’m talking marketing talk here, but this is, always step into the shoes of the consumer, the recipient, and then what makes sense, right? And then have that consistent, clear message across channels. But as far as mistakes go, in our industry, I kind of don’t look at it as mistakes…We’re always testing new ideas. So you kind of say, well, nothing’s really a mistake, it is just a test, you know, that failed.

• That kind of leads me to innovation. Polaris Direct won Innovator of the Year from Printing Impressions in 2024 [also in 2021]. So as AI reshapes how marketers use data and personalization, where do you see the greatest opportunity for the direct mail industry?
  

I think we’ve been talking about AI to the point of exhaustion, right? … we’re at that kind of precipice. We’re at that point where it’s like, “OK, now let’s start to move on this. Let’s monetize it, let’s show ways that we can utilize it effectively with our communication.” And I think that agentic AI, where you’re creating frictionless communication,you’re giving voice to direct mail.

I think that’s where we’re going in the really near future, where you can use personalized QR codes to drive messaging. Somebody scans that QR code and they’re led to a person that says, “Hey, Judith, thanks for reaching out. I’d love to tell you more about this special offer.” Let’s just pick an industry, so, financial services.They sent me a mailing and it’s a special HELOC offer. We’re doing this for clients now where it’s a personalized URL where it doesn’t have an agentic AI component to it. When you scan it, you’re going to a website and you’re getting messaging there. But I’m talking about a voice and a conversation happening, which is really kind of close to happening. Where then you’re talking to this AI agent about this special offer around HELOC and it’s just designed for you and because of my credit history.

So here we’re incorporating data … the credit history, income levels, geography, to give the right HELOC offer. You’re able to kind of create that dialogue and that communication. It starts to tie things together. And I think that’s a utilization of AI in communications in the real near future. There’s tons of use cases, right… not only for financial services, but imagine it for car dealerships. You have your eye on that Audi SQ8, come test drive it. And your last car was blue, so you want a blue one. So you’re incorporating this data to kind of bring that message forward and to create that dialogue.

• Let’s talk more about Polaris Direct. You’ve long been a certified women-owned business. How has that shaped your relationships with clients and partners? And following on to that, what advice would you give to other women who are building businesses in the printing and marketing industries?
  

So we became a woman-owned business because we listened to our clients. We had a couple that said “this is something real.” These are mandates within corporations, large enterprise companies that want to do work with small business owners, with diverse business owners. And it made perfect sense for us to align with our customers’ needs there and to bring forward a women-owned business. But first and foremost, before being a women-owned business, we’re a large-scale, high-volume direct mail company. And I’ve learned through the years you never lead with “women-owned.” It’s really that special sauce, right? I’ve always looked at it like that. You have to have a strong value proposition. You have to be a credible vendor in the supply chain and you meet all that criteria and then you say, “Oh, and we’re a women-owned business.”

And the one thing women-owned status has given us is really a network of companies like us, other women business enterprises, as well as corporate members who believe in diversity mandates, coming forward and wanting to do business with us. So we get that kind of place at the table to talk to procurement teams about who we are. Otherwise, maybe we wouldn’t have that opportunity. It really is about accessibility and about door-opening, networking, that’s really helped us. But you don’t win the business just because you’re a woman-owned company, that’s for sure. We’ve learned a lot through that network and have really worked to align ourselves with best practices and our business and value proposition aligns nicely with a lot of enterprise corporations that want to do business with us.

And what would I say to other women-owned companies in the print and mail world? It’s a male-dominated industry, like so many, but I’ve never seen that scare away a really strong, confident woman in business. So just kind of keep pushing forward. I highly recommend mentorship. If you don’t have a mentor, get one. It’s one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career. In fact, my most significant mentor actually works with Polaris now, works with me, and she’s our business development strategist. But at the time, I did the corporate mentorship program through the Center for Women in Enterprise and was connected with this woman, Amy Acampora, and she actually was very helpful in helping us with our selling strategy for Polaris. And then from there, when she was at a place where she wanted to switch careers and pivot a little bit, she came to work for us.

Good things happen when women get together … we really succeed together and we kind of empower each other. So I think networking is key. And I would say for women business owners, use your network. It’s important. It’s powerful.

• And it’s so great for building the workforce of tomorrow.
  

I love the stuff that is happening in our industry around that, with the Printing [United] Alliance and it’s really important and there’s an incredible amount of men and women supporting each other in our industry.

There’s great opportunity to partner too among each other … we always seek out women business enterprises to do business with because we’re tracking all of our spend too for Tier 2, which is, working with other diverse companies, minority-owned businesses. So it’s great.

• About sustainability, it’s really like one of those issues that’s increasingly important for both brands and consumers. Polaris Direct has earned a silver sustainability rating from EcoVadis for five consecutive years. You’re certified by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative. So, as you talked about with a core business that involves high volume print and mail, how do you make the case to skeptical clients that sustainability and mail really do work together?

We hear it a lot, right? It’s just, oh, “we’re wasting paper,” whatever. It’s a renewable resource. So trees are planted so that they can be harvested and paper is a big industry. And so, you know, but we’re good stewards of the earth. But we felt it was important. If you think about the supply chain and you think about the companies we do business with, they have a concern, right? They want to know that we’re doing things to be good stewards of the earth, that we are looking at sustainability. It’s important, not just in terms of reduction of waste or recycling, or it’s social governance. It’s all the things that go into sustainable, having a sustainable business. They want to know that you’re there tomorrow. So what are best practices around every aspect of sustainability of which for the printing world and, you know, and for direct mail is hyper-focused on the environmental aspect, right?

I don’t even know how many years ago it was. I saw this, the writing on the wall, where there was a lot of talk about vendors being responsible in this manner around sustainability. That’s why we made it a cultural shift and a corporate initiative to really kind of check the boxes and be able to, not just check the boxes, but to go and get these certifications so that we’re upholding the standard.

We have a woman …her sole job is to really worry about how we reduce our carbon footprint, how we do all the things that kind of connect sustainability in the business. I asked her today, just give me quick stats. Every year we recycle over 1 million pounds of paper, over 100,000 pounds of corrugated. Our goal is to really overall reduce waste. And 94% of all waste is recycled. Since 2022, we’ve reduced landfill waste by 63%. We’re tracking all this so that we can look at these certifications and can uphold the audit standards and the controls for being good stewards. So it’s important.

Here is our conversation (with all questions and answers). We’ve added timecodes for your convenience.

Thank you very much, Judith, for sharing your perspective and your expertise! To learn more about Polaris Direct, visit their website at PolarisDirect.net.

Your comments and ideas are very important to us in making your Who’s Mailing What! experience even better for you. Through these engaging talks, we hope you’ll take away practical tips, insights, and personal stories to inspire and build your own success.

If you have any feedback — or are interested in sharing your story and viewpoint with our wide and diverse audience on “Meet the Mailers” — please reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you!