R.R.Donnelleys Marketing and Sales - Case Study Example

A consistent revenue growth resulted in an augmentation of its total revenues from $4,247.2 million in 2002 to $9,316.6 million in the year 2006 (Company Report 2). The Company enjoys a highly diversified customer base. However, in the preceding years, the cash flows of the company plummeted from $947.5 million in 2005 to $903.5 million in the year 2006 (Company Report 2). There is no denying the fact that a few key acquisitions like Office Tiger, Banta Corporation, Perry-Judd's Holdings and Von Hoffmann has enhanced its customer base and product portfolio (Company Report 3).

The newly emerging threats in the form of rising raw material prices, the current economic meltdown and technological advances have certainly influenced all the functional aspects of R.R.Donnelley, including marketing and sales (Company Report 3). The current sales activities of R.R.Donnelley are focused around pursuing a balanced strategy towards capital deployment, thus allowing it to maintain "investment grade credit metrics and substantial liquidity (Business Wire 1). Most of the new companies acquired by R.R.Donnelley had a much lower operating margin then what R.R.Donnelley managed to achieve after acquisition (Business Wire 3).

The entire thrust of the company has been on retaining a strict financial discipline and ushering in innovative approaches for enhancing productivity that is expected to have a direct impact on the sales. Th The things are expected to improve even further in the times to come. The net sales in the second quarter of 2008 were $2.9 billion, an impressive 4.6% more as compared to the second quarter of 2007 (Business Wire 4). The company is also focusing on ensuring the right product mix and following a competitive pricing policy (Business Wire 4).

In fact, R.R.Donnelley has managed to strike a significant sales increase in logistics services and a noteworthy volume augmentation in direct mail, stock products and digital solutions, though this was diluted to some extent by a slight fall in financial printing, commercial print and forms (Business Wire 5). The company is methodically resorting to evaluating the business performance and management effectiveness pertaining to its sales activities on a regular basis. The marketing strategy of R.R.Donnelley has been historically based on aggressive innovations, customization, acquisitions, consolidations and collaborations so as to furnish a consummate product portfolio to its customers.

Besides, since the last ten years, R.R.Donnelley has been at the forefront of accommodating the latest technological options and innovations and to incorporate ecommerce accessibility portals to reach to a wide customer base. Such an approach definitely creates a brand perception of R.R.Donnelley being a versatile and techno savvy service provider extending highly competitive price options. This versatility and adaptability of R.R.Donnelley has enabled it to be a success even in today's trying times.

Some salient examples of R.R.Donnelley's flexible and imbibing approach will certainly make things more clear. As far back as in 2005, R.R.Donnelley came out with its Pipeline (SM) Project Management and Tracking Tool that allowed its customers an enhanced control over their multiple pre media projects while marketing their products and services. Recently, in