Signatures and Marketing

As well as the signature itself, CI-Sign also gives you the option of announcing a trade fair date or advertising products and services. Every outgoing email will have a guaranteed insert. It’s not hard to work out what you would have to pay for a service to provide such inserts. Just calculate the number of users multiplied by the average number of outgoing emails.
A realistic amount would be 5 cents per insert / click, which you would then have to multiply by the number of outgoing emails.

Here are a few examples of applications:

Basic procedure:
a. To create a new variable or change existing ones, change on the left side of CI-Manager to "Special variables/Marketing".

b. You can set a period of validity for EVERY variable.
(If no date is given, the variable is always valid.)
There is the option of defining a start date, an end date or both.
In Editor, you can format the text to go with your variable according to your wishes.
Graphics can of course also be inserted.

1. Announcement of a trade fair date. Let’s take CEBIT as an example.
Create a new variable, “trade fair,” in CI-Manager (if it doesn’t already exist).
Now you can add a text.
E.g. We will be at CEBIT from 03.03 - 08.03.2009 in Hall 01 Stand 01.
If required, add a picture and set an end date: 09.03.2009
Click on Save.

Now, in Editor, change back to your signature.
On the left-hand side you’ll find the list of variables. Scroll down within the list. The special variables are displayed here.
Set the cursor in your signature at the point where you want to insert the trade fair information.
Double click on the variable (##trade fair). This will now be inserted and if you have not entered a start date will be displayed immediately. From the 09.03.2009 the variable will no longer be valid and will therefore no longer be displayed.
You do not need to pay any further attention to the variable until the next trade fair is on the horizon.

Save your signature and after a test distribute it once more.
The new signatures will now be used in your company.

2. Advertise products and services
Let’s stay with these examples and advertise 3 products or services at random.
We need the variables  ##myInfo_1, ##myInfo_2, ##myInfo_3
Enter a corresponding validity period.
Process the corresponding variables with the text and save these.
Now switch back to Editor and enter the following variable: {##myInfo_random}
CI-Sign will now proceed as follows:
The valid variables will be entered.
If more than one variable is valid, one will be selected at random and positioned in the corresponding place.

3. Combine variables with active directory data.
Let’s assume that you have two branches or companies and want to create different managing directors, disclaimers or advertising.
To do this, you can combine variables with active directory data.
In the active directory, for example, you have, for the users, added for the value “Town/City” under “Address” (Variable @@l) Munich or respectively Berlin.
In CI-Manager, change on the left side to "Special variables/Marketing".
Create two new variables: myDisclaimer_Munich and myDisclaimer_Berlin.
Enter the corresponding text and save.
Switch to Editor and enter the following variables: {##myDisclaimer_@@l}
CI-Sign will now proceed as follows:
The variable @@l will take on, within the signature, the active directory value of the user.
This means than the variable will change in a user-specific way, e.g.. in {##myDisclaimer_Munich}.
The corresponding content of the variable will now be inserted in the appropriate place.

Note: If a user is neither Munich nor Berlin, the variable is invalid and nothing will be displayed.
This should not be a disadvantage. You need only concern yourself with what you are planning and not worry about the exceptions.

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CI-Manager has many different view options. This means that the marketing department can provide the appropriate up to date insertions, while the actual signatures cannot be changed.

In particular, the procedure described under Point 3 in combination with the active directory makes for a very powerful tool!
This provides innumerable opportunities.
If you have any questions on this matter, just contact us.