Personalized Marketing: It’s Mainstream

From personalized coupons at the checkout counter to “just for you” recommendations at Amazon.com, personalized marketing is everywhere.

While some marketers are still deciding whether to take the plunge into this “new” form of marketing in print, fully personalized documents have been around for a long time. Back in 2010 (“Capturing the Cross-Media Direct Marketing Opportunity”), InfoTrends found that the overwhelming majority of marketers were already using segmented (40%) or fully personalized (21%) communications. Only 40% of campaigns fit into the category of “one to many.” This means that if you are sending static mail pieces, you’re competing with marketers who are not only speaking to their customers and prospects on a personalized level, but they are seasoned at doing so.  If your competitors are personalizing and you are not, you are at a competitive disadvantage.  

Need to get started?  Even with a simple basic customer list, here are steps you can take:

1. Personalize by name.

Use the recipient’s name creatively. Integrate it into the design in an interesting, eye-catching way.

2. Target by a single, simple variable.

Will it help to target the mailing by gender? How about by ZIP code? Would it help to add a map? (This works great for new businesses or new branches or locations.) These are data you already have. Use them!

3. Beef up your marketing database.

Purchase simple variables like home ownership or household income for the names you already have. Adding to your database is not expensive, and it can boost your marketing effectiveness exponentially.

Need help? Talk to us about how you can put data to use to create a more personal relationship with your customers. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

Survey: Data-Driven Marketing Is Critical to Success

According to a survey by Forbes Insights,[1] 64% of global marketers “strongly agree” that data-driven marketing is crucial to success within a hyper-competitive global economy. An additional 27% agree. This makes 91% of marketers surveyed agreeing or strongly agreeing with the crucial nature of data.

Not only do marketers agree that data-driven marketing is critical, but they are seeing tangible benefits of their efforts. Nearly half—47%— strongly agree that there are “a number of tangible benefits” being realized for their data-driven marketing strategies. An additional 41% agree, making a total of 84%.

Other findings from the survey indicate that . . .

• senior leaders within organizations support and advocate for data initiatives,
• there is enterprise-wide vision for data analytics within organizations, and
• there is an urgency to conduct data-driven marketing campaigns.

There is no getting around the increasing importance of data in today’s marketing strategies, whether global or local. Marketers have more than good intentions. They are putting those strategies into action. How are you keeping pace?

Talk to us about starting or improving your data-driven marketing strategies today!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

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[1] Data is derived from a survey of 162 U.S.-based senior executives conducted by Forbes Insights in September 2015.  Respondents represented a range of industries, including retail, telecom, technology, consumer packaged goods, automotive, banking, advertising/marketing, energy, travel, media, and insurance. All companies had at least $250 million in annual revenues. 

3 Reasons Print Matters After All

Maybe it’s the thinning volume in the mailbox. Maybe it’s marketers’ drooping results after focusing on e-marketing as a replacement for print. Whatever it is, we’re seeing it more and more. Marketing experts are talking about the benefits of keeping print in the mix.

Most recently, Marketing Profs published an article titled “7 Reasons to Use Print to Win More Business.” Here are three of them. If you want more, you can click through to the rest.

1. Print still has authority. Digital marketing is cheap, and people know it. There is something about putting a brochure, a physical coupon, or a direct mail piece into their hands. It carries weight.

2. Print is gaining a following. Marketing Profs pointed to studies that show that the younger generation is still attracted to print. “Magazines, for example, based on particular subjects, from fashion through fitness, have seen an upswing in younger readers, age 18-24 years.” We might also point to the return of print catalogs this past holiday season after retailers saw lagging sales with digital-only marketing.

3. Print keeps your focus. Readers get easily distracted using digital media, and they lose focus on the message. Whether it’s college students doing their studies, a casual reader at home on the couch, or a targeted recipient reading a piece of direct mail, print holds attention and promotes recall more than digital media.

These are just three of the reasons, but you get the point. (Read the rest of the article here.) Digital media have their place in a well crafted multichannel marketing campaign, but they don’t replace print. Want results? Keep print in the mix!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

Are QR Codes Your Best Fundraising Tool?

Okay, QR Codes probably aren’t your best fundraising tool, but they certainly can be a critical part of the mix. Adding QR Codes to your fundraising letters, in-store displays, and other fundraising materials can increase your donations significantly. Why? QR Codes make donating easy and immediate. They take advantage of the spontaneous desire to give.

According to the Razoo Foundation, an IRS-recognized public charity that manages donations for other charities, scanning QR Codes is one of the most popular ways to donate money. Razoo recommends four ways for donors to “scan to give.”

1. QR Code links to PayPal. By using PayPal, donors don’t have to manually enter their credit card information. PayPal is simple, secure, and a known quantity. By posting QR Codes at the registers of its stores, for example, Cinnabon was able to raise $3,800 for Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger organization.

2) QR Code links to a merchant account. The donor scans a QR Code and enters his or her credit card information. Anyone with a credit card can make a donation immediately.

3) Text-to-Give. Donors scan a QR Code and charge the donation to their cellphone account. Most cellphone users are familiar with this method of payment and have a comfort level with it.

4) QR Code triggers a cash or in-kind donation. Instead of donating money, individuals can support the organization by scanning a QR Code on printed pieces or in-store displays. For each QR Code scanned, participating businesses will donate cash or product to the nonprofit. For example, Heinz ran a fundraising campaign in which diners were invited to scan bottles of Heinz ketchup. For each scan, Heinz donated $1 to the Wounded Warriors Project.

There are multiple ways to use QR Codes to tap into spontaneous generosity. Which one will work best for you? Give us a call and let us make it easy for people to support your cause.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

Better Branding in Print

Print marketing does more than communicate a message about your products and services. It communicates about your brand. The elements of your printed pieces send a strong message whether you realize it or not. Here are five tips for communicating the right brand messages:

1. Have a consistent brand message across channels. From piece to piece and across channels (print, email, in-store displays), make sure your brand is consistent. Use the same color palettes, the same (or similar) imagery, and a tightly controlled logo. Create a similar look and feel, even if the design isn’t identical. All communications from your company should send an identifiable brand message.

2. Tell a story. Print is a great storyteller. Say you are selling fried chicken and wings. Instead of promoting “Wings 25% off this Friday only!” why not try something different? “It’s kick-off time and what’s for dinner? Not pizza AGAIN! Spice it up with our hot wings instead!”

3. Identify and target thought leaders. There are people out there talking about your brand. Find them and target them with brand-building messages. This builds word of mouth, which (when positive) is the most valuable marketing you can get. In the world of consumer marketing, these people are often called “instigators.” Find out who they are and create targeted messaging just for them.

4. Use testimonials. Whether it’s in print, online, or social media, people believe testimonials over traditional messaging. Begin collecting testimonials and add snippets to your postcards, direct mail letters, in-store signage, and other print marketing materials.

5. Don’t skimp on quality. Sure, you could print out those brochures on your in-house inkjet printer, but quality is part of your brand message. Having professionally produced print materials is a sign of a trustworthy business. Printing on the cheap sends the wrong message.

Every print document you send or display sends a brand message. Make sure you’re sending the right ones. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

Make Your Direct Mail Stand Out

Every day, postcards, flyers, and other direct pieces and other printed material bombard us. How do you ensure that yours stands out in the crowd? Here are four highly effective methods for designing printed material.

1. Grab Their Eyes: People can’t read your message if they don’t see it. The first thing you must do is grab their attention. There are two complimentary techniques for doing this:

• Pick the perfect images. People are hard-wired to respond to images. Bright, vibrant, compelling imagery will hook your audience every time.
• Tweak the design to appeal to your specific audience. For example, if the audience is young and hip, give them a more edgy typeface that angles off the page. If they are more upscale and sophisticated, let white space and elegance be your guide.

2. Change the Shape: Interesting shapes stand out and make people want to touch your design. Shape the piece to convey your message or intrigue your audience. Shapes that follow the contours of an image or that contain different angles make your piece more appealing.

3. Add Texture: Choose paper that includes a texture, add an emboss or deboss to your design, or try a contrasting spot varnish. If the piece is on glossy paper, use a matte finish or vice versa. These tricks add both texture and visual appeal.

4. Fold It: An innovative panel or a fold that goes in the “wrong” direction adds mystery and interest to your piece. Try adding slotted folding panels or multiple folds to increase the uniqueness of your design.

Ask Us

We have other ideas and examples to show you, and we can help you build your file to accommodate these tricks easily. Intrigued? 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.

Thinking Direct Mail? Think Timing

When we think about the benefits of direct mail, we think of tangibility, message retention, and breaking through the clutter. But when GrayHair Software thinks about direct mail, it thinks about timing.

In a recent e-book, GrayHair, which provides software for postal tracking and multichannel marketing services, described multiple benefits of direct mail in a multichannel marketing strategy based on the timing benefits direct mail provides. Let’s look at three of them.    

1) Gain control and greater visibility.

Direct mail tracking allows you to determine the precise time that your mailer arrives at the target destination. This can provide you with critical insights.

Let’s say you mail out a postcard intended to drive traffic for your weekend sale. Most of the customers arrive on Saturday, which is day two of the sale. Did they arrive on Saturday because the extra hot weather on Friday kept them away from the stores or because your mailer simply did not arrive on time? Mail tracking helps you figure it out.  

2) Boost response with timed email delivery.

If you know what date the direct mail offer hits, you can time an email follow-up for the next day or the following day to reinforce the message and spur recipients to action.

3) Determine the best channel for delivery.

Using A/B testing across both print and digital channels, you can test the effectiveness of marketing channels the same way you test offers, messaging, and other marketing components. Don’t assume you know which channel your customers will best respond to. Test it!

With mail tracking, you can think about direct mail in a whole new — and testable — way. Want to see how postal tracking and tighter channel integration can benefit your marketing campaigns? Let us help!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.