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Accurate consumer data drives effective marketing

Direct marketers are able to personalize consumer experiences across multiple touchpoints with the advent of digital marketing and new software packages. Customers who visit a website, for example, experience a personalized encounter that assembles the Web page relevant to the customer's relationship.
 

Track bottom line impact with ad call measurement

Bill Dinan, President, Telmetrics

Marketers rely on direct response consumer data to make strategic business decisions, and the explosion of media options has only increased the importance of measuring the quality of advertising results.
 

Leverage interactive print methods while testing tech

Troy Forget, senior marketing manager, Staples Advantage

Consumers are inundated with printed promotional messages every day, ranging from brochures to fliers and postcards. As a result of the heightened competition for viewer attention, it has become even more important for marketers and advertisers to set their messages apart from the pack and move beyond the saturated world of print advertising. Leveraging new technology is one way to do this.
 

Is your product or service right for DRTV?

Timothy Hawthorne, chairman and executive creative director, Hawthorne Direct

If the latest crop of infomercials and short-form direct response television commercials is any indication, this method of advertising can be used for just about any type of product or service.
 

Tactics to enhance your DRTV investment

Dan Zifkin, CEO and president, Zephyr Media Group

Direct response television is effective in generating immediate revenue results and helping build brand awareness. Every company is focused on the bottom line. Nielsen ratings — at their best — are an inexact science, while DRTV is measurable.
 

Gain the most ROI from phone campaigns

Kevin Sandhu, cofounder, VP of product management, Sales Portal

Maximizing ROI can be more of an art form than an exact science. There are two simple ways to increase the ROI of a direct marketing campaign: decrease the cost per order (CPO) or increase the revenue per order.
 

Make direct mail center of integrated marketing plan

Meg Goodman, SVP and director of Client Service, UMarketing

As we move at light speed into a world that continually serves up new media options, we often look over the documented tenets of good, solid direct mail use in conjunction with an integrated campaign. A quick 
reminder never hurts.
 

Marketers' secret weapon: direct mail

Direct mail. Nobody talks about it. It's not cool. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of direct marketing. When marketers talk about it, it's usually in the context of the drop in mail volume to the tune of tens of billions of pieces. Or about how expensive it is.
 

Direct mail unmatched in marketer toolkit

John Schulte, president, National Mail Order Association

Direct mail doesn't work, direct mail is too expensive, and now direct mail is obsolete — I've heard this type of rhetoric for years. It's a true "if I had a dollar" type comment...and it seems especially prevalent in the last few years.
 

Tactics to ensure your direct mail is opened

Nancy Harhut, chief creative officer, Wilde Agency

As direct marketers, we've been warned. Much research has shown we have three seconds to convince our target to open our mailing. If we don't hook people then, we've lost them.
 

Leverage telemarketing for higher profits, sales

Patrick McKenna, CEO, DMi Partners

A fundamental truth of online marketing is that not every customer can be generated solely through the Internet, and even fewer will be generated by their first interaction with an advertiser.
 

Keep direct mail short, simple and personal

David Wilson, president, Wilson RMS

Direct mailers all know about the relative importance of factors that contribute to direct mail success and above all, the value of constant testing to maximize return on investment.
 

Will digital deals soon dull print coupons?

Gregory Kim, head of marketing and strategy at Savings.com, and Suzie Brown, CMO at Valassis, discuss the future of couponing.
 

Banish the bull — and the 'solution' — to tell it like it is

Michael A. Brown

One would think that by now, the word "solution" would have run its course as a direct marketing and sales word.
 

Direct mail gains new potency as online marketing evolves

Andy Cutler, Chief strategy officer, Mercury121

Direct mail continues to be a very viable channel, but only if the direct marketing fundamentals are applied.
 

Media fragmentation helps focus marketing dollars

Robert Yallen, CEO, The Inter/Media Group of Companies

Direct response marketers can either waste time lamenting about how difficult it is get a critical mass audience, or they can take advantage of today's marketplace fragmentation.
 

How to save the US Postal Service

Craig A. Huey, President, Creative Direct Marketing Group

Direct mail will be dead for many companies and dying for many more — if postal rates rise in 2011. Some have the delusion that small reforms at the US Postal Service will protect the direct mail industry, but a number of direct marketers and political leaders recognize the problem can't be solved by lobbying and compromise.
 

Marketers bear the brunt of postal woes

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled details of its proposed "exigent price increase" last week and filed an application with its regulator, the Postal Regulatory Commission. Direct mailers sprang into action decrying the move, and mailers across the board vow to fight the increase (see cover story).
 

Prevent returned mail from foiling campaigns

Beatriz Santin, marketing director, Experian QAS

Finding an accurate mailing address for a campaign can be more difficult than most people realize. Marketers see the returned mail that comes back after a direct mail campaign but rarely stop to find out why the mail was undeliverable.
 

Use the Summer Sale to reactivate customers

Mike Yapuncich, VP of product development, Experian Marketing Services

Most Standard Mail mailers are aware of the USPS Summer Sale scheduled for July 1 to September 30. Essentially, for every incremental piece a company mails in excess of 105% of what it mailed during the same time period in 2009, the USPS will provide a 30% postage rebate.
 

Direct mail drop doesn't tell the whole story

We've all heard the staggering numbers on the precipitous drop in direct mail, but let me remind you: There were 35 billion fewer pieces of mail in the system in 2009 compared with 2007's tally. It is in part why the US Postal Service, which reported an almost $2 billion shortfall in the first half of its fiscal 2010, is considering doing away with Saturday delivery.
 

Making direct mail and e-mail work together

Greg Grdodian, EVP of the list management-data solutions group, Infogroup/Edith Roman Associates-ePostDirect

First impressions mean everything, especially in business marketing, but they have to be sustained. Your message should be reinforced — many times, and in multiple channels — until the decision maker you want to influence sees you as a recognizable brand.
 

Transformative direct mail package's envelope twist delivers personalization

Dean Rieck Copywriter, Direct Creative

If you have kids, you know what Transformers are. They're toys that may look like a jet, for example, but move a few parts and it turns into a robot.
 

Verizon's complex Droid ads are unlikely to win over many iPhone adopters

Dan Khabie, CEO, Digitaria

The commercial looks like a typical Apple offering: Upbeat music (MoZella's "Magic") playing over a simplistic white background with plain black text, flashing phrases, each starting with Apple's omnipresent "i." "iDon't have a real keyboard," and "iDon't run simultaneous apps." Suddenly the ad shifts. The screen bursts with abstract, metallic visuals and garbled robotic sounds, followed by the tagline, "Droid Does."
 

Use rate freeze as a time to test new strategies and technologies

John Mabus, owner, Mabus Agency

All of us direct mail junkies received an early holiday gift when USPS Postmaster General John Potter announced a postage rate freeze for 2010. According to a statement released in October, the Postal Service wants to build long-term direct mail revenue. I personally salute this decision as an economic development tool.
 

Take advantage of drop-shipping, copalletization and commingling to save money

Rich Cicha, director of mailing services and logistics, Direct Group

Ever since the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 became law, mailers have had two questions: "What's the Consumer Price Index?" and "How much additional postage will I now have to pay?" For the first time in many years, the USPS won't raise first-class or standard-mail postage rates in 2010. But savvy application of some postage-saving techniques could push even more cash to your bottom line while actually enhancing delivery.
 

Use several strategies, including change of address programs, to cut back on costs

Mike Yapuncich, VP, Experian

Many mailers planned for a 2% to 3% increase in postage in 2010. The lack of a rate increase means many mailers can take advantage of the surplus budget to increase circulation, especially in acquisition and reactivation efforts. The key to doing this successfully is to "mail smarter."
 

Fiscal recovery is no reason to ditch streamlining strategies

John Campo, John Campo, VP of postal relations, Pitney Bowes

The "great recession" has dealt its share of challenges to the mailing industry, and mailers are hard-pressed to find good news these days. Fortunately, the US Postal Service delivered an early holiday present in December — there will be no increase in first-class postage in 2010.
 

The 'coin trick' may be old-fashioned, but still effective for driving response

Dean Rieck, copywriter, Direct Creative

Remember when people used to mail direct mail packages with lots of stuff packed inside? That was back in the good old days, before the economy went bust, and everyone panicked and started mailing little postcards, invoice mailers and fliers that all look alike.
 

'Reason why' offers always work best when they're honest, straightforward

Dean Rieck, copywriter, Direct Creative

Whenever you make an offer, potential buyers always wonder why. This is part of what makes the "reason why" offer so popular. The problem is that many of this kind of offer makes no sense. Labor Day sales, Christmas savings and Washington's birthday deals certainly work, and consumers look forward to them. But since they're so routine, they lack power. Miss one sale, and you know another will roll along soon enough.
 

Is postal mail more effective than e-mail?

E-mail has matured and gained popularity among marketers, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it completely beats out postal mail. Two experts take sides in the debate
 

Do oversize postcards add value to mailings?

The rush to stand out in the mailbox, as well as advances in mail technology, has led some marketers to consider larger mailers. But are they worth it? Two experts examine options.
 

Anthropologie mailer shows retailer's capacity to surprise and delight

Nancy Draughn, SVP and ECD, Javelin

Most people love birthdays — the anticipation, the excitement, the gifts. But me? I've never really been into them, even as a child. However, after two of my creative directors received this birthday mailing from Anthropologie recently, I suddenly wished it were my birthday so that I could receive such a fantastic and memorable gift. So ... what's the big deal about this piece?
 

Don't neglect these marketing basics

Rick Doss, GM, InnerWorkings

Most of us know the keys to direct marketing success are multifaceted and includes many — if not all — of the following techniques.
Define the goals of your program with a clear and concise call to action. Create and scrub your list.
 

Personalization personified in mailer where Rugman cometh and grabbeth

Cindy Kilgore, manager of creative development, EU Services

My husband and I collect beautiful rugs, including our prized "Kerman," purchased from Area Rugs by Rugman. Imagine my shock back in 2006 to see our very own luscious Kerman rug featured on the cover of a tabbed self-mailer.
 

What does the future hold for catalogs?

Whether retail or b-to-b, the economy and rising print and postal costs are crunching the catalog sector. Our experts assess what the future holds for the popular sales channel.
 

Act prompty on leads for better conversions

Sergio Alvarez, COO and founder, Ai Media Group

There has been a longstanding debate over whether to immediately act on leads or to nurture them before handing them off to sales. While it is understandable, there are, in practical terms, very few advantages to waiting before acting on a lead — especially in a down economy. I would like to share three quick reasons why calling leads immediately will better serve your company.
 

Editorial: The USPS needs help

In reviewing my own mail over the past several months, in addition to all the e-mails and texting, I've notice a couple of things that have now become standard. One, I'm using less checks, because I'm paying all of my bills, with the exception of rent, online. As a result, that book of stamps that used to last less than a month now carries me through for quite some time. 
And that's the problem.
 

Greening your mail cuts costs as well

Adam Collinson, mailstream consulting manager, Pitney Bowes Management Services

Direct mailers looking to cut costs while increasing effectiveness need look no further than cleansing and qualifying customer and prospect addresses. The solution goes further than simply utilizing address cleansing software, though. Instead, consider employing managed address services to avoid wasted costs and lower response rates resulting from undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail.
 

Redplum mailer lets marketers dissect why some mail practices are not ideal

Scott Couvillon President of marketing, Dukky

In critiquing this mailer piece from Redplum, we also can examine the direct mail practices we see every day that crush any chance of significant redemption and contribute to the definition of "junk mail."
 

Direct mail tale can have a happy ending

Peter Towner, account manager, Japs-Olson Company

These are the best of times and the worst of times — a tale with a present day ring to it for us all.
 

Yahoo's March Madness widget could have tied in to the social experience

Andreas Roell, CEO, Geary Interactive

Our agency is full of sports fanatics. Every year, we draft our March Madness brackets, post them on a communal wall and try to practice sportsmanship.
 

Updated snap pack offers efficiency and economy with little cost to creativity

Dean Rieck, Copywriter, Direct Creative

Snap packs have been around for a while, and they all pretty much look alike. They're basically envelopes that you open with one or more perforated strips.
 

Prospect environment needs stewards

Brent Lever, Senior consultant, SAS

Economists and environmentalists have grappled for centuries with the dilemma of overfishing. It goes like this: fishermen are incented to take all the fish that they can from the ocean while prices hold up, while their bodies and crews hold up and while supplies of fish hold up.
 

Do's and Don'ts: Insert Media

There are lots of choices when it comes to implementing insert media programs, especially as more marketers choose this channel for its affordable yet high-exposure options. Two insert media experts share their thoughts on what you should and shouldn't do if you want to see success with inserts.
 

Comcast's postcards grab attention, but suffer from some creative issues

Will Payovich, director of creative services, Euro RSCG Chicago

Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to admire the sheer tenacity of the big, six- by 11-inch Comcast postcard. The offers may change but the pitch is relentless. It seems that every week a new billboard juts out from my stack of bills and catalogs.
 

Apple's takeover ad for the iPod touch shows why it is on the cutting edge

Andreas Roell, CEO, Geary Interactive

Apple advertisements always seem to grab my attention and impress me, and this one was no exception. The way that this ad takes over the entire page and manipulates all of its con­tent is nothing if not remarkable.
 

Data, personalization key to converting offline mailer into online visitor

Lee Gallagher, manager, DM solutions, InfoPrint

As 2009 begins, many top analyst firms are predicting marketing budget dollars will be redirected. The premise is quite simple: It's easier to keep a customer than it is to get a new one. Imagine all the data companies have been sitting on for years - from CRM, leasing, sales, software renewals, helpdesk logs and maintenance.
 

Unilever gives prospects in Thailand a memorable way to test its product

Blake Ebel, executive creative director, Euro RSCG Chicago

I first came across this direct mail piece at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival last summer, and was blown away by the simplicity of the idea.
 

Will direct mail remain a top channel?

With postal and production costs rising and more consumers looking to online, some say that direct mail may be nearing its end as an effective marketing tool — but others disagree.
 

Should the USPS stop one delivery day?

Cutting mail delivery is often cited as a way to cut costs, but the postal industry counters that it would adversely affect consumers. Our experts assess the potential impact of a five-day postal week
 

Campaigns tap into online marketing

The presidential election is over - finally! - and we can all breathe a sigh of relief after two years of fundraising, debates, attack ads, Saturday Night Live skits and — oh yes — issues. As you may be, I am all electioned-out. But I'm not tired of considering the far-reaching effects of one of the most powerful aspects of the campaign — direct marketing.
 

Problem Solver: How can I rapidly rev up direct mail response?

An industry expert shares three tips on how to boost your response quickly and cheaply.
 

Is shipping given away too easily?

Free shipping can add appeal to a retailer's overall offer; however, the incentive has become fairly common and more costly for retailers to deliver. Our experts offer different perspectives.
 

This trade show mailer is a marquee representation of direct mail's potential

Lee Gallagher, manager, DM Solutions, Ricoh IBM

I am a direct mail fanatic. I go to my friends and ask them for their unwanted junk mail. Then I scan to find the diamonds, and trash the rest. Did you know that several studies today claim direct mail has a lifespan of about 10 to 20 seconds before the reader tosses it in the recycle bin?
 

Use CD-ROMs in mail campaigns

Carol Vanderpool, COO, OneDisc.com

A direct mail campaign using a CD-ROM can play a key role in the overall suc­cess of a digital campaign. To maximize the value of this type of promotion, marketers must ensure that the message on the disc is clear, persuasive and completely user-friendly before it arrives in a target's mailbox.
 

A printer's mailer shows some promise, but also leaves some to be desired

Matthew Rosenblatt, SVP, creative services, Harte-Hanks

This self-mailer from Unimac Graphics has a lot going for it. But there are some questionable design and copy choices as well. Let's take a closer look.
 

Winning with key mail moments

Sheila Eletto, VP, marketing communications, Pitney Bowes

The recent focus on "customer experi­ence" has a lot of people revisiting Web site designs, call center processes and cus­tomer relationship management platforms. It also means looking closely at your direct mail programs to ensure they are keeping step with other go-to-market channels.
 

Building red, white & blue demand for a product is a winner, a consumer says

Lee Gallagher, manager of global solutions, Ricoh IBM

This direct mailer caught me off guard. Since the postcard was red, white and blue, I thought it was another political statement for the Democratic National Convention being held next week in Denver. But it was a campaign for George Jetson.
 

Deeper investment in being green needed to sustain validity

In this issue's Spotlight, Sam Pulcrano of the US Postal Service shares the agency's plans on sustainability, as well as his own views on the environment. He makes it clear that the agency's involvement in eco-friendly practices is not new.
 

Victoria's Secret uses e-mail tactfully, a paper catalog convert says

Anne Alden, creative director, Merkle

I knew Victoria's Secret was good at marketing, but now I'm even more im­pressed. I went in store to purchase some unmentionables and said, "I'll give them my e-mail address — why not?" After all, the thick print catalogs tend to disappear when my teenage nephews visit. Within a week of handing over my address, I received this e-mail.
 

Consumers still love sweepstakes

Darrell Lester, president, Direct Mail Profit Improvement Team

Maybe you used sweepstakes in the 1980s or 1990s, and then dropped them like hot potatoes. Or, maybe you've never tried these contests for promoting your product or com­pany. No matter what your experience may be, I assure you that sweepstakes make a great marketing tool.
 

Obama campaign's logo signals new paradigm in election branding

Bernardo Gomez, group creative director, EuroRSCG

Political leanings aside, most people — especially those who work in advertising — can appreciate the simple and powerful aesthetic beauty of the Obama logo. With an efficient use of color and geometry, the Obama camp has created a very versatile mark as the visual core of its campaign. If my knowledge of American presidential election history is correct, this is probably the first time that a candidate has actually built a logo and an entire brand identity around his own name.
 

Direct mail planning: a gamble, but a fun one

By Leslie Guarnieri, circulation director, Discover magazine

Planning a direct mail campaign is a lot like playing roulette. You have your favorite lists and package, the mail date that has historically worked, and test lists to take some chances. Once your mail drops, just as the ball spins around the roulette wheel, you wait and wait until finally you begin to see the results.
 

Adapting your acquisition strategy

Thomas Berger, CEO, Cross Country Computer

Marketers are making dramatic changes in acquisition strategy as rising costs threaten the most effective means of acquiring new buyers — direct mail.
 

Learn how prospects read mail

Dean Rieck, copywriter, Direct Creative

I'm forever amazed at how out of touch some marketing people are with the way real people interact with ad messages. Take direct mail, for example. To hear some marketing gurus talk, you'd think people camped out beside their mailbox waiting for the mail truck to pull up.
 

Print is still effective in the Web age

Gina Testa, VP, channel and customer business development, Xerox

As baby boomers slowly give way to the Internet generation, surely it's only a matter of time before print fades away with them. The new breed works and plays online. They read newspapers or magazines on the Web. They exchange text messages and e-mail, not postal letters, and the direct mail they get, they trash without opening.
 

Relevant offers improve retention

Dick Shaver, CEO, Center for Database-Loading Research/Consumer Guided Marketing

The 2008 Aberdeen Report on Green Marketing: Leveraging Customer Data to Reduce Direct Mail Waste left no doubt whatsoever about the profit impact of elimi­nating irrelevant mail. Eighty-five percent of best-in-class marketers improved customer retention substantially and 77% improved cross-sell/up-sell effectiveness.
 

Is mail still effective for acquisition?

With the onset of rising postage and paper costs, as well as a tremendous uptake in online commerce, some marketers have questioned print's power as an acquisition tool.
 

Will lower direct mail volume save trees?

With an increase in consumers' awareness of eco-friendly business practices, the pressure is on for marketers to decrease the environment impact of their output.
 

Elect Me Tees achieves victory with personalized Uncle Sam postcards

Stephan Dietrich, managing director and president, Neolane Inc.

Elect Me Tees makes custom T-shirts and apparel, a common business that could get lost in the direct mail shuffle. However, the company's ingenious use of personalization in a postcard sent to a colleague got my attention.
 

Luring customers with content

Joe Pulizzi, founder and chief content officer, Junta42

I recently received a US Postal Service direct mailer on variable data printing (VDP). It's a nice piece. It had my name all over it, very personable. The only thing: Iwas bothered by a bit of the copy. The last line read, "As a large business looking for new ways to appeal to customers, personalization may be the exciting new temptation you're looking for." Irun a small business, but still the question begs: As marketing pros, do we look for "new temptations" to reel our customers in?
 

Brochure's cover might need to take some lessons from the product it sells

, Linda Pophal, marketing and sales manager, KRM Information Services Inc.

I found this brochure in the recycling bin — which is perhaps not entirely surprising, as how many recipients are likely to raise their hands to say: "Hey boss, I think I need to attend this program?"
 

What marketers are doing wrong

Darrell Lester, freelance direct mail consultant

If you're a direct marketer, then you know about panel testing. However, there is something that you are likely doing wrong, and it could be hurting your bottom line. The recommendations from the statisti­cians pertaining to what size test panels to mail would indicate, for example, that an outgoing test panel size of 50,000 is required for a test result variability of plus or minus 5% (at a 95% confidence level).
 

Timing just one welcome aspect of fun "Transform" mailer from Mobi

Phil Alexander, BrandMuscle

When I saw the words "Transform Your Business" scrawled across the top of a Mobi direct mail box, I wasn't expecting to find an actual Transformer toy inside. The box, designed as a toolkit for Web registrars, marketing Mobi to customers, came across my desk directly following the release of the summer blockbuster, Transformers.
 

DIRECT CHOICE: Infiniti catches buyers' eyes with personalized continuity mailer

The lease on my Infiniti is set to expire this year, so I'll be in car shopping mode before long. Rather than notify me of the fact with a simple form letter, Infiniti caught my attention with an attractive package befitting a luxury vehicle brand.
 

Las Vegas Furniture Market sets table for trade show with fashionable creative

Chrysanthe Georges, President, Georges Marketing Group

This week, the new Las Vegas Furniture Market (World Market Center), a rapidly expanding, permanent trade show space in downtown Las Vegas, is host­ing its first of two annual trade shows for 2008.