After buying an IT consulting firm recently, online creative services and staffing firm Aquent sent a mailing this month to tout its new technical capabilities while also stressing its creative side.
“We always try to create the most eye-catching pieces possible,” said Mark Saperstein, Aquent's vice president and creative director. “We don't have that big of a sales force so we look to our mail pieces to do a large part of the selling for us. If they get a piece from us that doesn't stand out and is plain and simple, they are going to assume that we can't deliver quality-related services. If our message and visuals don't speak to them through our mail pieces, they won't open them, which means they won't call us.”
The postcard mailing went to 200,000 individuals involved in purchasing decisions for Web site development. The majority of recipients were prospects, though the piece also was sent to current customers. Companies ranged from small to large and covered a range of industries, though Saperstein said the focus is on companies that have creative communication and IT needs.
The piece featured a disco theme. Saperstein said the relationship between disco and aging Web sites was a perfect way for Aquent to explain its message.
“Most companies are not creating new Web sites nowadays,” he said. “The fact is companies are looking to rework them and freshen them up. What we are trying to say with this mail piece is that disco, like your Web site of a year ago, was once cool and looked good but it has become dated over time.”
The front of the piece has a couple dressed in disco garb dancing under the headline, “Your Web site was a big hit once. Then again, so was 'Disco Duck.'”
The back of the mailer contains two paragraphs outlining Aquent's services. Aquent provides a toll-free number for more information and the company's Web address, where interested parties can check samples of the company's work.
“With every mailing we look at our internal database and see if we have any current clients that would be good prospects for a mailing,” he said.
Aquent worked with Fyfe, Cambridge, MA, to develop the mail piece.
