Until now, Full Service Networking relied on word of mouth to bring new customers into the fold. Next month, however, the 20-year-old technology services firm launches its first integrated marketing campaign, and direct mail will be a major component.
“We think with our new products and services, FSN is potentially attractive to a much broader audience, and the way to reach that audience initially is through direct marketing,” said Larry Van Tuyl, FSN's vice president of sales and marketing.
Many entrepreneurs have had a successful business idea, only to find themselves spending countless hours managing the computer system of the company that came out of that initial brainstorm. Realizing this is probably not what they had in mind, FSN offers to manage the computer and network-based phone systems for small and midsize firms so customers “can focus on running their business,” Van Tuyl said.
The initial mail piece drops next week and offers a Voice over Internet Protocol phone system for small businesses.
“We are leading with a product-specific piece because it will establish name recognition in the market,” Van Tuyl said.
This will be followed in three months by another mailer that focuses on FSN's technology services.
The initial piece will mail in batches of 500 every two weeks for 10 drops, totaling 5,000 pieces. The names are all unique, though there may be multiple names from the same organization, he said. The mailing will reach 2,500 small and midsize businesses in the Cincinnati and Dayton, OH, area.
The staggered drop lets FSN customize parts of the message for selected markets, Van Tuyl said.
The campaign aims to encourage business owners and managers to relax a little when it comes to thinking about their computer and phone systems, said Monique Frecker, art director at Justice & Young Advertising, Cincinnati, which worked with FSN to create the campaign.
Though many tech companies focus on how cutting edge their products are, Justice & Young thought it would be better for FSN to explain how it could make a difference on a more personal level, Frecker said.
“We wanted to show that they are going to be well taken care of by FSN,” she said.
This is accomplished by various means. First, Justice & Young devised a new tagline for FSN: “Helping You Grow With Technology,” which appears prominently on the front of the mailer. Second, the piece highlights some common problems that businesses encounter with other phone systems while pinpointing FSN's benefits, which include lower costs and less complexity.
“It is very purposefully not text heavy and not overly complex because these are very busy individuals who are trying to concentrate on the growth of their company,” Frecker said.
An incentive for anyone who requests a budget proposal also ties into the idea of worry-free technology: a hand-crank emergency radio that charges cell phones.
The campaign also includes print ads in local business publication Cincinnati Business Courier.
Chantal Todé covers catalog and retail news and BTB marketing for DM News and DM News.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
