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When Does It Make Sense to Do a Program with 0% ROI
Response vs. ROI can be misleading. One of the highest performing direct mail programs I have ever seen had an ROI of 0%. But it was a huge success. The absolutely highest performer I have ever seen, from a response standpoint, was for a survey. Why? Because the client was giving away…
The Five Biggest Misconceptions About Print
It seems like since the beginning of time, every new technology that surfaces is “the thing that will replace print.” Yet here we are in 2014, and print is still alive and kicking. Print looks a lot different these days, I will admit, but it is still an important part of the marketing mix.
The Missing Link in Choosing Marketing Channels
Marketers have learned that the best campaigns integrate multiple channels, but not every channel is appropriate for every target audience. So what do we do? We conduct a bunch of research to find out where our target audience hangs out! There is no doubt that…
The Highest Performing Direct Mail Programs I Have Ever Seen (Part One)
One of the cool things about working with multiple clients is I get exposed to a lot of different campaigns and ideas. Through the years, I have seen a few that have really rocked. I thought I would share a few of them with you in this and upcoming blog posts.
Zagat’s Guide to Buying Print: Order Takers Versus Solution Presenters
There are some people who go into a restaurant and know exactly what they want. In some cases, they are very familiar with the menu, they’ve visited the restaurant (or one like it) before, they have a favorite dish and they know what’s good and good for them. In other cases, they just aren’t looking…
How Microsites & PURLs Improve Direct Marketing Campaign Performance
Someone recently asked me, “What are PURLs and why should I use them?” It’s a technology that has been around for a while, so I had falsely assumed that everyone knows what they are and what they do. Personal URLs are URLs with a person’s name or a unique code appended to them,
Don’t Let Your Customers Be Someone Else’s Prospects
Most companies I work with spend a great deal of effort, time, resources and budget acquiring leads. What happens to all those customers you’ve worked so hard to gain, and how can you not only retain them, but also earn more business from them? Loyalty programs.
Majoring in Minors — The $7.00 Equation
Some of you may recall a couple of weeks ago when I talked about one of the biggest opportunities to drive cost out of print and direct mail projects: reducing how much is spent on expedited postage and expedited shipping via better collaboration and project management. Many of you weighed…
The Biggest Misconception about Your Website
Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you are probably familiar with the famous scene in “Field of Dreams” where a voice whispers from the field, “If you build it, he will come.” It was a powerful scene and a powerful movie, but as the movie became part of our collective pop culture, people…
The Biggest Opportunity for Cost Savings on Print and Direct Mail
When you’ve been around as long as I have, you see stuff that drives you nuts. For instance, I witness countless dollars getting spent needlessly on two major line items: expedited shipping and expedited postage. Lots of energy is expended driving print production costs down, but then money is just thrown away on shipping and postage.
Ready, Set, Fail: Three Ways to Avoid Campaign Failure
It’s amazing how many campaigns are primed for failure before they even get off the ground. Why? Because in the rush of trying to get the direct marketing campaign out the door, many marketers forget a few simple steps that will not only contribute to the success of the campaign, but also…
Two Ways to Absolutely Guarantee Your Direct Mail Won’t Work
There is an old adage that says, “speed kills.” It is certainly true of driving, but it’s also true with respect to direct mail. When you’re in a hurry, bad things can happen. To ensure your direct mail works, you need to follow the three Ts: test, test, test.
The Secret About ‘Big Data’ Your Boss Wants You to Know
When I attended the Direct Marketing Association annual conference last fall, I could hardly turn a corner without seeing the words “Big Data” printed on something. The term “Big Data” has become THE buzzword in marketing in the last five years, but what does it really mean?
Three Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Clients
Being from Flint, Mich., where the auto industry dried up and the economic slowdown hit particularly hard, we are always looking for ways to keep our presses busy and find other ways to generate ongoing revenue from print. Some of the ways in which we have accomplished this over the years has been…
Help Them Help You: Getting Your Network to Market the Brand
When I speak to the heads of corporate franchise, dealer and agent networks, most of them have a common complaint: they spend a significant amount of time and money on marketing materials that are not being used or not producing the results they would expect.
The Evolution of Print: Let’s Get Personal
My first real involvement in the world of print began in 1975. Back then I loved to ski and the ski club advisor at the school, Tim Murphy, also happened to be the Graphic Communications teacher. He had an opening in his Level 1 class. I loved design and had no burning desire to take trigonometry, so I said “Sure.” Here I am 38 years later.