Direct mail remains one of the most important marketing methods open to companies as lots of information can be conveyed easily and by adding tracking codes it can be accurately evaluated at a later date.

Executive vice-president and general manager of Blue Chip Healthcare Marketing Neil Weisman recommended that healthcare companies update their lists using lifestyle-based analytics as when it comes to healthcare, many people do not opt-in to receive information about their diseases; and those who do are often inundated with mail, creating a low response rate.

Writing in Media Post, Mr Weisman said from analysing trends in consumer spending data of this audience they can make more accurate predictions of what direct mail or promotional items people would be interested in receiving, for example, if someone buys a pair of trainers every six months, and also uses their credit card to sign up for a marathon, you can assume that they are a runner and live an active healthy lifestyle.

He also added of direct mail’s overall effectiveness: “It can be highly informative, easy to track and often an optimal way to reach older populations that don’t use computers, smartphones and tablets as much as younger generations.”

A Novel Approach To Direct Mail: Lifestyle-based Analytics, Media Post

Posted by Robin McCrink

A new study has shown there is a strong link between tablet ownership and physical magazine readership.

The Professional Publishers Association’s (PPA) Tap Report has confirmed that far from eroding interest in print magazines and other direct mail pieces, digital versions actually boost demand.

Consumers want to be able to have both formats, proving that sending direct mail and magazines with promotional merchandise attached can be just as successful as email marketing.

Digital editions of magazines in particular are providing a more engaging and enhanced experience of the physical version.

Head of research at the PPA Marius Cloete commented: “The two platforms appear to be working in combination to expand a consumer’s reading repertoire.”

Digital magazines allow readers to quickly engage with a brand and the latest figures show that recall for ads in digital editions (56 per cent) proved to only be slightly higher than in print (53 per cent).

The Tap Report, PPA

Posted by Robin McCrink

Email has become an integral part of the marketing mix in the last few years, with virtually every company using the method as a result of its relative cheapness.

It is also very wide-ranging with billions of active email addresses all over the world, meaning organisations have access to almost all of its demographics.

With so many companies using email, it has become quite a competitive digital space for marketers and as a result it may be a good idea to offer incentives for consumers to open your emails and engage with you.

Indeed, principal of marketing research at ExactTarget Chad White believes email subscribers that regularly open their messages should be rewarded.

These could come in many different forms, from discounts to offers of promotional merchandise being sent to consumers.

The expert wrote in Media Post: “This kind of campaign would also be a novel way to get subscribers to enable images more often or even permanently.”

Once Again, I Double-Dog Dare You!, Media Post

Posted by Robin McCrink

In this digital age, savvy businesses are turning back to direct mail as the physical form of marketing can be a hugely successful one as the products can help them to stand out from the crowd.

Editor-in-chief at Direct Marketing News Ginger Conlon said direct mail, which also allows companies to enclose promotional items such as a printed pens, is sure to get people’s attention when sent to subscribers as they will feel like they are being spoken to. She commented “when I get a package at work, I open it immediately”

She noted those companies that have decided to put direct mail on the backburner because of its expense would be wise to add it back into the marketing mix as it can offer a much more personal touch.

“Direct mail pieces often get the short shrift. But in this age of digital obsession they stand out. And when done well, they drive meaningful responses,” Ms Conlon continued.

Out-of-the-Box Thinking, Direct Marketing News

Posted by Robin McCrink

Personalised packaging is a growing trend and has an important role to play alongside generic products, according to Coca-Cola Europe’s packaging innovator Gregory Bentley - following the success in Australia of Coke bottles being sold with individual names printed on the labels.

Speaking to the organisers of the North Print and Pack show, Mr Bentley explained that including personalisation on packaging is currently extremely popular among brands.

“Marketers need to be clever with this in order to maximise their return on investment on marketing campaigns,” he was quoted by Packaging News as saying.

The delivery of the campaign that involved individually personalising Coke bottles came at a considerable cost, Mr Bentley pointed out, which could prevent the strategy becoming the norm for marketers for the foreseeable future. 

To tie together their marketing efforts, brands could also produce more generic printed promotional items that just feature the brand name itself to ensure their marketing appeals to all.

Mr Bentley added that the execution of such campaigns is critical, commenting: “Consumers can easily be disappointed with the end-product if it does not meet their expectations.”

North Print and Pack 2013 special: Three minutes with Coca-Cola’s Gregory Bentley, Packaging News

Posted by Robin McCrink

Small businesses face the ongoing challenge of having fewer resources and less time to pour into their marketing efforts, so it is important that methods are integrated.

With the proliferation of smartphones in recent times, people all over the world can gain access to the internet and their email accounts wherever they are.

This has led to firms increasingly looking towards integrating some of their marketing efforts, with mobile and social media seemingly the most obvious choices.

Indeed, a March poll of small businesses in the US by Constant Contact noted that firms are beginning to incorporate social media and email marketing into their mobile efforts in high numbers.

There are other ways to incorporate strategies in a company, for instance you could reward people for signing up to email newsletters and other correspondence. In exchange for opting in to frequent messaging you could offer promotional gifts.

Small businesses work to blend mobile and social, eMarketer

Posted by Robin McCrink

Retention of customers is an extremely important consideration that firms need to make in order to continue expanding.

With subscriptions an ever-popular way to keep customers in order, companies need to ensure they do enough to convince consumers of the merits of staying with them.

Chief customer officer of Gainsight Dan Steinman said it is important that firms create and enforce a customer-focused philosophy for the whole company.

He stated that it cannot be something as simple as building a team, organisations need to start with a company philosophy so that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.

“You must be truly committed to your customers’ success. Think about ways to prove your commitment, or to reinforce customer-focused behaviour across the entire company,” the expert continued.

There are many ways to prove your commitment to customers, one of which could be to send through promotional gifts to improve brand loyalty.

The new bottom line: customer success, Direct Marketing News

Posted by Robin McCrink

A new study has suggested that making email more relevant to consumers is harder for ecommerce marketers than driving conversion rates.

The survey of more than 200 retailers and brand marketers by Bronto asked people to cite their biggest challenge in deriving more revenue from emails and 31 per cent said “making email targeted and relevant”.

With the proliferation of smartphones in the last few years, billions now have access to the internet wherever they are, meaning an increased number of marketers are trying to reach them via email.

This means that marketers need to be relevant and keep people interested. By engaging with customers, firms can get a good grasp of what consumers want in terms of promotional gifts.

Director of marketing communications for Bronto Kevin Skurski commented: “They’re all familiar with what relevancy means, but they’re still wrestling with how to execute it. Driving relevance is a little fuzzier to them.”

Relevancy becomes more relevant to emailers, Direct Marketing News

Posted by Robin McCrink

Businesses should be looking at their market research data for their next big idea, according to an expert.

Indeed, director of digital and analytics at MDC Partners Kip Voytek, writing in the Guardian, suggested that data has great potential to “open new doors”.

If used properly, firms can learn much from their email marketing campaigns and the data they yield.

For instance companies can find out a lot about people’s behaviours and their likes and dislikes. They can then send through personalised promotional items that suit a subscriber’s preferences.

Mr Voytek said marketing departments can use the data that they yield in order to unlock new creative ideas, as well as enhance customer engagement.

He commented: “Accessed through simple technologies and approached with an open mind, data should sit alongside cultural cues and creative instincts as one of [the] most powerful tools for generating effective marketing.”

Why marketing professionals should look to data for their next big idea, the Guardian

Posted by Robin McCrink