Leave a Lasting Impression
April 2005, Vol. 1.3
Click here to for the Project Spotlight
Leave a Lasting Impression with a Potent Direct Marketing Campaign
 If you
don’t want them to forget you, then you’ll have to make them remember you. A thematic direct marketing campaign with great offers, spot-on messaging, and memorable
visuals is just the thing for creating a presence in a new market sector, reinforcing your presence among current customers, and getting new leads that can turn into sales. This year,
we launched our own thematic campaign featuring our bespectacled canine mascot of the year, Alberto Suave. Perhaps you remember seeing his “smart and good-looking” countenance
in your mailbox or at various venues where savvy businesspeople tend to gather?
Below are some pointers to help you get started on your own direct marketing campaign:
- Identify your target market and acquire a list. The most obvious place to start is by compiling your own customer list. If you’re targeting a new market, you’ll likely
be renting a mailing list from a list broker who will be able to provide you with lists broken out geographically and by the demographic information you’ve identified as attributes
of your target audience. List rentals may cost you in the neighborhood of $300 per 1,000 names per one-time usage. Lists can also be obtained at reasonable rates from other sources
such as your local chamber of commerce, business publications in your area, and trade organizations.
- Develop an irresistible offer, a powerful message that will cause the reader to
take immediate action. Perhaps the message pushes their hot buttons and causes your prospects to realize that your product or service is just the thing they need. Or, you might think
about offering a discount, a limited time promotion, or invite them to participate in a contest. Direct mail is a great way to test a variety offers to see which one stimulates the
most interest. You might even want to send different offers to different sectors of your list in the same mailing.
- Clearly state your call to action. Now that you’ve got their attention, make sure the reader knows what to do next. Do you want prospects to call you? Return the reply
card? Send you an email? Fill out a form on your website? Make sure you say this clearly and support the information visually. You might want to give your audience several different
ways to get in touch—a phone number, a URL, and an email address.
- Think in terms of a campaign, not just a one-shot mailer. Naturally, repetition drives your message home to
your target prospect. But it’s not just about sending out mailers
over and over again. For your next direct mail effort, create a memorable and coherent, theme-driven campaign with high-impact visuals and copy. Follow the thread of your first mailer
in subsequent mailers so that the campaign becomes imprinted in your audiences’ mind. When that third postcard with the endearing Chihuahua in spectacles arrives in their mailbox,
they’ll remember who it’s from and what it’s promoting. And, if you have a Web presence, there’s no better to build a subscriber list than to ask your prospects
to register on your website in order to receive their discount or free gift.
- Have a follow up place in place. Be prepared to respond! If there’s a number for interested parties to call, make sure someone is available to field phone calls. If you
ask prospects to email you, answer them promptly. If you have an offer, make sure they receive it immediately so that you don’t lose them.
Below are some links with additional tips for your next direct mail campaign:
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Project Spotlight: Rain or Shine
URL: www.rainorshineonline.com
 Rain or Shine, a hip Santa Cruz-based retail store specializing in fashion-conscious sunglasses, is a popular shopping destination for vacationers. The retailer wanted to get smarter
about their marketing and expand beyond their brick and mortar presence to make it easier for repeat customers and Internet shoppers to purchase the latest additions to their line.
Macdonald Design implemented a robust e-commerce solution for Rain or Shine, complete with an easy-to-use shopping cart and database backend. The database technology enables Rain or
Shine to display dynamic content, updating their online catalog with up-to-the minute styles on a timely basis. As a way of promoting their relaxed, beach-oriented image, Macdonald
Design created a dynamic header that swaps out new lifestyle imagery automatically, giving the site a fresh look every time a visitor comes by to shop online.
"Macdonald Design has created and maintained a highly functional and
attractive website for Rain or Shine. It serves our dual purposes of
operating a virtual, online sunglass store as well as providing information
to our customers about the operations of and merchandise carried in our
physical stores. Every business and organization requires a strong e-focus
and, to this end, I have no problem recommending the team at MacDonald
Design. They are reliable and creative professionals."
- David Davis
President
Rain or Shine, Inc.
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