Direct Mail Ads Need Better Payoff

Here is a simple way to make sure your direct mail gets attention. We can even provide you with statistical results showing your use of this one simple idea, your mail will get noticed, even read and the response rate will increase GREATLY.

Bulk it up!

And that does NOT mean use that old fashion “bulk rate” that the post office has eliminated to make junk mail more attractive.

What it DOES mean is put something bulky into your mail that makes the recipient wonder “what’s in here.” That curiosity gets them to open it and find out why you sent it. Furthermore, if the bulky idea you include in your mail is properly picked, it will have staying power which means the recipient might start carrying it around with him which gives your message or sales pitch a longer period to sink in and get you added results.

While the per piece cost of this bulky direct mail campaign is going to cost more, I can get you academic proof that the return will be well worth the added expense. What I’m trying to explain here is that sales results will exponentially increase with the inclusion of a simple bulky idea like an inexpensive calendar card. For every hundred dollars previously spent that may have generated a couple hundred in sales during a fixed measured period can be replaced by a thousand dollar response over a longer measured period with the addition of a bulky idea.

The bigger the bulk (which also may be more expensive) academic studies show the bigger the responses. In one study an inexpensive pen packed with a pad of adhesive notes drew a 13 per cent response rate! Previously unheard of in direct mail that is thrilled with a two per cent response and really only expects something above one per cent.

American companies are sharply reducing their spending on direct-mail marketing. From our marketing perspective, this is a huge mistake. Believing these bad economic times require marketing increases means we need new innovative ways to do it that get better results.
Another idea that fit into the bulky mail envelope idea could be a credit card size anti bacterial hand sanitizer. Imagine the recipient carrying around this idea and every time he pulls it out of his pocket to sanitize his hands someone says, “Wow, where did you get that?”

The ideas we can assist you with including in your next direct mail campaign are endless. If you are looking for interesting ways to get your company talked about – in a good way – try working with a promotional marketing specialist like Innovative Marketing. It is the type of advertising that gets multiple exposures for low rates and long life.

We’re available by email just write to Info@InnMkting.com or visit our website www.InnMkting.Com today. Please leave your phone number and other contact information so we can plan a way to connect with you.

Banks Come and Go; But Taglines Live On

Today I was driving past my local Washington Mutual branch (affectionately know as WAMU) and noticed the temporary CHASE signs are covering anything that used to refer to the old names.WAMU is national; but if you live out west – especially in California like I do, then you may remember WAMU took over Great Western Savings and Loan Association – which was the bank that had the confidence inspiring tag line “We’ll always be there…”I would like to take credit for creating that tagline. It is so ironic that not only is Great Western long gone; so is the conglomerate that took them over. “So what good is a tagline?” you may ask.I raised my kids in Chatsworth, California which was the corporate headquarters for Great Western. Even today, the campus housing much of WAMU’s computer systems and loan processing offices is (as of now) located in what used to be that corporate plaza. Of course with the main WAMU being in Washington state and apparently some major subsidiary in Texas, the campus has dwindled down to about half of what it used to be but still takes up a square mile or two.In the Great Western Days when John Wayne and later Dennis Weaver were the company spokesmen, it was a huge client of mine. They bought T-shirts to hand out for community events they sponsored. Polo shirts were distributed to all the employees for wearing on casual Fridays. Decals for car windows and teller stations were regularly ordered and reorder. Pens and notepads by the truckload. Gifts'>http://www.innmkting.com/item_information.cfm?strip=0&ClearListOrder=true&CatalogGUID=18F2680E%2D6D0F%2D4D9F%2DBE23%2DA5777CD3112D&SupplierItemGUID=B7DB72EC-CD9B-4BAA-A30D-8894A90BEB1E&SuplItemNo=1200&SuplDisplayNo=Magellan&clear=1&AcctGUID=AB5AD5D4-D21B-4170-A1F2-67F558FC6655&ProdNo=1&ProdName=1&Description=1">Gifts to give customers to open new accounts were always fun to brainstorm about trying to come up with something new and clever – not just another toaster.The Snuggie, which has caught on recently because it’s comforting in these trying times, wasn’t quite available in those days. But we did do blankets and fleece and picnic "baskets" and thermos'>http://www.innmkting.com/item_information.cfm?strip=0&ClearListOrder=true&CatalogGUID=18F2680E%2D6D0F%2D4D9F%2DBE23%2DA5777CD3112D&SupplierItemGUID=FF004BB4-992D-48D4-910A-A20A23F5AFA8&SuplItemNo=SM%2D6710&SuplDisplayNo=&clear=1&AcctGUID=A0FB3837-C7AE-11D3-896A-00105A7027AA&ProdNo=1&ProdName=1&Description=1">thermos bottles and all the things that would encourage customers and employees to save energy, help reduce costs and work as a team for better results.You can imagine how much I miss Great Western. Up until today when I saw that Chase sign go up I was in denial about them being gone. It’s been nearly a decade since WAMU took the action to kill that tag line; but somehow I always believed it was coming back and I was going to regain all that business. Guess that is what is meant about being positive or optimistic! At any rate, working with marketing people and developing taglines and the products to promote the future of a business is what my work has been about. I love that brainstorming session. Stupid questions get asked and answered and exciting innovative ideas result.While it would be nice to work with another Great Western, the fact is most companies just don’t get that big. It is the smaller organizations that really need to develop their promotional marketing programs with much more rigid budgets. That makes our work even more challenging and rewarding.If you are looking for interesting ways to get your company talked about – in a good way – try working with a promotional marketing specialist like Innovative Marketing. It is the type of advertising that gets multiple exposures for low rates and long life. Like a calendar – for as little as a dollar, your tagline and/or ad message can be seen several times a day for 365 days a year. That’s a lot of exposure for a small price.We’re available by email just write to Info@InnMkting.com or visit our website www.InnMkting.Com today. Please leave your phone number and other contact information so we can plan a way to connect with you.

AIG - Need An Incentive? Call Me

Wow, am I glad I’m not one of those AIG bonus babies. Can you imagine what it must be like for them? They are more hated now then Congress! If you have been following my blog, you know I love it when I can say “told you so.”A few weeks ago I wrote about employee incentives and I was pretty clear – even had it in the title – cash is not where it’s at.So it got me thinking. What if Ed Libby, CEO of AIG called and said “Jay, I need something worth a million dollars and I have 73 employees to show my gratitude to, got an INNOVATIVE MARKETING IDEA?”Now I have the advantage of hind sight here; but I think I would have orchestrated an event in front of the Capitol steps and had each bonus baby hand truck in large bags of money as a payback on the debt. You would have to have players from both sides of the aisle in attendance just to make sure you’re getting the message across that we’re all in this together. I would have charged about $5,000 to set that up plus the expenses to get the money bagged and trucked in and of course the hand truck rental fee. Can you get the mental picture of the positive public relations reaction? How many millions of dollars would it cost AIG to get that kind of recognition?But now I have to deal with getting back to Ed and coming up with a way to provide an incentive to those 73.First, a lapel pin made of gold (plating) and jewels so outrageously beautiful and gleaming that everyone who sees it would wonder (and maybe ask) what is that and what did you do to get it?” Think about the lifetime of recognition those 73 would have every time they told the story about bringing the money to Washington.But I wouldn’t stop there; we’ve spent less the twenty bucks so far. Do you think they would appreciate a little incentive travel program? I could put you on to a two week trip that would fly these folks first class to London where they would spend the “funnest” weekend of their lives. Probably could even arrange a private concert with U2, if they were in town. From there, we’re moving – still first class – to Turkey for a five day glamorous land cruise through the ancient and arguably first cultures of western civilization. We still have six days to go and the point is that for less then $15,000 I’ve produced something these folks will always have in their memory.For the trip home, I would probably throw in a Snuggie — you know, the blanket with sleeves. This one would have AIG embroidered subtly over an American Flag to remind them about the gallant gesture.I heard that 11 of the 73 have already left AIG so possibly they are out of work. The $60 million Snuggie sales for 2008 will reassure them another good idea can do it all for them once again (and this time without breaking the bank and sending the whole world into financial chaos).

Coupons With A "Catch" Are Harmful

My wife is not much of a coupon clipper. As a matter of fact the only coupon she uses is the one dropped on my desk about once a month trying to convince me it’s time to get my car washed! She has a guy that comes to her office weekly, so her car is always clean. But my car is filled with samples and golf accessories meaning it only gets cleaned up and reorganized prior to a car wash. Since I quit eating in the car between sales calls, the food droppings and crumbs have been minimized which makes me overlook the car washes until she drops that coupon.But the other day I saw a coupon she clipped from our local paper offering $10 on a purchase of $50 at grocery store she frequents in between trips to Trader Joe’s. I believe one of the reasons she avoids coupons -- and I totally agree -- is because there is always some restriction or gimmick that makes the coupon worthless. I can’t tell you how many restaurants we’ve gone to over the years where we plopped our two for one on the server to find out the small print says it is either expired or not good for the things we ordered or just not valid on the day we’re dining.So over the years, we’ve become hardened and ignore these offers rationalizing that they are all pretty much bait and switch. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw this coupon on the counter. At first I ignored it. Then I noticed it was staying on the counter – two days, three days, four days. I remember thinking if it was authentic, it was going to expire so maybe I better take a look at it.I read and reread all the fine print. Except for legitimate exclusions like alcohol and tobacco and could not be used in conjunction with other promotional offers, it seemed okay. And it did have an expiration date but even that was more then a couple weeks away. “So what’s the catch,” I found myself saying aloud as my wife was walking up from behind. “Yes,” she agreed, “it seems like a good deal and I need some stuff there so I’m going to try and see if it works.”So you’re wondering to yourself, “What was the catch?”You may consider this the catch; but I found it to be best INNOVATIVE MARKETING IDEA of the day! She ended up spending nearly $300 and saved ten bucks!It was a very authentic and legitimate offer. It gave her exactly what it said it would give and it made the exchange simple. It got her into the store. From there she shopped and saw a number of things she needed but was putting off. She noticed additional discounted pricing for things she needed. Although her normal shopping visit would be around a hundred dollars she felt good enough about that savings, she went on to get things that were priced better. She showed me how much she “saved” because the register receipt broke out the shelf price from the discounted price itemizing the amount “saved.”The point here is that coupons work. But the offer has to be legit. Business offering coupons to grab attention and then end up charging the client more in the end get no respect, are considered insulting to the consumer’s intelligence and make things bad for businesses making good offers and giving real value to earn a customer’s visit. I was reading that Procter Gamble – a huge believer in coupons -- is planning to raise $1 million dollars through coupon redemption for charity. For every coupon redeemed the company makes a donation toward GIVE Health, a campaign under the company's Live, Learn and Thrive corporate cause. This is obviously a nice way to be a good corporate citizen. It also gives a discount to folks who use or want to try your products. Another INNOVATIVE MARKETING IDEA introducing new consumers to build future sales and profits. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to determine the best coupon offer. Nobody wants to give away the store just to get someone in it. I’m of the belief that a gift or premium of some sort is a better incentive to get attention for your coupon then the dollars off offer. Many ideas are less than a buck to get that attention, some are more exotic and but can be useful too.Personal is always best. So let me help you decide the most appropriate way for you to reward your prospects and customers. Contact me at Jay@InnMkting.com or visit our website www.InnMkting.com. The website is a search heaven. If you type in an idea or budget in the search section you will see an idea or two that will be useful for your next promotion or marketing campaign.