Direct mailers in the United States are to see for themselves the benefits of linking smartphone technology with the physical mail, under a special promotion from the US Postal Service this summer. Click here to read the full article.
Category: Custom Design & Printing
How to do Direct Mail – Somewhat Well
I once read that the majority of people believe that advertising doesn’t work on them. In other words, they don’t fall for the tricks of the trade. However, at the end of the day we’re still mortals who like pretty pictures, beautiful-looking people, flashy headlines and great sounding deals. So, as I was sifting through a stack of mail that my wife refuses to help with, I noticed two interesting pieces. Even though I knew exactly why they caught my attention, and despite the fact I have worked in direct mail for over a decade, I am no more immune to a well-designed piece.
The first direct mail piece was from Yahoo. The outer envelope was oversized and made of a nice glossy cardstock. It looked important. The graphics were bright and well done, so I wanted to open it and find out what they had to offer. I was a bit disappointed. I pulled out the contents and it was a single card, sort of like a buckslip only it was cardstock like the outer envelope. To be honest, I just opened it about 24 hours ago and I can’t remember what the card said or even what the main offer was. I was really surprised because it was clear they spent extra money on large, higher quality components, but didn’t deliver on the promise of the outer envelope.
What could they have done? I immediately thought of our Flat Book-Cube design. Yes, I am a little biased, but the Flat Book-Cube packs a lot of punch and offers a generous amount of copy space. At tradeshows and presentations it’s always fun to watch a person’s expression as they pull a Flat Book-Cube out of an envelope. Let’s just say, it commands attention.
The second piece was from Gerber. Since our daughter was born we have been getting tons of “baby mail”, but this piece was pretty impressive. It was a somewhat thick package and was also personalized. It had a little icon that represented the age category our daughter was in. This level of personalization is great because it lets the recipient know that the piece will be relevant. When I opened the envelope a large sheet of coupons for baby food was folded out. What made the package unique was the nutritional guide that was included. It was a tabbed guide with different sections that dealt with baby nutrition. All of the tabs addressed concerns we were having with what to feed our daughter in her stage of development, so it was really relevant and helpful. Overall, it was a nice package, so what was the problem?
Though it was a great package I think they could have made it even more impactful. The tabbed guide was really helpful but it was also too flimsy. When I ripped the guide out with the intention of hanging it on the fridge, all of the individual tabs separated, so it just became a pile of papers on our already cluttered appliance. I thought of our Reference Guides. They are generally made with a heavier stock and can include any number of tabs that flip or pull out. It’s a sturdy piece that offers tons of copy space and design flexibility. Admittedly, the Reference Guide would have cost more to produce, but it also would have stayed in our kitchen for a long time. What would the value of that been for their brand?
Digital and Direct Mail Drive Great Results
Direct Marketing News ran a great article last week on the effectiveness of combining direct mail with digital solutions to create an integrated campaign. The article uses the TruGreen integrated campaign as a case study, but the message in the article is well known amongst marketers.
“Effective direct marketers understand, support and leverage an integrated approach for customer acquisition,” says Chris Nolan, cofounder and president of direct marketing agency Mercury121. “Direct mail will always be a leading channel for customer acquisition. With marketers now able to layer on the interactive elements which drive prospects to the Web and personalized content, they’re bound to see a boost in response and the conversion of their top prospects.”
A true integrated campaign allows you to combine a few of our favorite things! There’s a high-impact direct mail piece, well designed landing pages to capture response, and of course, QR Codes or Personalized URLs to engage the recipient.
To learn more about our integrated campaigns click here.
The Chief Folding Fanatic on Direct Mail
Our friend Trish Witkowski is the self proclaimed “Chief Folding Fanatic” at FoldFactory.com; a website dedicated to design and special folds. It is also home to her patented FoldRite design templates. Trish is well known in the direct mail and printing world, due to her impressive design work, but also her popular “Fold of the Week” videos. Each week the Folding Fanatic takes you through an exciting and unique fold. In fact, she was the inspiration for our weekly video series.
Trish wrote a great blog piece recently called “Powerhouse Solutions for Direct Mail”. Besides taking you through five different unique direct mail solutions, Trish also makes great points about the effectiveness of direct mail and the increased response rates that usually justify the increased investment.
You can read the article here, but also be sure to stop by FoldFactory.com and watch some of Trish’s videos.
Why your sales team will love QR codes
Though QR codes are not a new technology, their assimilation into the mainstream marketing world is in its infancy. With the emergence of smart phones and the ability of consumers to scan codes directly on their devices, QR codes have gained new respect amongst most marketers.
I can remember many presentations that our marketing team made to the sales department to keep them up-to-date on what initiatives we were working on. We would show them lots of pretty slides and a few mock-ups of upcoming campaigns, but that didn’t usually get us more than an “Oh, that’s cool.” Even when we talked about ROI and increased response rates, we usually just got the polite accolades of the group. Well, that and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee… and probably not that if you live anywhere in the tri-state area.
QR Codes offer an opportunity that your sales team is craving. Deliver actionable sales leads in real-time, directly to the sales person and you become a marketing super hero. In combination with a well designed landing page, QR Codes can quickly and efficiently direct your prospects exactly where you want them to go. Last year, an innovative financial planning company, TIAA-CREF added a QR code to a printed piece, which directed recipients to a simple landing page with a click-to-call button on it. When the user clicked it, they were connected to a sales rep right on their cell phone.
Even though sales will love the real-time lead delivery, there is something in it for marketing too. QR Codes are a proven way to bridge print with digital by guiding recipients from your printed pieces to an online portal. Once a prospect is online, the ability to collect valuable marketing data is virtually endless. Furthermore, it becomes much easier to generate accurate and comprehensive ROI reports.
Here are some examples of creative ways QR Codes have been used in campaigns.
- The aforementioned “click-to-call” technique on a landing page, thus turning your prospect’s cell phones into a direct response device.
- Home Depot used QR Codes to drive their in-store customers to their website to read user reviews and additional information on the products they were scanning.
- A technology services provider used QR Codes to drive prospects to a personalized landing page allowing them to request more info or schedule a consultation using a live online appointment scheduler.
- A local retailer used QR Codes in their print ads so that anyone who scanned the code was given directions to the store using their devices Location Services and Google Maps.
These are great examples of how easy it is to harness the tried, tested and true direct-response power of direct mail with the latest web and mobile technologies. Leveraging them both offers your campaign the ability to capture responses on several levels and ultimately increase ROI.
So perhaps you should not expect your sales team to pour on the accolades when your new glossy catalog comes out. However, you’ll have the affection of a grateful sales team when you find your own innovative way to use QR Codes, capture leads and deliver them into their hands.
Need more? Check this out for more information about QR Codes and how to use them in your marketing.
“Won’t Be Fooled Again!” by Steve Marsden
I get a lot of bills in the mail. It’s really a fairly unpleasant ritual, going through my mail pile. I sift through it with great efficiency, looking to separate that which is necessary to keep, that which might be worth keeping, and that which can go right into the recycling bin (I try to do my part for the environment, too).
Those plain little letter sized envelopes with anonymous return addresses from somewhere in the Midwest…I assume they are bills, so they automatically get placed into the “must keep” pile. They all survive the first cut. Guess who knows this…the people who send them. They know I will think it’s a bill, and that’s one reason why they send their information in this way (besides that fact that it’s cheap). At least, that’s what I believe.
Anyway, once I have done my civic duty and placed the unwanted ‘junk’ where it belongs, I look at the stuff that I find interesting (because I really don’t want to ruin my day just yet by looking at the fuel oil bill for my house). I may spend a little time flipping through a cool catalogue, and maybe looking at some kind of coupon offer made by my local purveyor of “whatever”. Eventually, though I get my courage up and begin slicing open my “bills”.
It’s not a painless experience. I want to get it over with as quickly as possible. I make sure to open them all at once, plowing through the envelopes with a letter-opener. Once they are all open, I take them all out of their respective envelopes, put the envelopes in a pile (also meant for the recycle bin), and begin the gruesome task of looking at how well I have lived for the last month, knowing and regretting the fact that I now have to pay the fiddler.
But, wait! As I thumb through the pile, I find (much to my relief) that half of the stuff in my “bill” pile is not bills at all. They are actually marketing offers! I am not only relieved, but excited!! Why am I excited? Because I have fewer bills than I thought (for the moment)! Then, my emotions turn again…this time to disdain. Disdain for these marketers who attempted to trick me into looking at their offers by making me think that their communication was something that I needed to look at…or else! Do you know what I do with these “interlopers”? Not only do I NOT read on to find out what a great offer has come my way, I throw them in the trash! They aren’t even worthy of the time it takes me to bring them to the garage. Trickery is no way to get people to do business with you. Neither is cheapness.
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to receiving mail, I actually appreciate the thought and creativity that people put into their messaging. Not that many companies do it, but for those that do, it creates a positive impression. If nothing more, they have impressed me and I think more highly of them. I may even take the time to read about what they have to say and what they are trying to sell me. Structural Graphics can certainly help those that want to do a better job of enhancing that positive impression, for me and everyone else that they would eventually want to call a customer.
Don’t touch the control package!
Within a week of bringing our baby girl home from the hospital my wife and I had established a great nighttime routine. We brought her upstairs for a bath around 9pm, fed her a final bottle, played with her on our bed for 15 minutes or so, and put her down for the night. The routine never changed and after a month she was sleeping through the night. Soon after, the reality of life set in. Not every evening can be the same. Things happen, schedules are changed and our nights became a little less predictable. I can remember the very real fear we had when we strayed too far from the nighttime routine. We thought that by changing a single element of the routine, we would throw our baby off-schedule and would lose our uninterrupted nights of sleep. Eventually, we learned to let go of the fear of what was safe and familiar, we discovered that our daughter was amazingly adaptable and that change actually produced positive results.
In marketing, what is safe and familiar is your control package. You know that using it will produce certain results and perhaps you are satisfied with that. However, your control package may also be blinding you from untapped potential. The three components of a control package are generally, offer, content and format. In most campaigns that I have been involved in we have tested the offer and the content. Very few companies are willing to change formats.
While working for a large magazine, whose audience was primarily senior citizens, my job was to constantly challenge the control package. I can remember our meetings where we discussed different content and offers. If I had recordings of the hundreds of meetings I attended, these would be among the most common statements:
“Maybe we should offer a 15% discount on the renewal instead of 10%, but only if they buy a gift subscription too?”
“Perhaps we should change the background color of the Johnson box?”
“I think we should change the placement of the sticker on the outer envelope.”
These were all legitimate testing variables and we tried many variations of all of them. We even went as far as to change the color or paper stock of the outer envelope, but that was it. We were married to that darn outer envelope. For the two years I was with the company we only tested variations of our offer and content. For whatever reason (I don’t recall the rational,) we thought that senior citizens only wanted to receive plain white envelopes in the mail. With our typical response rate hovering around 1 to 3 percent, this was obviously not true.
Here at Structural Graphics we challenge clients every day to let us beat their control package. They are working with us because they know that the standard outer envelope doesn’t always work. This is not to say that testing your offer and content is insufficient, not at all. These are important variables that need to be taken into consideration and tested. But, my point is, don’t be afraid to change the standard format that is safe and familiar.
I would be remiss if I talked this much about outer envelopes and didn’t tell you about an alternative. Take a look at a special direct mail page we have setup called, “No One Calls This Mail Junk.” I really try hard not to be “sales-ish” in our blog, but after all, it is our blog. I hope you will take a look at the aforementioned page and be motivated to try something new. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to look at your control package a little more critically and realize there is life outside the outer envelope.
The Evolution of Your Website and Emerging Trends
It makes me feel truly old to be able to say that I have lived through and experienced the entire evolution of the Internet; from the first room-sized computer to the proliferation of shopify stores. In truth, the foundation for the Internet began before my time when universities started to build information databases and networked them across phone lines. But I do remember the first time I was able to get an email account, chat online in the original AOL chat rooms and Instant Messenger, and of course, browse the Web.
In the early 2000’s, just after the dot-com boom and bust the term Web 2.0 came into fashion, all of a sudden websites were expected to interact with the browser in new ways. Visitors now wanted to interact with other users. Social networks became popular and then integrating social networking features into websites became a standard. Today, it’s nearly impossible to find any website that isn’t directly connected to Facebook or Twitter, allowing users to share content with their friends. It has changed the way people find and use websites, shop, find restaurants, lookup directions and basically everything else online. What could possibly be next?
The debate has already begun about what Web 3.0 will be. It will most likely involve new web technologies like HTML5 and CSS3. Regardless, there are some really neat emerging web trends that you should be aware of. I actually don’t consider them trends since they are quickly becoming standards. You be the judge. However, notice that all of the trends (or standards) listed below are supposed to add usability and value to your website. They are not meant to make your site “cooler” like with those nifty Flash intros that drive people crazy. Geez, those are so 2005. In all seriousness, these are elements that add value for the visitor and therefore, to your business.
Simple Color Schemes and Fonts
As in most of life, simple is better. A nice quiet background with simple fonts and colors can create a pleasing experience for the visitor. Using two or three colors at most and keep your fonts easy to read and consistent. Click here for a good example.
Mobile Friendly Design
Mobile web browsing has taken a huge leap forward in the past few years. With the introduction of the iPhone, Droid devices, netbooks and now iPads, people are able to connect from virtually everywhere. This means your website needs to look good at any resolution. This doesn’t mean you need to have a special “mobile-version” of your site. In fact, that’s not such a good idea anyway. More and more devices are offering users a “view original site” button that allows them to view your website as if they were on a computer. Your website just needs to be sure it is written and designed in a way that allows it to be viewable from small screen resolutions. Use icons and thumbnails to allow viewers to easily see what they are clicking on. Google has recently integrated thumbnail previews into their search results page. This makes it easier to find what you’re looking for and less likely you’ll land on a site you didn’t want.
Another issue to consider with mobile friendly design is the touch screen. Most sites are designed with the standard mouse in mind. Hover-over link effects and drop down menus just don’t translate to touch. Obviously, all of the devices mentioned above (except netbooks) use touch screens. By using icons and thumbnails as your main navigation, you’ll insure your website is usable for mice and fingers. Sandcastle Web Design came to market with a specific approach that provides the ultimate viewing experience and easy navigation with minimum panning, sizing and scrolling across broad range of devices.
Live Feeds
With the popularity of Facebook and Twitter it seems status updates are all the rage. I mean really, I do need to know what my friends and followees (doubt that’s a word) are thinking at any given time throughout the day? Adding live streaming update feeds, fresh blog articles, YouTube videos and even user comments is a great way to engage people on your front page. It insures you’re always providing new content. It’s pretty easy to do now that most social networking sites have special API’s or code to add to your site. We use this technique at structuralgraphics.com to ensure we never forget to share a new blog article (ahem) or new project videos.
QR Codes
I discussed QR Codes in depth last week, but may not have mentioned use of them on websites. They are definitely an emerging trend. If you’re not sure what QR Codes are click here.
Adding a QR Code to your website allows someone who scans it to easily access your mobile site so they can take it on the go; or, perhaps directions to your locations. You can even use it to allow users to download contact information.
So what’s next?
There are lots of emerging trends in web design and functionality that look promising. Some may never take off, while others will add real value. The objective to most of these new trends is not just to have the hip website in your industry. The real key is to make your site functional, useful and engaging for your visitors.
How direct mail can tell a story
Storytelling is nothing new, perhaps as old as humanity. Even printed storytelling dates back around 30,000 years with the existence of the earliest known cave drawings in Europe. When it comes to advertising, you have to be a storyteller. Your advertisement has to appeal to someone in an emotional way, just like a story. And of course, the better your story, the more likely it is that your reader will take action.
Every marketer has a story to tell. Maybe it’s about a breakthrough drug that will alleviate the suffering of many people. Pharmaceutical companies are great at telling stories. They show real people with real problems and present a real solution. Automotive companies tell good stories too. No, I am not talking about the local car dealers that love to put their family members in their television ads; “my dad will get you the car you want at a price you can afford”! In fact, I never really noticed how good the automotive stories were until I had a baby and really started paying attention to the ads. The Toyota Sienna spots (and YouTube videos) are brilliant. They speak directly to someone like my wife who is terrified at the prospect of owning a minivan.
Equally as important as the story is your delivery. Just like your message, the direct mail piece needs to be interesting and engaging. That’s a job for dimensional print.
Tyson Foods wanted an engaging way to tell the story of how their brand has evolved. They used the four selling panels of The Flapper® to do it. They talked about the history of the company, the quality of their foods and finally, on the last panel, introduced a new pizza product. The Flapper was the perfect way to tell the story of Tyson Foods in an interesting and engaging way. Check out the Tyson Foods Flapper, as well as a video on how it works. Tyson Foods had success with this type of storytelling. In fact, they came back to Structural Graphics to tell their story in a new way.
Sometimes a story needs more than just words and graphics to be
told. How about sound? When Victoria’s Secret needed a way to introduce their new cosmetic line “Sexy Little Things”, they knew something standard would not suffice. We produced a beautiful full-color presentation kit that included something unexpected, a whistle when you opened it. This was similar to the package we designed for one of their new fragrances. The package included a light-activated sound chip that whistled when someone opened it.
This is why we, at Structural Graphics, don’t just consider ourselves a direct mail company, or an advertising agency. We are storytellers. We have told a lot of stories in the past 30 years. Does your business have a story to be told?
QR Codes go Marketing Mainstream
QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) have been around for over a decade but are just now coming into favor with marketers. If you don’t know what a QR code is, rest assured, you have seen them before but have perhaps never noticed them. The first time I saw a QR code was on a magazine, and I just assumed it was there as some sort of distribution code used by the publisher. I remember thinking how odd it looked on the front cover of a national magazine. Then I saw one on a billboard, then someone’s business card at a tradeshow. Soon I realized that it was a direct response tool that was quickly being adapted by some of the largest marketers in the country.
QR Codes were originally created by a subsidiary of Toyota in Japan back in 1994. They were used to track automotive parts. When mobile phones became more sophisticated and started including web browsers and cameras QR Codes became more popular. The patent is actually held by the inventor, Denso-Wave (Toyota subsidiary), but they have chosen not to execute it and thus QR Codes are free for anyone to use.
When a QR Code is scanned by your mobile device (using your device’s camera and a third party application) it gives your phone a command to take some action. For example, a QR code can have your device automatically launch an internet browser and go to a specific URL. QR Codes can be used to automatically send an email or text message, download contact information, or show a location on a map.
During this past holiday season, Sears made major changes to their normal print catalog. The catalog was distributed to millions of homes just like in previous years, but they also added QR Codes next to their products. Users were able to browse the catalog and scan items of interest. When they scanned a QR Code they were shown additional product information as well as reviews and videos. This was a great example of using a traditional medium like print and enhancing it with digital technology.
One of the core aspects of Structural Graphics’ business is direct mail print solutions. However, we have many clients that are seeing the benefits of integrated marketing programs that include one of our high-impact print pieces, as well as a landing page, email, or pURL. There is clearly a space for QR Codes in this mix. It’s not just a new “flashy” marketing technology, but rather, it can play an important role in your campaign.
QR Codes provide an additional method of response for the receiver. They may receive your printed piece but not want to visit a landing page or send in a BRC. If your offer is included in the QR Code, they can scan it in a few seconds and store it for later reference. Here are some of the other benefits of using QR Codes in your direct mail:
– Provide a quick response mechanism for recipient
– Accurate response reporting capabilities
– Attention grabbing, as well as interactive
– Ability to deliver information or an action right on to someone’s device
If you would like to learn more about QR Codes and how we use them in our high-impact printed pieces, be sure to give us a call. In the meantime, you can begin scanning codes to satisfy your curiosity. Blackberry, Android and Apple all have apps for their devices that are QR Code readers. Generally, they are free and very easy to use.
