Use of Paper

• According to new research, digital media is no substitute for traditional printed media.
• Most adults reported that they feel more comfortable when they have something on paper than when it’s on screen, suggesting that we make an instinctive association between things we can touch and feel and things that are ‘real’.
• Nearly two out of three (64 percent) workers prefer ink on paper to a computer screen when it comes to reading.
• You can exchange a dozen emails in the time it takes to find a stamp for your snail mail, but a handwritten birthday card in your mailbox somehow means more than an identically worded email in your inbox.

Environmental

• Two in three U.S. adults (67 percent) agree that they care more about saving money than "being green".
• BUT only 11 percent of employed adults report that their company is less likely to choose "green" products if it means spending more money.
• For many small businesses, outsourced printing is a cost-efficient way to be green.

Outsourcing Print

• In addition to investing in print hardware that rarely operates at capacity, otherwise cost-conscious businesses regularly find themselves paying more than they have to for ink, paper, and other consumables
• The cost of maintaining extensive in-house print capacity is compounded by gratuitous usage.
• Because printing out-of-house bears a more obvious – albeit lower – cost, it is rare to find people using a print shop unnecessarily.

The full article can be read here http://members.whattheythink.com/news/index.cfm?id=40687

But adopting this new strategy brings many new challenges:

1. Most clients have not collected the right data, or any data, on their customers, and if they have it, they are reluctant to share it.
2. Companies that have successfully produced programs using new bells and whistles are not sharing their results for fear that their competition will learn how to catch up to them.
3. A majority of creative content providers (writers and designers at the agencies) are totally without any understanding of or how to write and design for variable, versioned pitches, let alone Web-print-to-Web programs, or database mining.
4. There is the commoditisation in the products offered by a majority of print providers, and how it affects content providers, like creative firms.

(N.B. Above list derived from an amazing article by Harvey Hirsch)

Although challenging, none of these issues are insurmountable. The blueprint for success, although not widely known, is there and well proven. And like all successful marketing or advertising campaigns, expert planning and execution is the key.

Show me the money!

Certainly in our tight economy, the financial incentives to improve business results is strong. The question here is why continue using a largely ineffective, unprofitable marketing and advertising model, when a better, more cost-effective one can provide many times higher sales results?

This is because most online as well as traditional advertising or mailing campaigns treat everyone the same. It’s been referred to as the ’spray and hope’ system. These [often expensive] campaigns are relevant only to a few…

The secret to high response marketing lies in your customer database – It tells us WHO we should communicate with, HOW we communicate, and with WHAT offer.

Data mining helps you find a subset of your customers that are most likely to react/respond to your marketing campaigns. By targeting ONLY those likely to respond, you achieve about the same response/sales at a fraction of the cost!

But the problem with databases is that they’re inevitably in a mess. Companies are lucky to have one that has accurate names and postal addresses, let alone other specific details like the customers email address, birth date, product or service preferences and most importantly, previous buying patterns.

These reward programmes have to be done right. In an excellent article by Geoffrey De Weaver "… consumers do not mind sharing information with retailers as long as they receive worthwhile, personalised benefits…  54% of Australian consumers have at least one reward or loyalty card, and 69% tried to use a loyalty card as often as possible. Importantly, both figures are trending north…  Never lose sight of the top 20% of your customers who generate the majority of your sales and profits…"

But for the retailer, the hidden beauty of loyalty programs is their ability to better track things at purchase time. Without this or similar mechanism in place, few companies can track individual purchases back to customers.

A major income boost for targeted marketing campaigns

It’s not just about getting people back to the store and buying. It’s about getting these best customers to buy more products, more often. This data is used to alert the right customers, at the right time, about the right offer. This makes it more relevant and therefore obtain a far higher response, often 10x higher.

Imagine having an attractive offer arrive in your letterbox (normal or email), based precisely upon your current buying preferences, desires or on your birthday? Loyalty programs collect just this type of data, yet to date, are too seldom used by retailers or brands here in NZ. Yet it’s been common practice in Europe, UK and the US for several years…

Imagine too if this detailed consumer buying data was available in a smart company CRM system like Salesforce? And what if it’s then used to drive a personalised [semi-automated] cross-channel marketing programme? i.e. Many more sales, for much less effort and overhead cost.

Predicting buyer needs through data mining isn’t new (click here). But loyalty programme data, linked into one-to-one marketing system takes things to the next level. We can now talk directly to the individual, not just the broader demographic, ensuring much higher response rates and ROI.

It’s already started Downunder

Myer, a major retail chain in Australia has decided to slash it’s traditional mass advertising budget, instead sending targeted direct mailers to their 2.7 million Myer One card holders – It’s a smart move which should pay huge dividends.

Once the Myer One database was analysed, it was likely a simple financially-driven decision – One that should save them millions in old fashioned TV and Newsprint advertising, as well as boost their sales volumes and margins.

As Rafi Albo proved many times, a good loyalty program is the hidden key to effective, highly relevant one-to-one communication – When done well it hits that emotional mark, driving sales results way beyond expectations.

Step Up Marketing
In looking at cutting expenses, frequently one of the first cuts is in marketing. This can be a critical mistake.

Control the External Message
One way to make sure that you are in control of the message is to stay in front of the customer both through marketing avenues and personal one-on-one visits.

While others are cutting back on client visits, communication, advertising, and public relations, you can use communication avenues as a differentiating tool.

As one State of the Industry participant put it: “…we are taking every opportunity to make sure the company is perceived as progressive, financially stable, and completely reliable.”

Below are some of our thoughts regarding what proactive businesses need to do to survive and even prosper in today’s business climate.

- Stay in front of your target audience with relevant communications. It’s absolutely critical to build and maintain top-of-mind awareness, as well as position your brand. Look for articles on the Web that have value to your clients and prospects and pass them along. There are also companies such as mine that will create that content for you.

- Use expertly targeted communications like direct mail. Targeted communications to your best, existing clients, with relevent offers always has a high response and sales conversion rate – Sometime 100 times more than traditional, non-targeted campaigns, with means amazing ROIs.

- Go Cross-Channel for results. Email great and is low in cost, but delivery and response rates can be poor. Direct mail has superb delivery rates and good response. However the best, most effective marketing campaigns use parallel, identical messages via both media channels, averaging 15-25% higher sales than any single-media campaign.

- Ramp up their sales and marketing activities in response business conditions. Communicate with your audience at least every 60 days (preferably monthly) to ensure that your message doesn’t get drowned out.

- Some companies will begin to cut back on their efforts. Take advantage of this. Overtake these companies in the minds of your target audience.

- Take the paddlewheel approach. People need to hear your message repeatedly. Pass on large, one-time expenditures and opt for repetition instead.

Earlier this year, a study from DoubleClick found that given the choice between two similar products, 83% of consumers will choose those that are “environmentally friendly” and nearly half are willing to pay at least 5% more for them.

Not only this, but consumers’ online experience has a huge influence in their decisions.

Tell Your Story

With this in mind, every business owner, like we do at CQ, should be asking themselves the question, “Do I have a green story to tell? If so what is it? And how am I getting that story out there?”

Make sure your green message is in your customer communications. Put it on your business cards or brochures. Put it on your website. Use search engine optimization techniques so people can find it. You may be surprised of the results obtained…

However it’s not just the compact  format. The design, content and offer play a big part too. A card that engages people, sending them back to your company website to buy, for more information or enter competitions is the real secret.

There’s one particular postcard campaign in the US that’s consistently popular and super-successful, breaking sales records year after year through a simple technique. Response rates are over ten times the industry average. Watch the video below, courtesy of Small Business marketer, David Frey.

Now you’ve seen how easy it is, let us turn that concept, into reality.

We’re experts in affordable variable data printing, web-to-print and purl marketing technologies. Talk to us about our new super-effective personalisation options and the amazing business results that come with postcard mailings. Phone Dean on 03 963 8899 or email dean@cq.co.nz

Increase your business results with Postcards

If you’ve a slim advertising budget, Postcard mailers are an effective way to professionally market your products, business services or website. And by ordering them online, you’ll save yourself weeks of effort and heaps of money.

DIY Saves – No more frustrating delays or unnecessary costs working with all those graphic designers, specialist printers or mail houses! And no need to spend hours with labels, or stuffing envelopes.

Now you can design the card yourself, using our smart MS Word templates, adding images from your digital camera then addresses using Word’s mail merge tools. When you’re done, simply ‘print’ them to CQ’s internet print queue and we’ll do the rest – What once took weeks can now be done in a few hours.

CQ’s Postcard mailers are the perfect low cost, super-effective marketing tool for the realty, motoring, home services, hospitality and travel sectors – In fact for anyone organising a special business, community or family event.