Forgetting the basics

Hi,

I judged the NSW Young Direct Marketer of the Year this week. The case studies the four finalists presented revealed that many of the basics of dm have to be relearned by every generation. Here are some examples:

1. Test only significant things. Testing minor elements of a mailpack does not pay dividends. One charity tested the direction donation amount options are presented: high amounts first vs low amounts first. (The traditional format of low amounts first won. It is one of the eternals of charity dm.)

2. Your logo is not a compelling argument for opening an envelope. One financial services operation delivered an amazing offer to frequent flyers (250,000 miles for shifting your mortgage) with no indication of the offer on the outer envelope, just the logo of the finance provider.

3. Focus on the 'purchase cycle' of the individual for mega-ROI results. One marketer of eye wear has a database of customers which includes purchase cycle data. Instead of a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to soliciting repurchase, it is now sending offers only when the customer is coming into their preferred buying period.

4. Some lists are too small. One luxury car company sent a very expensive mail piece to 10 existing customers based on their lease expiry dates. They sold 6 cars, so big ROI. But 10 customers could be personally visited by the dealer principal or simply telephoned to get the same effect.

Cheers!

MK