Posts Tagged ‘direct marketing’
The 80/20 Blog
8 February 2011 | 
Author The following is the conclusion of a story about an agency, a client and an opportunity:
Sadly, this attitude towards direct marketing is all too common as it relies on oversupply founded on poor data strategy and ill considered customer engagement. It contributes to the low perception of the direct marketing industry and does little to promote a positive brand reputation. OK rant over – I’m all done now – psychoanalysis achieved and points made. This is an atypical example in our experience but I would love to hear similar ones, but I’m sure I’m not alone in the occasional LOL from a bout of unforgivable schadenfreude!
Read the rest at The 80/20 Blog.
Posted in Consumer marketing | 
Tags: 80/20 Blog, Blue Sheep, catalogue, direct marketing, Iain Lovatt | 
No Comments »
People that don’t respond to your direct marketing
Mike Welsh, CEO, Publicis Dialog, has written a nice piece about direct marketing and the importance of brand consistancy, tone and all those fine people that don’t respond immediately…have a read.
It made me think again about the importance of connecting strategy with tactical execution. There is no point in positioning a brand as ‘premium’ if the DM delivery is transactional and shallow. So when we are carrying out direct marketing/direct mail activity isn’t it important that we include intelligent KPIs beyond simple response rates?
Posted in Consumer marketing, Marketing | Tags: brand, direct mail, direct marketing, KPI, Mike Welsh, positioning, Publicis Dialog, strategy, tactics, transactional | 1 Comment »
People can’t read their own data?
So why is it that people can’t read their own data?
I received a piece of DM from a marketing agency recently. It was creatively good. It inspired me to delay its arrival in the bin. I opened it. So far so good; most DM doesn’t get that far. I even spent a couple of minutes reading it.
The call to action invited me to follow a personalised URL, e.g. agencyname.com/myname. I duly did this and arrived at a website where I answered the questions. The last question said words to the effect of ‘can we talk more about this/can we call you?’ I replied no…for more than one good reason.
Since then I’ve received an email from one person and a phone message from another.
I said NO.
For goodness sake; if businesses are going to use this type of B2B marketing please listen to the answers given!
The reason I’ve not named and shamed the agency concerned is that I actually like the director I’ve met from there. But really, as we already know each other, I do wonder why he is sending me DM rather than something a bit more personal.
Posted in Marketing | Tags: B2B, data, direct marketing, marketing agency, personalised URL | No Comments »
Saab: award winning direct marketing
Saab UK has just sent me an excellent piece of direct mail. The small lumpy envelope contained an ‘honorary employee’ badge on a lanyard.
The hook to the offer is the opportunity to buy a Saab at Saab employee prices. These presumably wonderful prices aren’t stated. To find out more I need to go to my local dealer, Saab Reading.
A simple, compelling and clear message. Well done to Saab and whoever their agency.
Incoming search terms:
- BT infinity direct mail
Data Strategy errors
I did chuckle…before I unsubscrided to the emails. I would rather have hoped that an email to me asking me to re-start subscriptions to the magazine Data Strategy would have been addressed to me. Wrong, it was addressed to Ms Ramsey.
I didn’t notice that error at first. Actually I was marvelling at the bad email. Not a single mention of any benefit to me if I did subscribe. Here it is for you to enjoy.
starts
Re-start your free subscription
Dear Ms Ramsey,
Reference Number: 3920515
Over a year ago, you registered for free copies of Data Strategy. At the time, we might not have explained that, to continue receiving complimentary copies of the magazine, you need to re-register every year.
Please follow this link to re-start your free copies >>
If you are NOT the person named above, please use the following link instead:
New reader application >>
Alternatively, you can print out a free application form at:http://applynow.centaur.co.uk/pubpdf/ds/Browse.view Please complete this and fax it back to 020 7970 4099.
I look forward to sending you your copies for another year.
Yours Sincerely,
Ed Tillotson Publisher
P.S. Do you have any colleagues whom you think would benefit from receiving their own complimentary copies? If so, forward them this link: http://www.data-strategy.co.uk/apply
ends
Posted in Marketing | Tags: Data Strategy, direct marketing, email, magazine, subscription | No Comments »
Environmentally friendly Saab
Saab Twin Turbo
I received two sets of the same piece of direct mail about the new twin turbo Saab this morning. Is this a play on TWIN turbo or just simply shoddy de-duping of data? Identical names and addresses on both envelopes.
British Gas: aggressive sales tack
I do hate salespeople that lie.
I read a chart of the “best clients” from an agency perspective. At the bottom there was the “Brands in Need of a Direct Makeover” section.
British Gas: Aggressive sales tack, combined with perceived lack of database marketing finesse, hits utilities giant.
It may not just be their database marketing that needs finessing. A door to door salesperson knocked on our door for a second time the other day. This was despite a sticker saying we do not buy at the door. He wanted British Gas to also supply the Harrington household electricity.
The pushy salesman said that he wasn’t in fact selling anything and therefore it was alright for him to knock on the door and waste my time. I presume that this means that electricity supplied by British Gas is in fact free.
The net result: I think less of the British Gas brand and would actively consider moving our gas account from them…if I could be bothered.
Incoming search terms:
- british gas pushy salesman
- britsih gas kevin
- Sales promotion
Posted in Marketing | Tags: branding, British Gas, direct marketing, door to door, impressions, sales | 6 Comments »