1. Do tailor your message to fit the recipients you are targeting. Recycling a mailing piece originally intended for one segment, say men and try to portion it at woman will just not do it. It is better to not advertising at all then to get lazy and send out the wrong message
2. Don’t just talk about equality. Your company and brad will win more loyalty in the market if your company is known for supporting its employees. Human rights issues do make a difference.
3. Do remain s…
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Added by Howard Larson on May 21, 2009 at 10:58am —
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The trend today seems to be on short copy. Tri-fold self mailers, postcards, oversized postcards, one page sales letters with a simple business reply card work very well in a b2b direct mail attack for any lead generation program. Get in and in a few word make your point.
Larson note: I am a long copy kind of guy who believes more in the headline than the length of copy. Draw them in and then make a convincing message. But both can and do work.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Tar…
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Added by Howard Larson on May 13, 2009 at 10:15am —
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In a recent poll a week or so ago the direct marketing association’s members 50% felt oversized postcards were not worth the cost. I disagree.
Personally I love oversized, oversized anything to me the biggest waste of money is not getting noticed.
Larson note: Postcards,…
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Added by Howard Larson on February 20, 2009 at 11:30am —
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You should not think of email as an acquisition tool but rather as a tool to complements other acquisition elements of your marketing.
Using things like search ads, banner ads, promotions, in store list creation.
While most people are looking for a quick payoff such as information, they may also be interesting in hearing more form and about you. You can then use an email campaign in this process and drive home your message, up to and including a purchase request. Yes you can ask for the order.…
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Added by Howard Larson on January 26, 2009 at 3:30pm —
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What is the best way to measure the success
(or not) of your email marketing campaign?
Some companies measure the success by opens and clicks. Others
(like me) measure the success solely based on sales volume, revenue and new clients or 1st time customers.
But, is there a grey area in between? The marketing department could measure the success of “prequalified or interested leads from an e-mail campaign. If marketing uses behavior tracking and lead scoring together with their mar…
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Added by Howard Larson on January 23, 2009 at 11:31am —
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It is a fact that customers that have contact with a company in more than one channel have higher company interaction and engagement. They have a deeper understanding, tend to spend more with that company and have a longer higher customer “lifetime” value.
Some examples might involve, direct mail with its high redemption rate, but then in adding telemarketing you get some instant feedback. Kick in some email marketing and some mobile and you have them on 4 important, “in their face” channels. T…
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Added by Howard Larson on January 22, 2009 at 10:55am —
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New Business Relationships
Have you ever used a new business for the first time because of information you received in the mail?
37% Yes
63% No
Renewed Business Relationships
Have you ever renewed a relationship with a business after a period of time bercuase you received a mailing or promotion offer?
68% Yes
32% No
A Careful Look at the Mail
Are you looking though your mail more carefully for coupons and promotional offers than 6 months ago?
64% Ye…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 24, 2008 at 1:30pm —
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As much as people like to get mail offers and coupons woman, on in a greater percentage than men take advantage of them.
It is woman who usually collect and sort the household mail. It is woman much more than men who are more likely to try a new business or renew and old customer relationship (67% to 59%) over their mail counterparts. It is women who show a greater level of price sensitivity compared to men. They are also more likely to be on the lookout for promotional offers and coupons in th…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 24, 2008 at 10:56am —
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Coupon Price
How important is price when making a purchasing decision on various items?
65% - VI 25% - SI / Travel
62% - VI 30% - SI / Electronics
57% - VI 32% - SI / Groceries
56% - VI 32% - SI / Home furniture
53% - VI 31% - SI / Auto Parts
46% - VI 36% - SI / Entertainment
46% - VI 29% - SI / Paper and Office Supplies
41% - VI 39% - SI Health & Wellness
* VI very important / SI somewhat important
Coupon use
How has your use of coupons recieved in the mail ch…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 23, 2008 at 3:30pm —
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E-mail vs. Direct Mail. That is the question.
It is very easy to make a nice looking electronic email ad and zap it out to an email list of thousands and thousands of people with the click of a mouse. Simple, appealing and Lazy!
If you look at the back end and see the open rates and the click though rates you will find a channel that is declining.
There is only one way for a buyer to respond to an e-ad, click it. If you have shopping carts on your web sites look at the ones left abandoned. Wh…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 23, 2008 at 10:09am —
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People, all people read mail. My (under 25) kids come home and ask is there any mail for me. People love to receive mail.
If you look at the habits of your own families you will know I am right. The under 30 group of consumers are moving away from email and phone and into im and texting. I have had to put on unlimited texting options on all our phones. This is a mode of communication not advertising. Instant and now.
They are a very wary segment of people who know and understand more than the…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 22, 2008 at 2:30pm —
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How many promotional offers or coupons do people receive in a week by MAIL?
1% 0
48% 1-5
28% 6-10
11% 11-15
12% 16+
Larson note: Stores are getting more saficitated I the usage of coupons and promotional pieces. As they learn the fine art of CRM they can track who you are and what you but and put the right promotions into your mail box. They can and they are. Are you?.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Makin…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 19, 2008 at 3:30pm —
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Is price more or less important to the buying decision?
69% More important
29% Same
2% Less Important
Larson note: This should come as no surprise, when doing a coupon or incentive driven piece. People are either going to go because of price or location or offer but price is the biggest pull. Do a little research and see if you can find out what your competition has in mind, then beat them at their own game. You only have to win by a little to win it all.
Howard Larson
Larson & Ass…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 18, 2008 at 2:30pm —
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Many people, my self included, have been pushing other channels for promotion. We here at Larson’s have been pushing our marketing message though bloging harder than a year ago. But then has not diminished our Direct Mail Marketing attack.
When people receive a piece of mail, they can do 3 different things with it. Act on it immediately, save if for future use or share it with other people in the business or household. Possible with e-marketing? Yes, but not as prevalent. I have specialty folde…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 18, 2008 at 10:24am —
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In a time like we are now in, people are looking harder and more closely at the promotional mail, or do you call it junk mail, that is coming into their mail boxes. If done correctly you can get some of the best hit rates possible, possibly more so than even a year ago. Direct mail and lists can be very targeted to the people you want to get in front of. When we consider that 85% of direct mail actually gets read or viewed and that over half of all consumers have requested promotional materials…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 17, 2008 at 10:57am —
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Do you enjoy reviewing your USPD mail more than your email?
50% Yes
50% No
How often do you go though your USPD mail
85% Daily
13% Often
2% Sometimes
Larson note: Can’t say enough about a marketing tool that has a 85% hit rate. With that kind of penetration if your target is right your message is right and your pull is right you got them.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 17, 2008 at 10:30am —
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Are you looking over your mail closer then 6 months ago? Hoping, looking, actually wanting to find promotional offers and coupons in your mail box.
64% Yes
36% No
Larson note: Everyone is looking to expand there shopping dollars and promotions, discounts and coupons are what they are looking for. With gas prices down we all have a little breather but everyone is still on edge
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisitio…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 16, 2008 at 3:30pm —
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Making a marketing plan is like building a ham sandwich. Bread, ham, mayo and other stuff. But what other things you add to your sandwich will define the flavor and experience of eating your sandwich.
I have three main elements to any attack that I put together, telesales, mail and email / bread, ham and mayo. What ever else I add to my sandwich will add or possibly detract to the taste of my sandwich.
As my father use to ask us, “Which would you rather have, complete happiness in life or a ha…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 16, 2008 at 11:22am —
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34% Proximity
29% TV Holiday Ads
41% Friends Suggestion
70% Coupons received
33% Go to the same stores as usual
66% Flyers/Ads Mailed out
Larson note: Mail mail mail!!! Post or E-mail, get your coupons in their hands. USPS or E-blast get your ad out and in their faces. If you’re a follower of this blog there are lots of ideas scattered in the different posts.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Ma…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 10, 2008 at 3:30pm —
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The new study by the EEC found that retailers are putting more focus on list hygiene. 38% of retailers surveyed are asking subscribers to confirm their e-mail address by re-entering it when opting in. This is up from 27% last year. In addition, 5% of retailers are now using a confirmed (double) opt-in process, up from 3% last year, which improves list quality and assures that consumers know for what they are opting in.
The new study examined the opt-in practices of 120 of the top online retaile…
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Added by Howard Larson on December 2, 2008 at 11:01am —
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4 Marketing Do’s and Do Not’s
