Issue 10iJanuary  2005

ESA Marketing & Graphic Matter, Inc. sharing insights and methods.  

Cover

Marketing Matters: Direct Mail Strategy

Design Matters: Direct Mail Tactics

MarketingMatters.biz archive

BANG!
Getting your
message heard
in a noisy world.

Linda Kaplan Thaler and
Robin Koval with Delia Marshall

Marketing Matters: Direct Mail Strategies

Like all marketing strategies, the key to successful direct mail marketing is planning. So before you write that sales letter, print that flyer, design that wonderful brochure, postcard or promotion piece –
STOP! THINK! PLAN!
 

Design Matters: Direct Mail Tactics

You have one chance to make a first impression . . . make it count.

Image & Identity:

• Project a professional image that is unique.

• Create a proto-type and ask friends (who will be honest) what image it projects. Consider your own reaction when you see marketing collateral. We are a consumer-driven nation. We all have the marketer’s eye when we are the target audience. If you think it looks home-grown and not up par, then it probably does.

• Ultimately, when you go through the time and expense of creating a marketing campaign, it is all about the message and image you project. Make every element -- the explicit and implicit -- project the very best message about your company. For more information see Issue 1 on Image and Branding.

• When the files have been created by someone with little print experience and/or created in a non-graphics program, it is very common that the printer will need to make adjustments to make the files print-ready. Be prepared to pay your printer for these "prepress services."

Familiarity & Repetition:

• Consistency is king when it comes to building name recognition in your market. Once you have established a professional image for your company stick with it. Use your company logo, colors, fonts and slogan religiously.

• While you want some variety, don’t assume your prospective market will remember or recognize you unless your style and message are very repetitive. If your last marketing initiative was more than 3 months ago assume they have long forgotten about you.

Attention & Retention:

• Photos vs. Text:
  A picture is worth a thousands words. Find a dynamic photo that is relevant and interesting to your audience and this image is not soon forgotten. Long paragraphs of text are rarely read and almost never retained.
   

• Full Color vs. 1-Color images:

• 1-2-1 Marketing vs. Mass Marketing:
  Did you ever notice how the big guys can track your buying habits and then use this to market to you later? Ever buy something on-line and the next time you log-in, they are promoting an accessory for this very item? Coincidence, probably not! The great thing is that this type of personalized, customized, 1-2-1 marketing is one area where the small business actually has the advantage over the national brands. Are you leveraging your opportunities to use this powerful marketing technique? For more information on implementing a customized marketing campaign call us or send an email asking us to feature this in an upcoming issue.

Design to Print:

if you are considering designing your own direct mail piece . . .

• Remember you cannot judge the quality of a photographic image by the way it appears on your computer screen or by the way it prints on your laser printer. To determine the true resolution you need to open the image in a photo-editing software and identify the number of dots-per-inch (DPI) or pixels. For details on the appropriate settings for your needs, check out our article on the Graphic Matter web site - Image Conversion Guidelines.

• Use quality paper, it enhances the presentation. Don’t use copy paper

• Keep the layout simple and uncluttered. Don't confuse your message with too many fonts, colors and borders.

Postal Specification for Self-mailers:
if you are creating a self-mailing direct mail piece . . .

• While you may be tempted to create your own direct mail campaign, it is very important to use a professional designer when creating printed pieces that must meet postal specifications.

• The designer needs to start with the end-in-mind. A good designer will ask . . . How will these be distributed? By hand-out at a trade show, standard USPS, self-mailer or in an envelope etc. Consider the volume of pieces and the frequency of the mailings to establish your budget. Many times the postage will cost more than the actual printing.

• Most importantly, you don’t want to design, print, and then mail a piece that inadvertently gets “returned to sender” – what a waste! Yes postal specs are available on the USPS web site, but they are very confusing and they change frequently.

• The best assurance, although not full-proof, is to create a proto-type and then mail it to yourself. If it comes to you and doesn’t require additional postage you are usually set to go. Keep in mind; all post offices are not consistent with their standards and practice. Surprising as this may seem, one post office may reject an item that another post office will ship without problems.

Data source:
Color for Impact, Jan V. White 1996; The Persuasive Properties of Color, Robert E. Green, Marketing Communications; USA Today, Wharton Business School, Case & Company, Management Consultants; Bureau of Advertising, Color in Newspaper Advertising; What’s Working in Direct Marketing; 4over4.com; Adobe.com; Cap Ventures.