| Whether it is a promotion, email marketing, or a print | | | | The data. |
| mail campaign, there are three key ingredients | | | | The first way to boost the integrity of a database, is |
| marketers required to bake a direct marketing | | | | to wipe out names who have not opted in to receive |
| campaign. | | | | marketing communications. In the short term this will |
| The offer, the data and the creative are the three | | | | slash the size of the database. However in the long |
| inputs marketers can play with to make a campaign | | | | term will provide better open rates, and place less |
| successful. Ideally, marketers should strive to score | | | | reliance on the offer and creative. |
| above average in at least two of these three | | | | Particularly with direct marketing, the piece needs to |
| categories to see a return on investment. | | | | feel like it is talking to the individual. Putting a face to |
| The offer. | | | | the data is very important. It is easy to start treating |
| The offer needs enough perceived value to incentivise | | | | data as a commodity - records which are uploaded |
| purchase. In my experience, instant gratification | | | | into software, cleansed and then blasted. 6,000 |
| give-aways work better than a large sum 'chance to | | | | individuals begin to look like 6,000 email addresses. |
| win'. | | | | Try eyeballing the data, rather than running statistical |
| Research the give-away, to ensure it is not featured in | | | | tools alone. Look for patterns: age, occupation, |
| other competitions. Flash thumb drives and iPods | | | | corporate or personal email addresses. All these cues |
| quickly get a name for being a freebie. | | | | give you insights into who they are. |
| The offer needs to be simple, without too many | | | | However, unless we understand them well enough to |
| conditions, so it can be communicated in a one | | | | hold a meaningful conversation, they won't listen. |
| headline. If the offer is strong, make it the focus of the | | | | Dividing the group into smaller segments makes sense, |
| creative. If the offer is not so attractive, play it down | | | | if the difference is significant enough. |
| and use other elements in the creative to appeal to | | | | Tweak till it hurts |
| the recipient. | | | | Lastly, put yourself in the seat of the recipient. |
| The creative. | | | | Removing your marketing / corporate goggles, ask |
| The mechanics of the direct mail, choice of hero | | | | yourself, 'How will this piece of creative be perceived |
| images, the copy, and how the offer is phrased, come | | | | by our audience?' |
| to bear on the result. If it is an email marketing | | | | Study every nuance of the creative. God is in the |
| campaign, the subject line plays a key role. A great | | | | details. No matter how smart the strategy, typos and |
| offer can be let down by lousy creative. Likewise, | | | | eyesores will distract the readership. |
| great creative can't save a lame promotion. | | | | Visualise ever single piece of creative in situ, not in |
| Feature buzzwords which the audience find emotive | | | | isolation. For example, if you are conducting an email |
| like 'Free', 'Win', and 'Instant'. Although some of these | | | | marketing campaign, take a screen grab of your email |
| phrases may clash with brand guidelines, promotions | | | | inbox and insert the email subject line for your |
| are supposed to be a short term measure, and need | | | | marketing piece. See how it reads in a sea of clutter. |
| to be retail in tone to work. | | | | Does it strike out as hard as it did on the copy deck? |
| Consider carefully where to position the call-to-action. | | | | Be critical. If it is not grabbing you, it is probably not |
| Should it appear early in the creative, or towards the | | | | daring enough. Tweak until it hurts. |
| end? | | | | |