Sending successful direct mail can be a tricky science. After all, your mailer is competing with thousands of marketing messages a day not to mention 5-10 other mail pieces in your customer’s mailbox alone. You might have the greatest message or offer in the world but if you can’t get their attention, you will lose out on your resulst. Want to maximize the attention your customers gives to your communications? The answer might be closer than you think.

In an article in DM News, entitled “Unite Marketing and Billing“, Pat McGrew writes:

“According to industry studies, people spend more time with their billing statements than any other form of communication. Bills are expected and reviewed, so they hold on to mindshare longer than most mail pieces.”

The big problem, however, is the billing department rarely syncs up with the marketing department in organizations. The marketing department puts out flashy brochures with full color proprietary imagery and up-to-date logos and graphics. The billing department uses ancient lasering machines with pixelated one color logos. Read more…

CBS Entertainment invested a lot of money into their serialized post-apocalyptic drama, Jericho last year. But after a painfully long hiatus after half of a season, Jericho began to lose viewers. When Jericho remained in the same time slot, opposite of the Fox juggernaut, American Idol, the show slipped to 48th overall in prime-time viewers. CBS cancelled the show.

Earlier this week, 20 tons of peanuts (reference to the final episode) were delivered to CBS Entertainment protesting the cancellation. Read more…

Using fear to motivate action is a proven and effective technique in direct marketing. But when used inappropriately, it can not only suppress response, it can damage your brand.

My wife and I have been harassed by our credit card company for months now. We are not missing payments. Our identity was not stolen. No, we have been harassed simply because we are not picking up the phone when they call us. For months we have been receiving calls from an unidentified 800 number from Arizona (Thank god for caller ID). On some days, we receive up to 5 calls in one day! Most of the time a message is not left. But when a message is left, it is a recorded voice asking us to call an 800 number right away.

The fact that it is not a live person on the other end of the phone should be a trigger that this is just a promotional call. But the fact that it is an ambiguous message from my credit card company is a situation most people would not want to risk neglecting. I resisted my first instincts to call the number for weeks. But finally, my patience wore thin and I picked up the phone. Read more…