I'm Tony Wilson

Direct Mail Best Practices

Depending on your business model, getting people to spend/donate/deposit their money is likely what it's all about. Direct Mail (DM) is Database driven. As such it is a huge revenue driver. It's one of the few marketing disciplines that can say "Give me a dollar, I'll give you back a buck fifty."

Most people have a very low opinion of Direct Mail - the derogatory term "junk mail" is proof of that (which would also explain why up to half of it winds up thrown away ... unopened). But the volume of "junk mail" into the consumer's mail box shows little sign of slowing down. According to Mail Monitor, a record 6 billion credit card offers were received by US households during 2005 alone.  An offer is what the reader gets when he responds to your mailing. To be successful, a direct-mail package should sell the offer, not the product itself.

For example, if I mail a letter describing a new mainframe computer, my letter is not going to do the whole job of convincing people to buy my computer. But the letter is capable of swaying some people to at least show interest by requesting a free brochure about the computer.

Make sure you have a well-thought-out offer in every mailing. If you think the offer and the way
you describe it are unimportant, you are wrong.

Best Practices in Branding

The American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) and the American Marketing Association (AMA) have joined forces to conduct a study of best practices in branding. They went out looking for the key things you can do to build your company or product brand. 

What is "Branding," Anyway?

APQC and the AMA define the primary purpose of branding as to "establish a meaningful, differentiated presence that will increase the ability to attract and retain loyal customers and improve marketplace ability.%

I see that as increasing name recognition and awareness in your target market so that it's easier to sell what you have to sell. When it's done right, branding builds on the natural way that human beings make buying decisions.

Years ago there was a great trade magazine ad. It showed an obviously unfriendly purchasing agent staring out of the page at you. The caption went something like this. "I don't know you. I never heard of your company. Now, what was it you wanted to sell me?"

Branding is about building positive awareness and recognition. No matter what business you're in, whether it's a one-person service business working out of a desk in your bedroom or a multinational selling manufactured goods in hundreds of countries, people have to be aware of who you are so that the little recognition bell goes off in their heads when they hear your name or see your logo. "Ding!!

Mostly you gain that recognition by having them see your message a number of times. How often? For most products and services four to six times within a six month period is good. That's where continuous advertising and publicity work for you.

As folks keep hearing or seeing your message, they learn a bit about what you do. Now, when the bell goes off they say, "Oh yeah, they make ·"

Branding begins by building recognition and awareness, but it doesn't stop there.