Problem is, so does everyone else.  Resulting in way too much “mass” communication.

So how do you zig when everyone’s zagging?  By going old school.  With  a beautiful piece of direct mail.

Unlike the mind-boggling frenzy of info on the web, or the blather of too many broadcast messages, direct mail can be your own personal playground of effective promotion.

Because, Dear Marketer, that 6 x 9 card is your turf. With an attention-getting design, clean layout and clear, engaging copy, direct mail can rise above the average ad — and become an opportunity to begin a customer conversation.  Even better, it allows you to target your prospects like a Jedi Master — so you can hone in on exactly the folks you most want to reach.

The other really great thing about direct mail? These days, it’s too often overlooked in favor of its high-tech brothers and sisters. Which means fewer of your competitors are likely to be there.

So, while everyone else is shouting themselves hoarse — trying to be heard over the other guy’s ads, questionable web “content,” or jammed into a broadcast break most people skip — direct mail puts you on your own island of advertising.  With your message literally in your customer’s hands.

Now how cool is that?

Need more convincing? A recent study showed that 50% of consumers prefer direct mail to email marketing.

Check out some of our other blogs addressing successful direct mail strategies:

1) Targeting

2) Compelling creative

3) Personalized messaging

4) Enticing call-to-action

The second stat noted that mobile coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons (Source: Borrell Associates). This stat has been around for a while, but does really speak to a successful tactic for mobile marketers. Mobile coupons are convenient and therefore more likely to be acted on.

Most of the other stats talk about how many people have mobile phones. Having a mobile device is certainly required for mobile marketing, but hardly earth shattering. Once my 90 year old grandmother got one and I have conversations with friends who are trying to decide if their second grader should get one, it is pretty clear we’ve reached mass adoption.

Marketers should strongly consider integrating mobile into their overall marketing strategy because the campaigns work. Adding a mobile call to action like a QR code or text campaign to print or TV ads allows you to track responses and provide more targeted information beyond the piece. Offering a text2win or text2vote campaign in outdoor advertising is a great way to engage a lot of people and quickly build your mobile database. Once opted in you can then provide them additional information about your offerings.

In a world of Do Not Call, Spam blockers and DVRs that allow you wiz right through the ads it can be challenging to determine how to reach your audience. Consumers are in love with their mobile devices. Isn’t it time to connect via mobile?

1. Direct mail has a long shelf life. If the creative or offer is strong, people will hang on to the piece—even if they don’t make a purchasing decision right away. They may handle it multiple times, reading portions of the offer over and over.
2. Human beings like to touch things. We like fluffy things, soft things, squishy things. We like to see how the structure of an item changes when we press, fold or crumple it. Direct mail’s structure can reach people like no other medium.
3. Integrating a mobile call-to-action into a direct mail piece makes it actionable and trackable. Whether you ask people to scan a QR code or opt into a text campaign to get a coupon, enter a sweepstakes or learn more, you can now provide them updated info and continued engagement.
4. Most of us like to get mail that isn’t a bill. I remember so clearly, amidst the loneliness and homesickness of my freshman year of college, how a simple letter from home or from another friend who was away at school would brighten my day—or even my week!
5. Your message with direct mail can be consistent and variable for all of your targets. Clear messages, consistent branding and a vibrant look and feel make direct mail appealing. Utilizing personalization and variable data can make your message personal and meaningful.

And, there are companies that are using direct mail to reach our other senses…even taste and smell! Imagine a direct mail piece that can not only sing, but one you can taste or even smell freshly cut grass. It’s already happening. Yes, my friend, direct mail will continue to evolve and is here to stay.

Why would a well defined brand with loyalists galore make it more difficult for customers to use their product?  Some days I can barely remember my own name let alone one more online account. Smart loyalty marketers focus on me and how to make my life simpler, easier, better. Anything else is just a complication I don’t need.

So the Netflix got the backlash it deserved. Twitter and Facebook went a buzz and the stock took a dive. And Netflix got the message loud and clear. Qwikster, the newly formed company, quickly went away. CEO Reed Hastings, to his credit, sent an email in August to customers apologizing for moving too quickly.  You got to give the guy some credit for admitting he screwed up.

“There is a difference,” he said, “between moving quickly – which Netflix has done very well for years – and moving too fast…” As my 7 year old would say, “Duh!”

Anytime you ask me to do more to access the same services I’ve known, and possibly loved, you’ve lost my loyalty and potentially a customer. What shocks me is Netflix had such a strongly defined brand of super servicing the customer and then came greed and inconvenience. And there went loads of customers flocking to the door. What were they thinking? Clearly not about loyalty.

Jobs invented products that made our lives simpler, more entertaining, more connected than ever before. TIME magazine concludes his expertise was less in computers than in it was in the humans who used them.  Apple owners aren’t just customers, they are fanatics. Lining up around the corner at Apples stores the world over for the newest version of anything Apple. Visit an Apple store on any Saturday and, if you can get in the door, you’ll be struck by the demographic melting pot of young and old.

Jobs used marketing to create an emotional connection. To make us feel smart, cool, and hip. To stroke our ego and build our self-esteem. To remind us we ARE sophisticated and bold and cutting edge. In exchange, Apple got our heart and soul and lifelong loyalty.

After Jobs’ death I watched an interview with co-founder and long-time friend Steve Wozniak. While he and their band of byte brothers focused on the nuts and bolts of building computers that would sell, Jobs focused on how people would actually use their computers. What people would do with them.  And how they would make our lives better. He focused on us and made us not only crave the iPod, iPhone, iPad, he made us wonder how we ever lived without them.  Truly he was the King of Cool.

And, as you’re likely thinking, that’s a huge mistake.  I agree.

As an advertising pro, I need to be more heads up about what’s happening in my industry, despite my daunting daily to-do list.  It’s a challenge we all face in business.

So lately I’ve been paying a lot more attention to the marketing (or attempts at marketing) I see around me.  Not only do I get inspired, it’s a great reminder of those timeless advertising basics.

Here are some recent campaigns that showcase Advertising 101:

Yellowtail Wine: The creative crew behind Yellowtail encourages me to take what I call “realistic risks.”  The in-your-face graphics, the odd, yet compelling voiceover and the sheer audacity of the spots make this campaign a real attention-getter.  Most important?  They don’t let the clever concept get in the way of their real mission:  selling Yellowtail wine. The branding shines through loud and clear in every aspect of the creative.  The concept and the writing speak directly to their target audience (young-ish, stylish, connected and social).  And the product is truly the star.

Lesson Learned:  Find your own product’s “unique flava”  — but never let cool creative obliterate your branding.

1-800-CONTACTS:  Ahhh, humor.  We all love funny campaigns – but they’re tough to pull off. Too many “humorous” spots forget Job
#1:  the need to sell a product.  However, this funny campaign is a winner.  The folks behind 1-800-CONTACTS brilliantly blend humor and product branding in a simple, but effective campaign.  It’s got all the key elements:  a crystal clear concept (ordering their contacts is easy and saves you money), memorable characters, who are perfectly cast (I’ll long remember the actor lamenting about his “special eyes”) and great scriptwriting that hammers home the USP. Even more interesting is how simple, almost barren, the visuals are.  No flash, no fast edits, no barrage of incoming effects. A reminder that the K.I.S.S. principle can really work.

Lesson Learned:  Funny is as funny does.  Does the creative really sell your product?  Support your branding?  Make your product/service the star?  Or is it just…funny?

So every now and then, take a trip back to old school.  Absorb the advertising around you – and not just in your own industry. Review those timeless marketing techniques.  Are you really selling your product – or is the creative getting in the way?

You’re in for a very valuable lesson.

If these are new to you here’s a quick overview. They are 2D barcodes. The most common types are QR codes (short for Quick Response codes) and once scanned allow users to access a richer experience – launch a website, video, opt-into a text message campaign or make a mobile donation. QR codes can be created for free from numerous websites like http://redlaser.com/qrcode/. To scan a code a user needs a smartphone with a camera and the correct barcode scanner. Armed with the right tools QR codes offer a simple and effective way to engage a mobile audience. But not everyone is doing it right. Here are a few things to know before adding QR codes to your campaign.

1. Let them know what they are going to get. Even if it is just a tease. Make the experience worth the effort. Don’t just launch your main website. It should be a unique, targeted or fun experience for the consumer. (ex. Scan to enter our sweepstakes, scan for a coupon, scan to get show times in your area)
2. Not all consumers have a barcode reader or the right scanner on their smartphone. There are different kinds of 2D barcodes so make sure to let the user know where to get a reader (ex. Need a barcode reader? http://scan.mobi/). Even if a user has a scanner, if you don’t tell them which one to download they may not have a positive experience. Without the right scanner the user can complete the experience and will leave frustrated. Make sure to let the users know where to get a reader
3. Add the code in a way users can scan it. A lot of marketers do pretty well here, but when dealing with outdoor advertising you really need to make sure glare and other elements are addressed or users won’t be able to scan the image.
4. Offer the option to get the same info via text message. Although ATT and Verizon both anticipate that over half their subscribers will have smartphones by the end of this year, there are those with feature phones that can’t scan QR codes. You also have people that don’t want to take the time to download the reader. Don’t miss the opportunity to engage. Offering more information via a text campaign allows user to engage quickly.

Here’s a simple example of how to do it right:

These are just a few quick lessons learned to help you get started. We’ll keep blogging about how to integrate mobile. If you have specific questions add a comment or contact Eagle to discuss how to create or enhance your mobile strategy.

Next up: How to use QR codes and mobile to breathe life into traditional media like direct mail.

While Arbitron continues the transition from diary to PPM measurement, radio stations are continuing to find a well-designed direct mail piece continues to be a reliable way to influence listeners.  The USPS says that “98% of consumers bring in their mail the day it is delivered and 77% sort through it immediately.”* People want to get mail that interests them…so much so that they have made checking the mail an important part of their day.  In fact, the DMA says that 79% of households read or scan direct mail they receive. ** Impressive numbers.

Budgets have been tight for the past several years, for everyone. As marketing dollars begin to become available again, the wise radio station will put direct mail back into their marketing plan. No other method of marketing has this depth of reach…and none have the same level of tactile impact. Direct mail has a proven track record in the radio ratings game. Are you planning direct mail this fall? I’m betting that your competitors will be.

*Deliver Magazine, June 2011. ** 2010 DMA Statistical Fact Book.

More importantly, how many of you think the average person knows what this means?

I recently had to discourage a smart, valued client from using this term in a customer survey I was creating for his company.  I reminded him that most folks simply won’t understand the question, resulting in a missed opportunity for client connection and getting important information.

It’s second-nature for all of us to use shop talk or technical terms in our day-to-day work life.   The danger is when you use it
with your customers, whether in person or through your marketing.

Using “insider” talk is embedded in our psyches, pushed by our very natural human urge to merge with others, to be on the “inside.”  Remember those heady junior high and high school days where the latest slang would race like wildfire through your group,
further cementing your place as the cool groupie?

But in the work world, using “professional slang” or shop talk is very alienating to your clients and customers.  If they don’t get what you’re saying, they feel confused.  Or stupid.  Or irritated.  And most times, they walk away.

Keep it simple.  Keep it clear.  Keep it direct.  Always have someone outside your department and (even better) outside your industry review your materials for clarity and understanding before they go out to the client. When in doubt – leave it out.

Because we never want our customers to feel left out.

What does this mean to you? It means you can no longer define your target audience as “average”. It is diverse, in both age, ethnicity, income, household composition and more.  It means your best marketing strategy is to understand, clearly, the diversity of your audience.  Analysis, research, surveys, segmentation and targeting will be more important than ever for successful marketing campaigns. Direct mail allows you to use this information combined with new technology like variable data printing to customize your marketing—even down to the household level. One targeted home may receive a message based on a high income level while another may receive a separate message or offer based on their lower income. Other marketing avenues don’t give you the same ability to target and customize like this.

Demographer Peter Francese shared this observation, “If you have a product or service that you think would be valuable to single people, I can’t think of a better way to reach them than through the mail. If they live alone there’s obviously nobody else who’s going to open the mail except for the, so you reach them directly.” This kind of thinking can make your marketing more powerful to the “Not-So-Average American”.