Yes, I did go all the way to Italy to get away from work and still thought about work. How could I not? Marketing is happening all around us - even in the least likely places.
Marketers study marketing in undergrad, obtain an MBA in marketing, read articles, and go to conferences, and yet they forget the direct response fundamentals - grab someone's attention and include a call to action.
Somehow I doubt you would find an Italian "street performer" at one of those conferences or sitting next to you in class, but they don't forget the fundamentals. Some elicit sympathy, some are endearing, and many entertain. All have the hat, cup, or dish, asking you to support their efforts - the call to action.
Some even brand themselves and the area they perform in. Meet "wind blown guy" in Piazza Navona in Rome. He grabbed my attention and I even responded to his call to action with a few euro. But, his greatest achievement? He was memorable. I will never forget him. I was talking about this article with friends the other day and "wind blown guy" was the one they remembered from their trip to Rome several years ago. Amazing!
So, whether you are creating a direct mail piece or an email campaign, grab someone's attention, include a call to action, and have a memorable brand. Once you have these basics in place, you can start incorporating these industry recommendations...
- 40-40-20 rule. Direct marketing success depends 40% on your list, 40% on your offer, and only 20% on the creative. When faced with limited funds, this rule should help you prioritize your efforts.
- Steak and blue cheese is much better than steak alone. Test after test shows a business offer (white paper, business book) is better than a personal offer (sweepstakes, giveaway). A combined offer beats them all.
- The Direct Mail Trinity. The most effective direct mail campaigns include envelope, letter, and a response device.
- The Webinar Trinity. To have an effective webinar, this trinity comprises you, an analyst, and a customer. The audience wants to hear about your solution from anybody else but you.
- Decaying information. Your database becomes 2% less accurate each month and 24% every year. Keep data as fresh as possible.
These industry standards were gathered at the 2004 DMB conference. For more excerpts from this conference go to the Caro Consulting newsletter archives.
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