Marketing Execs: The Proof Is In the Numbers!

I just read a great article on the challenges marketing executives face in this recession. The article was based upon the theory that when corporations are looking at ways to downsize upper-management/C-level marketing executives, they primarily look to apportion value of an employee by the quantifiable results that they have established. For COO’s this may be something like: “I introduced lean-manufacturing techniques which resulted in a labor cost reduction of 5%”. For marketing execs, addressing how revenues are a direct correlation to their marketing efforts is a bit more difficult. And let’s face it, although radio, television, and out-of-home advertising are key components of the marketing-mix, the lack of trackability is a hindrance. Additionally, these marketing-mediums leave little room to further target a market.

Again, I’m not disparaging the other mediums; advertising experts claim that a multi-channel marketing effort, or the combination of numerous marketing mediums, is the most effective approach. However, when given the opportunity, commercial print can be a crucial way to track ROI and drive a more targeted message to your customers. Wanna’ know how?

Here are a few ways…

Campaign Type: Version direct-mail to broad demographics
Definition: Gang-run versions of your direct-mail to communicate messages that are relevant to broad demographics (e.g. geography, gender, age-generation, etc).
For Example: Consumers in the northeast make purchase-decisions far differently than those in the southwest, at a bare-minimum, is your direct-mail message relevant to that need?
How To Do It: Sort your target mail list by broad demographic. Print different versions on the same sheet or if necessary, make plate changes.
Trackability: Can track response rates of particular demographics.

Campaign Type: Version direct-mail with project-specific call-to-action response mediums
Definition: Utilize project-specific phone-numbers, URLs, promo codes, etc., to track specific direct-mail pieces.
For Example: You’re excited about a direct-mail concept that your team developed, that you feel is going to drive a 12% response rate. Track it with a phone-number or URL specific to this direct-mailer. Or track various versions of a direct-mail piece with a handful of different phone-numbers.
How To Do It: Create specific mediums that you want to drive responses to. For a variety of mediums (e.g. phone-numbers), utilize black plate changes to maintain low cost.
Trackability: Can track specific direct-mail pieces / designs / versions / etc.

Campaign Type: Targeted inserts
Definition: Magazine or newspaper inserts that are versioned specific to the demographics of the particular newspaper or magazine.
For Example: You’re a women’s bath and body retailer and you’d like to pursue your broad target demographic, which is: women ages 30 – 55. This market is then further divided into smaller key demos: 1.) Women who are stay-at-home moms, 2.) Women who are “white-collar” employees, 3.) Women who are “blue-collar” employees. You version your inserts specific to publications that key to these demographics.
How To Do It: Choose publications that fulfill your key markets. Apportion your versioning requirements to circulation volumes. Use this ratio to gang-run on the same sheet.
Trackability: Can track specific demographics, based upon publications’ proven demographics.

Campaign Type: 1-to-1, four-color versioning (catalogs)
Definition: Utilize consumer-specific information to drive higher response-rates through individualized call-to action. 1-to-1 variable 4-color has shown to create 10 times a higher response than normal response rates!
For Example: You’re a odd-gifts cataloger and you know that Joe Schmoe frequently buys products in “Category G” which is sports memorabilia. On the cover of the catalog, in full-color, it says, “HEY JOE SCHMOE, WE JUST ADDED NEW SPORTS MEMORABILIA ON PAGE 22”.
How To Do It: Work the data in your mail-list to include variables that can be used to call each customer to action and groom the mail list extensively. With some experience pre-press work, the cover is printed via 4-color digital and married to offset printed text. This combination produces most efficient print-cost.
Trackability: Can track increase in ROI and repeat purchases.

Would you like more ideas or specifics on how to accomplish similar concepts? Ask me to consult with you during the concept stages of your next marketing campaign! In this day in age, a good print-partner combines an expertise in marketing and branding and how to excute marketing concepts with an extensive knowledge in print technology and print-production.