Cross-Media Marketing

Throughout our days we are exposed to myriad advertising and marketing messages encouraging us to give our attention (or more importantly our money or time) to certain businesses, websites, or people. These messages can be as simple as an email notifying us of a sale at our favorite clothing store, or a text message informing us of a daily lunch deal at our favorite restaurant.

But what if a favorite store notifies us in an email about a really good sale on a certain day, and then right before the sale, sends us a postcard with a coupon reminding us about it. Then on that sale day, a text message comes to our phones reminding us again about the event, keeping the sale in the forefront of our minds. Wouldn't it be more likely that we'd stop by that store?

The example above is a cross-media marketing campaign and is one of the marketing offerings from Lorraine Press. These campaigns are proven to have good results, especially over marketing campaigns using only one media outlet.

Marketers have reported an average improvement of 35% for cross-media campaigns. If personalization is added to that cross-media campaign, the average improvement is closer to 50% over a static print-only campaign. Source

Cross-media campaigns can be targeted to a specific demographic, and then personalized further for each recipient. They use more than one medium to invoke a response from the audience, and they are aimed at motivating the recipient to an action. Because of how these campaigns are designed, they have results that are trackable with detailed statistics, and measurable results. You will know who on your customer list responded and also who did not respond at all.

The media used can include any combination of personalized websites, text messages, email notifications, and even more traditional advertising message outlets such as printed pieces like postcards, and television or radio ads. Not every campaign has to contain every media outlet. Each one is specifically targeted to a certain audience and will use the media the audience is most likely to respond to.

For example, an email campaign can link to a personalized website that is designed with the recipient's favorite color. A direct mail postcard can be sent out reminding each person of that website which is personalized to include graphics designed to appeal to him or her, and also can direct potential customers to a coupon, or special offer either on the web, or at a store.

The trackable results can tell you which media your customers respond to the best, or what time of year they are more likely to purchase. The more data gathered by these campaigns, the more specific and targeted your marketing efforts can become, generating more and more success.

So, if you are in the market for enlarging your customer base, or you want to find out what form of advertising inspires your customers the most, contact us at Lorraine Press (info@lorrainepress[dot]com), and we can get you started with a cross media marketing campaign.

Keeping Your Message Out of the Trash

Right next to my neighborhood's mailboxes stands a trash can. It never stands empty for long. I see neighbors pull out the mail from their box, sort through it right then, and then toss most of it into the trash can. That's understandable if their mail is like mine: mostly ads from car dealerships, cable companies, and financial services such as credit card companies. (Although a big difference between those neighbors and me is that I tend to take my mail home, and shred it before tossing it.)

This behavior raised a question in my mind: What will entice people to open an envelope to see the creative and inspiring message you've spent weeks creating, and then spent money on printing and mailing?

In answer to that question, I found a recent study published in the Journal of Marketing Communications, which looks at what factors increase the recipient's intent to open a direct mail envelope. The study looked at what the direct mail envelope message communicated and if it influenced the recipient's intention of opening the envelope.

Out of six types of messages, only three had any significant impact on increasing the intention to open the envelope. These were messages that created a feeling of importance, gratitude (we appreciate your business, thank you), or an anticipation of a non-price incentive.

The other three messages: creating a feeling of urgency (offer expires soon), exclusiveness (special offer), or anticipation of a price incentive (don't pay too much), did not significantly affect the consumers' intent.

The study showed that direct marketers should design marketing pieces as tools "for building relationships with the recipients" instead of transactional oriented factors. Piquing the curiosity of what is inside by using a non-price incentive also increases the chances.

So, when designing a direct mail piece, pay attention not just to the piece, but also to what the envelope is saying to your intended audience. With the right type of envelope message, your piece could make it past the neighborhood mailbox trash can and into my neighbors' homes.

Source: For the report of this study, click here

Print: A Trusted Source for Information

Recently, several polls have shown that 66% of the coveted 18–34 demographic trust offline print media more than online information, especially in areas such as financial information, catalogs, and household or health products. In contrast, only 8% found Facebook a trustworthy source for general product information. The only category where online information was preferred was travel, and then only by a 42% to 35% margin.

Direct mail and other offline options still need to be included in marketing plans. Mail as a trusted source of information has been growing in all age brackets. In 2010, 36% of US respondents, up from 29% in 2008, said information is more private sent through the mail. And 20% said they trust information received by mail more than online, up from 12% in 2008.

So, when wondering how to engage your customers, even those in the 18–34 age bracket, don't exclude direct mail and print advertising methods. Trust is a major factor in driving consumers to these relevant and powerful marketing channels.

By all means diversify your marketing efforts, but don't forget to include offline and direct mail printed pieces.

Sources:
http://www.epsilon.com/News%20&%20Events/Press%20Releases%202010/Young_Adults_Strongly_Prefer_Offline_to_Online_Sources_for_Marketing_Offers_Research_Reveals/p893-l3
http://marketingpowersactivate.com/2010/08/young-consumers-like-offline-channels-for-marketing-offers/

Two Unspoken Marketing Messages

This time of year, a certain kitchenwares store sends me a catalog in the mail. This is interesting only because it sends me two catalogs a year, even though it produces more than that. I am sent a catalog right before the holiday season and right before my birthday. I don't think the store knows my birthday (but it might), but I do think it has gathered enough data about my husband's shopping habits to know that those are the two times of year that we are most likely to be a receptive audience, and it knows that it is worth the money and time to send out the printed catalog.

Also, I am sent daily emails from this company. Mostly I delete them after a quick 2 second glance. However, if I ever click through to the website, it tracks how long I look at items. Then, the next day's email is geared towards the item, or category of items, I spent the most time looking at. Also, I receive emails when there is a special event at the store location closest to where I live. A third type of email I receive is a reminder of consumables I have purchased before. Awhile after purchasing these items, I receive a message of "Remember this? Have you run out yet? Do you want more?" This company is gearing its marketing towards when I shop (actually, mostly when my husband shops for me!) and what I usually shop for.

One other kitchenwares store I shop at pursues a different route. It seems to blanket its market with a generic weekly mailer and ubiquitous discount coupons. It doesn't tempt me personally to go to its big box store, but instead hopes to catch my eye with something on sale, but it doesn't know what in particular got me there. I go there, coupon in hand, when a friend is registered there or I need a certain item right away. I don't receive emails from this company, and it doesn't respond to my purchases by recommending similar products or coordinating items. But this store keeps its name in the forefront by constant generic reminders of "Hey, I am here!"

There is a big difference between the unspoken messages these two marketing strategies are sending me.

One company knows how to capitalize on the data I've given it through my purchase and web browsing histories. It is saying, "We know your interests, and we have what you like," and this encourages loyalty to this company even though it isn't always the least expensive option. It lures me into purchases through showing me attractive products I am most likely to buy when I am most likely to buy them.

And all it took was a little time to set up data collection, connecting my name and address or email address with dates of purchases, and what was purchased. Then, that data was used to craft an individualized message. It took a little extra effort, but its reward is my continuing purchases at the times I am most susceptible to its messages.

The other store's strategy says, "We want everyone to come to us and shop our low sale prices." Not a bad message in these economic times, but definitely not personalized. There's no loyalty and there's no emotional response to this. It works because of the low prices and discounts. There is probably no better way to introduce a company to a wide area and diverse populations. But once the population knows this company is there, what more is there?

How does it retain my business? Personally, I only go there with a coupon. The low price is the draw. If this company ever stopped printing the coupons, I would probably rarely, if ever, darken their door. I am ambivalent to its existence, and would just go to another low-price leader if the coupons stopped coming. Either I don't shop there enough to make it past the generalized coupon marketing to the upper tier of individualized marketing messages, or there isn't an upper tier.

Especially now in this consumer holiday season, companies should be aware of what their marketing says beyond the advertisement's phrasing. Even small companies can collect data. It's as simple as asking a question to every customer who purchases something from you. An easy place to start is "What brought you in today?" or "How do you know about us?" And with a large enough sampling over a period of time, patterns emerge, and you will be able to craft more personalized and more effective marketing messages.

Welcome to the Lorraine Press Blog

Lorraine Press is now blogging!

For those of you who don't know, Lorraine Press offers Web, Marketing and Print all under one roof.

We have award winning web media services, and marketing development services. Plus, we still deliver our top quality stochastic offset and digital printing.

Check out our website at http://www.lorrainepress.com