Orkin I loved this example, because it not only was incredibly affordable, but contained brand imaging in the most unusual way, from bugs stuck to the ad. As passer’s by saw the ad develop over a span of days, the logo eventually appeared. This marketing piece got people talking, sharing, and remembering the pest company.

3M I had seen this example before, but what I really liked is that they literally put “Their money where their mouth is.” If someone actually broke the glass, they were out a considerable sum, so their own faith in their product shined bright and clear.

Frontline As a dog lover, this one cracked me up, and showed how an ad can actually do more with negative space than it could have if including all of the elements. The ad was placed along the floor of a shopping mall, and when viewed from above, the people walking on the ad actually appear to be the fleas. For a product as un-sexy as flea control, this marketing device hit a home run

Land Rover Love this one. Land Rover in Dubai came up with an ingenious idea for the "rugged" drivers of their vehicle. So just in case the driver and passenger get marooned in the desert, the company sent 5000 survival guides to existing customers and to be distributed in sports shops. The book came complete with reflective backing for an SOS, a metal coil for cooking, and made the pages and ink edible (with roughly the nutrition of a cheeseburger. This great idea was such a hit, they produced 70,000 more to be included in a car magazine distribution.

Lance Burton, Vegas Magician How on earth can you have your message resonate in Las Vegas? You could spend a ton of money and get a billboard on the strip, or you could spend a couple hundred dollars and do what Lance Burton did. See below. (Hat tip to my friend Rodrigo Padilla for reminding me of this one)

I hope you enjoyed this. Derek

Technology + Direct Mail for the Win!

I love to write about great examples of combining technology and direct mail and today is no different. I got a mailer from Acura that boasted an "Interactive Preview" on the full-color, large envelope. So I opened it. Inside were several stock-quality inserts, one of which was personalized and variably-printed and included instructions for downloading an app to access the rest of the mailer. So I did. Acura 1 Inside were different views of the car. Well, with the app, it recognized the images from the mailer and offered several different options. From scanning the picture above, it whisked me away to a 360-degree view of the interior, that I could pinch and rotate on my smartphone. Cool stuff. Not everything from the mailer was scannable, but as I flipped through looking for the icon app to scan my next experience, I saw and read about many features of the car. I eventually scanned another section (below) and it took me to a product video (still hosted withing the app) that engaged me with te piece for a little while longer.

Acura 2 There are many great examples of technology with direct mail popping up everywhere, but this example stuck with me for several reasons: It truly was a multichannel experience - the mail was attractive, it used my smartphone, so I had another tangible element in the mix, and it used video and augmented reality (sort of). It urged me to explore the entire piece - Although there were only two things to scan on the piece, I searched for more, and ended up seeing the entire mailing. This sort of mail treasure hunt should be used more often. It was shareable - After i finished with this piece, I let a co-worker borrow it. "How cool is this, Rick?" The best direct mail pieces are keepsakes and things that have a shelf life far beyond the first read. What I would have liked to see was a code to scan to register for a test drive, or providing directions to the local dealership. Something with a conversion in mind, but overall, this mailing was a homerun. These principals apply FAR beyond automotive dealer solutions. None of the elements were that far-fetched, but the execution and the experience made it all come together so well.

Incentive Programs - Expert Opinions - Roy Saunderson - Top 10 Ways to Spend Your Money Right on Rewards and Recognition - Incentive Magazine

Incentive Programs - Expert Opinions - Roy Saunderson - Top 10 Ways to Spend Your Money Right on Rewards and Recognition - Incentive Magazine

Incentive Programs - Engagement - Incentives Boost Sales Performance - Incentive Magazine

Incentive Programs - Engagement - Incentives Boost Sales Performance - Incentive Magazine

Using texting and your website to get data capture

People are using their phones and the web more than ever to communicate, and to communicate with YOUR company and YOUR BRANDS. How are you using promotions using cell phones, or your website to engage your potential clients? Well we have some things to help. 1. Website promotions- what happens to your visitors when they visit? What do you want them to do, if they don't act and become customers right away? Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter, coupons, register for more information?

So this technology will help you to capture that valuable data from your website visitors, by providing a chance to win, a chance to play this interactive game etc. Does it work, of course it works. Games, sweepstakes, engage your customers and they will share their information for a chance to win. The key is they have to provide accurate data, because if they don't and they win, they lose their prize. So important.

Now this program captures generation "text" and their on the go lifestyle. They always have their phone they are always texting don't care about too many texts. So by texting for a chance to win, you can text them back with the new mobile database you are creating offers, coupons, new products etc. Companies like Kawasaki used this to effectively drive traffic into its dealers. You can use it to drive traffic to a bank branch, a showroom a trade show booth. So don't let technology scare you give us a call and let us show you how, we can help.

Don't take the summer off, market to your "A" level customers harder now, when others don't

How can you gain more face time with “C level” executives who are not existing clients? Our new account acquisition program achieves anywhere from a 20% to 40% appointment rate success. We specialize in helping salespeople win new accounts. Our team has over 200 years of experience in this specialty. We also see increase proposal rate and increase win rates. Many of our clients do not have budgets for this activity. But they have Advertising budget that can be switch to this better investment. That is why we suggest to Invest where your dollars can produce big impact! With less sales people on the street, dimensional direct mail can help fill in the gaps. It’s a proven fact that 3-D mailings break through the clutter and generate higher response rates—up to 20-40%. If well-designed, a dimensional direct mail program can be a cost-effective, measurable way to maintain contact and/or prospect for new business during challenging economic times—a proven way to get mail opened, read and remembered, paving the way for personal follow-up! This balloon mailer is just one of our ideas to create that wow factor. Isn't it much easier for your sales people to call after they mailed this to their prospect base? Let us discuss how we can build this type of program for you to fit your budget. 50 Developers were targeted. 6 Agreed to Develop. Results - Hundreds of Million in Development Now that is ROI!

Use the senses to gain interest, and maximize effectiveness in direct mail

You want to reach out to commercial customers who don't buy from you right? You want them to meet with you, but how do you accomplish this goal? 1. You have to get them to take your phone call and give you a chance to give your "elevator speech" What is going to make them take your call, how are you going to be remembered when that person who has no clue who you are, what you do, or what your company is etc? You have a very slim chance unless you.. ENGAGE THEIR SENSES! We remember 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, but 50% of what we see and what we hear. 85% of all information is taken in through the eyes, and failure to stimulate the eyes makes the brain tune out. So how do we do this? Simple. DIMENSIONAL MAIL OR LUMPY MAIL When is the last time you opened a letter that was from a stranger at work. Probably not for quite some time. You open mail from somebody with whom you have a relationship OR the mail pieces was visually stimulating, or was multi dimensional. When is the last time you received a package that you DIDN'T OPEN? Also does your assistant or office personell screen mail, if they do, they probably don't screen packages and for good reason. Nobody knows the contents, so they are afraid to "screen the mail" Now inside that package you need to put something creative, that is appealing to the eye, smell, touch, taste or hearing. The more of these senses that you can engage the greater your recall recognition. So for example, we have mailed out a button similar to the Staples EZ button, but ours says "Wow, that's a great idea". So we have accomplished many things with this mailer: 1. It go to the decision maker. So screener is going to open a box. 2. It got opened, person wondering what could this be, especially when we put on the box: Looking for that next great idea? 3. When they opened it up, it was visually pleasing, there was something to touch, pick up (the button). 4. When they press it, there is some sound. So by engaging many senses, we have engaged our customers and made them smile, laugh and we will make yours too. In addition your outside sales team will have much more enthusiasm when they get to call somebody on the phone and say Hi my name is Joe Smith and I am the one who sent you the candy jar, or the great idea button. Why because they know they got it, and two chances are people liked the package. So your response rate is much greater. Here is an example: Custom jarred barbeque sauce, and now we have added another sense taste. So we package this in a custom printed box, with a teaser outside like See what's cooking inside, and you are bound to get readership, and a much better connect rate when you call. That is the key. So let us show you how this can help you to open new markets, get appointments with new clients, keep your brand in front of clients whose sales cycle is longer or whose purchase cycle is infequent but lucrative so you have to keep the brand on the forefront of their minds. As always, we are here to help. Thanks again.