Surviving Customer Disruption with Direct Mail

Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Surviving Customer Disruption with Direct Mail," outlines how to effectively create a direct mail campaign that enhances your marketing strategy while achieving higher response rates. Market disruption in one form or another is all around us. Whether it's disruptive innovators or disruptive challengers, disruption requires different strategic approaches.  Congratulations to the finalists in the NFL's 54th Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.  We respectfully honor the life of Kobe Bryant.  May our prayers touch all of the families that were impacted.

Our Quote of the Day:
           "The purpose of a business is to create a customer."
             - Peter Drucker, Senior Editor, Frankfurter General-Anzeiger

Generally, disruption occurs when an overlooked segment is successfully targeted by a smaller entrant. Meanwhile, the larger incumbent may focus on improvements and competitors, while failing to keep their eyes on smaller entrants. The organization-centric universe is disintegrating. We are now in the age of an actual customer-centric universe. That means marketers must find ways to engage customers who are digitally oversaturated. To serve the customer well, brands must think about the customer's world, not the organization's.

In our complex universe of digital channels and networks, where uncertainty and unpredictability are the norms, direct mail marketing offers brands new ways to acquire and retain customers. In the customer-centric universe, customers want a seamless, superior customer experience; a brand they can trust; and flexibility.
If brands are to survive the disruption and digital over-saturation, we contend that all marketing strategies must include a direct mail tactic to reach and direct customers and prospects to select destinations, digital or otherwise. This declaration is born out of data survey vendors who have unanimously concluded that direct mail increases engagement and response rates. To that end, the following recommendations outline how marketers can use direct mail marketing to be more effective.

The Right Data

The first step starts with data collection, analysis, and sorting. You must ensure that your data is correct, meaning that it is targeting the right prospects and customers. The data is the backbone behind your lists.  It is also highly recommended to run a digital test before initiating the marketing strategy. This step will highlight any areas that may be missing or needs correcting, to ensure that the lists are accurate and the messages are timely.

Understand Your Market

Collecting the right data is also a prerequisite in understanding your real market. Your real market consists of a particular type of consumer and depending on the industry segment, those people respond to messages that fit the industry and purchase within that industry.

Packaging Formats

The packaging is another important aspect of market attraction. Creative packaging can lure most people. In most cases, when advertising collateral garners attention, it also raises brand value. Therefore, mix it up. Vary package sizes, text, textures, colors, and visuals.

Customer is First

In a customer-centric universe, the customer is always first. Take every effort to ensure that the creative focuses on the customer and not the brand or the product(s). Demonstrate that you know the customers' needs, wants, pain points, and, most importantly, what makes them happy.

Targeting

The first step in targeting is to make sure that the data you collected is properly segmented and accurate. Properly targeted segments can receive personalized creative and messaging. By the way, customers expect you to get personalization right. In other words, your data must be correct to personalize targeting effectively.

Multichannel and Omnichannel

Every marketing initiative should have a direct mail component. That may sound exhaustive and expensive, but it is incredibly effective. It's the one-two punch. For example, an email followed by a direct mail piece directing recipients to a digital destination. You can increase response rates and engagement for your digital channels by using a multichannel strategy.  The omnichannel focus on the customer experience relies on creating and delivering seamless customer experiences across all digital and traditional platforms.

Measure the Results

All of your efforts mean nothing if you can't measure it. Therefore, set up a way to track and report your results. You might use a landing page, a url, an 800 number, a QR Code, or an offer code, and track how the campaigns are performing.

The Net-Net
If brands are to survive customer disruption in a customer-centric universe, direct mail marketing can help in 2020. It will enable you to market directly to each customer, align call to actions, and drive people to specific destinations. We hope you enjoyed this post, and thanks for reading "Surviving Customer Disruption with Direct Mail"!

Let's have a conversation about integrated business solutions and how they can help grow your business, change behavior, and improve the customer experience. Join us at our next Open House. You can learn about our solutions, including direct mail strategies, printing, print software, transactional documents, variable digital printing, brand equity, and unified marketing collateral. We invite you to join us for an hour or two at our next Open House on February 27, 2020, from 10:30am to 3:30pm. You can also tour our 58k+ Sq. Ft. facility and experience our vast array of state-of-the-art print, mail, and sorting infrastructure. Let us show you how to improve your document processes to optimize your workflow, reduce your costs, and maximize your organization's printing, letter shop, and mailing capabilities. Dove Direct does have an official USPS certified bureau located within our offices that will save you time and money. And, if you bring us your files, we will create a demo file for you.

For more information, please call Carla Eubanks at 404-629-0122 or email Carla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dove Direct, your Atlanta based print and mail solutions provider, offers organizations end-to-end data, printing, and mailing solutions: Data Management, Variable Digital Printing, Lettershop and Fulfillment, Fully Automated MLOCR Presort Bureau, Marketing and Production Management Support and Secure Data Life Cycle Management. If you don't want to wait for the Open House, you can reach Dove Direct today by calling 404-629-0122 or use the Contact Form for Dove Direct.