direct mail Archives - Scott Flood Writing

PURDUE IS NO “ORIDINARY” SCHOOL

December 5, 2013 by Scott Flood

As the parent of a Purdue grad, I just received a letter from the university’s president, Mitch Daniels. Given the time of year, and the fact that Mitch and I are not regular correspondents, I assumed that the enclosure would be a pitch for money. And it was.

But after looking at the envelope, I hope that President Daniels chooses to invest some of the money Purdue will get from other recipients to fund some remedial education. That’s because the headline printed on the envelope noted that this was “no oridinary time” for the university.

OH, THAT SNEAKY SIRIUS-XM FINE PRINT

November 27, 2013 by Scott Flood

When I bought my car, it came with a trial subscription to satellite radio. Neat product, but I don’t drive enough to justify the alternative to my trusty iPod.

As my trial nears the end, I’m getting letters from SiriusXM, letting me know that the trial is ending and offering subscriptions. I remembered the annual cost being around $200, so when the latest letter included the annual option with a price of $159.39, I thought that wasn’t too bad, and considered subscribing.

SUCCESS STORIES: HANGING AROUND THE OFFICE

September 4, 2013 by Scott Flood

B2B companies want to be noticed, and they need to remembered, so that when a company needs their services, they’ll call. But how do you do that in today’s noisy, fast-changing marketplace?

Russell Martin & Associates is one of the IT industry’s most-loved training firms. Instead of delivering the standard, dull training presentations, they’ve developed an intimate understanding of how people learn, and they apply it to helping project managers and others in the IT world improve their efficiency, quality, and workflow (among other things).

MORE EVIDENCE MAIL STILL WORKS

November 7, 2012 by Scott Flood

If you’re not a history buff, you may not be familiar with the Maginot Line. After being battered by Germany during the First World War, and nervous about a second invasion, France decided to protect itself by building an amazing “wall” of defensive artillery along the Franco-German border. They put all their faith in this technological marvel, knowing that Germany could not plow through it. And the Germans couldn’t, so they simply went around it on their trip to Paris during WWII.

Many marketers approach media the same way. They decide to place all their eggs in that proverbial basket, which can be effective as long as the basket isn’t flawed or dropped. Facing higher postage costs and the many advantages of email and other newer marketing options, many marketers raced away from direct mail.

NOT SURE WHAT TO OFFER? DO A SPLIT TEST

September 19, 2012 by Scott Flood

In the old days, before marketers began to mistake technology for knowledge and sophistication, most companies relied on a variety of tried-and-true tactics to make the most of their marketing budgets. One of the most effective tools they used was called the split test.

Essentially, what they would do is make two different offers to two identical groups. Suppose they had a mailing list with 50,000 names. They would take 1000 names from that list, divide them into two groups, and send them offers that differed in content or approach.

WHEN RESPONSES COUNT, MAIL STILL WORKS

September 12, 2012 by Scott Flood

After my recent post about the value of direct mail, I happened upon an interesting statistic. The Direct Marketing Association released new research that said 95 percent of nonprofit organizations use direct mail.

Why is that so significant? Most nonprofits operate on razor-thin budgets. They don’t have money to waste. So they have to be very careful about how they invest what they do have. And the fact that 95 percent of them continue to use direct mail as a channel suggests that it continues to carry its own weight.

SUCCESS STORY: SLINKY SIMPLICITY

February 1, 2012 by Scott Flood

Often, the best way to cut through the clutter and communicate a complicated concept is by using a very simple analogy. Over the years, I’ve explained cellular phones by using relay runners and demonstrated what makes molded rubber automotive gaskets effective by suggesting an easy experiment with a rubber band.

That technique works with ordinary consumers, and it’s just as effective with sophisticated professionals. In fact, because the professionals tend to be very busy, simple concepts can be even more effective.

SUCCESS STORY: PUNCHING PESKY CO-WORKERS

August 17, 2011 by Scott Flood

How do you catch the attention of people who spend all their time trying to catch the attention of others?

The pioneer in management information systems for the advertising agency industry, Adman faced aggressive competition from programs that weren’t as comprehensive or targeted, but appeared to be more affordable.

P.S. I LOVE THEM

May 4, 2010 by Scott Flood

Way back when people used to compose something called “letters,” they often ended them with a brief afterthought called a postscript. If you’re too young to remember “duck and cover,” you may not have heard of these quaint messages, but they would begin with the abbreviation “P.S.”

ARE YOU TELLING THEM WHAT THEY ALREADY KNOW?

March 11, 2010 by Scott Flood

Are you wasting precious time in ads, direct mail, and brochures telling prospects what they already know?

Instead, tell them what matters. Talk about benefits, not features. Don’t say your product uses a three-handled veeblefetzer unless you can explain what that will do for them. “The three-handled veeblefetzer lets you core twice as many radishes in the same time.”