A Direct Mail Case Study

A direct mail case study interview with Manny, Marketing Director of Audio Video Unlimited.

An Interview With Manny, Marketing Director of Audio Video Unlimited

Q: What do you use mailers for, primarily?

A: I use mailers as a key component of our customer loyalty program. The sales staff at each Audio Video location compiles a list of customer accounts, which is then used to send out invitations to exclusive store anniversary events. I have been doing this for 8 years now, and have successfully promoted over 15 events.

Q: Why direct mail? What appeal does it have?

A: For me, a physical invitation has been the key to getting past customers back on the line. Once they see that their commerce is important enough to us that we’d send them a high quality printed card welcoming them to an invite-only anniversary sale, they are generally much more likely to attend the event. Of course, it also helps that we can separate recently active customers from dead leads, which allows for precise and effective targeting.

Q: What kind of return on investment typically results from your mailer campaigns?

A: As I say, I’ve been doing this for quite a while now, and I have not once had to alter my approach, because it consistently produces the results I need. I send an average of 3000 invitations out for each mailer, and the response rate I get from that never ceases to impress.

Q: Do you integrate your mail marketing with other marketing channels?

A: Yes. Firstly, the anniversary events that I promote through direct mail are highlighted on my social media pages. I post pictures of attendees enjoying complimentary food, winning prizes, and just getting into the spirit of Audio Video in general. For certain customers who we have either built a long-standing relationship with, or who have attended events in the past, I also have the sales staff send personalized emails instead of sending the standard mail invitations.

Q: What advice would you give to business owners who are new to direct mail?

A: Plan ahead, and budget your time generously. My most successful sales events have been those where I allow for a 6 to 8 month planning period, which is just enough time to sufficiently line everything up. Keep in mind, a mailer takes time to compose and send, and those on the receiving end will also need time to review and think about what they’re being called to do. If you think of direct mail as a machine, time is the oil that keeps it running smoothly.

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What can mailers be used for?

• Locate and acquire new customers
• Reinforce your brand
• Strengthen customer relationships
• Announce special events
• Build awareness of new products and services
• Encourage trial and response
• Draw attention to your digital communications

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What benefits do mailers offer?

• Tangibility: the physical nature of mail provides a high level of attentional interaction and engagement with your customers
• Cost-effectiveness: the ability to target specific audiences, and to grab their attention in specific ways means that mail often has the highest impact per penny of any marketing channel. It’s what bottom lines crave! (Stole this line from Idiocracy, which you should watch if you haven’t already)
• Creativity: You can send just about anything in the mail – coupons, invitations, samples, giveaways, heck even smiles and hugs if you want! With mailers you really get a chance to show your company colors.
• Integration: Mail is also a great way to get your existing or prospective customers to visit your website, or social media pages, and it can be integrated with these and other marketing channels to create a consistent and impactful psychological influence.
• The list goes on!

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By partnering with a trustworthy multi-channel marketing company like Allegra, you can be confident that none of your marketing channels will be lacking and that they will all be effectively integrated to measurably meet or exceed your marketing goals. Allegra provides the highest quality printing and lowest costs for your direct mail marketing campaigns. Often a single direct mail piece will cost less to print and mail than the cost of a stamp!

Contact us to make a free marketing consultation appointment today! Learn how Allegra can make a difference to your bottom line!

Questions? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Is there anything I’ve left out which you would like me to cover in this or a future post? Do you have any interesting case studies of your own you want to share? Do you completely disagree? If you haven’t yet initiated a direct mail marketing campaign, what are your current barriers to getting started?

I’d love to know!

Tags: direct mail, direct mail case study, direct mail marketing, direct mail marketing strategy, mail marketing, mailer campaigns