Panel of Direct Marrketing Experts Share Secrets to Success at January Meeting

January 21, 2009

Benjamin Franklin Award for Direct Marketing Excellence Winners Tell All

Eager-to-learn marketers gathered on January 21, 2009 to get the inside track on what it takes to achieve direct marketing success.  The group listened attentively to a panel of three esteemed winners of the 2008 Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA) “Benjamin Franklin Award for Direct Marketing Excellence” (or Benny) award reveal their secrets.  Bill Spink, Partner/Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer of DMW Worldwide LLC, moderated the panel.

Karen Keenan, Director of Marketing for Associates Graphic Services (AGS), reviewed the goals, challenges, strategies, and results for a multichannel campaign the company created for W.L. Gore & Associates.  Gore had three objectives: 1) sell more product (in this case, water-resistant hiking shoes), 2) increase return on marketing investment, and 3) collect marketing data to be used to improve future efforts. 

The campaign created by AGS tested personalized URLs – known as PURLS – through both e-mail and a postcard mailing.  A contest, named “Take Me to Everest,” was managed through the PURL which collected purchase and lifestyle data via a brief survey. 

“The jewel in a PURL is being able to look at data in real time,” said Keenan.  “We were able to change survey questions on the fly and make decisions based on refreshed data.” 

The campaign, which launched the second week of December, resulted in a double-digit lift in sales over the same time period the previous year.  Keenan attributes success to “defining program expectations up front…establishing clearly what is expected from each partner…and getting all parties to agree on measurement methods.” 

Also instrumental in creating and executing a multichannel campaign was Greg Ippolito, Director of Creative and Strategy for Harte-Hanks.  His agency was called upon to use database marketing to leverage an existing brand campaign created for KIA Motor’s by another advertising firm.  The assignment: launch the automotive manufacturer’s 2007 Rondo, its first cross-over vehicle. 

“While it was imperative that we remain true to the brand’s core essence, we chose to focus on the product itself,” explained Ippolito.  Harte-Hanks tested channels – both offline and online – to drive awareness for, and interest in, Rondo test drives.  The marketing team also tested other elements including offers, action devices, e-mail subject lines – and included a survey to assist in data collection.  “Our results support the notion that, in most cases, multichannel efforts outperform single-channel efforts,” he said. 

Bob Warkulwiz, Principal of Warkulwiz Design Associates, met the challenges of competing against a sea of worthy causes while keeping production costs low in creating the “Party with a Purpose” invitation for the American Cancer Society.  This direct mail campaign, which brought to life the Alice in Wonderland theme given by the event’s planning committee, not only won a Benny Award, but earned the prestigious Best in Show honor. 

Warkulwiz shared how multiple components were designed to print together on only two forms, saving the non-profit thousands of dollars.  “Planning ahead – thinking of printed pieces that would be needed to carry the theme over to the event itself – ensured consistency and resulted in cost efficiencies,” he explained.