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DM Tips #21 - Results and How to Get them in Out-of-Home and Direct Mail___ _March 2003 Published as a resource for your direct marketing work. Depend on FCC for imaginative, results-producing creative work, including direct mail - web - e-mail - ads - more! http://www.fried-cas.com --ininfo@fried-cas.com |
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Dear Friend, ____Marketing is all around us. To improve our own work, we need to be good judges. What moves us? What makes us respond? The answers change all the time. Those who learn truly enjoy asking the questions. I invite you to ask a few with me.  |
Results and How to Get Them - by Albert Fried-Cassorla In some ways, a billboard is like giant envelope on a telephone pole. The billboard itself is a big envelope. Both media work in a horizontal, rectangular space. Billboards and out-of-home in general are a thriving industry, doing $5.2 billion in business in 2001, and claiming a low CPM compared to Radio Drive Time and 4-Color Magazine ads.* Direct mail, despite some setbacks, remains huge with $34.5 billion in sales in 2002.** Both mail and billboards can be response media; mail by nature, and billboards by happenstance. Of course, the similarities between the two media can only take us so far before differences become more apparent. But let's continue and see just how far that is.... First, a word about Response … The source of the direct response impulse is a desire to sell immediately and to build a database. Out-of-home is generally more about image advertising, and moving products off shelves, or people into stores. Most advertisers understand direct telephone sales. But fewer know how to build a database and use it effectively. This is only because of the image-dominated culture in which we're all immersed, 24/7. Now on to one of the big rules of envelopes and billboards: BREVITY IS KING With both media, few words work best. Seven is the magic number in out-of-home -- 7 choice words is the general maximum allotment of verbiage. But is the 7-word rule absolute? No. As I see it, the drive for sparse wording has been overdone. Some billboards sit in a space where traffic is often at a crawl... such as on North Broad Street. There, more words can be absorbed by the trapped commuter who sits there, idly scanning the automotive wasteland for eye candy. On a direct mail envelope, few words are also primal.
But here again, a message has to be enticing. If a few more words do the
job of getting the envelope opened, let's use them.
Now let's say we add a second teaser, such as.
Does the extra verbiage pay for itself? Or have we only mucked thing sup? We all have opinions as to what works, but only testing will tell us. Billboards may offer testing capabilities, but compared with direct mail testing, the cost per unit tested is higher.
IN BOTH MEDIA, ATTENTION IS EVERYTHING Both mail and out-of-home have but a fleeting moment in which to capture your attention. When I look at direct response challenges, I like
to work from the AIDA formula.
On the Attention-meter, both media require quick piquing of customers' interest. But billboard have more of a chance of breaking through clutter, since there are so few of them (compared to the 30 pieces of mail you receive daily). On the other hand, direct mail gives advertisers
a wonderful chance to tell the full story. Billboards can do so much --
but they can't present a complex selling proposition with "all the
trimmings." WHERE'S THE CALL TO ACTION? In direct mail the call to action is generally inside the envelope. We can find it in the Letter, Lift Note, Brochure, Order Form and Business Reply Envelope (BRE). The more places it appears, the better. We mailers do not fear repetition. In fact, we direct marketers obey all edicts of the Department of Redundancy Department. Familiarity breeds not contempt but consent (agreeing to order). The problem with direct response out-of-home billboards is that there are too few of them! That is, too many opportunities are lost to capture an order or at least to harvest a prospects' data. Just check for yourself -- scan the billboards on your next drive and see how many times an 800 number or web address would conceivably elicit a response. Quite often, you'll find! For example, even the wonderful and famous Chik-Fil-A "Eat More Chikkun" plastic cows billboards neglect to mention where you can find the closest store, or a web site where the consumer could find a nearby store or get coupons.
TWO POWERFUL MEDIA IN PARALLEL UNIVERSES These two media tend to operate in different spheres - people who are comfortable with one or two media tend to stick with them. But you don't have to follow this pattern! Just keep these ideas in mind:
Take the best from each incredibly powerful medium and use it to the max!
* Outdoor Advertising Association of America,
2001 _________________________ Find out how Fried-Cassorla Communications has used direct mail, e-mail and other media to achieve spectacular results! Visit www.fried-cas.com -- read our Success Stories on our work for Merck & Company, UNISYS, GMAC, CIGNA, Scott Paper Company and others! Then contact us at info@fried-cas.com to see how we can help you with your challenges! |
Add muscle to your direct response creative work! Let us help boost your response with powerful copywriting and design! Contact Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. now at 215-635-5189 (USA) or info@fried-cas.com |
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Fried-Cassorla Communications to help Institute for Investor Research with web site demo Melrose Park, PA, February 10, 2003 - Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc, has been chosen by Institute for Investor Research (IIR) to revise and boost the power of its introductory web site presentation. IIR is a unique investment education organization that offers special approaches to investment, including specific guidelines on technical analysis, precisely timed buy and hold strategies and options trading. Fred-Cassorla will write and design a powerful introduction to the organization's approach and to its web-based courses. Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. is a full service
advertising agency specializing in direct marketing, electronic marketing,
e-mail, and web design. Since 1988, the company has generated over $220
million in sales for such prestigious clients as Merck & Co., UNISYS,
GMAC, CIGNA, and firms of every size. 03:1 __________________________# # # |
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Want to boost your e-mail results? Let us help you turn pixels into profits! Call Fried-Cassorla Communications at 215-635-5189 or e-mail info@fried-cas.com! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ |
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Poem:
Have you enjoyed the snow beneath your feet, and felt the great silence? |
The New Era of Direct Marketing Fulfillment Direct marketing fulfillment has grown increasingly complex. And the truth is, that's because clients are asking for more capabilities. So today's state-of-the-art systems are naturally both more complicated and more powerful. Before exploring the complexities, let's look at the basics of fulfillment. It is "sending out that which is requested." This is in contrast to sending out something that is unsolicited, like advertising mail or required, such as invoices or statements. (For the continuation of this article, please visit:) http://www.macdirect.com/enewsletter/index.asp ______________ Carlie Adams is president of MAC DIRECT, a direct marketing services company. He may be reached at 215-822-5775 or cadams@macdirect.com |
Data Mining Fundamentals by Bruce Gregoire |
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If the Little Leaguer in your family is a buyer of a baseball bat, what is the most likely item they would buy with it? Of course, a baseball. But the reverse may not be true - if they buy a baseball, they may be more likely to buy a glove. This scenario may be obvious to your child, but not so obvious to your marketing staff, unless they are using Data Mining. (For continuation of this article, please visit:) http://www.desktopmarketinginc.com/enews/enews_2_03.htm Bruce Gregoire is president of Desktop Marketing Solutions, Inc. He may be reached at 1-703-941-8109 or DesktopMrk@aol.com |
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I enjoyed taking my advertising class for a visit to Temple's WRTI-FM radio station. To view pictures and for a description of the trip, click HERE! |
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Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association March 19th Meeting: "Putting the Feel in Your B2B Deal" The PDMA and the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Marketing Association are proud to co-host an evening with Steve Penn, CEO & executive creative director of Penn Garritano, a full-service direct marketing agency in Minneapolis. Steve’s talk will be a "how to" presentation, focused on using great direct marketing creative as your brand handshake to forge credible and profitable B2B relationships.
Additional Comments: This meeting is Co-sponsored by the American Marketing
Association.
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We've helped many companies successfully reach B2B and consumer markets with our power-packed direct mail. This particular newsletter is only one of many styles. We base the appeal of our communications on delivering value, not hype. That means results for you. See the Success Stories on our web site, or even better... give us a call! 215-635-5189 (USA) or info@fried-cas.com |
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Reviews If you'd like my brief opinions on: About Schmidt, Adaptation, Chicago and Talk to Her, click HERE. |
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Humor - We Didn't Start the Fire Even if you've never heard Bill Joel's tune, "We Didn't Start the Fire," you've got to see this amazing Flash masterpiece based on the song's lyrics. Apparently a student has invested countless hours in researching this piece, and then painstakingly matching images to words. Just click HERE. Have your speakers on and let it load. Enjoy! |
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To be removed from our mailing list, just write back and ask us to do so. On the other hand, why not pass around the helpful info? We welcome new subscribers! "Imaginative Direct Marketing and Advertising" e-mail: albert@fried-cas.com Discover resources for marketers at www.fried-cas.com ---phone: 215-635-5189 fax: 215-635-0461 © Copyright 2003 by Fried-Cassorla Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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--Results and How
to Get them in Out-of-Home and ______Direct Mail by
Albert Fried-Cassorla