“The team from Millward Brown and Bangor University came up with a powerful and innova­tive approach to help us understand how both physical and digital media are processed by the brain. They successfully turned cutting-edge neuroscience into a practical marketing project, and delivered completely new insight identifying fascinating differences in levels of brain engage­ment for the two types. We have put the findings at the heart of our communications about the intrinsic power of direct mail, and how physical media have a place in any fully rounded market­ing campaign.”   – James Kitovitz, Insight Manager, Royal Mail

For example, material shown on cards generated more activity within the area of the brain associated with the integration of visual and spatial information (the left and right parietal). According to the researchers, this suggests that physical material is more “real” to the brain. It has a meaning and a place.

“This research strongly suggests that greater emotional processing is facilitated by the physical material than by the virtual. The “real” experience that the physical media provides means it’s better at becoming part of memory. It generates more emotion, which should help to develop more positive brand associations. The real experience is also internalized, which means the materials have a more personal effect, and therefore should aid motivation”.

Physical material is better connected to memory because it engages with its spatial memory networks. The study also found that the tangible materials involved more emotional processing in the subjects, important from a branding and ad recall standpoint.

To read the case study go to: http://www.millwardbrown.com/Libraries/MB_Case_Studies_Downloads/MillwardBrown_CaseStudy_Neuroscience.sflb.ashx

Nearly all non-profit organizations have a goal or objective they want to attain. In the process of reaching that goal, they need “donors” who hear the message and want to be part of that journey. Organizations then apply traditional marketing methods to reach those targeted donors. Sound familiar?

Most plans seek traditional promotional venues to solve their immediate dilemma. If the goal is to increase donor gifts by 10%, most managers rush to main-stream mediums (radio, billboard, newsletters, and telemarketing) as a solution. This unidirectional approach delivers a stream of messages from the organization to the targeted audience with little regard for their current circumstances. Without this understanding, the channel proposed may not be suitable for the intended audience.

Try starting with your donor base and work your way back to the organization. This exercise will unveil the most direct and meaningful approach to achieving your objective. You might save yourself time, energy, and valuable resources in the process! How do you approach your donor base? If they are truly integral to your cause, understanding what’s important to them will help shape your marketing plan.

Value Proposition defines what your organization can do better than anyone else and secondly, why that’s important to the donor. If your mission/vision statement is not clear on that point, how can the rest of your organization and donor base feel the same way?

Does your collateral material mirror what you do?  Is your organization’s message compelling and meaningful? Most nonprofits utilize volunteers or “friends” who can acquire an occasional story in the local paper or regional magazine. If scarce monetary resources are one of nonprofit’s toughest dilemmas, let marketing public relations provide a venue to achieve your goal at minimal expense.

Every aspect of your messaging, both visual and intangible, should specifically point to that mantra. Although a brand represents a culmination of all attributes, we really only remember one distinct thing. Let’s start with your logo and tag line. A tag-line should be both emotional and descriptive. Does your tag-line capture the essence of your value proposition? Does it instantly tell the potential donor who you are and what your purpose is? The by-product of your messaging should generate passion and action.

Most messages are directed at attributes and correlate cause to effect. This approach lacks inspiration and polarizes the recipient. Does your message invoke passion and action? Every message you produce (business cards, newsletters, website, etc.) culminates into a single, brand position. Each additional layer of messages you generate are either acknowledged or disregarded by the donor based on your original pronouncement. Be mindful of the context and character your organization delivers.

Need help?  Give us a call.

During the summer many businesses feel the challenges of slower sales if they aren’t in the vacation, summer or hospitality-type industries. Don’t do like many and go on vacation now! This is the time to ramp it up and take advantage of the slower business cycle and revitalize your existing customer relationships.

Some of the easiest marketing can also be the least expensive and most effective. Here are some simple steps to take now:

• Contact your existing customers and thank them for their business. Write a thank you card, call them personally to thank them, send them a personalized email. Make it personal and sincere. Let them know you appreciate their business.- Give an incentive to your customers to come back to you. Offer a discount off a product or service, “for our valued clients only.”
• Introduce a referral program that offers a special gift, product, service or cash for referrals.
• Ask your business partners, customers, vendors and/or friends to help you get the word out about your business to those they know and do business with.
• Use Social Media such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter to get a buzz going about your business and offerings. Sign up for on-line community sites.
• Look for a new market for your product or service. Are you bidding on government agency requests? Government continually has product and service needs, and they spend a lot of money to fulfill those needs.

Do some or all of these then ENJOY the SUMMER!

1. Value has become a hot trend in marketing. And while value is a seemingly rational appeal, it can be an emotional one as well. For example, when a company says, “Find a lower price anywhere — and we’ll match it!” it creates a sense of trust, yet few customers will actually research lower prices.
2. Trust is a hot-button issue that every company is wisely attempting to jump on. Cell phone companies, with their “no hidden fees” promises, are a perfect example of this trust-style marketing.
3. Belonging. Most everyone desires a sense of belonging. Capitalize on this emotion with appeals to “community” “group” or “family.”
4. Trend setting. Everyone wants to be with-it, and lots of people want to be at the forefront of fashion and trends. Copy that makes individuals feel like they’re at the forefront of trends is a stand-by tactic for targeting anyone, in any age group.
5. Time. Busy people want quick service and easy-to-use products. Copy that promises instant gratification, like “one-hour service,” and “same-day delivery.” Copy that promises time-saving benefits — “Cuts the time it takes to prepare dinner in half!” — is also extremely effective.

So how do you improve the success rates of your direct mail?

One of the biggest advantages of direct mail is the ability to personalize your mailings. The traditional-size, No. 10 envelope package is still one of the best direct mail marketing tools to use. In the past, many experts explained that the best successes came by using a plain envelope (closed faced envelope, with no window) and by making the direct mail package look like a personal letter (even to the point of hand addressing the letter—have you ever addressed hundreds or thousands of letters?). That means not printing your company name or logo on the outer envelope; just using your name and return address. To convey an even more personal look, it was always suggested to use a live postage stamp instead of a postage meter or preprinted postal indicia, which screams “bulk mail.” Although I agree with using a stamp instead of metering or an indicia, I disagree with using a plain envelope. Why would someone want to open up something from someone they don’t know? You need to give prospects a reason to open the envelope or you are just wasting your time and money.

With the advent of variable data printing, it is now easier than ever to customize mailings to the recipient and add teasers on the envelope to entice them to open the envelope. You don’t want to sell on the envelope, just intrigue readers to open it to find out more.

Any element of a mailing can be personalized, from the outer envelope and sales letter to the order form and even the brochure. Personalization can go far beyond the prospect’s name; it’s limited only by the information you have in your mailing list or database.

Another successful approach in your communication is to use the recipient’s name as often as you can in a direct mail marketing piece. People like seeing their name in print.

So how do you improve the response rates of direct mail campaigns?

Remember that direct mail is only one approach in your marketing campaign, and until you test your direct mail piece, it will be nearly impossible to predict the response rate. Many factors contribute to the success of the mailing and none more so than the mailing list. Most small and even some large businesses will send out quantities of hundreds or thousands, not hundreds of thousands or millions. Given the smaller mail quantities, your ability to conduct several direct mail tests is limited. Test the most important factors that can affect response rates, not minor factors like whether to use a regular or commemorative stamp or a white envelope.

The most important response-boosting factors to test are:

• Lists: Using a list that you have generated over time and kept updated is always the best, but if you purchase a list, try purchasing lists from different brokers for the same target audience.
• Pricing: Pricing does not always get the highest response. Test a higher price against a lower price offering and evaluate the results.
• Teasers: You can lift response just by testing a new outer envelope teaser or a different headline and lead for your sales letter.
• Offers: Varying the direct mail offer can boost response rates and orders enormously. Test different offerings.
• Format: Copy presented in different formats can generate different results. Try a traditional No. 10 direct mail package versus a jumbo package, or a postcard (one of my other favorite and inexpensive marketing tools).

Here are common errors to avoid with your direct mail piece:

• Bad List: The better the list, the better the response.
• No “Can’t Resist” Offers: Some offers are better than others. Make yours better than others.
• Not Testing: If at first you don’t succeed, try-try again—but change it.
• No Reply Form: Unless you are mailing a postcard, including a reply card, fax-back, or order form can lift overall direct mail response. You need that call to action and an easy way for recipient to respond.
• Bad Copy: Promotional copywriting is an art—get professional help.
• Not Tracking: You need to track where your leads come from, otherwise how do you know how best to spend your future advertising dollars?

Business owners today have more choices than ever for promoting products and services. Only through experimentation will you learn which media works best for you.

Direct mail may not be the right medium for every growing business, but unlike many options available, it is still relatively inexpensive to test.

Direct Mail Marketing.

Here are some of our favorite direct marketing tips to get the most out of your campaign.

1. Personalize whenever and as often as possible
2. Keep your message short and to the point
3. Pictures and white space will help breakup copy and have more eye appeal
4. Keep the message positive
5. Offer a free trial-this will help eliminate some of the fear of risk.
6. Use bullet points
7. Get it write-Hire a professional copywriter
8. Make sure the offer is easy to understand
9. Success stories and testimonials are always good to use
10. Offer must be easy to understand and obtain
11. Limit the offer to a time or the number of first responders
12. Make sure your font size is easy to read and the same font is used throughout
13. You’ve got to give the reader instructions on what you want them to do- a call to action
14. Mail frequently
15. To increase your response give a free? 
16. What is your hook to get the reader to respond?
17. Show website on your mailer to direct recipients to your site for more detailed information
18. Use graphics and color to support the message and text
19. Why should someone buy?  You’ve got to tell them why.
20. Test and Track all responses and adjust your campaign accordingly

Try these and see the success of your marketing campaign improve.

Premiere Napa Valley is the Napa Valley Vintners annual barrel auction for the retail and restaurant trade. During this five-month assignment, we designed, edited and printed a save-the-date postcard, mailing invitation, 142-page auction catalog, table tents, and event signage.

Our team “goes deep” to learn about clients’ identity then develops logos, taglines and associated usage guides.

Programs for events are tricky animals: copy and images come in haphazardly and usually change at the last minute. We organize and proofread copy, and keep on top of changes as well as produce a piece that is easily navigable and reflects the event theme. Services for this project included editing, graphic design, layout and printing.