Postal & electronic mail combined for direct mailing
A new, highly targeted cooperative direct mail marketing programme is being launched in the US by CoolSavings, using both online and offline communications channels. The mailings are to be preceded by an e-mail to each recipient telling them to watch for the envelope in their mailbox.
The company is offering the cooperative direct marketing programme to retailers who want to reach registered CoolSavings shoppers. The co-branded direct mail piece will prominently feature the recognisable CoolSavings piggybank-with-sunglasses icon, and is being aimed at members who are either highly active shoppers or are proven direct mail responders.
Follow up In addition, the mailer will only be sent to those who have given permission to receive special offers from advertisers. To increase the open rate, the mailing is preceded by a short e-mail message alerting members to look for the envelope in their mailboxes. And around ten days after consumers receive the mailing, CoolSavings will follow up with another e-mail reminding consumers to open the envelope if they have not already done so.
Key points The obvious benefits of the programme are:
- It is a permission-based programme, so advertisers can reach consumers who are interested in receiving their messages, and don't waste marketing costs on those who aren't interested.
- The programme uses CoolSavings' analytics to help advertisers reach their targeted audiences and maximise visibility in the right consumer segments.
- The direct mail envelope contains the easily recognised CoolSavings brand logo, making it easily identifiable to recipients who have an existing relationship with the company.
- With 500,000 new members registering every month, CoolSavings can offer advertisers a strong source of new leads on a continuing basis.
The first 100,000 piece mailing is being sent at the end of July and targets young families. Specifically, the target is made up of members who are women, aged 25 to 40 years, who are mail order buyers and have children, and who have an average household income of US$47,000. Among the advertisers for the mailing are Disney, Grolier, Olan Mills, and Oreck.
Herb Torgersen of Response Media Products, the direct mail list manager, explained, "The offline/online component of the programme is particularly exciting. Historically, advertisers have been restricted to one-shot promotions but now they can establish a continuous dialogue with potential customers through the combination of postal and electronic mail."
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