A friend of mine has a sister-in-law the family affectionately refers to as “Martha Stewart” at Christmas. She’s one of those wonderfully blessed folks who can turn a wrapped gift into a work of art. Handmade bows. Little tied-in accents of holly or twigs. Judicious use of tape.
What makes these gifts so special to receive is the visual presentation, of course, but also the time it takes to wrap them. They feel personal. They feel more valuable. They make us feel like the person who prepared them really cares about us.
That’s how our direct marketing efforts should make our customers, members, and donors feel. Like each campaign or offer was lovingly selected and prepared for them.
How can we do that?
Make targeted offers. The blanket catalog and general mailer work for mass appeals, sure. Those campaigns are certainly important for prospects and customers to see the broad scope of what you do or make, and—if your offer is organized and easy to navigate—your audience will still be able to find the items relevant to them.
But targeted offers, really targeted offers, based on a customer’s interests, needs, and past purchases, not only show your customers that you really do care about their welfare, but they also tend to bring in a better return on investment.
Think about people, not just about products. In her July 10, 2014, article, “Secrets of 7 of the Most Effective Ad Campaigns,” Inventours™ CEO Michelle Greenwald says effective campaigns must ring true and deliver a personally meaningful message, “even if the brand has a huge target audience like Nike's.”
Consider, for example, Dove’s 2004 “Campaign for Real Beauty.” Challenging stereotypical views of beauty, the campaign was created to make women feel more beautiful and confident while also promoting a broad line of beauty and personal care products.
But “Real Beauty” was more than just a passing idea. It became part of the company’s mission to change the way the world, and women themselves, view beauty. In 2017, Dove upped the ante in celebration of the company’s 60-year anniversary by renewing its “commitment to women globally by launching the Dove Real Beauty Pledge,” which consisted of three vows: to always feature women, not models, in its ads; to never digitally distort its images of women; and to help young people build positive body confidence.
Like most gifts, the campaigns that your audience will find the most appealing will be the ones that show you care. That you took time and focused on them.
What’s the bow on your offer?