A core dictum of direct marketing is to improve your offer when you want to improve response. And while Joe Spadaro, co-owner of Winterville, N.C., used car dealership Saturn of Greenville, embraced this proven advice when his campaigns' performance started to slip, he also trained a critical eye on his media choices.

To address these challenges, Saturn of Greenville recently tested an integrated mail-Web marketing solution from their direct marketing firm. A 15,000-piece campaign mailed to residents in the dealership's local market offered a $1,000 discount on a used car purchase and the chance to win $25,000. The mailing leveraged variable data printing of both personalized URLs (PURLs) and name-based personalization to entice recipients to visit an online interface hosted by Dukky, where they could learn more about Saturn of Greenville and share the offer with their networks through social media tools.

When recipients reached their landing pages, the login forms were pre-populated with their first names, last names and e-mail addresses, Saturn of Greenville asked a few additional qualifying questions, such as which type of vehicle interested them and what best described their current credit profile, and also solicited visitors' phone numbers. The dealership then used this information to customize its follow-up to each respondent.

Via a reporting dashboard, Saturn of Greenville was able to track recipients' engagement with the campaign beyond logins and dealer visits. The overall campaign results included 1,070 leads generated and 24 cars sold in a space of four days-a number that's just five shy of the dealership's average monthly sales.

Points of Hue

Colors to use (and avoid) when looking to achieve specific results

Don't worry, the fashion police won't come looking for you if you don't choose the perfect colors for your next direct mail campaign. But your customers may not either. Colors aren't as clear-cut as words, but there is a loose meaning for most. And while color usage isn't an exact science, hues definitely can influence the outcome of a direct mail campaign, says Cynthia Cornell, color researcher with Color Communications, Inc. So when choosing, be conscious of the message you want to convey and how you want customers to perceive your products.

Blue-based reds (such as raspberry red) are associated with more expensive products. Stick with yellow-based reds (like tomato red, which is imagined as less expensive) if you're looking to downplay a high price.

Use orange to play up affordability.

Yellow is the first color the eye sees, and when used with dark colors for high contrast (e.g., black type on a yellow background), it becomes more powerful and more easily read.

Choose green to convey possibility and hope.

Blue connotes confidence and safety, making it a great choice for financial and medical institution mailers.

Purple is especially hot right now, but it's typically used with high fashion, sports teams or sweet treats (e.g., chocolates or perfume) rather than direct marketing.

Black conveys a strong sense of power, promise and the ability for high contrasts. Add sheen or matte to black, and it becomes more powerful.

White(especially when presented tone on tone) implies sophistication and formality - but also a high-end price point.

Article printed from Deliver Magazine: