As a full service marketing agency, it’s kind of hard not to notice the marketing efforts utilized by the businesses around us. It’s great to see campaigns being launched and creativity being stretched. So we thought it would be interesting to make this a regular thing and see what companies are doing to help grow their business and increase their exposure.

Today’s featured business: Office Max

I received a letter from Office Max today with a nice greeting that referred to me as a “valued customer.” It’s always nice to know you’re appreciated. Of course the letter, in just under 10 sentences, talked about all the wonderful savings I could experience with Office Max. What I liked about it was that the letter wasn’t filled with endless content that would require more of my time to read than I had. The point was clear in under a paragraph. I appreciate that they valued the customer’s time. Now a letter of this nature would not be effective without some kind of incentive to get me to shop with them again.

Attached were three coupons each promoting a percentage off for online purchases and in-store purchases. What an excellent way to drive business into the store and onto their website. The expiration date on the offers for a moment did get me to stop and consider if I needed anything from the store, because time was running out on this great deal. When it comes to marketing, everything, even down to the expiration date has a significant place in the campaign. The letter was informative, appealing, and left me with a sense of urgency to respond. Oh, but it doesn’t end there. Displayed in a small text box on the right side of the letter was a tag that said, “More Exclusive Offers.” How do I find out what that is? Go to their website, sign up for their newsletter, and wait for the online savings and coupons to hit me via e-mail. Now most people would blow this off as just another garbage e-mail that I’m going to get. However, as a business, finding ways to reach your customers on a regular basis is very important. Giving them a reason to continue doing business with you is key to the long term relationship. So in essence, the “More Exclusive Offers” is a great way to accomplish this. What are the chances that I would go and sign up for the newsletter? It is fairly slim unless you are someone who finds they are spending quite a bit on office products. Overall, this was a good use of a direct mailer campaign.

Take Away:

Make your direct mailer relevant, appealing, and informative but not overwhelming. Of course be sure to utilize a proper call to action and leave your customers with a sense of urgency, so they will respond quicker.