This blog post by John Kelly of The Washington Post describes his receipt of a postcard with an offer from the the Costa Concordia -- the ship that sank off the coast of Italy. It includes the now morbidly humorous message, "Immerse Yourself."
If the postcard was mailed prior to January 13, then I suppose the people at American Express started to freak out. If the postcard mailed after ship and shore met, then this is a Fail for Timing. Just as airlines typically pull their ads after a plane crash, a cruise ship marketer should pull its marketing communications immediately after a ship sinks. There is no benefit to reminding prospective customers of a tragedy that is being covered on the evening news.
According to Mr. Kelly, a representative explained that it takes between six and eight weeks from when a brochure is put into creative to when it reaches mailboxes, making it too late to pull the mailing. It indeed does take 6-8 weeks to prepare mail, but it takes only one day to conduct a final review and release the mail into the mailstream.
I was a marketing manager at a company that spent tens of thousands of dollars preparing a national direct mail campaign only to cancel it at the lettershop because of a tragic travel incident. It was worth the sunk cost (no pun intended) to cancel the campaign and not send mail that could damage the company's brand reputation.
Lesson: Don't force your direct mail out the door or put campaigns on auto-pilot. Do a final check before every mailing to ensure that your product and offer is appropriate. Don't mail an offer for a product that recently killed people.
Examples of and lessons from communications that neglect basic direct marketing Best Practices.
Showing posts with label timing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label timing. Show all posts
1/25/2012
American Express lets mail sink
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
American Express,
timing
10/19/2011
Experian: No protection or credit for late mail
The letter was designed well, just late. |
A reasonable response window for consumer direct mail is 2-4 weeks. A renewal communication with this level of urgency might get away with a 1-week response window, but only if the customer actually has a week to respond.
Smart outer envelope |
Lesson: Mail early and give your customers adequate time to read and respond to your mail.
1/08/2011
Geico: Return of the Failed Gecko
In mid-November, I received a solo mail letter from Geico offering a "Free housewarming gift". There were a few problems with this. I had already been in my home for six months. Creatively, it is exactly the same as the letter I received in August which arrived after three months at my new address. The only differences between the two solo mail packages were the line breaking in the third paragraph and that the first one included a code above my name in the address field.
It appeared to be odd to reference the fact that I received moved in a mailing that arrived three months after I settled in at a new address, so it is even more odd for the exact same mailer to arrive another three months later. If the message is off mark the first time, wouldn't it be even more off the mark the second time?
I was ready to give this a Fail for Timing when I noticed in the mail six-month renewal notice from my current auto insurer. Auto insurance policies typically have six-month terms. Could Geico have intentionally timed the mailing to coincide with my policy renewal? If so, Geico should reference the competitor's bill rather than resend the same out-of-date message. That would be a Fail for Creative.
Regardless, I love those gecko return address stickers.
Lesson: If you are timing your direct communication based on an event, reference that event. If you missed the event by months, don't even mention it.
It appeared to be odd to reference the fact that I received moved in a mailing that arrived three months after I settled in at a new address, so it is even more odd for the exact same mailer to arrive another three months later. If the message is off mark the first time, wouldn't it be even more off the mark the second time?
I was ready to give this a Fail for Timing when I noticed in the mail six-month renewal notice from my current auto insurer. Auto insurance policies typically have six-month terms. Could Geico have intentionally timed the mailing to coincide with my policy renewal? If so, Geico should reference the competitor's bill rather than resend the same out-of-date message. That would be a Fail for Creative.
Regardless, I love those gecko return address stickers.
Lesson: If you are timing your direct communication based on an event, reference that event. If you missed the event by months, don't even mention it.
1/02/2011
Alamo Insiders is driven
Outer envelope front |
Outer envelope back |
Letter |
The letter opens with a note of appreciation immediately followed by an explanation of two of the program's features -- deals and value. The benefit of 10% off rates is clearly communicated in the sidebar. The letter mentions that "it's fast and easy" to get going, which it is because it is fast and easy for a recipient to quickly scan or completely read the letter. The letter includes a polite close and a reinforced call to action in the P.S.
There is nothing in this mailing to suggest a Fail. This is Mail that Sails. It effectively utilizes its new customer List, beneficial Offer, on-brand Creative, and terrific Timing. It is worth showing here as a contrast to the oversized Amtrak mailing that took months to mail. If you are responsible for recurring customer revenue, which method would you use to welcome a new customer to your program: A mailing that was simple and arrives quickly or one that is more grandiose and arrives long after the customer had his/her first experience with your company?
Lessons:
- Reinforce your brand in your direct communications.
- Integrate your graphics and communications style online and offline.
- Reach your new customers quickly after their first experience with you to reinforce your relationship and encourage more purchases.
11/03/2010
Mail Early, Mail Often, and Don't Fail
The 2010 election is behind us, so it's time to share some lessons about failed political mail.
As with direct mail used for marketing purposes, political mail can Fail for List, Creative, and Timing. An example of a Creative Fail is when the wrong message is conveyed to a constituency, as with Al Edwards in Texas earlier this year.
On election day, I received this self-mailer supporting a proposition on the Houston, Texas ballot:
The message is clear, friendly, and persuasive. So why the Fail? For List. It was mailed to me in Arlington, VA, presumably because I used to live in and was registered to vote in Houston. However, my voter registration moved to Virginia more than six months ago. Given that they were mailing close to the election date, the people behind the mailing should have dropped anyone that might have voted via absentee ballot as well as those who cannot legally vote in Houston.
As with direct mail used for marketing purposes, political mail can Fail for List, Creative, and Timing. An example of a Creative Fail is when the wrong message is conveyed to a constituency, as with Al Edwards in Texas earlier this year.
On election day, I received this self-mailer supporting a proposition on the Houston, Texas ballot:
The message is clear, friendly, and persuasive. So why the Fail? For List. It was mailed to me in Arlington, VA, presumably because I used to live in and was registered to vote in Houston. However, my voter registration moved to Virginia more than six months ago. Given that they were mailing close to the election date, the people behind the mailing should have dropped anyone that might have voted via absentee ballot as well as those who cannot legally vote in Houston.
Here is an easy Fail for Timing:
This oversized postcard from the Chris Zimmerman campaign arrived on November 3, the day after the election. The use of black copy over dark backgrounds such as in the "Supporting our environment" box makes some text unreadable. This is sadly typical of quickly produced political direct mail, not exceptionally bad enough to call it an outright Fail.
Lessons:
- Send your political mail only to people who can vote for your election when they still have the opportunity to choose how to vote.
- Use adequate color contrast to ensure people can read your message.
11/01/2010
Amtrak's fulfillment mailing: Delayed
Outer envelope front |
A delayed welcome mailing or new customer greeting will make an initial positive perception sour.
Outer envelope back |
Lesson: When you have a new customer, greet that customer right away while the introduction to your product or service is fresh in your customer's memory.
rewards card carrier & info |
card carrier flap |
9/10/2010
Late Furniture
This self-mailer from Bassett Furniture arrived Tuesday, September 7. Easy Fail for Timing. The sale ended the day prior to the mail's arrival.
The mailer includes a request for arrival between 8/30 & 9/1, so either the mail was sent late or the USPS was delivering slowly.
On the other hand, it was targeted well, as it was sent to a prior customer.
The mailer includes a request for arrival between 8/30 & 9/1, so either the mail was sent late or the USPS was delivering slowly.
On the other hand, it was targeted well, as it was sent to a prior customer.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
Bassett Furniture,
timing
8/22/2010
2 weeks to redeem a prize is a Fail
This contest fulfillment package was recently mailed by Young America on behalf of Hershey's. It was mailed in a nondescript, plain white envelope.
The recipient won a minor prize in a contest - a free Reese's product. This was communicated on a plain, white piece of paper. The package does not need to be fancy because, hey, it's a prize.
The coupon appears to be good for a candy bar.
This prize fulfillment package merits a Fail for Timing because it was received on August 18. That gave the recipient only 2 weeks to claim the prize. That is not an adequate response window. If a prize winner is slow to read the mail, that person may be upset if he/she misses the window to use the coupon. The coupon could have easily been marked to expire 9/30/10 or, even better, 12/31/10.Lesson: Even for a totally free item, there should be adequate time for the consumer to take action in response to your mail.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
Hershey's,
timing,
Young America
8/15/2010
Geico: Only a 15 minute list update could save Geico from a Fail
This direct mail package from Geico might be creatively complete. From a promotional standpoint, it goes all out.
The outer envelope includes an inviting benefit teaser on the front as well as a promotional teaser on the back. It leverages the fact that the recipient moved to a new location, and implies a financial benefit to the new zip code as well as a peak at a hundred dollar bill.
The front of the letter leverages Geico branding. It includes not one but two Johnson Boxes as well as a side bar that clearly communicates savings benefits and call to action.
In the package, there are no fewer than seven calls to action to get an insurance quote. Most of them talk to ease of the transaction, with copy points such as "a few minutes to do"; "trained professionals are there for you 24/7"; and "All you have to do is answer some simple questions ...". Forget 15 minutes? This is fast & easy!
The letter communicates savings benefits as well as a positive customer experience. It includes a testimonial on the back, a sincere, signed close, and the all-important P.S. that reinforces benefits messaging and call to action.
Finally, the bottom of the letter included an immediate benefit for opening the envelope -- return address stickers with the Geico geeko. (I'm showing only one row because the stickers are so cool that I plan to use them.)
This package utilizes many direct mail best practices: envelope teaser, promotional copy, Johnson Box, side box, a feeling of sincerity, a signature, multiple calls to action, immediate benefits, strong benefit messages, focused P.S., and alignment with messaging from other communication channels.
So why the Fail? For Timing. Typically, consumers have 30 days to choose a new auto insurer after they move, however, I received the letter 3½ months after moving to a new zip code. Geico could improve its success by updating the hot movers list it uses and mailing more frequently.
Although not worthy of a Fail, the testimonial on the back is a bit off the mark. It represents a customer who chose Geico before she moved, while the package is addressed and messaged to potential customers who are in their new home.
Lesson: When you are targeting recent movers, be sure to reach them when they recently moved.
3/15/2010
A bit late for this kind of relief
This low-end 1-color self-mailer from a mortgage company arrived on March 13, just a bit late to lock in my rate if the funding pool review was indeed due February 22. Easy Fail for Timing. Surely it does not take over a month for a standard rate letter to travel from Salt Lake City to a big city in Texas.
Learnings: Always allow adequate time for your mail to be delivered. Use a respond-by date that is later than the anticipated in-home date.
Learnings: Always allow adequate time for your mail to be delivered. Use a respond-by date that is later than the anticipated in-home date.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
mortgage,
RANLIFE.com,
timing
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