Client: Webster Bank
Challenge: Increase effectiveness of deposit acquisition efforts
Solution: Improve targeting on key prospect universe through advanced segmentation tactics as well as sophisticated response models incorporating more than 300 consumer attributes.
Results: Initial segmentation tactics drove a 40% response lift.  Subsequent response model boosted response by another 30%.
Additional models were developed to optimize profitability of prospects.

Client: ColorTyme
Challenge: Acquire new customers for local ColorTyme rent-to-own franchisees
Solution: Target the highly responsive new movers audience within local markets.  Utilize streamlined list sourcing tactic to reach prospects weeks before competitive offers.  Engage new movers with “welcome to the neighborhood” message and attractive “housewarming” offer.
Results: 742% ROI

Client: BB&T
Challenge: Increase household cross-sell and retention
Solution: Enhance profitability and deepen customer relationships through multi-phase cross-sell initiative.   Analyze customer file to target most relevant products and services based on “next most likely product” models.
Results: 450% ROI
Millions of dollars in new deposits and loans were generated with each mailing.  This program resulted in a substantial increase in cross-sell ratios and profitability.  Account response rate more than 11%.

Client: Gulf States Horticultural Expo
Challenge: Maximize attendance for annual trade show event
Solution: Recommend and implement event’s first-ever integrated marketing campaign strategy.   Develop cohesive messaging/creative elements for multi-channel marketing drive, event signage and collateral.
Results: 80% increase in business attendance

Client: JPMorganChase
Challenge: Generate leads for a highly specialized B2B segment
Solution: Create attention-grabbing sales package along with an enticing teaser gift to drive face-to-face consultations with JPMorganChase reps.
Results: 24% response rate

Client: Express Oil
Challenge: Boost customer retention and purchase frequency
Solution: Analyze customer file to identify actionable behavior data, such as date and type of most recent purchase.  Implement integrated mail/email contact stream triggered by data.  Develop creative that builds brand affinity through friendly look/tone and useful offers.
Results: 10-13% response rate
Additional point-of-purchase up-sells and cross-sells led to incremental revenue and profitability.

Client: First Tennessee Bank
Challenge: Cross-sell First Tennessee small business products and services to current customers
Solution: Implement comprehensive multi-product cross-sell program promoting Checking, Line of Credit, Merchant Card Processing, and Wealth Management.
Results: 625% ROI
Response rate over 4%.  Cross-sell ratios and profitability increased substantially.

Client: Alabama Power – a Southern Company
Challenge: Sell surge protection to current customers
Solution: Analyze customer database to develop a model of customers most likely to purchase.  Create benefit-driven message to cross-sell surge protection.
Results: 280% ROI

Client: Airborne Express
Challenge: Cross-sell current customers to new prepaid overnight service
Solution: Analyze customer base to identify segments actively using standard shipping services in order to introduce a new prepaid, overnight shipping product.  Communicate how new product’s benefits — speed, convenience — would complement (not replace) standard services.
Results: 633% ROI
Airborne enjoyed the bottom-line impact of this incremental revenue stream.

Client: Webster Bank
Challenge: Increase effectiveness of deposit acquisition efforts
Solution: Improve targeting on key prospect universe through advanced segmentation tactics as well as sophisticated response models incorporating more than 300 consumer attributes.
Results: Initial segmentation tactics drove a 40% response lift.  Subsequent response model boosted response by another 30%.
Additional models were developed to optimize profitability of prospects.

Client: ColorTyme
Challenge: Acquire new customers for local ColorTyme rent-to-own franchisees
Solution: Target the highly responsive new movers audience within local markets.  Utilize streamlined list sourcing tactic to reach prospects weeks before competitive offers.  Engage new movers with “welcome to the neighborhood” message and attractive “housewarming” offer.
Results: 742% ROI

Client: BB&T
Challenge: Increase household cross-sell and retention
Solution: Enhance profitability and deepen customer relationships through multi-phase cross-sell initiative.   Analyze customer file to target most relevant products and services based on “next most likely product” models.
Results: 450% ROI
Millions of dollars in new deposits and loans were generated with each mailing.  This program resulted in a substantial increase in cross-sell ratios and profitability.  Account response rate more than 11%.

Client: Gulf States Horticultural Expo
Challenge: Maximize attendance for annual trade show event
Solution: Recommend and implement event’s first-ever integrated marketing campaign strategy.   Develop cohesive messaging/creative elements for multi-channel marketing drive, event signage and collateral.
Results: 80% increase in business attendance

Client: JPMorganChase
Challenge: Generate leads for a highly specialized B2B segment
Solution: Create attention-grabbing sales package along with an enticing teaser gift to drive face-to-face consultations with JPMorganChase reps.
Results: 24% response rate

Client: Express Oil
Challenge: Boost customer retention and purchase frequency
Solution: Analyze customer file to identify actionable behavior data, such as date and type of most recent purchase.  Implement integrated mail/email contact stream triggered by data.  Develop creative that builds brand affinity through friendly look/tone and useful offers.
Results: 10-13% response rate
Additional point-of-purchase up-sells and cross-sells led to incremental revenue and profitability.

Client: First Tennessee Bank
Challenge: Cross-sell First Tennessee small business products and services to current customers
Solution: Implement comprehensive multi-product cross-sell program promoting Checking, Line of Credit, Merchant Card Processing, and Wealth Management.
Results: 625% ROI
Response rate over 4%.  Cross-sell ratios and profitability increased substantially.

Client: Alabama Power – a Southern Company
Challenge: Sell surge protection to current customers
Solution: Analyze customer database to develop a model of customers most likely to purchase.  Create benefit-driven message to cross-sell surge protection.
Results: 280% ROI

Client: Airborne Express
Challenge: Cross-sell current customers to new prepaid overnight service
Solution: Analyze customer base to identify segments actively using standard shipping services in order to introduce a new prepaid, overnight shipping product.  Communicate how new product’s benefits — speed, convenience — would complement (not replace) standard services.
Results: 633% ROI
Airborne enjoyed the bottom-line impact of this incremental revenue stream.

photo © 2010 Deb D (http://debabrata.info) | more info (via: Wylio)

In my Client Services role at HF Direct, it’s my job to know and understand all the individual parts and pieces that make up the big picture.  You could call me “a tree hugger”.  A tree hugger recognizes that the beauty of a majestic forest comes from the sum of its parts – the smallest of dogwoods scattered among the tallest and strongest of pines; the littering of wildflowers that add their pops of color and visual interest for the eye; the winding stream that connects it all together…

Likewise in business, it’s the details behind a strategy or campaign that make the big picture possible.  “Small stuff” like accurately manipulated data, carefully selected target segments, correct spelling, strong offers, brand guidelines, and a clear call to action.  Have you ever proofed a direct mail letter offering a $500 incentive instead of the intended $50?  That changes the picture entirely (not to mention seriously affects the bottom line!).

Numerous small elements – which can go unnoticed if you’re not looking for them – join together to make up the forest and to create a successful campaign.  A string of successful campaigns develops into a growing business.  And that business can have a “wow” factor – just like the forest.

Kim Twitchell

About the author
Kim Twitchell shook the sand out of her shoes and left life at the shore to become part of the HF Direct team 11 years ago.  As Client Services lead, she loves it when a plan comes together – whether it’s cheering her beloved University of Alabama football team to a victory or making sure her clients’ campaigns run smoothly, their needs are met, and they reach their goals.

photo © 2006 abcrumley | more info (via: Wylio)

Then I noticed something that told me this was no ordinary lemonade stand, and no ordinary little girl running the lemonade stand.

There was a large box sitting next to her lemonade stand.  She had written on the side of the box with a crayon.  It read “Free kitten with lemonade”.  I thought, what a clever marketing idea from such a young mind!  (Maybe her parents had something to do with the idea, but I’d like to think it was all hers.)

In theory, mixing kittens with lemonade is an “apples and oranges” situation – not exactly an intuitive combo.  But in this case, it was so wonderfully unique (not to mention adorable), that it caught my attention.  (This is not easy to do, since I’m knee-deep in marketing every workday!)

I’ve worked on tons of direct marketing campaigns over the years, and many times we’ve found that “apples and oranges” marketing offers – e.g., open a checking account and get free luggage – can grab attention and drive increased response for our clients.

The beauty with direct marketing is that you can test and measure the impact of stuff like this.  That keeps my team busy building different versions of creative for testing.

If you’re trying to boost your results and break through the clutter, it may be worth taking a look at testing offers in the “apples and oranges” category.  Give it a try – you may be surprised.

I wonder how many kittens went home with refreshed lemonade customers that day…

Have you ever tested a marketing offer that had a “kittens and lemonade” feel to it?  I bet there are some great examples out there.  Please share!

Ray Brooks

About the author
Ray Brooks serves as HF Direct’s Creative Services guru.  With 20+ years in the direct marketing industry, he’s created countless promotions and developed a well-honed sense of “what works”.  Still, he loves to keep it fresh by pushing the envelope and trying new approaches to help clients improve results with their marketing efforts.  On a related note, he’s still trying to figure out “what works” when it comes to his golf swing.

Texting shorthand: bane of good ol' fashioned spelling?

Recently, I received an email message from a fellow writer.  I was shocked to find that she had used prolly in lieu of probably.  When I accused her of single-handedly trying to wreck the language we both love, she sheepishly confessed that she’s picked up some bad habits while texting.

It only takes a glance at a social network site to find intelligent, well-educated people substituting the shorthand found in texting for regular language.  And the younger generation deliberately misspells, believing somehow that this is cool.

When they’re looking for a job, it will be about as cool as a mullet or Milli Vanilli, but by then, it may B 2 L8.

While texting mistakes have caused a portion of the decline of good spelling because they are fun or hip, the old-fashioned mistakes still occur, as well.  And your emailed professional messages need to be just as correct as a formal letter.

Like it or not, the people with whom you communicate professionally will form an opinion based on the written word they receive from you.  And unless you want your boss or a client to think you’ll prolly be at a gr8 upcoming seminar l8r this week, spellcheck is your friend.

Your online dictionary is an even more dependable ally.  Here are a few online references to add to your favorites:

www.merriam-webster.com This source puts the Web in Webster.

www.dictionary.reference.com Another excellent traditional dictionary. You’ll also find its sister, the thesaurus, available at www.thesaurus.reference.com

www.thefreedictionary.com This source not only provides an excellent dictionary, but has a spoken feature that will assist you in pronouncing an unfamiliar word when you have a speech to prepare.

Test your knowledge!  Come on – it’ll be fun.
If you haven’t taken a spelling test since grade school, here’s one I found online.  It includes 25 of the most frequently misspelled words.

Choose spelling (a) or (b) from each of the following, and write your answers down.

(a) absorbtion (b) absorption
The act or process of absorbing something; occupying the full attention or interest.

(a) accidentally (b) accidently
Happening unexpectedly or by chance.

(a) alterior (b) ulterior
Lying beyond what is evident; deliberately and deceptively concealed.

(a) Arctic (b) Artic
Relating to the North Pole or the region near it.

(a) asterick (b) asterisk
The character * used as a reference mark in printing.

(a) basically (b) basicly
At a basic level or in a basic manner.

(a) congradulations (b) congratulations
Acknowledging someone’s achievements or good fortune.

(a) definate (b) definite
Certain, clearly defined, having distinct limits.

(a) disasterous (b) disastrous
Terrible, calamitous.

(a) embarass (b) embarrass
To cause someone to feel self-conscious or ill at ease.

(a) epitome (b) epitomy
A perfect example of a class or type.

(a) grammar (b) grammer
The systematic study and description of a language.

(a) grievious (b) grievous
Serious, grave, causing pain or anguish.

(a) marshmallow (b) marshmellow
A sweet white confection.

(a) mathematics (b) mathmatics
The science of numbers and their operations.

(a) murmer (b) murmur
A low indistinct sound; an abnormal sound of the heart.

(a) parliament (b) parliment
A legislative body or a formal conference for the discussion of public affairs.

(a) perogative (b) prerogative
A right or privilege held by a person or group.

(a) possible (b) possable
Within the limits of ability.

(a) priviledge (b) privilege
A right or immunity granted as a benefit or favor.

(a) recommend (b) recomend
Endorse as fit or worthy.

(a) sacreligious (b) sacrilegious
Irreverence toward a hallowed person, place, or thing.

(a) tenative (b) tentative
Not fully worked out or agreed on.

(a) tradegy (b) tragedy
A disastrous event.

(a) verbage (b) verbiage
Wordiness.

Now check your answers here:
http://grammar.about.com/od/spelling/a/25misspelledwords_2.htm

I hope you aced it.  If not, remember the spellchecker, your online dictionary, and dust off your Scrabble board to make it more fun.

C U L8R!

Carla Martin-Wood

About the author
As Chief Copywriter at HF Direct, Carla Martin-Wood serves as grammar police, human spellchecker, and poet-in-residence.  She’s enjoyed influencing people since early childhood, and finds that skill invaluable when writing persuasive advertising copy. Carla takes pride in her ability to inform, convince, and entertain the target audience, as she creates compelling copy for HF Direct clients.
Connect with her on LinkedIn

"Spidey" senses a good email tip here

By now most marketers and business decision-makers are well aware of email’s unmatched powers as a marketing channel:  it’s uniquely flexible, trackable, scalable, affordable – all that good stuff.  But, as the young Peter Parker (aka, Spiderman) was told in the original movie, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

How do you exercise your email powers responsibly – and avoid getting tangled up in too many miscues?  Well, lucky for us there’s no need to reinvent the web.  Over the years a dependable foundation of universal email best practices has emerged.  I’d like to share a good one with you:

When it comes to new sign-ups on your email list, be sticky.

New email subscribers will be much more likely to stick around and engage with your emails down the road if you make the effort to welcome them and nurture interaction in the early period of time immediately after they sign-up.

Yes, this seems like a no-brainer – total common sense.  Don’t need a special “spidey-sense” to detect that one.

Well, not so fast.  Apparently this email best practice has not reached as wide a level of integration as one might think.  I was shocked – shocked! – at the findings of a recent survey of Internet Retailer 500 e-retailers which showed that:

* Half of Internet 500 e-retailers did not deploy even a single welcome email to their new subscribers
* Only 1% had implemented a series of automated welcome emails

It’s been my experience, and it’s backed up by industry-wide findings, that welcome emails get the highest open and click-through rates of any messages.  This is a powerful opportunity to make a lasting first impression with your new subscriber.  Think of all the relationship-building (sticky) things you can do with that first message or series of messages:  deliver a “thank you” coupon or discount; provide a tour of key tools and benefits of your website; offer the latest whitepaper or case study; introduce premium services; ask for input on a poll or survey, etc., etc.

So, add value early on for your new email subscribers and they will stick around.  That’s powerful stuff.

I’ve got some more thoughts on email best practices percolating and I’ll share those in future posts.

When I want my business to stand out in a crowded marketplace I go to the professionals at HF Direct.  Unique strategic insights, smart audience targeting, creativity in design, and sharp execution are just a few of the outstanding characteristics that set them apart from the competition.

Phillip Hunter
Owner
Hunter Trees, LLC

I know I can count on HF Direct for results – our last credit card mailing gained well more than triple the industry average in a saturated market.  But what really gives me peace of mind is the meticulous process they use from start to finish.  I know I will see a quote, a timetable, proofs, list verification, super-relevant data samples and every other important detail.  Anyone who has ever had a mailing gone wrong will appreciate how their project management expertise helps to prevent errors.

Linda Mayfield
Marketing Director
State Credit Union

I had the pleasure of partnering with HF Direct for several direct marketing customer acquisition and cross-sell initiatives. Aligning ourselves with HF Direct, we were able to build and launch an integrated small business program that proved to be the primary driver of new account acquisitions and increased cross-sells. HF Direct has a keen understanding of what client partnership is all about. Responsive – Dedicated to Delivering Results – Creative – Strategic Idea Generators – Could write the book on Customer Service.

Mike Buckley
Direct Response Marketing Manager
Washington Mutual

Flip your Swiffer sheet / Leverage your customer data

We’re big ‘Swifferers’ in my house – 2 kids + 2 dogs + hardwood floors = high-frequency swiffage.  Our Swiffer is constantly ready for action, loaded with its special picker-upper sheet.  When you Swiffer as much as we do, you go through a lot of those sheets.  This is a source of some irritation for me – have you noticed how expensive those Swiffer sheets are?  I mean, what are they made of – cashmere?  (even the non-brand ones are no bargain…)

That being said, not too long ago (as I completed a routine swiff of the house), I had a revelation about those dang sheets that made a little light bulb appear above my head.   Are you sitting down?

– When your Swiffer sheet is full, you can flip it over and use the other side! No, really.  It’s true.  Happy days are here again!

As you may have already calculated, this nifty tactic gave me a 100% lift in my Return on Swiffer, or, alternatively, cut my Cost per Swiffer in half.  What happened is I simply (finally!) recognized an opportunity to optimize use of a valuable asset.

This sounds a lot like what we do with customer database marketing.  It’s a bedrock axiom in direct marketing that customers – and the data you capture and store about those customers – are your most valuable asset.  That’s because typically “retention ROI” is so much higher than “acquisition ROI” – in other words, it’s a lot more profitable to market to an existing customer than to acquire a new customer.  In fact, according to this Forrester report, “The cost of acquiring a new customer can be five to eight times more than retaining and generating the same revenue from satisfying current customers.”

With an ever expanding menu of marketing channels, it can be tempting to focus inordinate attention on the latest shiny gizmo or bells and whistles in pursuit of new customers.  But, especially nowadays with tightening budgets and increasing accountability to produce concrete bottom-line results, retention marketing deserves a top priority rating.

Have you had a “flip the Swiffer sheet” eye-opener regarding customer marketing?   Are you squeezing all the juice you can from your customer data and touchpoints across different channels?  Contact us – we can help.

Will this be the next mailing?

Several months ago I received a letter from the National Humane Society.  The envelope had some pictures of sad looking cats and dogs on the envelope.  My daughter, who is 10 and an avid animal lover, was attracted to the letter and read it.  She then asked if we could help.  I agreed and sent in a donation.  Since then, we have been overwhelmed with mailings from the NHS and a few phone calls thrown into the mix.   My wife and I have a running joke about the volume of mail I receive from them.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like dogs.  As a matter of fact I have a border collie and a Lhasa Apso (well, one dog and a rodent with hair…).  But the point is, I made a spur of the moment decision to donate.  It is not a cause we planned to continue investing in.

This led me to the question – how many contacts should a consumer receive from one company?  When planning your next direct mail campaign, try asking yourself the following questions to determine “how much is too much.”

The first question to ask: will the mailing be profitable?  You need to develop an estimated return on investment.  Identify the cost of the program and project the estimated number of responses.  Establish how many purchases it will take to be profitable.  Before you mail too much, make sure you’ve planned out your revenue projections carefully.

The next question to ask: is the offer relevant to the consumer?  If you’re a conservative republican one letter from a liberal democrat is too much.

Frequency isn’t the problem; there is no magic number of optimal contacts.  The issue is ROI and Relevance.  Mail customers/prospects as long as you have relevant information to communicate.  And if it’s profitable.

Now, back to the animal lovers of the world.  Doggone it, they sent another package last week.  This one included a blanket with dogs on it – very relevant to my daughter.  I decided to send in another donation because of it – profitable for the mailer.

Ray Fagan

About the author
As President and original co-founder, Ray Fagan is like HF Direct’s George Washington (but without the wig).  Ray champions the company’s core mission — to exceed expectations by providing top-notch client service and delivering results through direct marketing.
Connect with him on LinkedIn.

In direct response marketing, the call-to-action (aka CTA) is really where the rubber meets the road.  It’s the message you use to spur your audience to ‘do the deal’ – mail in an order form, go to a store, ‘call now’ or click through.

I’ve been around the direct marketing block a few times, and over the years I seem to have developed a kind of call-to-action radar — I’m constantly noticing and evaluating CTAs that I run across (they’re everywhere!).  Naturally, I get a lot of practice in my role here at HF Direct, particularly in creating online CTAs.  Here are 3 handy tips as well as links to resources that should be helpful when you’re crafting your next online CTA.

The 3 C’s for a Super Call-to-Action:

Be Concise: Today’s online user is more surgical, focused and web-savvy than the ‘wandering surfer’ of yesteryear, so precision and clarity is more important than ever.  Think ‘pithy’ more than ‘pretty’.

Be Contextual: Put some thought into choosing the right ‘action verb’ for the situation – what’s the verb that best describes the behavior you’re trying to entice?  For instance, don’t just slap a ‘submit’ button on the bottom of an online form if a more appropriate descriptor applies, such as order, subscribe, get, go, sign up, register, etc.

Being contextual also means getting into the mindset of your audience.  Are there particular hurdles that your audience needs help getting over, or strong offer elements that would help close the deal?  Maybe your CTA needs to address those with ‘kickers’ like: Free Trial!, Intro Price, We won’t sell/rent/share your info, the best [widget] for [product promise], and so on…  (See links to the resources listed below for some great examples of CTAs that incorporate ‘kickers’.)

Be Conspicuous: Use size, color, shape and positioning on the page to make sure that your CTA is absolutely un-missable.

Remember these essential 3 C’s the next time you’re creating a call-to-action and you’ll be off to a good start.  And if you can’t decide which CTA will generate the best results, do an A/B test to find out.  Even seemingly inconsequential tweaks can lead to solid incremental gains.  There are tons of case studies available online where you’ll find ideas on what to test and what works.

Check out these links for Call-to-Action examples and best practices:

Smashing Magazine: CTA examples
Effective CTA –  10 techniques
Best practices from D-Lists
Guidelines and dozens of tactics from Hongkiat

Do you have CTA tips or results you can share?  Please do tell – we love this stuff!