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The Other Direct Mail
Many companies have been using inserts in direct mail pieces for years. It may be time to consider using “onserts” instead, according to Sandra Zoratti. (She defines onserts as ad or offers printed directly on a bill or account statement, otherwise known as transpromo.)
Of course she would say that, you say. Zoratti is vice president of strategic development and transformation for InfoPrint—so it’s her job to evangelize transpromo, i.e. the marriage of transactional and promotional documents.
But wait, Zoratti has data to back up her assertions.
According to a recent survey of 1,000 consumers conducted by Zoomerang for InfoPrint, nearly 90 percent of respondents have never made a purchase based on seeing an ad or offer on an insert, and 40 percent noted that inserts are often irrelevant or impersonal. Yet 64 percent said they would use personalized offers printed on their bills or statements. Any why is 64 percent such a heady number? Because 95 to 100 percent of consumers open and read their bills and account statements (it amazes me that there are people who actually don’t open these items). Additionally, 57 percent of respondents still prefer mail to e-statements for must-read documents.
Zoratti cited a retailer in Isreal that placed a coupon on one bank’s customer statements. The offer garnered a 44 percent response rate and $2.2 million in revenue. Not only did the retailer benefit, but the bank was able to “sell some real estate” on its statements. And, hey, customers got a deal. Truly a win-win-win situation.
This all sounds great, but while some companies have been using transpromo for years, others still struggle with what can be a complex transition. Zoratti noted four challenges companies need to overcome to use transpromo successfully.
1. People (Come on, you knew this one would be first, didn’t you?)
Billing and transactional statements are usually managed within the IT organization, so marketers rarely have a line of sight to statement activities. Marketers must partner with their IT brethren to become a part of the process of what information gets printed on bills or statements.
2. Data analytics
First, marketers need clean, current data—the same clean, current data they should have for other targeted marketing efforts. Then they need to understand how to prepare the data for the documents.
3. Design
Marketers need to work with IT, and perhaps a design firm, to optimize statement design and composition to bring attention to the offers printed on them. Color is key here.
4. Metrics
Like any initiative, marketers should be able to show ROI from their efforts. They need to create a metrics “tool kit” across channels so they can link their on- and offline approaches.
And speaking of online, according to Zoratti, the Web is forcing marketers to create mail that is more dynamic and customized instead of static if they want to engage customers. And in the end, isn’t engagement what marketers want most?
Gary,
Good point. I think the aim of transpromo done well is to include a relevant message, not a generic one. And you have to understand your customers to get the right message to the right customers.
It still boils down to getting your message to the right audience. Only a recognized SRDS list broker can get you the list. Everything else is "throwing enough against the wall".