DUKKY

Response Magazine  I  Jacqueline Renfrow  I  October 1, 2009

Scott Couvillon is CMO of Dukky, a comprehensive direct mail platform that makes coupons, gift cards and other DR programs more valuable through personalization.  The idea behind the platform is that a brand can send a consumer, by mail, a personalized gift card — complete with the consumer’s name — that can be tracked from when the consumer gets it in the mail throughout the purchasing process.

Each card comes with a personalized URL, and when a consumer logs into a personal Dukky page, he or she can drag and drop in offers that are of interest.  The gift cards are more targeted and more personalized to to a consumer, making a customer more likely to redeem an offer, which can be pre-loaded onto the gift card online.

From a marketer’s standpoint, a gift card bearing a consumer’s name has a higher chance of getting a second look, and the ability of a consumer to personalize it later also increases ROI.A long the way, every question asked by a brand and answered by the consumer, and every product offer clicked-on by the customer, is recorded and serves as important data for future marketing campaigns.

Recently, Dukky partnered with BMW for a campaign to get consumers to test drive a BMW.

“[BMW] wanted to do the campaign for people driving other luxury makes,” says Couvillon, “But they didn’t want to tarnish the image of BMW.”  The offer, which came from a Dukky, included a $25 American Express gas card if the consumer went to a local dealership to test drive a BMW.  Couvillon sees this as a much more valuable way to gauge interest than a print ad or in a magazine or someone asking questions on a dealership lot.  The platform is a way to build a relationship with consumers and exchange value.

“Here is a gas card and an excuse to come in and test drive a BMW,” says Couvillon.  “What they’re essentially buying is, say, an Audi driver’s attention and feedback.  What BMW will know is who would consider buying a BMW.”