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Direct Marketing News Round-Up: New Products, Same Old Economy

Direct Marketing News Round-Up: New Products, Same Old Economy

This week we found some interesting articles about some new technologies out there both for direct mail, and also for the ever-expanding social media networks. Of course there was also the economy wreaking it’s usual havoc upon the market. Please enjoy:

Intelligent Barcodes are here; A new and improved barcode helps mailers make the most of their direct mail.

Run Your Vanity URL Check Across 122 Social Networks, NextMark: Been trying to find the perfect social network to post your brand, but been having no luck? New technology helps you figure out where your business is, and where it isn’t.

The 10 most annoying online viral marketing campaigns of all time, PC Authority: A look into some mislead, but incredibly successful marketing campaigns. Perhaps wrong is the new right?

Debt-Burdened Printers Make List of 10 Most Bankruptcy – Prone Industries, What They Think: Is finding the printing industry on this list proof enough that direct mail is in dire need of a serious makeover?

Will the USPS be back, Blogspot: Everyone loves a good comeback story. But this blogger finds it hard to believe that the USPS will make it in the end.

by The Dukky Team | July 10, 2009

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Intelligent Barcodes are here; A new and improved barcode helps mailers make the most of their direct mail.

Run Your Vanity URL Check Across 122 Social Networks, NextMark: Been trying to find the perfect social network to post your brand, but been having no luck? New technology helps you figure out where your business is, and where it isn’t.

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The Road Less Traveled

By Brice Sanderford | July 9, 2009

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The direct mailing business has not seen many drastic changes in recent years. Create an appealing offer, make a list of recipients, purchase the supplies, and send out your offer in mass. But in today’s market the traditional direct mail approach is proving to be less and less effective. Only the most planned out and effective direct mail campaigns prove to be worthwhile. The simple truth is that many of us cannot afford to spend the time or money that it takes to gain a significant ROI from direct mail.

Where was it that we made a wrong turn? Was it believing that the process we had was good enough already, or was it knowing that change was in order, but not having the dedication or resolve to adapt to the approaching obstacles?

The current state of the economy has made inefficiencies in the direct mail industry all the more painful. Less money generally means less spending, and when you are a marketer that is the last thing you want to hear. Even worse is that the direct mail was already facing a growing list of obstacles before the economy took a nosedive. The everyday consumer has grown tired of the 560 pieces of “junk mail” they receive each year, environmentalists have attacked the industry on all fronts for its massive amounts of waste, and online technology is rapidly changing the way consumers live and shop.

So what are we to do? Some of us are brainstorming new and innovative ways to cut back on waste, to make their products more environmentally friendly, and to make sure that their lists are getting to people who actually want them.

Companies like Dukky are trying to do more than just survive the recession; we are aspiring to flourish through it. By allowing the consumer to choose from lists of up to 40 offers, that were traditionally sent to the consumer one at a time in direct mail, we give them the ability to decide real value for themselves. The personalized URLs on each of the mailers move the marketer’s relationship with the consumer to move online. We then tap into the power of viral marketing and allow consumers to share their favorite offers with friends in their social networks. Bets of all, our online dashboard lets marketers see when, where, and by who their offers are activated and used, finally giving brands the ability to know just how effective their offers are.

We are not saying that our recent innovations will they solve all of the problems that direct marketers face today. We simply believe that this is a start, and for the times we’re in, a start is good enough.

The direct mailing business has not seen many drastic changes in recent years. Create an appealing offer, make a list of recipients, purchase the supplies, and send out your offer in bulk. But in today’s market the traditional direct mail approach is proving to be less and less effective. It takes a lot of time and money to get a significant ROI from direct mail the old fashioned way.

Where was it that direct mailers made a wrong turn? Was it believing that the process we had was good enough already, or was it knowing that change was in order, but not having the dedication or resolve to adapt to the approaching obstacles?

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Direct Mail and the Environment

by Brice Sanderford | July 2, 2009

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Lets face it, junk mail is a daily annoyance that drives many people crazy. However, the never-ending assault on people’s mailboxes has another dark side to it: its effect on the environment. It’s easy to forget that the catalog or letter that so often gets tossed into the trashcan unopened costs energy and supplies to make. Why are we sacrificing our precious trees, energy, and ozone to create something that many people don’t even want in the first place? Marketers can argue that direct mail is a successful advertising tactic, and that it’s more cost effective than both T.V. adds and radio adds, but the fact is that 44% of all direct mail gets sent to the dump unopened.

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Marketing in a Recession: My Sentiment Exactly

by Scott Couvillon | July 1, 2009

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I wrote a post a while back about experimenting to save your job as well as to take advantage of the opportunity that this economy affords. Perusing the Obie Award recipients, I came across this board for The Financial Times that echoed the sentiment and drives traffic to two reports on the issue.

We have long held that revenue is not the result of marketing. It is a byproduct of a relationship. And it is easier to develop meaningful relationships in an empty room than a crowded one. Rather than hibernate, experiment. With companies that allow you to dabble in new technologies without the budgets that are necessary to take McKinsey’s advice.

Either way, as a responsible marketer, you need to read these…..

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Who Stays Relevant as Marketing Channels Merge?

by Kristen | June 25, 2009

Merge Walkway2

Earlier this week Chad White, the Research Director at Smith-Harmon, wrote about the changing roles of direct marketers. He observed that a convergence of factors including a decrease in direct mail, increase in direct e-mail and rise in social media practices are making direct mail veterans irrelevant. White argued that online marketing and social media demands a very different skill-set than old-school direct mail does.

White missed one more important force that’s at play: the emergence of marketing technology that integrates all of these channels for retailers. This technology is well on its way to increasing customer engagement and sales more efficiently and affordably than a marketing middle-man. And it has the numbers to prove it: new technologies prize robust data tracking and analysis.

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5 Things We Learned at IRCE about the New Frontier for Internet Retailers

by Christien Louviere | June 23, 2009

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Dukky spent a few days at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition last week in Boston. Despite the gloomy economy and the shrinking budgets of consumers and marketers alike, enthusiasm about the future of e-commerce buzzed. It seems we’re on the brink of a new frontier – thanks to emerging mobile technologies, wide adoption of social networking sites and a new consumer sentiment that prizes transparency and responsibility.

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It’s Time for Marketing Technology to Catch Up

by Mike Paine | June 18, 2009

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What happened to the marketing industry?

Today’s marketing makes me question, where did all the creativity go? Not “creative” as in pretty and funny advertising, but “creative” as in innovative. Take a step back and look at the marketing industry compared to everything else.

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Dear Marketers: How to Keep Your Job

by Scott Couvillon | June 12, 2009

Recession

Hey marketers,

Nervous about losing your job? It’s understandable considering that 2008 saw significant albeit undisclosed layoffs and 2009 labor projections are especially unkind to the marketing category. A few words of wisdom:

1.) The worst thing you can do is hide out in your office and update your resume.

2.) Set it and forget it media planning and slightly modified legacy programs are suicidal for your career in this climate.

3.) The best path to a positive performance review is to start thinking creatively about channels that increase ROI.

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Consumers in Control of Marketing? Really?

by Scott Couvillon | May 22, 2009

The pundits, journalists, conference speakers and CMOs agree, the consumer has wrenched power away in the marketing relationship. Enabled by technology, freewill and the ability to validate information on their own, consumers have taken control of marketing.

But back here on earth, a sensible question is being asked — Why in the world would consumers want to control marketing?

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Innovation Can Save Direct Mail

by Kristen Sullivan | May 22, 2009

Ding dong direct mail is dead…

Actually, it’s in the process of dying announced Borrell Associates latest research report. Borrell has a strong track record when it comes to predicting doom. The group correctly predicted the demise of newspapers and Yellow Pages industries. Now it says direct mail will be the next major analog victim of the internet.

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