Connect June/July 2012 by NextPage

June/July 2012

Mail Print Wins 12 Awards for Marketing Automation, Direct Mail and VDP This article is not about Mail Print winning four Kansas City Direct Marketing Association Ambit awards; three International Association of Business Communicator Bronze Quill awards; three Business Marketing Association Fountain awards; a Circle of Hope award from Harvesters or an Association of Fundraising Professionals Small Business Spirit of Philanthropy award. This article is about the why. What is Mail Print doing that makes its work award winning? What makes Mail Print programs stand apart from other entries that go home trophy-less? Results. All of Mail Print’s internal and customer campaigns were recognized because they strategically breakdown the problem, built a solution, and hit the pre-set target if surpassed.

Connect Magazine Brings in Bimonthly Direct Mail Results and Three Awards Connect Magazine reinforces that Mail Print is a thought leader in direct marketing, The bimonthly mailed, 16-page four color magazine showcases Mail Print’s variable data and direct mail expertise. Connect earned a $41 return on investment for every $1 spent on the magazine and $1.3 million in new business opportunities. Is it any wonder it took home an Ambit, Bronze Quill, and Fountain award?

“It’s one thing to achieve great results, but to do so consistently over three years is exceptional,” says Mail Print CEO Gina Danner.

Mail Print’s Work for Harvesters Feeds Families and Brings in Three Awards Mail Print streamlined and automated Harvesters Donor Receipt program and was awarded an Ambit and Bronze Quill Award of Merit for its work and results. By helping Harvesters acknowledge donors via either email or mail and helping Harvesters secure an additional 6,677 donations totaling $688,930 for a project cost of less than $70,000, everyone was a winner. Mail Print also received a Fountain award for its Share An Extra Plate Fundraising campaign produced on behalf of Harvesters last December. The multi-channel campaign earned thousands of social shares, including 2,056 additional people receiving the donation opportunity in addition to the 2,700 customers who originally received the mailing and supporting emails. The campaign had a budget of $3,500 and created $63,000 in value for Harvesters representing an 18:1 return on investment.

Mail Print Receives Two Awards for Philanthropic Contribution

Mail Print’s CEO, Gina Danner, and President, Eric Danner, were raised knowing that it’s better to give than to receive. With this core belief woven into their company of 23 years, Mail Print has Mail Print assisted AEB in producing a highly complex variable always volunteered, contributed financially, and shared its service data benefits catalog. The catalogs are customized throughout pro bono to organizations making a difference in the Kansas City with more than 1,100 variable data fields – making them the community. For this reason, the most important two awards of perfect one-to-one marketing vehicle. all are:

Mail Print’s VDP Work for Assurant Employee Benefits Results in Four Awards

As a result of the one-to-one human communication that occurred via the customized catalogs, AEB experienced a 5% increase in employees purchasing voluntary benefits.

• The Circle of Hope award given to Mail Print by Harvesters in recognition of its outstanding contributions to hunger relief in the Kansas City metro.

Mail Print took home a Bronze Quill from IABC, an Ambit from KCDMA and a Fountain award from BMA for the results earned for producing AEB’s benefits catalogs for streamlining and increasing Assurant employee enrollments. It also received the coveted Consistent Achiever Award for the benefits catalogs for achieving increased enrollments flawlessly for over a 36-month period.

• The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Mid America Chapter’s 2011 Small Business Spirit of Philanthropy Award. Mail Print was nominated for the award by multiple entities including, Bishop Sullivan Center, Grafton, Inc., Harvesters, Koehler Bortnick Team, Operation Breakthrough, St. Therese Church, and Thinking Bigger Business Media.

8300 NE Underground Drive Pillar 122 www.mailprint.com

publisher ’s letter

Changing with the Changing Times

n this day and age, we can get lost in the latest product innovation. TV commercials mock people who bought the latest and greatest devices, only to see the next generation hit shelves shortly thereafter. Forget keeping up with the Joneses, we can’t even keep up with technology.

Some would argue we’re so connected that we’re unconnected. With the advances in technology, we have become so wired that our intimacy levels are all dried up. Yet another perspective might suggest that today’s technological boom has empowered us to stay connected only to the people and brands we deem important. We no longer market to the masses. That means the tried-and-true principles of market segmentation and positioning are the foundations of a solid future. While choosing market niches on which to focus is critical, becoming a trusted entity within a segment may be the biggest challenge of all. As we have often stated in the pages of this magazine, successful brands will be the ones woven into the fabric of their target niches’ worlds. Consider the notion that our closest friends and allies are our most trusted vehicles for information. They’re the ones who have the biggest influence on our purchasing behavior. Some of the world’s biggest brands are great, because they’ve become part of how we define ourselves. Consider what brands like Apple, BMW and Coca Cola say about who we are. With the combination of technology and the importance of developing market niches, the connection models we use are transforming. Our jobs

Publisher Gina M. Danner Managing Editors Rosanne Kirn Chris Lakin Art Direction Brent Cashman • Creative Director Jaime Mack • Graphic Designer Connect is published bimonthly by Mail Print 8300 NE Underground Dr, Pillar 122 Kansas City, MO 64161 copyright 2012 All rights reserved

While choosing market niches on which to focus is critical, becoming a trusted entity within a segment may be the biggest challenge of all.

have become a part of who we are on a personal level – and that has an impact on the B2B world. In other words, B2B marketing has a real B2C flavor to it these days. Check out our cover story, “Crossing Paths,” where we dive into the changes shaping both of these segments. We offer keen insight to becoming part of your clients’ world, regardless of if it’s a B2B or B2C industry. In addition, we thought it might be fun to delve into the new world of apps. “Is There an App for That?” examines how apps are revolutionizing today’s business landscape. We hope you enjoy the latest issue of connect as we continue our endeavor to become a trusted part of your marketing world. Warmest regards,

t Gina M. Danner ne a o y n a s e i v i e ce ther d re l f i u o ow o sh y to h s kn p p u w a t h ny Le mpa d be t. l o u c o t lis w n e e i your ip .W r rec nect u n o o C om o int.c em t r h p t l i add @ma 3607 . s 8 u 3 t 9 ac 866. cont

CONTENTS 3

Publisher’s Letter

Marketing Insights

Building Your Brand

10 Crossing Paths

14 How Does Your Brand Look to the Public? 15 Uncover Ways to Increase Marketing Efficiency

For more information contact www.mailprint.com 866.938.3607

To discuss any information contained in Connect by Mail Print please contact Mail Print at 866.938.3607.

marketing insights

The percent of tablet users who expect a website to download in less than two seconds, according to a recent study by Compuware Corp. The study, “Engaging the Tablet User: What They Expect from Websites,” also shows that four out of 10 tablet users experience website problems, while a bad web experience will drive 46 percent of them to competitive websites.

Are you Pinterested? Move over Tumblr. Step aside LinkedIn. Out of the way Google+. According to the “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report” by Experian report, Pinterest has become the third-most popular social media site in the United States, jumping up from the No. 7 spot in 2011. The content sharing site, which posted a 50 percent month-to-month traffic increase in February, saw users spend an average of 89 minutes per month on the network in February. The analytics firm comScore also reported that Pinterest attracted 17.8 million unique visitors in February in the United States, alone. As a comparison, Facebook users spent an average of 405 minutes per month on its site during the same period.

Getting to know your customers

o you want the truth? What your customers value most is changing constantly. Nobody knows this better than Jaynie L. Smith, best selling author and CEO of marketing and management consulting firm Smart Advantage (www.smartadvantage.com). Smith spent the last 10 years analyzing data from more than 100 businesses to learn why customers buy particular products or services from particular companies. Her conclusion: 90 percent of the time, most businesses do not know their customers’ top values. In fact, many are shocked to learn just what is at the top of their customers’ value list. The good news: Smith says businesses that become relevant by addressing what their customers really value at any given time will be the first ones out of the recession. To help you get on track, she offers the following advice.

Customers usually are looking for “how” things are sold, not “what”

For most products, any number of suppliers exists. If someone wants to buy a camera or a car, he can visit the nearest store or order it online. But he doesn’t. Why? Because there’s something else he values more than the product itself (think product durability, the brand’s reputation for customer service or safety features). If you don’t value what you bring to your customer, he won’t value it either. Because few companies know how to effectively articulate what differentiates them, price often becomes the tiebreaker.

Use what you learn

If you find your customers value speedy responses when they have a problem, and your customer service department is slow, fix your customer service now. Tell your customer service team that your customers rate fast response time their No. 1 priority. When you have stats you can brag about – brag away. Now you’ve used that information in two valuable ways: to make your company more relevant to customers, and to let customers know you have what they want.

Invest in disciplined customer research

Research data collection costs have decreased 30 percent to 35 percent during the last few years and now are affordable Smart Advantage’s research analysis is available on Amazon.com. to smaller companies. Double-blind customer market research is the gold shows that, 70 percent of the time, standard and worth the expense. But it’s not feasible customers and prospective customers differ in what for everybody. Remember: Even a small investment in they value most. When that happens, your message to research can reap huge returns. Some less-expensive your customers should be different than your message to your prospects. Few companies make this distinction and free alternatives do exist to help find what your customers want. They include sharing the expense in their sales and marketing messaging. Existing with an industry association, partnering with an customers may have come to depend on your toporganization that needs the same information or a notch help desk. It’s what they’ve grown to value most peer who doesn’t compete with you, hiring a college about your company. Prospective customers haven’t intern, or creating an online survey using a free basic used your help desk yet, so they don’t know how service such as Survey Monkey. essential this benefit is.

Understand that existing customers and prospects Jaynie L. Smith’s usually have different values newest book, “Relevant Selling,”

That’s what he said …

“They are just as interested in the tweets that come back about a product as they are concerned about price. They practically do background checks.” – Virgin Mobile brand director Ron Faris on how digitally native Gen Y and younger consumers using social media are changing the traditional sales funnel model.

June/July 2012 • Connect by Mail Print

marketing insights

The Big Data dilemma

While today’s marketers know that leveraging massive data sets helps improve business, a new study by marketing technology company DataXu Inc. shows many feel they lack the tools to adequately mine customer insights. According to the report – “Marketing in the Digital Age” – 75 percent of respondents say understanding “Big Data” can improve dramatically their marketing efforts, while 90 percent say digital marketing can reduce customer acquisition costs. Interestingly, 58 percent say they lack the skills and technology to perform such data analytics, while more than 70 percent admit they aren’t able to leverage the value of customer data.

Blend On and Offline Media For Optimum Results

She said it … “When people love your brand and see its value, not only will they buy it more often, and sometimes at a premium, but they will become an advocate and one of your ‘super fans.’”

– Kimberly Paige, assistant VP of Coca-Cola North America’s African-American marketing group, on why segmentation is important and how people view themselves as fitting into more than one segment

hen it comes to marketing and branding, make sure not to forget the traditional methods that have worked for decades. Some customers still prefer the tactile experience of reading a direct mail postcard or printed piece. The more places you advertise and promote your business to your targeted audiences, the better your exposure and marketing penetration. Here are statistics and brand expert’s thoughts and blending social with traditional media.

• Consumers are 50 percent more likely to buy or use a product when TV ads work together with Internet marketing. • Enhance your print advertising and direct mail campaigns socially by using QR Codes® to track how people are getting to your website. By using trackable URLs you can gain firm control of your website’s analytics if you are incorporating social media URLs to track user entry points. • Social media marketing and traditional marketing go hand in hand and should be blended, according to D. William Jones, social media enthusiast at Builtitz.com. By using social media exclusively and ignoring traditional media, you risk killing your market reach. 35 percent of US consumers still get their news offline. Advertising, TV, and direct mail are still extremely important and valuable. • Talk to your customers how your customers

want to be talked to. For some that will be via social media and for others that will be through traditional media. Many nonprofits such as United Way and Harvesters send their volunteers donor receipts through either the mail or email based on preference. • Nearly one in five smartphone users makes a purchase after scanning a QR Code® – Print in the Mix • When consumers were asked about the acceptable channel for marketers to contact them, direct mail is the only channel where an unsolicited message isn’t viewed as inappropriate. In fact, it is preferred. – Print in the Mix • Nothing can beat the speed of response of a post on Facebook or Twitter, which makes these social channels ideal for responding to a crisis situation or angry customer. However, nothing beats the credibility and professional

recognition of traditional media, which makes it ideal for branding and product believability. “Our research into marketing-inspired purchase behavior illustrates that we live in a multi-channel world where brands that can execute campaigns across both mass and direct media will have a distinct advantage over their less coordinated competition. Today’s consumers are cross-channel communicators, and they’re ready to reward those brands that abide by the unique rules that govern each channel.” – Exact Target * QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.

The percent jump of direct mail that used variable data personalized from 2009 to 2011. According to a 40 month study of direct mail from January 2009 through October 2011 showed an increase in the use of variable data printing to personalize mail pieces to recipients. The study was conducted by the Who’s Mailing What! Archive which reported that 28% of direct mail pieces were personalized in 2009. 2012 saw a 21% increase to 34% of mail being personalized

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hanks to the surge in the development of applications for smartphones, we hold the answers to many of life’s most pressing questions in the palms of our hands. Who am I? (Rootstech) Where am I? (Maps+) Why am I here? (Evernote). With nearly 1 billion available apps (Mashable!), we now have access to a universe of knowledge – and the current location of all the major planets and stars in the universe (Starwalk). The answers, my friend, that were blowin’ in the wind (Soundhound) are being harnessed, packaged and put within our grasp, 24/7, via the internet in your hand. As expected, smartphone use is gaining significant momentum. According to Jamie Turner, noted marketing author and founder of 60secondmarketer.com, by 2013, mobile devices – smart phones and tablet computers – will overtake PCs as the most common web access device worldwide. ”More people [around the world] own a mobile phone than a toothbrush, Turner says. “So, mobile apps are a great way for you to stay connected with

To discuss any information contained in Connect by Mail Print please contact Mail Print at 866.938.3607.

Building Your Brand

“If your target market is in the minority that does not use smartphones, then you don’t need to waste your resources on an app. Your app should be relevant and useful, and fit in with your general marketing communications strategy.” – Koert Van Ittersum, Marketing Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

June/July 2012 • Connect by Mail Print

your customers. Once they’ve downloaded your app, they are more likely to stay engaged with your brand.” If you haven’t already, perhaps it’s time to consider how you can get your brand in the hands of your customers and target audience. But before you jump on the bandwagon, you need to know that, in some ways, mobile marketing is no different than traditional media marketing. Koert Van Ittersum, a marketing professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, recommends that you identify your target market first, which will help you determine if and how you should connect with them via mobile technology. “What do you know about their phone use and their app behavior?” Van Ittersum asks. “If your target market is in the minority that does not use smartphones, then you don’t need to waste your resources on an app. Your app should be relevant and useful, and fit in with your general marketing communications strategy. It’s not necessary for it to be the most popular or the next billion-dollar app. You really need to think it through, determine what you want to accomplish and make sure that your app is consistent with your brand.” While there are many unique ways to build your brand with a mobile application, most successful apps tend to fall into three sometime overlapping categories: “advertainment” games, facilitation tools or immersion catalysts.

“Advertainment” Games

Most of the apps on iPhone’s top 25 list typically are entertaining games. Advertainment is a term used to describe entertaining media, primarily games or films, that derive advertising value by connecting with their target markets in a more subtle way – by giving their brand face time. “These apps are terrific for building relationships, creating brand awareness and connecting with customers on an emotional level,” Turner says. “Coca Cola has several applications that are fun games – fun to play but also drive home a message about Coca Cola.” Trident Gum also sees that advertainment brings something to the bottom line. It recently launched a five-star game, Vitality Falling Stars, to promote its new Trident flavor, Awaken – a peppy blend of peppermint and ginseng. “It has very little branding in it – the Trident brand appears on the home screen and in the lower

corner of all other screens – it’s free, it has been downloaded more than 415,000 times, and it has received great reviews,” says Tyra Burton, a senior marketing lecturer at Kennesaw State University. “It’s an amazing little game, and it has no purpose other than to make you smile. But it is enabling Trident to brand themselves positively with Millennials, 18-to 35-year-olds.” Burton says popular, well-reviewed games that promote movies are another marketing avenue that’s proving successful. When the movie “Inception” was released in 2010, the corresponding app had more than 4 million downloads and garnered a lot of social media attention. “The app enriched the ‘Inception’ experience for the users, immersing them into the movie, and then they tweeted and posted about their experiences in social media, creating a huge buzz.” There also was a lot of flapping and tweeting that helped send the 2011 animated movie “Rio” to the top of the charts. “The game app Angry Birds Rio had more than 120 million downloads and was considered highly successful at penetrating its target market. Twentieth Century Fox says the app tie-in helped propel the movie to No. 1 in the box office,” Burton says. “The app is still at No. 42 on the iPhone/ iPad popularity lists. They have gotten a tremendous amount of face time by putting their brand out there this way.”

Facilitation Tools

A large segment of apps are tools created to facilitate the use or purchase of a product. Many mobile media applications are tie-ins that have naturally evolved from popular websites such as Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and iStockphoto, a popular source on the web for royalty-free stock images, media and design elements for more than 10 years. “We were targeting both customers and contributors with our app,” says Michael Cook, VP product for iStockphoto. “Mobile provides a platform for people to get some of their work done even when they are untethered from their desktop machines. We all work everywhere, all the time, and, for creative work, inspiration can strike anywhere. We wanted to be there to help when that happens. Customers can browse our full collection, save images that catch their attention and even share those images with collaborators for discussion in real time. It truly is like having iStock and our millions of images in your pocket. And for contributors, who number more than 100,000 across the globe, it pro-

9 vides the ability to track their sales data without The Masters 2012, a bastion of tradition, “Don’t create an app having to be at their desks.” was the latest major sporting event to embrace Cook says reviews from both customers and mobile technology. In fact, the free app was one in order to make your contributors have been positive. “Anecdotally, of the world’s most popular apps the first week next million dollars. people say they are using it in creative discusin April, offering up-to-the-minute leader boards Create an app to sions, and that it provides a looser way to search as well as video highlights, interviews and live engage with your for imagery for their projects. The best creativity streams. And on the final day of the four-day doesn’t always happen at your desktop, and the event, Easter Sunday, it provided discrete viewcustomers and keep app is facilitating that freedom to start a project ers the opportunity to follow the action without them connected with anywhere. This, in turn, helps us be there to asthe television blaring over the holiday festivities. your brand. That’s sist through to the end of the project, thus in“Fans were able to engage on their way to when you want to do creasing brand loyalty and overall mindshare with work, at work, at dinner – when they weren’t supthat audience.” posed to – and the more they engaged, the more an app.” Unlike iStockphoto, there are many apps that immersed they became in the experience, and the have succeeded as mobile tools, though they were more they talked about it with other fans,” Burton – Jamie Turner, Founder, unspectacular as website applications. Turner cites says. “The Masters app also helped them to grow 60secondmarketer.com Domino’s as an example of a mobile app that has their market by connecting with Millennials, who successfully enhanced marketing and branding. are very connected. It re-energizes golf – makes it “It’s a terrific app. It has made ordering pizza from more youthful, less stodgy.” your smartphone very easy. There are over 500 billion possible combinations of pizza you can order The Billion Dollar App? through the Domino’s Pizza app. Hard to believe, How does a company with 13 employees create but it’s true. Surprisingly, the app is an incredibly simple way to order. And an app that makes no money, but sells for $1 billion? Instagram did just once you do it, you are hooked. It’s a great way for them to engage and that because innovation drives success, according to Turner, a frequent retain customers.” guest on CNN and HLN. How great is it? According to Mobile Commerce Daily, just three “They were innovative, but they weren’t so innovative that they were months after the iPhone/iPad app was released, it achieved more than ahead of the curve,” Turner says. “In other words, they were innovative, $1 million in sales in a single week. but they were fulfilling a need, and once that need was filled they did a terrific job of having that catch on.” Burton says that Instagram figured out how to accomplish something Immersion Catalyst that Facebook did not—how to get people to consistently use their platform The Bejing Olympics in 2008 was a significant app milestone – the first time a variety of apps were available to immerse fans worldwide in the to upload photos and to integrate this into their everyday lives. “They created experience. Super Bowl 2012 also was an app bonanza – the first time a very dedicated user base,” she says, adding that by purchasing Instagram, the Super Bowl was streamed live online. While millions watched glued to Facebook is keeping that expertise from falling into the hands of Google+. So how do you create a billion-dollar app? Our marketing experts their TV sets, many tech savvy fans watched on their smartphones, and concur that, if your goal is to make a gazillion dollars, you probably enjoyed participating online and engaging interactively. March Madness inspired another surge of app creation. A free shouldn’t create an app. “For every Instagram, there are 100,000 apps iPhone/iPod app, NCAA March Madness Live enabled you to fill out your that don’t work or sell more than $5,000 worth of product,” Turner says. NCAA bracket and track it, follow live scores and player stats, and get “Don’t create an app in order to make your next million dollars. We’re alerts for upsets, overtime games, close games and your favorite team. likely past the initial stage where a few people got out there early and For a $3.99 upgrade, fans could stream every game of March Madness made a ton of money. Create an app to engage with your customers and keep them connected with your brand. That’s when you want to live on their mobile devices. do an app.”

ESSENTIAL DATE NIGHT APPS

Maybe we should stay in and order pizza. (Domino’s) OK, where should we go for dinner? (Where) Is the food good there? (Yelp) Oh, I’d like to dine on their patio, wonder if it’s going to rain. (AccuWeather) Ewwww. What’s that bug that just jumped in my Alfredo? (Noah) Maybe we should go to a movie too. (Fandango). Whoa, we’re almost out of gas. (Gas Buddy) What’s the name of that movie soundtrack? (Soundhound) Man, I have to go to the bathroom, but I don’t want to miss the good parts of this movie. (Run Pee) Wow, it’s dark. I can’t find my seat. (Flashlight) Ouch, I think I broke my toe. Wonder where the nearest emergency room is? (Find Near Me)

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By Michael J. Pallerino

ick Segal wants you to know what he knows. B2B, as you know, has left the building. Segal made his proclamation more than a year ago during a speech at a B2B conference in Berlin. Using the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;deadâ&#x20AC;? and B2B in the same sentence was a bit shocking coming from a marketing icon that had spent the last 30 years building his business on the very concept of business-to-business marketing, i.e., professionals marketing goods and services to other businesses.

June/July 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ Connect by Mail Print

Consumer marketers have long understood testimonial selling, beSegal, president worldwide and chief practice officer of the global marketing firm gyro, wasn’t trying to get the crowd’s attention with cause it has been what always has been required to hasten the velocity an opening “shock-and-awe” salvo. He went to Berlin to declare the of fast-moving consumer goods. Today, the B2B world also is moving category of business marketing communications had changed forev- with network velocity. It requires the same sensitivity to emotional reer. When word of his declaration hit, the marketing world had mixed quirements, in order to affect engagement. As much as Billy Mitchell has been a long-time advocate for emotions about just what the man whose company helped shape the business-to-business marketing scene since 1981 – a man whose inbound marketing, he believes that it’s all about adaptation. Today’s B2B marketers must adapt a “never quit learning, always be testing” Twitter handle is @MrBtoB – meant. On one side, his argument seemed pretty solid. The discipline of mindset. Mitchell, president and senior creative director for B2B marreaching, persuading and engaging business decision makers changed keting agency MLT Creative, says that things are just changing too forever, when people began carrying their own telecommunications rapidly for marketers to be complacent. “Change brings unexpected and computing power around with them. Being at work was no lon- opportunities. With so many tools now available from B2B marketger a place – it was a state of mind. The individual replaced the firm ers, I can’t imagine why any business wouldn’t always be looking for as the organizing principle of business-to-business marketing. Human opportunities to improve their marketing.” So, does that mean we won’t be seeing any more cold calls – the relevance, Segal emphasizes, is now the foundation of marketing to crux of the B2B marketing approach? Not necessarily, Mitchell says. As business decision makers. “It’s not that salespeople or sales support have “Change brings unexpected opportunities. With so many tools now available from B-to-B marketers, I can’t imagine why any business become irrelevant, it’s that so many wouldn’t always be looking for opportunities to improve their marketing.” of the messages – Billy Mitchell, President & Senior Creative Director, MLT Creative they are carrying to the marketplace are humanly irrelevant,” Segal says. “The myth that has been busted is that business B2B marketers integrate new channels and embrace new tactics such decision making is entirely rational. It’s not. It’s exceedingly emo- as content marketing, it creates an opening for those who keep tradition tional, and as living, breathing human beings have been empow- in the mix. “With the database tools available now, outbound calls and ered with computing and telecommunications technology on their field sales visits to prospects no longer need to be completely cold,” persons, their emotional needs matter more than ever.” Every gear and widget, integrated circuit, chemical formula- he says. “Customer segmentation, market research and a good tion, financial instrument, etc., is exciting to someone, not just CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system can enable interesting or informative. Salespeople, and every other channel your sales calls to be more effective. Calls shouldn’t be the to the customer, must now be soaked with what Segal calls “ac- shot-gunned equivalent of email spam. They can be one of your celerant permitting incendiary ideas” to ignite emotions – humanly best research tools. The best calls are the ones in which information is not just one way. You get as much as you give. That relevant ideas.

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Crossing Paths

information can be captured for further lead nurturing and personal engagement.”

Taking a human-to-human approach

Mitchell says. “If you don’t enjoy meeting with your inside and field sales teams, understanding your customers’ businesses and your customers’ customers, etc., you may not belong in B2B.” If anything, there has been a shift in the way B2B marketers approach their campaigns. “It seems that world-class marketers everywhere have awakened to the fact that, today, we are communicating with living, breathing human beings with aspirations, spirits and emotions,” gyro’s Segal says. “We’ve always known that businessto-business, at the end of the day, was person-toperson. But what the world’s savviest marketers seem to have appreciated quickly is that personalization was the last best practice. No longer is it enough to understand the requirements of a person in a job title to be successful in influencing him to make a purchase consideration. No longer is it enough for an advertising planner to get into the head of a business decision-maker. With the amplified voices and the new organizational empowerment of these humans at work, successful marketers must get into their hearts.”

One of the key elements in building a relationship with both customers and prospects is the human-to-human approach. In the end, you ultimately are not selling to a company or procurement department as much as you are selling to a person. Mitchell says the buzz he hears during the many social media conferences he attends is that it’s not about B2B or B2C, it’s about H-to-H (human-to-human). Mitchell believes there is much for B2B marketers to learn from the B2C side, including design standards, production values, storytelling techniques, creativity, and, to a certain extent, smart examples of social media marketing. But as to whether it’s time for companies to transform their B2B marketing teams into B2C machines, Mitchell says to hold off. “I don’t think a company should do that. In fact, they should embrace an enthusiasm and passion for B2B marketing. B2B can be just as creative and engaging as B2C.” As an example, he cites GE’s most recent Super Bowl commercial, in which the company boasts that it produces the power that makes and A new way of doing business keeps beer cold. Take that Bud Light. “B2B marketers can certainly learn On the first night of his MBA business-to-business marketing class he has from and be inspired by B2C, but they must deeply understand B2B,” taught at the University of Pittsburgh for the past eight years, Greg Cotic

B2-SmallB : A Perspective By Judy Rudolph Begehr

ideal approach to targeting small businesses. But market shifts can reverse the small business owner’s predisposition to loyalty, causing him to re-evaluate established vendor relationships, often in favor of local suppliers. An important insight into the small business owner psyche was uncovered by ECSB around the desire to buy local. Seems it’s less The entrepreneur’s go-to location for inforThe “tier 1” elements that matter include: mation on products and services is the seller’s being efficient (responds quickly, anticipates about an affinity for local providers, and more website, followed closely by word-of-mouth my needs, provides backup communication about an aversion for national providers. Befrom other business owners. To deliver a posi- options), and being customer oriented (under- hind this predisposition are two critical drivtive online media experience, marketers should standing my business and respecting my time). ers: convenience and relationship. Messaging focus on the elements of experience that matter The “tier 2” elements provide greater specificity to the small business owner will have greater impact if it’s crafted to directly address these – not only to drive purchases but also positive around building a good online experience. drivers. It should clearly demonstrate how word-of-mouth. According to recent research In general, the SMB is a loyal group that by ECSB, two tiers of elements in the online identifies most with other owners in their indus- your offering provides positive business impact, while providing assurance of prompt, experience matter most. try, suggesting that vertical segmentation is an

s a member of the Enterprise Council on Small Business (ECSB) for the last three years, gyro has access to a wealth of proprietary research and has developed substantial institutional knowledge on the art and science of creating meaningful engagement with the SMB. In general terms, the following insights reflect common attitudes and behaviors of the SMB decision maker.

June/July 2012 • Connect by Mail Print

“The myth that has been busted is that business decision making is entire ly rational. It’s not. It’s exceedingly emotional, and as living, breathing huma n beings have been empowered with computing and telecommunications technology on their persons, their emotional needs matter more than ever. ”

– Rick Segal, President Worldwide & Chief Practice Officer, gyro

chia breaks down the differences between B2B and B2C marketing. Among the differences his students are asked to absorb are sales channels, complex buying, ownership of spend/budget, amount of spend, the emphasis on personal selling and negotiation, and unique promotional strategies. “The internet has brought various techniques and tactics closer between B2B and B2C marketing,” says Coticchia, who, along with being an adjunct professor, also is CEO of the strategy and marketing firm Entra. “People like to think that marketing is all sales support. But professionally, and as a teacher, I never viewed marketing as sales support. I look at it in a B2B sense to include marketing communications (lead generation, sales support and awareness), product management and marketing, business development (partners and alliances) and strategy. Sales execs that run marketing usually fail, because they have a very narrow view of marketing, i.e., qualifying leads. So, marketing relegated to sales support is a loser. It’s making tactical a function that is fundamentally strategic.

readily available service by an organization that not only knows their industry but also understands their business. Most small business owners are worried about holding on to their own customers and keeping their businesses afloat. Business-tobusiness purchase decisions often are propelled on an emotional level by risk avoidance. It’s important to gather insights on your audiences’ specific pain points and, particularly, their fears. It’s emotional selling 101. According to ECSB, solving the small business owner’s fears drives trust. Trust can lead to a sense of control. The greatest source of power in building trust is reliably delivering on your brand promise and providing an experience that makes the small business owner feel cer-

tain that you understand what they need and that you’ll deliver what they need fast. Because budgets are smaller, there’s greater scrutiny over every expense. The SMB owner makes purchase decisions through the goggles of an internal “success filter” – if they see the product or service will help them succeed, they’re more likely to make the purchase. Audience insights should be used to communicate with SMB audiences in ways that clearly, and, if possible, tangibly demonstrate the value of your offering based on their business needs. According to ECSB research, at the highest level, many small business owners measure their success based on mastery of their trade. Beneath this level, small business owners cluster by their success driver, each with unique

profiles and messaging hot buttons. ECSB research suggests that additional things can be done through messaging to enhance the perception of value and to expand relationships with local small business customers. These include: personalize your communications, highlight length of relationships (example: American Express’s “Member Since”) and your historical quality, and tailor your messaging to resonate not only with the persona, but also the geographic region. It is critical to nurture and protect all existing relationships to leverage the small business owner’s tendency to stick with those they trust. Shore up your loyal local customers, reinforce their decision to work with your brand and, as ECSB says, “make your customers your local presence by mobilizing your local advocates.” Judy Rudolph Begehr is SVP of account planning for gyro in its Cincinnati office.

To discuss any information contained in Connect by Mail Print please contact Mail Print at 866.938.3607.

columnist

How Does Your Brand Look to the Public?

By Joe Thomas

A lot is riding on a website that’s working for a business. It has to convey brand and professionalism, communicate the right message and engage visitors. Every detail plays a role, from the logo and the text to the design and functionality. A recent client, Marsha Friedman of EMSI public relations, understood that so well, she put off developing a badly needed new website for five years. “I knew how important every detail was, so I was afraid the process would be long and painful and still, in the end, I’d be dissatisfied,” says Friedman, who happily reports just the opposite was true. I’m amazed by the calls I field daily from high-level brainy types who have this fantastic

They’ve spent months, even years, developing their business or products, writing their books or becoming an expert in their fields. Then, three weeks before they launch into the market, they find the least expensive “web guru” to build their site. Approached this way, 9.7 times out of 10, they’ll wind up with a somewhat functional disaster. Oh, but they love the look. There’s a blinking leprechaun, some groovy scrolling text and, of website designed by the hotshot-friend-of-the- course, really hip music that plays when visitors nephew-of-their-sister’s-third-cousin. But their hover their mouse over the little thingy at the top. product, service or book just isn’t selling on the site. Unfortunately, under the circumstances described above, they would most likely have Usually, my first thought is to offer them a discounted handful of magic beans and tell them to be a toilet paper manufacturer with invento hope for the best. But alas, I’ve run out of tory two days after the world runs out of toilet paper to have any kind of measurable success. magic beans.

ways to keep your customers’ visiting your website

So, what can you do? Here are five things I recommend to prospective clients: KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVE: If you don’t know or understand your needs and goals for your website, you can’t explain them to your web developer. Think it through. Do some research. Your web developer, regardless of talent or expertise, will be only as effective as your explanation and/or description.

GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO DEVELOP YOUR PLAN: You can’t be effective if you just slap six web pages together with a “Buy Now” button. It just doesn’t work like that. Fully develop your web strategy and content before you jump in. Without a blueprint, you’re just throwing darts at a board.

DON’T BE MARRIED TO IT: Prepare to adapt. Don’t get too attached to your initial website idea. Be prepared for change. An experienced developer will help mold your initial concept into a polished, functional and beautiful destination. He should help you navigate the pitfalls. Trust his expertise. When he gives advice, listen. Most of us have made all the mistakes already.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING: The concept, content and message of your website are ultra-important. On the web, image is everything. Your site must clearly convey your message or describe the benefits of your product or service. Visitors should be able to easily find the information they’re looking for. You have eight seconds to “capture” their interest. The first thing they see will make a huge difference in whether they stay or go.

YOU CAN’T SELL WHAT CAN’T BE FOUND: Sure, without traffic, your website means nothing. So, your next step is media exposure, from building your social networking connections, to getting seen and/or heard in print and on TV and radio. You work hard to get noticed, so don’t drive people away with a poor website. Make it top of mind.

Joe Thomas is founder and owner of Left Brain Digital (www.leftbraindigital.com), a web development company. An award-winning web designer/developer, he has more than 18 years of experience in print and web design and development.

June/July 2012 • Connect by Mail Print

blog.mailprint.com

10 Questions to Uncover Ways to Increase Marketing Efficiency Obliterate obsolescence, increase marketing efficiency, and print only what you need. If these takeaways sound ideal, the CMO Council on Research shares four key actions marketers can take to achieve each of them in its “Mapping + Tracking: The Optimal Marketing Supply Chain” research report (it’s worth Googling and reading):

• Leverage Digital Printing Strategies • Collaborate Cross Functionally • Go-Green to Gain-Green • Bring in the Brains of Big Marketing Supply Chains

Before you invest time and money implementing these four strategies, do a quick 10-question self-assessment to get a read on where your organization is today. Marketing Operations Self-Assessment 1. What inventoried items have become obsolete? Why? 2. What regular processes do members of your marketing team do that are wastes of time and skill set? 3. If you could change the way you buy ads, deploy email, manage printed materials, trigger direct mail, hire talent, create copy, or plan your next move, what would that look like? 4. How could you streamline your workday?

5. What marketing processes have failed in the past? 6. D o you ever cross your fingers, hope, and pray that nothing goes wrong when deploying a campaign? 7. Would it improve your results if marketing campaigns could be deployed faster? If so, what does an ideal timeframe look like? 8. Is the work flow in your department planned, or hap-hazard? How about between departments? 9. What have you done more than twice this week? 10. If you could waive your magic wand and have everything in your marketing department run smoothly and perfectly what would it look like? What technology would be in place? What people would you have on your team? What results would you be reporting to your superiors? If you’re stumped by any of these questions, call us. We’ve helped many companies realize great results implementing new marketing technologies and procedures just like we did implementing a Marketing Asset Management system for Ferrellgas. The system put the hammer on obsolescence.

Ferrellgas, a Fortune 1000 energy provider, needed to manage marketing for their 900-plus locations more quickly and efficiently. In addition, they needed to increase the speed of their direct mail marketing production to ensure their time-sensitive messaging reached customers on time. Learn how Mail Print’s Marketing Communications Portal helped Ferrellgas reduce management time by 300 hours per month and speed production times from 10 days to 24 hours at http://mprnt.co/FerrellGas.

To discuss any information contained in Connect by Mail Print please contact Mail Print at 866.938.3607.

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