NOVEMBER ’08
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dge and knowle s re a h goings rd s out the e S-Wo b a th , it e b in a eting, t magaz of mark tter, par ld r le s o w w l e n erfu Part e wond f fun. bout th a tion s a d a bit o e n a id g informa n n ti o e k r w a a r ng ill M t also d marketi on at S nces bu at your ie r k e o p x lo e e you to e of our ht inspir are som ig h s m l t il a w th We ources ays. ternal s x e fresh w m d o n fr a onted w e re confr s in n a n e ig a w p e ag arketing cam on aver is on m t a re u th s g s fully pre win d. Hope ies sho ay, the w d d ro a tu c s s e e e g m the in th ssa With so ader in nd out ting me le ta e s e k r th a to e s m 00 e and b ew way with 30 halleng ink of n c th e to th s p r u manage to take pire you s in n a u we c rage yo d encou n e a . k rd . c o a p ord Th -W in the S ad the w e re lu p a s v o e iates. S ee som d assoc e you s n p a o h ff e ta s W our it with y to share . S-Word
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He’s Won!!! Y
oung up and coming motor racing driver and Sill Marketing client, Luke Ellery, has won the Victorian Formula Ford 1600 motor racing series.
Formula Ford race cars are single seat purpose built vehicles that look similar to a Formula 1 car minus some of the bodywork. They have been raced by some of the world’s greatest drivers. Luke started racing karts at the age of 8 and progressed through the ranks to where he is today. Not only did Luke win the Victorian State series but recently received a scholarship to race in the 2009 National Formula Ford series with a factory team. Sill Marketing has been helping Luke with PR activities, sponsorship proposals, photographic services and promotional advice. If you are looking at developing a sponsorship program then consider sponsoring Luke. This up and coming talent is going to go a long way. You can keep track of Luke’s performances in 2009 with television coverage of the National Formula Ford Series on Channel 7. ■ For any sponsorship enquiries contact Sill Marketing.
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B D I
usiness
m o o l G d n a or Opportunity m o o
f you have watched a television, listened to the radio or read a newspaper lately you may have heard the doom and gloom stories surrounding the world economies.
Yes, our economy may take a little bit of a turn but as I say to my wife regularly, “we have three choices in life. Whinge, do nothing or do something. Pick one but it can’t be whinge or do nothing”.
If you fall in a pool of water do you wait for the water to evaporate so you can get out or do you do everything in your power to get yourself out of the mess? Business is no different. If you find your sales have slumped you need to act to turn them around. Increasing promotional activity does not mean spending more money but maybe being more proactive in analysing how you can get more “bang for your buck” out of your marketing budget or thinking of new ways to spread the word about your products, solutions or offerings. It’s good ideas that will make you stand out. Not only good marketing ideas but good promotional ideas can keep you ahead of the competition. Of course we all have financial constraints to consider but ideas are free. With a bit of thought you can easily turn a good idea into reality with the result being a continued growth in sales. So we can sit and wait for the economy to improve and play catch up to those that kept the promotional accelerator down or take a commanding lead with a little thought. ■
Despite the doom and gloom and fears we may have as to what the economy may do, there are opportunities that can arise during an economic downturn but we have to chase them. Theoretically speaking, as businesses cut back on their promotional activities it makes it easier for those that increase their activity to stand out and make an impact. Whilst others are sleeping you are awake and making your move. 4
Tips
ategy rketing str
ith a ma succeed w
> Plan to dget > Set a bu segments eas customer id to h s rc n a e ig s a > Re d camp ent targete m le p Im >
K
nowledge
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he popularity of promotional emails has grown dramatically. At Sill Marketing we have seen a 100% increase in the number of HTML promotional emails we have produced in the past year which is testament to the shift in marketing thought and search for more cost effective communication methods. For years, email was seen as a a great resource for marketers but it has only been in the last 5 years that the concept has grown and evolved as marketers get their heads around how to use the technology for maximum results. Like most things there are pros and cons of most marketing initiatives but when used int he right manner great benefit can be gained.
Without the need for costly printing and postage it is no wonder why email has become a big hit. Now organisations can send out marketing communication pieces on mass very easily and quickly. It’s as simple as designing an email and then broadcasting it to a database. Though they are relatively easy to develop you cannot fall into the trap of taking short cuts in their development as you will quickly lose the effectiveness of the communication piece. An email still represents your brand so shortcuts in the development of the strategy, content and design of them could lead to disastrous consequences.
Because emails are seen to be a cost effective form of communication you can easily develop a one dimensional marketing communication strategy that quickly starts to lose effectiveness. Emails are easy to send but they are also very easy to delete by the reader. We all get hundreds of emails a week and rarely do we have the time to read everyone word for word. Any email we consider to be invaluable is quickly deleted.
Sill Marketing email reports show that on average 55% of promotional emails that are sent are actually opened. Open does not mean read but that the email was viewed. It may have been deleted within 1 second of viewing it. When compared to traditional mail methods, the readership rate of emails is still low. Is there an issue with the technology that is leading to low open rates? Not really. It’s probably more a reflection of our email lives. The one issue that always arises is the dilemma of SPAM filters. Emails can be sent as plain text or HTML code. As the word suggests, plain text email are black and white simple text based email and HTML the colourful, designed promotional emails we have all received at some point in time. Plain text emails are very SPAM filter friendly with HTML emails having greater issues. Depending on how your clients SPAM filters have been configured they may reject an HTML based email. The rejection could be based on a number of factors including the use of large images, subject line content or poor formatting of code. Our experience is showing that less than 5% of emails sent are being rejected by Spam filters so with a bit of thought the rejection rate can be minimised. >>> 5
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We get hundreds of emails a day. Some work related, some personal, some promotional and plenty of SPAM. We generally read work related and personal emails because we value them more than promotional or SPAM emails. So we can simply deduce that value is the key driver to someone reading an email.
Depending on the methods used to broadcast promotional emails you should be able to obtain a host of reports showing the effectiveness of your email sends.
Understanding value in the context of marketing communications is no different to how we determine the value of goods and services and determine worth of a good or service. For example we place higher value on rare items and less value on more common goods.
• Number of emails opened • Bounced emails • Unsubscribed addresses • Click through rate to external links • Details of who clicked on which link
Emails are not immune to this way of thinking. The more emails we receive the less special or valuable each email becomes. So as a result we quickly disregard any email that we think useless.
These reports assist with the evaluation of emails and also allow for easy database maintenance as well.
At Sill Marketing we utilise an online email broadcast service that enables full reporting of emails. Report data includes:
So when developing an email strategy it is important to not bombard your clients with messages unless those messages are sure to be valuable. Keeping your emails simple, straight to the point with clear communication is the key to increase value and readership rates.
Tips
ity
ng activ ur marketi o y ts n e m pli
com ategy that tr s roach il a m e an email app d e re s a tu b c u > Develop ta da sure a str your email plan to en e s a > Update le re an email tiveness lyse effec > Develop a n a to s report ur emails > Review ickly in yo u q tion t in o p e re informa o m r fo > Get to th il a s in the em > Use link
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SPAM regulations have made some difference to the way in which business can promote their wares. Emails are not immune to these regulations. Firstly a business is allowed to promote and market their products and services. The only thing to be mindful of is whether personal information is being used without authorisation in any way. Promotional emails must clearly identify who is sending the email including address details and must provide the option to unsubscribe. Your unsubscribe email database must be maintained. Sill Marketing ensures that all promotional emails that we develop are SPAM Act compliant and will notify you if we see irregularities that may lead to a breach of relevant laws.
Emails are here to stay and the use of promotional emails will grow. With a little bit of thought and planning you can make the most of email marketing. Of course if you need some help in developing, designing and sending your email marketing strategies just give the team at Sill Marketing a call. â–
Offset Printing Discount Sill Marketing has negotiated a 20% special discount on all offset printing services carried out in November 2008. Simply contact Sill Marketing for a quote and you can save.
t& n i r P t Offse 20% Savoevember In N
Ph . (0 3 ) 9 5 2 9 4 9 8 8 7
D
esign Showcase
DIRECT MAIL
Client Motorola Zeon Digital Project Direct Mail Piece for Local Government OHS Conference Solution Sill Marketing was engaged to develop a targeted direct mail piece to participants at a local government OHS conference that showcased the Motorola Zeon Digital two way radio emergency response functionality. An A5 style document was chosen with an off-centre fold allowing for the design to clearly communicate the main key points. Sill Marketing developed the strategy for the communication piece, wrote the copy, developed the design and, managed the print and distribution process.
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-life
A Night Out at by Heidi Sill
If you are after a romantic dining experience on the banks of
Melbourne’s Yarra River or a pre-theatre dinner, then Number 8 at Crown Casino could be for you. Book a table on the terrace and enjoy the Yarra by night and firelight with the hourly promenade fireball show. Alternatively inside, the high ceilings, large windows and a relaxing buzz make dining just as romantic. Number 8 serves modern Australian cuisine with an Italian influence such as butternut pumpkin ravioli with silver beet and hazelnut salad with sage nut brown butter or pork tenderloin with crumbed mozzarella and mushroom sauce. If you enjoy a drop of wine, the restaurant has a mere 888 wines on their list and a walk in cellar to help you select. Have a glass of the Number 8 Sparkling to enjoy with the complimentary homemade dips. The staff are friendly and not too stuffy or over attentive, although on the downside, service can be a little slow. If you’ve seen a number of the promenade fireball shows between courses, as we did, you’ve been waiting a while as they occur on the hour every hour. Also a dish that should have been enjoyed, the Hervey Bay half shell scallops with smoked tomato salsa, citrus vinagrette and balsamic reduction, unfortunately was served a bit cold. Perhaps on the evening we dined they were understaffed? The Butternut Pumpkin Ravioli was delicious and we really enjoyed the iceberg salad with tiny black olives and beautiful smooth feta.
www.number8atcrown.com.au
The Summary Romantic location, modern restaurant serving Australian, Italian influenced food with an extensive wine list. Recommend: Butternut Pumpkin Ravioli (V), Iceberg salad, Number 8 Sparkling Value: Mains $28-$90, service doesn’t match price. The pre-theatre menu offers great value. Served before 7pm you can have either 2 courses for $39.50 or 3 for $45.00. Chef: Michael Bannerman formerly of Jimmy Watson’s and Livebait. Owners: Crown Service: Friendly, not too stuffy, a bit slow. Wine: Yes they serve Grange. List varies from $28 -$2000 for a bottle. Wine by the glass available. Vegetarians: 4 Entree and 2 Main.
Overall the food was a bit hit and miss. I’d like to try more but perhaps not on a special occasion just in case. Lunch or pretheatre might be the way to go. ■
Child friendly: More your adults only kind of restaurant. No kids menu. Noise: Low, relaxed buzz. Wheelchair access: Yes.
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by Eva Ianev
I have a dog, Franz, 6 years old. For five years he’s been my baby, my family, my friend and companion and - I dare say - I had for him the biggest soft spot ever. We were inseparable, 24/7 - he kept me company while working in the office, cooking in the kitchen, hiking in the mountains, skiing or surfing. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Then, a year ago, I had to move to Australia, leaving him home. For me, it was (and still is) heartbreaking and I miss him terribly each and every day. In a way though, he’s constantly with me. Wherever I go, whatever I see, I imagine him walking with me, next to my left knee, pacing his steps with mine as usual. I know he would have loved it here - the long beaches, the tracks, the sea. Curious and inquisitive as he is, he would have loved to discover this new place on earth with its different light, smells and colors. That’s why I would like to call this column about places and things that impressed me “Franz’s Little Discoveries”. ■ Eva was born and raised in Bulgaria and moved to Australia at the end of 2007. Now settled in Australia with her Bulgarian/Australian husband, Eva joined Sill Marketing in March 2008 as head graphic designer and creative director.
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S
The Melbourne Solar System project launched on Sunday 21 September 2008. It stretches along the Melbourne bayside from the Sun (by St Kilda Marina) to lonely Pluto, 5.9km away, beyond Port Melbourne. It took more than an hour to cover the distance excluding the time I spent reading about the planets. But then again I have very short legs!
Saturn
Moon & Earth
Jupiter
-life
Mars
THE MELBOURNE SOLAR SYSTEM is a one to one billion scale model of the Solar System. Both the size of the Solar System’s astronomical bodies and the distances to them from the Sun have been accurately represented.
Beyond the Solar System Our Sun is just one star out of over 300 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy is just one of over 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. It is also very likely that the number of galaxies within our observable universe represents only a minuscule fraction of the total number of galaxies in the universe.
After viewing this model of the Solar System you may think that the Solar System is huge. Think again. The nearest star to our Sun, Proxima Centauri, is over 39,950 billion kilometres (4.22 light years) away. On the scale of this model it would be 39,950km away (almost the distance around the circumference of the Earth).
Venus Sun
Milky Way
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Sh
t It
With Sill Marketing Sill Marketing Video Services If you are seeking to communicate your solutions in a different way, then consider a video casestudy. Sill Marketing provides end to end HD video services from script writing, shooting, editing and disc burning. Contact Sill Marketing to see samples of our work or to evaluate how we can help you with our professional video services.
If you have an existing website or are looking at developing a new website that needs to be hosted, then look no further than Altitude Internet. > Fast and Reliable Web Hosting > Includes web statistics > Email hosting > Web mail capable > Cost effective
Altitude’s secure, high speed and reliable web hosting services come at affordable rates.
Contact Sill Marketing for more information and pricing. 12
Ph: (03) 9529 4988
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. ty Ltd hran ing P t e k , Pra r t a ille S v Sill M e r G -165 lia 9/161 ustra , 1 8 1 A 3 988 C I 4 V 529 u 61 3 9 + 4390 . h 9 om.a P 3 952 ing.c t 1 e 6 k + r a Fax. @sillm : info Email
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www.sillmarketing.com.au