Marketing with Minimal Databases
December 18, 2006 -- Ask anyone involved in Variable Data Printing (VDP), and they’ll tell you that success is all about the database. But what happens if you don’t know anything more about your prospects than their names and addresses? This can be particularly frustrating for local and regional marketers, who might desire to use VDP but not have detailed databases on their customers—or any databases at all.
Believe it or not, all is not lost.
When a chain of 35 Mexican restaurants wanted to announce the opening of a new store, it knew nothing about its local customer base. All it had was a simple mailing list of residents within a certain proximity to the store’s new location.
With such limited information, one option would be to create a mailer like this:
Gary,
We’re announcing the Grand Opening of Pancho’s Mexican Grill. Come try the best burrito in Portage. Bring in this coupon for a free sample!
For burrito lovers, this might be compelling. But lately, marketers have been doing even more with these databases. They are using mapping software to let recipients know just how far they are from the location being marketed or provide them with detailed maps on how to get there.
In this case, the piece actually read as follows:
Gary,
You are 0.8 miles from the best burrito in Portage. Consider this a bribe. Present this card at our new location in Portage, and enjoy a FREE BURRITO.
Was the program successful? Local residents came to the new store in droves, and according to a local manager, many actually clocked the distance from their homes to the store just to see whether the mailer was accurate!
This type of application can be successful for many common marketing promotions. In addition to the opening of a new location, other applications include store promotions, such as special sales and event announcements, such as seminars.
Common twists on this theme include the use of maps from the recipient’s home to the store and the estimated amount of time of travel. For example, a local auto maintenance center might send a coupon for 25% off of an oil change and include a catchy teaser like “We’re only 18 minutes away. Isn’t it worth a peek?”
For the right applications, VDP is a terrific way to use even the most minimal databases to create highly effective campaigns. Even small, local marketers can use VDP to their advantage.