A Tale of Two Campaigns
April 19, 2007 -- When we think about variable data printing (VDP) and 1:1 print marketing, we tend to think about the impact of data on the success of the campaign—as we should. The temptation, however, is to overemphasize data to the exclusion of everything else. For campaigns, the results can be devastating.
When one mortgage company decided to launch into VDP, for example, it created a snazzy campaign featuring a take-off of the popular television commercial, “It’s Not Delivery—It’s DiGiorno!” It created a postcard featuring a pizza slice with dollar bills flying out of it and the headline, “It’s Not Delivery! It’s DeCaprio Financial!” (DeCaprio Financial is not the company’s real name.) On the back, the postcard contained details of special mortgage rates. The program bombed.
The company’s marketing services provider suggested changing the message, but not the personalization. It switched the headline to a direct call to action: “We Deliver the Best Mortgage in Town!” It had the same picture, the same back cover copy and the same level of personalization, but with a different hook. Response rates tripled.
Another marketing company learned a similar lesson. It launched a personalization campaign using personal URLs (PURLs). The client had a great offer, a clean postcard design and a great call to action—come to your personalized Web site to learn more about the product and have a chance to win a $2,500 prize. Within just a few days, the response rate topped 10%.
Buoyed by this success, the company pitched a similar campaign to another client, hoping for similar results. This client, however, insisted on a cluttered design, and instead of having the postcard feature a direct call to action, it talked about the benefits of the company. It merely invited recipients to come to their PURL to learn more about the company and take advantage of a great promotional offer. The response was dismal.
The lessons are clear for 1:1 personalization:
- The design must be clean and uncluttered.
- There must be a clear appeal to action.
- The focus must be on the recipient, not the marketer.
- There must be a strong incentive to respond.
Personalization is a powerful marketing tool, but data, by itself, doesn’t motivate response. It must be paired with the right design and the right incentive to your target audience. Otherwise, it can be ineffective—no matter how personalized the piece.