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It is
probably redundant to say that there has been no sector of
the American economy or person that has not been affected
by the events of September 11, or the bio-terrorism that has
happened since.
Certainly, the direct marketing community and direct mail
specifically is facing its greatest challenges as it grapples
with the Anthrax ridden envelopes that have shown up in mailrooms
across the country.
It is
surprising that Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes would take the occasion
of this Anthrax scare to blast direct mail marketing. In his
regular weekly commentary of October 21st, Rooney chose to
selectively knock the very system of communication and commerce
that has kept this country together since the beginning of
the republic. Just when you thought that a media operation
such as CBS would understand the importance of direct mail,
one of it's most important spokespersons' chooses to further
enhance the success of terrorists.
Given the recent deaths and near misses of USPS workers in
the D.C. area more sensitivity to the postal system and the
commerce that supports it deserves a kinder voice.
The
direct marketing community and its creative elements would
be able to overcome the misguided statements of Rooney, but
the challenge for us is going to be in the many mailrooms
of corporate America.
Masked,
latex-gloved mailroom clerks are now determining what campaigns
of the direct marketing community will reach the various offices
and executives of their businesses.
Direct marketing 101 has always taught that the list, the
product, the price, the offer and the creative package were
the essential key elements of success in direct mail. Now
we have to contend with the psyche of a clerk, and frankly
the events of the day to see if our efforts are successful.
What are we to do?
In the
long run things will probably settle back to a pre-September
11 atmosphere, but when that will be no one can judge. For
those of us who toil in the day-to-day trenches of direct
mail, common sense will have to guide us since there is no
history to learn from.
It may
be that response rates and all versions of direct mail packages
will weather the immediate storm of concern. I hope so. However,
catalogs, large envelope mailings, number ten packages and
ultra personal designed pieces will all be suspect under the
hysterias of the Rooneys and the well meaning vigilance of
untrained mailroom personnel.
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It
seems to me that white powder (Anthrax) cannot be spread on
a self-mailer or postcard type device, and therefore that seems
to be the safest method to use in the short term. Many direct
marketers will immediately say I cannot tell my story, make
my offer or state my case on such a device; I agree.
Let's
now draw a page from our friends of the Dot.com era. While
many of them did not succeed in closing sales, they did learn
that traditional direct marketing via postcard mailers drew
traffic to their websites.
This was
not just a few Dot.coms that used this channel. It proved
to be one of the most successful traffic builders during their
heyday of what I'll call the first wave of web marketing (the
second has not appeared yet). The problem for the users of
the time was that their sites were not set up to handle a
direct marketing offer and therefore failed. They basically
had 'brochureware' on their site and too many alternative
avenues of convenience to the visitor and therefore lost the
sale.
The self-mailer/postcard will probably pass muster in mailrooms.
The message would be simple; go to our website. It would be
a basic "hand raiser" but it will get the job done.
The task and opportunity will be the building of a true e-commerce
website.
It is
unfortunate that its taken events such as the ones discussed
in this article to make us all roll-up our sleeves and take
a new look at websites. In the long run we will all benefit
from the offers and flexibilities online work can provide
by the blending of traditional direct mailing with the new
world of e-commerce. Direct marketing will once again transform
itself into the state of the art marketing community of this
new era.
None
of the above should discount the importance, obvious and elevated
role of email marketing, but like in any other time period,
direct marketing has had several channels. Obviously, email
has a major role to play in our new world, but to forsake
the necessary and profitable channel of direct mail, especially
business-to-business direct mail would be a grave error and
huge concession to the bad guys.
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