by Sophia Martin
In the digital world we currently live in, a vast amount of business is done online. And while technology is a powerful tool and advantageous asset to every business, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be limited by this.
At meandyou we think that now more than ever people crave something a little bit more personal, more tangible, and desire more impact.
Last year our client - Forte Pharma, approached us to help them with a mailing piece. It was to be sent to their clients who are doctors and professionals within the pharmaceutical industry, the mailing piece needed to be sent out multiple times throughout the year with information about various workshops they were holding around England.
In order to really grab the attention of your audience, it is essential that you understand what appeals to them. Sure, for some demographics an email may be a worthy means of communication and is arguably the easiest and fastest way to reach a large group of people – however this approach doesn’t work for everyone, and it isn’t always the most effective way to appeal to your audience.
Taking in to consideration that Forte’s clients are busy people; we wanted a more personal way of getting in contact with them. After all, there’s no guarantee that they will actually read an email, what is there to make it stand out from the other 327 emails in their inbox on a Monday morning? And more importantly, it lacks impact and personality - you don’t want your clients to feel like they are just another name on an automated mailing list.
Printed marketing provides a much more wholesome experience for the recipient. It’s tactile and tangible, which means the customer can engage with it more than they would with other types of marketing, it creates impact and if it’s personalised it really gives that human touch that an email lacks. Having the ability to hold something in your hand makes it feel that bit more special, more real, and will make your customer feel more valued. Plus the client can leave it on their desk or stick in on the wall as a reminder of the event or up and coming workshop you are promoting, so the marketing effects are longer lasting.
Creating an experience for the recipient is an important factor in marketing. Printed marketing especially allows your audience to really interact with your brand and is an opportunity for you to introduce your brand in a more personal way, rather than just an online presence.
Towards the end of last year we worked on producing an international campaign for our client IWSC that was aimed at Wine and Spirit Producers around the world, inviting them to a take part in an annual tasting event and awards ceremony.
We decided to present it as a high quality invitation; it needed to create a luxurious feel for the recipients. In order to do so we designed a bespoke printed item; the invitation was a six-page fold out, with a minimalist layout, strong photography, a sophisticated colour palette and foils that were added during the print process. The invitation was enclosed within an intricately designed envelope that neatly folded out to reveal the invitation, and also had information printed on the inside flaps.
We co-ordinated the print and delivery of the invitations and they were sent out to hundreds of Wine and Spirit producers around the world. It may take slightly longer for a posted invitation to reach Australia than an email, but going the extra mile (or 944,2) really does make a huge difference to your clients!
If you have any questions about direct mail pieces or any other printed marketing communications we would be happy to have a chat and provide some guidance. Just give us a call, send us an email or pop in for a coffee!