One of the secrets of my success in this business is not much of a secret. Staying on top of upcoming trends throughout the marketing business enables us to maximize our direct marketing activities. Staying on top of what’s new and what’s hot in all areas of our business, gives us the insight to better understand our industry — and better serve our customers.
One of the best places to find new ideas is to participate in conferences and trade shows. In fact, I make a point of attending at least five a year and by the time you read this, you’re likely enjoying this issue of Direct Marketing News at the CMA Convention & National Trade Show.
Everyone knows that if you’re looking for the next innovative idea, the CMA Convention & National Trade Show is likely where you’ll find it. But with the many conferences, suppliers and networking opportunities in store over the next few days, how do you use this time to your best advantage? How do you really connect with those ‘thought leaders’ that will take your business to the next level?
Considering this year’s theme for the CMA is the integration of above-the-line and below-the-line marketing, I thought it would make sense to collaborate with three colleagues I consider to be ‘thought leaders’ in their own right. What is on their mind as the peruse the trade show floor?
Jennifer Campbell, Director of DM Strategy in Canada Post’s Direct Marketing Line of Business is in many ways on the front line of helping clients connect with - and acquire - new customers. Every day she’s challenged to find innovative new ideas, tools and techniques to break through the mailbox clutter. So she, too, finds that great thinking on the front-line of the CMA tradeshow floor.
“Of course, the seminars are always great,” says Campbell. “But I think you get immeasurable value from spending time on the trade show floor. It’s such an opportunity to exchange new ideas, uncover new technologies and also gauge who’s really doing a good job of marketing. I always give people my business card so I can see the different ways they follow-up and try to build on that initial encounter.”
For Campbell, spam, filters and privacy issues have prompted the pendulum to swing from email back to more traditional marketing practices, like direct marketing. So she’s looking for unique opportunities to be more creative and provide clients with greater measurement capabilities and ROI opportunities. “Not only is DM measurable, but Canada Post allows for a lot more creative flexibility now — die-cut envelopes, dimensional pieces — so I’m interested to see the creative executions that come out of the broadening our specs.”
Campbell is also interested to see new thinking when it comes to social marketing efforts. “I think our industry has already done a good job with regards to incorporating recycling and more environmentally friendly production practices, but with the renewed interest in the environment, what are audience perceptions of marketing initiatives?”
For Michael Beckerman, President of Ariad Custom Communications, a relationship marketing communications leader that specializes in highly compelling content development, continual learning through shows like the CMA is important for staying at the forefront of meeting customer needs.
“I'm particularly interested in analytics and measurements,” says Beckerman. “We work hard to stay apprised of new tools and technologies that will best serve our clients and keep our leadership position in this area.”
“For instance, some of my colleagues just returned from the Marketing Sherpa E-Mail Summit in Florida and there are some cool things going on in this area that we have incorporated. It will be an interesting proxy for the CMA to see how and if these innovations are translating to the Canadian marketplace.”
Larry Filler is a partner in the Boire Group, a firm that uses advanced data mining techniques to help clients better understand their existing and potential customers —including their age, gender, income, what they buy, how they buy and why. He finds the trade show floor to be a great opportunity to get a fresh perspective on your day-to-day business.
“I’m not convinced that it’s important to always find something new,” says Filler. “Sometimes it’s just as important to be reminded about a tactic that’s fallen off your radar – or has taken on a new twist you weren’t aware of.”
“When you’re so tightly connected to your business and your clients, it can be difficult to take a step back and think about what’s happening outside your sphere – and how it can affect your business. So I really do try to take the few days during the CMA Show to take advantage of the opportunity to get reconnected with what’s out there.”
Obviously, given this year’s theme, there will be a lot of talk on the floor and off about the opportunities and challenges integration presents.
“One of the warnings about integration is that it can’t be at the expense of focused subject matter expertise,” says Beckerman. “For instance, I don’t think you can let an agency that specializes in above-the-line strategies tell you how to build/program a content-driven website. And not all marketers understand the rich, deep principles of DM.”
“So instead of prompting a trend towards one partner doing everything, I think integration puts more responsibility on the client to manage multiple partners to get the best result for the brand and their total marketing effort.”
Filler sees the big question as how to effectively leverage integration in a way that benefits the customer and the industry. “CRM nirvana for me would be connecting all the various dots — from the point a customer contacts a call centre to the customized package digitally printed in a way that responds to their exact needs.”
All three agree that the CMA’s theme of integration will open the door for more opportunities for direct marketing. “What integration means to me is bringing the power of relationship and brand building and measurement all together,” says Campbell. “It all comes down to customer interaction with your brand – and DM, as a measurable component, is a natural complement to other channels that provide tangible results.”
What do you think? What did you get out of the 2007 CMA Conference and Trade Show? Share your thoughts on our blog at www.innovativegraphics.com.
David Engel is president of Innovative Graphics Group, a company that helps marketers develop direct mail programs with high impact, high touch and high response. To share more innovative ideas about direct marketing, visit David’s blog on the Innovative Graphics Group website – www.innovativegraphics.com
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