Executing the Multi-channel Campaign

(Part 2 of 2)

You’ve PLANNED your multi-channel marketing campaign. You’ve decided on the goal and message. You know who the audience is going to be and you’ve determined which channels you’ll use. Now it’s time to EXECUTE the campaign. Before you get started, remember one thing: you are going to want to ANALYZE the campaign results. So make sure your response mechanisms are structured so that they can be easily analyzed.

Get it Together

In the planning stage, developing cooperation among the team members, and ensuring consistency in the brand and message are key. This kind of focus is even more critical in the execution stage, when everybody is absorbed with their own pieces of the action.

Keep the lines of communication open throughout the team. Answer questions promptly, and make sure everybody knows about changes because one change can impact the whole campaign.

Remember the conference table test (Sullivan Solutions, Vol. 2, No. 4): spread every element of the campaign out on a table. They should all project the same brand and message. And make sure everybody is working from the corporate style guide. When you’re using interactive elements and new technologies, with their multiple components and outside vendors, consistency is harder to sustain — and you don’t want your message to get muddy.

Offers Still Work

This ancient direct marketing strategy, offering your audience something if they respond to you, is still effective. Even with all the new technologies and the current saturation of the marketplace, offers drive response.

Before deciding on an offer, do a little research. Which offers have worked in the past? What is the competition offering? You need to stand apart from the rest.

It’s important that your audience perceives the offer as valuable. Too frequently, marketers come up with an offer at the last minute. For example, a software company might offer a free trial of its product — but research has shown that people don’t think this kind of offer is worth much. Try a two-tiered offer. "Take a free trial AND get a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com."

What Are You Asking Me??

You want to get some information about the people who respond — and the more the better, right? Well, not really. A lot of marketers ask for so much information that they risk alienating customers and driving them away for good.

When a customer decides to respond, you’re walking a delicate line. You want their experience to be as pleasant — and as brief — as possible. As a general rule, contact information and three qualifying questions are about right.

Remember to plan for the capture of response data however it comes in, and keep your information technology (IT) and database people in the loop, so that you fulfill every response.

The Results Are In

Once the responses start coming, you need to follow up. Follow-up is key in the lead generation process, and kicks off the sales cycle. Are there secondary promotions that you want to send to keep your prospects active? Something as simple as a thank you note can cement a relationship.

It may take some time to analyze the results of your campaign, but it’s time well spent. Where were you successful? Where did you fail? Who responded? Honest answers to hard questions will help you decide what to eliminate in your next campaign, and what to build up.

This article was adapted from a presentation by Pam Sullivan, President of Sullivan Creative, for the Direct Marketing Association 85th Annual Conference and Exhibition, held in October in San Francisco.

For information on how we can help you with your next marketing program, contact us at Sullivan Creative.

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Our Multi-Channel Expert is on call…

Want to see examples of the good and not-so-good in multi-channel marketing? Need to get others in your office on board with your campaign?

Contact Pam Sullivan for a free in-house presentation on successful multi-channel marketing. You can reach her at 617.926.9899, ext. 24.

Rolling It Out

The Web Works

As a response mechanism, the Web is a direct marketer’s dream. By its very nature, an Internet page compels audience participation -- so run to the Web! If your campaign is designed to drive your audience to the Web, take some time to design the page they land on. Too often, companies make landing and response pages that match the company Web site rather than the marketing campaign. This just confuses the user, who is expecting something like the direct mail piece or the ad.

Automate your e-mail responses and have them ready to go as soon as users have submitted an order or responded to an offer. This gives the user peace of mind, and closes the experience the right way.

With Your Permission...

As a rule of thumb, try at every opportunity to collect opt-in e-mail permission from your customers. This strengthens your relationship, and gets rid of any potential resentment at receiving an unsolicited e-mail. Keep opting-in simple. And don’t abuse the relationship by spamming your list: your e-mails should be few and far between, and always have something — a tip, an offer — which benefits the recipient.

Massaging Data

As soon as your campaign is planned, get your database and IT team on board. Construct your response mechanism to get the maximum value out of the data you collect. Segmenting and analyzing your customer demographic information takes work, but it enables you to target future marketing efforts very precisely. This isn’t a one-time effort: continue it from campaign to campaign so that you understand shifts in your customer base, and how each campaign has affected recipients.

R.O.I.

Good marketers measure the return on investment of every campaign and every channel. Cost per response, cost per lead and cost per sales figure will help you determine which channels are best for you. Often, informal calls to customers or prospects will help you understand where a campaign has succeeded or failed. And focus groups are very useful tools for in-depth analysis of a multi-channel campaign.

To view some marketing campaigns developed by Sullivan Creative, click here

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