5 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Copy

1. Relate to your prospect as well as promoting the product
Anecdotes, stories of success and testimonials engage your prospects with the element of human interest. These accounts allow consumers to relate to your product and envision themselves using it.

2. Back up your claims with facts
Facts add power and credibility. Be specific with figures, data and outside opinions to support your claims. Statements backed up with “proof” are infinitely more persuasive than vague and unspecific copy.

3. Put in research time
Take the time to research the facts to support your case. And, find out what's on customers minds – what are their concerns, what do they need, what problem do they need solved? If you know their questions, you'll also know the facts you need to present to make a strong case for your product.

4. Identify the motivation
Pinpoint your prospects' motivations and address them in your copy. It's tough to change behaviors of consumers so instead play to them by identifing the motivations that guide their behavior. Speak to those motivations in your copy and target additional prospects with similar motivations.

5. Review competitors direct mail packages
See what's working for others. Study it and try to determine the principles at work. Adopt those winning principles and make them your own. Put a spin on them with your own perspective and unique selling proposition.

2 Quick Hints for a Stronger Direct Mail Package

1. Ask for the Order
-- ask for it often
-- ask for it in different ways
-- ask for it aggressively enough
Ask repeatedly on every panel within your package! Don't be shy and don't rely on the last paragraph of your letter be the one and only request in your entire package – it's a weak strategy that produces weak results.

2. Instantly Increase the Substance of Your Offer
Instead of a vague offer of “send for free information,” create substance with a more tangible offering. Ask the reader to instead send for “Information Packet #12.” Not only does this sound like something of greater substance, but it implies the existence of a line of valuable information, lending credibility.

Rick Levin & Associates, Inc. Upcoming Auctions

We're updating this ad daily as details on properties - and more properties - are added to these Rick Levin & Associates real estate auctions. The ad appears in real estate sections throughout the Chicago metro area so we're keeping in close contact with newspapers to replace the ad as soon as updated versions are proofed and ready to publish.

The real estate auction business is normally fast-paced ... but at times like these when home foreclosures are peaking - the auction business is moving at lightening speed! An auction is the most effective method for bringing together motivated buyers and qualified sellers ... so property being sold at auction is at an all time high.

Of course ... the RLA website has the newspapers beaten hands-down for speed, so we encourage Buyers to go to http://www.ricklevin.com/ for the absolutely, most updated information.

Cartoon Characters Can Tell Your Story

This client sells a solution to a big problem for food manufacturers ... costly damage to valuable product during shipping. But, Locus-Traxx's amazing solution - a GPS powered monitoring system apropriately named "OVERSIGHT" - is so new that their potential customers don't even know they need it!

So, the Locus Traxx marketing director (a VERY smart guy!) asked us to tell a little story to get the point across: With OVERSIGHT you don't ever need to have another bad day! Here's the first in our series of "story ads" ...

Learn more about OVERSIGHT at http://locustraxx.com

New Media Merchandising: How To & Why To!

Learn about New Media Merchandising ... how you can brand your business and sell merchandise through social media campaigns. Click on each slide to get a close-up view and learn about the new way to go direct and how it can work for your business.

What’s your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

If you haven’t defined it yet, take a look at the definition of the term, written in Rosser Reeves in his 1960 book, Reality in Advertising:

"Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer. Not just words, not just product puffery, not just show-window advertising. Each advertisement must say to each reader: Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit.

The proposition must be one that the competition either cannot, or does not, offer. It must be unique – either a uniqueness of the brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field of advertising.

The proposition must be so strong that it can move the mass millions (i.e., to pull over new customers to your product)."

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

Own It! The Defining Attribute of Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

That one special distinctive feature or characteristic is what you want to define. What’s unique about your product is the attribute you want to promote. It cannot be the same as your competitor’s – your must own it. Adopt the complete opposite attribute from your competitor if what first comes to mind is already “owned.” Your defining attribute cannot be similar because it will simply be second best.

Keep it simple and benefit oriented. Find that one word or benefit that sums up your special attribute. And, as some attributes are more important to customers than others, try to “own” the most important one.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

A Few Simple Words About Differentiation

When differentiating your brand, keep it simple. Zero in on the one most powerful differentiating idea and drive it home. Help the consumer to immediately see how simply you’ll solve their problem. Your concept must make sense, be something your competitors cannot claim, and be easy to grasp without complex analysis. Find a fit with your customers’ perceptions.





info@measuredmktg.com


312.929.4882

4 Steps to Constructing a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

1. Identify The Differentiating Idea – Identify what separates you from your competitors; it doesn’t have to be product related. Figure out your difference and then turn it into a benefit for your customer.
2. Use It In Context – Understand the perceptions of both your product and your competitor’s product. Consumer perceptions are what matter and you need to know what they are. Your messaging has to make sense in the context of those perceptions.
3. Offer Your Credentials – You should be able to demonstrate a difference, providing proof of your claims. Your differentiating idea must be convincing and believable.
4. Tell Us Your Difference – Communicate your difference in everything you do, from business cards to packaging, and presentations to advertising. Perception is everything so get the word out.

info@measuredmktg.com

312.929.4882

Being Different is Important! Differentiate.

When consumers choose among their options they base decisions on implicit or explicit differences. Science tells us that memory is enhanced when something can be intellectually appreciated. So, if you can take a product and tie it to strongly differentiated differences, you will help the consumer remember your product and give them a reason to choose it.



info@measuredmktg.com

312.929.4882

Are You Ready to Enter the Twitter Frontier?

There's no arguing that Twitter is the hot new trend and a hot topic at marketing meetings and ad conventions. Celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Oprah tweet, and so do our moms. It's estimated that Twitter accounts have increased 3000%(!) year over year. No longer a fad, this tool may be here to stay. Businesses and marketers of all sizes can no longer ignore Twitter and are migrating to it en mass ― from companies like Whole Foods and Southwest, to the local store in your neighborhood. It's an unparalleled time in the history of communications and barriers are tumbling down. One of the best things about this free service is that even the smallest business, with a little guidance, can start using Twitter.

But the question remains, is it simply a rambling conversation or is it an effective method of finding and connecting people who share interests? No one knows the answer yet but it's probably a bit of both. Twitter's changing the way marketers communicate with their customers. When done well, it's a less intrusive way to communicate with your audience and a way to build your brand one person at a time. Users have the choice to listen to your message or not, so you better have something interesting to say.

Is social networking a marketing strategy your business should employ? Contact Measured Marketing today to help you navigate the social networking universe. It's a vast frontier of possibility and you'll harness its power sooner with some guidance and strategy. Let Measured Marketing show you how to brand, sell online, and/or generate leads using social network messages targeted to likely consumers who are ready to buy.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

If You Think Direct Mail Is Dying, Think Again!

You've heard it before and you'll hear it again ― direct mail is dying. How many lives does this cat have? With every new marketing channel created, or improved, the eulogies start for direct mail. The truth is direct mail will not be leaving us anytime soon.

Like internet advertising, social networking, newspapers, radio and TV, direct mail is simply another tool to get your message out. How you use it, and how much you use it, depends on your marketing strategy and your target audience. No one tool can do it all and a strong marketing strategy is one that's integrated and based on your organization's goals.

Here are the facts about the current health of direct mail in a report from the United States Postal Service:

According to the USPS Household Diary Study, in 2008, U.S. households received 148.6 billion pieces of mail, and sent 21.3 billion.

Advertising mail represented 63% of all mail received by households in 2008.

According to McCann-Erickson, says the report, American businesses spent about $271 billion in 2008 advertising their products and services, a decrease of 3.2% from 2007. Of this total advertising spending, 22% was spent on direct mail. In 2008, more than one-fifth of total advertising dollars was spent on direct mail advertising.

Direct mail was the second leading media choice of advertisers in 2008, after television. However, due to a steep economic downturn, direct mail advertising spending fell 1.0% compared to 2007. Except for the Internet and Other, all other spending media categories declined as well.

Direct mail's share of total advertising spending has been on a strong upward trend for most of the past 17 years. Since 1999, the direct mail share has risen steadily reaching 22% in 2008. Direct mail has maintained its large ad share even with the introduction of new, fast-growing ad markets such as the Internet.

Ultimately, advertisers send direct mail because it works, says the report. Household members read and respond to it. Households report they intend to respond to about one in ten pieces of advertising mail. While intended responses do not always lead to actual responses, the data presented help explain why direct mail is the number one choice of advertisers in America, concludes the study.

View the full report from USPS.

What's the status of your direct mail program's health? If it needs a check up and some new life breathed into it give us a call. Measured Marketing can also help you decide if taking a more integrated approach is appropriate for your marketing strategy.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

Email Advertising is Skyrocketing

Here are the latest findings (5/09) from Borrell Associates, a research & consulting firm that tracks local ad spending across 11 forms of media (online, newspapers, direct mail, cable, radio, etc.):

E-mail advertising is skyrocketing. Last year, email advertising moved to the #1 position in online advertising, surpassing all other forms of interactive advertising. Advertisers spent $12.1 billion last year on e-mail marketing, more than they spent on display/banner advertising or search advertising. We’re predicting e-mail will continue to distance itself from other online advertising formats over the next five years, growing to $15.7. Most of the growth in e-mail marketing will be local. We’re expecting local e-mail advertising to grow from $848 million in 2008, to $2 billion in 2013.

Borrell goes on to caution: Managing large e-mail marketing campaigns requires database marketing expertise, a savvy sales force, adequate e-mail management software, familiarity with the rules and regulations and a lot of patience.

Which leads to the question . . . What's your email strategy and do you have the right tools and expertise to add it to your marketing mix?

Don't sweat it if you don't – that's why we're here. Let Measured Marketing assist you with the how-to in creating effective, deliverable email communications. We'll guide you in list building & acquisition, targeting, compliance with CAN-SPAM laws, channel-appropriate design & copy writing, and most important of all – Strategy. Contact Measured Marketing today to get your campaign started.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

Get the Home Field Advantage with Trade Area Analysis

Do you know who your best customers are and how to identify prospective buyers just like them? In a tough economic climate it's more important than ever to properly analyze your competitive market before crafting your marketing campaign strategy.

With the right mapping tools and a systematic approach it's possible to learn a lot of valuable information about your clients, trade area and competition — why work on a level playing field when you can take the advantage? Measured Marketing can assist in...

Identifying neighborhoods loaded with customers and prospects

Defining your trade areas by drive-time and by driving habits

Understanding how and where your competitors

affect your business everyday

And with this information you can enhance your marketing strategy by:

• Targeting households most likely to respond (the low-hanging-fruit!)
• Capturing data on the back-end of your direct mail efforts
• Re-mailing non-responders (create a prospect database)
• Retaining and growing responders (create a customer database)
• Protecting against competitive incursions
• Taking advantage of exits by competitors

Contact Measured Marketing today to analyze your trade area and create a strategic plan to protect and grow your home field advantage.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

Sanitized for Your Protection! A Clean List is a Happy List

Companies in all industries compile lists – client lists, prospect databases, assorted purchased lists. We all create lists with the intention of using the data to benefit the goals of our businesses.

What's the state of your lists? Lists have a life to them which can be extended with proper care. How old are your lists? Have your contacts moved? Are the addresses even deliverable? Are the files housed in different locations and with different layouts making them incompatible or hard to use? Regular list hygiene is imperative – lists are only as good as their last update. Do you have data confidence or are you overwhelmed and unsure of how to utilize and optimize the data in your lists?

With proper list processing and file management, you can be confident that your data is up-to-date and streamlined to maximize its full potential in customer acquisition and retention.

Contact us today to help identify the potential in your list and best practices for maintaining its health. We have the tools and the knowledge to make your list sparkling clean and ready to work to improve your bottom line.

info@measuredmktg.com
312.929.4882

Be a Savvy Mailer and Save!

With ever-increasing postage rates in cost-conscious times, it is more important than ever to mail smart – start today by learning what your lettershop could be investigating and doing for you!

Don't Cut Corners
To offset postage and materials cost increases, it is increasingly up to you and your designer to do more with less while maintaining desired response rates. Cutting corners can directly and indirectly impact the quality, timeliness and response rates of your direct mail effort:

• Reducing the quality of materials may result in less aesthetically-pleasing packages which could be unfortunate if your package has a proven track record for producing a good response rate.
  
  
• By decreasing the number of test packages, some opportunities for discovering new controls and trying alternative directions may be missed.
  
  
• Frequently changing vendors in order to find the lowest cost provider can actually end up costing you more. Not developing and maintaining long-term relationships with vendors can result in increased uncertainty of the quality and timeliness of materials or service. Lack of vendor loyalty may also result in a lower comfort level, communication oversights and negotiating leverage for schedule considerations.

The Solution – Mail Smarter and Save Money
Fortunately, there are many ways to increase cost savings! Postage is the largest portion of direct mail program costs, often 5-10 times the production costs of a mailing. Thus a few percentage points reduction in postage can be very substantial and have a more dramatic effect on the budget than cutting corners in design or production.

“The more your mailer does to move the mail,
the more you save on postage.”

Various data processing and postal sortation processes can be combined to realize postage savings and increased speed of mail piece delivery.

1. How clean is your list? Data files need regular hygiene – including address correction alternatives, merge/purges to remove duplicates, suppressing records and more. The more your direct mail service provider does to clean your files and move the mail, the more you save on postage
   
   
2. After the file hygiene has been completed and you have your targeted and deliverable addresses, it is important to be sure to maximize the postal savings to these addresses. Mailing to destination entry(s) is a way to dramatically decrease the piece rate that you pay for mailing your programs. BMCs (Bulk Mail Centers) and SCFs (Sectional Center Facilities) are destination entry USPS facilities located throughout the country, between the post office of entry and recipient. Delivery of mail to these facilities saves the USPS money on internal freight and sortation, resulting in savings which are passed along to the mailer through a reduced postage rate.
   
   
3. To fully realize potential savings, it is imperative that a Destination Entry Analysis be done on all standard (3rd) class mailings. Once qualified, most mailers will charge a small processing fee and freight costs will be incurred to bring the mail to each destination entry facility. A thorough analysis of each mailing will determine whether there are net savings in mailing to destination entry(s). If the postage savings exceed the slight costs of processing, freight and any minimum costs, then the mail should be sorted down to the BMC/SCF level.
   
   Please note that many mailers have a previously determined minimum quantity for drop shipping mail that they use to determine whether or not mail is sorted down to the BMC/SCF level. It is important to request that your mailer not set minimums for your mailings to be considered for BMC/SCF sortation based on an arbitrary quantity, but rather analyze each mailing and destination entry to determine net savings. Though the postal savings can seem marginal when looking at a per piece rate, for larger mailings especially, the difference between the postage savings and the fees and freight can be tremendous!
   
   
4. Beyond the financial savings realized by destination entry postal sortation, there are additional benefits which should be considered. Destination entry sortation increases control of the timing of delivery in-home as well as reporting possibilities. Mailings that have time-sensitive in-home dates can be more narrowly targeted and, with additional costs to expedite freight, can be delivered sooner if needed. BMC/SCF “tracking” reports are also fairly standard and supplied by most carriers as requested – these reports show dates and times of mail delivery to each destination entry facility.

With postage savings offering such great potential for stretching direct mail budgets, it's important for you to be familiar with these cost-saving processes. Rather than simply requesting quotations on material and lettershop costs – it should be a regular practice to compare postal analysis from vendors to see where additional savings might be realized. Vendors who recognize the benefits of aggressive postal sortation as a competitive advantage should be eager to run a demo postal analysis on files for their clients.

Postage is the only place within your direct mail budget where you can cut costs with no ill effect on your package or results. Be sure to ask your vendor to show you how to mail smarter!

Not sure whether your vendor is mailing smarter? Contact us today for a complimentary 2nd opinion at info@measuredmktg.com or 312.929.4882.

Subscription Sales Strategy: Reach New Movers fast!

Subscription acquisition and retention, as any circulation marketer knows, requires tenacity and creativity. Circulation marketers doggedly pursue new subscribers and make last ditch efforts to retain subscribers, typically cutting margin until the final "magic number" makes the sale.
Mailing to new movers is a popular target among circulation marketers. New residents typically want to get local news, and according to industry statistics, new movers in general are ten times more likely to change habits and establish new ones after a move.

Ordering new magazines delivered to the door is one way that new movers get "nested".


But, one of the problems with a tried-and-true strategy - it's often taken for granted that it's working. It's a good idea to take a fresh look at your new mover program to make sure you're capitalizing on the opportunity!
Objective: Sell subscriptions to non-subscribers and retain subscribers who move to new residences.
Method: Mail three efforts to new movers who are unsubscribers. Identify subscribers who have moved but have not updated their address information and contact them through telemarketing efforts.
The List: The “New Mover” list = a list rented for unlimited use for one-year that is comprised of:
- Householders who have moved to a new residence within the past 30 days
- The Residence is located within the Publication's primary circulation area
NOTE: Use the list for two purposes: mailing to non-subscribers and to identify Householders who subscribe to the Publication but have not updated their address information
List processing: Identify subscribers and non-subscribers; flag subscribers with addresses that do not match the new mover list (merge-purge new mover file with the circulation master subscriber file):
1. Subscribes to the Publication / hasn’t updated address / to Telemarketing
2. Subscribes to a sister Publication / hasn’t updated address / to Telemarketing
3. Nonsubscribers / to mail file Process the mail file and flag each record to receive the appropriate subscription offer:
- Subscribe to the Publication / only <00> cents per day
- Subscribe to the Sister Publication only <00> cents per day
- Subscribe to both only <00> cents per day
The Message: Relate receiving home delivery of the Publication to getting settled in your “new home”.
Personalization: Household name on the address block, name of the city in the text (in relation to local features) and variable graphic of the masthead of the local newspaper / publication (black and white, laserprint).
Direct Mail Format: Double post card with BRC attached.
The Offer: Offer a 13-week trial subscription (00 weeks free or overall discount)
Calls to Action:
1. 800#
2. Pre paid BRC (business reply card)
3. Subscribe ONLINE and SAVE EVEN MORE (additional discount)
Frequencies: Three efforts:
1. ASAP following move: offer good for 30 days
2. 30 days / re-contact / same offer
3. 60 days / re-contact / same offer
Schedule: Monthly drop, all three versions in a single mailing.
Back end reporting: Calculate the cost to acquire or retain a subscriber who has recently moved into a new residence. Compare activity in the test zone to the number of new or reactivated subscribers in a similar market area. Compare results of test cells. Track the telemarketing effort and measure retention of subscribers who move to new residences.

Response Capture / Back end Analysis

Smart marketers don't "throw it against the wall" and see what sticks anymore. There are too many easy, smart ways to measure response, so why would you use general advertising that can't be accurately measured?

If you're a Retailer, even if you don't have a "smart" point of sale system, you can measure response on the back-end of a direct mail or email campaign:

Printed or electronically delivered coupons can be collected at point of sale and measured for back end analysis. A three-of-nine barcode and sequence number can be printed on the mailer, or on a coupon to facilitate data entry. The sequence number or barcode will match the addressee so that on the back end the following can be analyzed and reported for customers and prospects:
- Overall response rate
- Response rate(s) by version
- Response by distance from the store
- Response by drive time
- Cost per response
- Cost to retain a Customer
- Cost to acquire a Customer
*(premium + mailing cost / # of responders)

When you rent an acquisition list you can rent a list that has household demograhics for each record. Often it is less costly to rent a list with demo's than to append demo's on the back-end of a mailing. Plus, you can analyze the non-responders as well ... what do they look like ?

Demo's are useful, but not really the holy grail of targeting. Behavior - how, when, where and what people buy - is really what matters most.

Tracking and measuring response is a pretty deep subject ... but it's not rocket science. A customized approach that allows you to test, measure and test again is how you can find an advertising method - offer, target and timing - that turns a an expense into profit for your business.

Match Your Project To The Right Lettershop

Your direct mail project will go well and be priced right when you match your production needs to the right lettershop. In the print production and direct mail business, opposites definitely should not attract!
Good vendors will tell you when your job doesn't fit their capabilities. But others will take the job and then "outsource" your work to a lettershop or printer that can produce it. With your permission, that might be okay, but be cautious of additional costs. When vendors who aren't equipped to run your job take it and send it to a "partner" they likely are adding a hefty markup to the cost.

Here's our most recent equipment and capabilities list: A good example of what a well equipped, high volume lettershop has on the production floor.

LETTERSHOP EQUIPMENT, Lombard, Illinois Direct Mail Processing Facility
Personalization
OCE Continuous Laser Printers. 300 x 300 dpi. Roll-to-Roll or fanfold. MICR Toner (check printing). Pinless capabilities. Duplex imaging
KONICA-MINOLTA 1050P Sheetfed Lasers. 600 dpi. Simplex and duplex. MICR Toner (check printing)
SCITEX Imaging Systems with Dryers. Multiple 1” printheads. Up to 3” variable print heads. Simplex and duplex. Up to 240 x 480 dpi
WIDE ARRAY Imaging Systems with Dryers. Up to 6” of print per piece. Up to 12 different colors in a single pass. Up to 600 x 600 dpi
Bindery and Inserting
BELL & HOWELL Mailstar 500 Inserters. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 16 station models. Friction feeders. Computer controlled miss detectors
MAILCRAFTER 6 Station Master Mailer. 9” x 12” Inserters
PITNEY BOWES In-Line Postage Meters
MATCHING SYSTEMS
In-Line Inspection Camera Systems
Read-And-Write Camera SystemsMiscellaneous Bindery. Labelaire Label Affixers. Card Attaching Systems. 42” Lawson Programmable Cutter. Bell & Howell Slitter-Mergers. Bell & Howell Forms Folders. Kirk-Rudy Stamp Affixers / Tabbers. Hot and Cold Glue Systems. Automated Shanklin Shrinkwrapper. Kepes transport tables
Information Technology
DATA PROCESSING. List conversion and reformatting. Address correction. Cass Certification. NCOA address updating. Merge Purge and Data Append. Postal Qualification. Gender Coding. Gen Select. Case Processing. Drop Ship Optimization. Encryption (PGP, PsyPher+ et al). Laser Programming. Custom Programming. Response reporting. Back end processing & analysisMailing & Logistics
Optional Procedure Facility
In-Plant, onsite postal technician. Delivery Point Verfication. Planet Code Tracking/USPS confirmInventory Management. 3,500 Skid Positions. Automated warehouse management. Online inventory management. Pro-Mail inventory system. Weight verfication in receivingQuality Control. Dedicated quality control staff. Four step QC process. Mylar personalization overlays. Hourly QC checks.
On-site Merlin verification and custom QC procedures

For price quotes and schedules please contact:
Renee Castelluzzo
312-929-4882
312-590-2999 (mobile)
renee@measuredmktg.com
www.Measuredmktg.com
www.Demardirect.com
For an online demo of Planet Code tracking visit www.demardirect.com\acutrk.htm

New Mover Programs: An Excellent Way To Find and Replace Customers

WHO ARE NEW MOVERS?
- They're 20% of all the households in the U.S. every year

- All demo’s, all age groups

- Just moved within 30-days of being placed on the list

HOW BEST ARE NEW MOVERS IDENTIFIED?
Multi-sourced compiled lists are most reliable. Single sourced lists (like phone connects) assume a household is a new move when all they’ve done is add a land-line. Examples of sources for new mover records are utility hook up; subscription notification; phones, public records like deeds, real estate closings, etc.).
HOW DO NEW MOVERS BEHAVE?
- They change their shopping habits (estimated 3x more likely to change purchase behavior)

- They spend 10 times more in the first six months after a move than established residents spend in two years.

- They spend 8 times more in their immediate neighborhood than a neighbor spends in the same time period

- They try new brands and establish new loyalties

- They are the most responsive prospects among all direct marketing lists

WHAT DO NEW MOVERS PURCHASE?
New Movers statistics for specific purchases are more readily available for big ticket items. Furniture, appliances, etc. However, one of the most prolific users of our New Mover file is a home improvement/hardware company. Grocery Stores are a growing category for New Mover promotions: Many movers are also “dyi-ers” and the local grocers are not what they were 20 years ago. Most grocers offer a large variety of home items, in addition to the shelf liners, these retailers offer shelves.

See counts below of the number of new mover households per month in major U.S. markets. The tried-and-true, old media methods of reaching people within 30 to 60 days of moving into a new home continue to work well. It's an excellent method for attracting new customers to your store and if you use a "trackable" offer ... you can measure the results.
New mover programs are apropriate for:

Any business-to-consumer enterprise that needs to find new customers and replace lost customers.

Home Improvement (goods and services)

Food, Drug and Liquor

Specialty Retail

Restaurants

Counts of New Moves Per Month: The MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) is listed below with two numbers: the first number is the count of new movers living in Single Family Households the second number is the count of new movers living in Multi Family Households.
Boston 14,648 3,633
Chicago 20,589 4,773
Las Vegas 8,631 1,527
Los Angeles 23,357 6,326
Minneapolis-St. Paul 10,232 1,948
Orange County 4,594 882
Philadelphia 17,522 1,358
San Diego 9,049 2,871
St. Louis 11,417 1,274
Washington 18,562 4,022

138,601 SFD New Movers; 28,614 MFD New Movers

Do You Sell Automotive / Vehicle Goods & Services? Here Are Your Numbers ...

This information was compiled from online registrations completed by consumers. Usually a very reliable source and a good method for getting details about consumer behavior and consumer preferences. This list is available for an email campaign ... a small test of a compelling offer to the right audience could get good results.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Response received about automobiles that are of interest to be purchased or leased, purchase intent, purchase timeframe, accessories purchased by brand, retailer by name and insurance company carrier received by the online.
LIST SOURCE
Internet/online/website registration.
SELECTIONS WITH COUNTS
Updated: Jan 5, 2007.
Counts Thru: Jun 2005.

Total Number Of Survey respondents 8,983,249
30 day hotline 506,589
90 day hotline 1,659,529
Opt-in email addresses 2,586,042

Vehicle currently owned:
Acura 476,120
Alfa Romeo 11,821
American Motors 12,331
Audi 38,817
Austin Rover 4,463
Bentley 6,877
BMW 123,790
Buick 311,308
Cadillac 161,885
Chevrolet (total) 1,970,716
Chevrolet (car) 1,207,943
Chevrolet (truck) 833,928
Chrysler 389,617
Daewoe 16,953
Daihats 2,708
Dodge (total) 1,058,208
Dodge (car) 629,782
Dodge (truck) 438,448
Ferrari 8,749
Fiat 4,222
Ford (car) 1,360,898
Ford (total) 2,303,777
Ford (truck) 1,042,506
GEO 11,121
GMC truc 366,516
Honda 711,807
Hummer 4,343
Hyundai 193,308
Infiniti 50,473
Isuzu 87,350
Jaguar 27,769
Jeep 395,268
Jenson 3,745
Kia 141,632
Lamborghini 5,043
Lancia 631
Land Rover 16,025
Lexus 85,901
Lincoln 107,687
Lotus 944
Maserati 1,216
Mazda 244,623
Mercedes Benz 93,765
Mercury 257,615
MG2, 605
Min1,793
Mitsubishi 215,740
Nissan 538,489
Oldsmobil 274,297
Opel 1,337
Peugeot 1,491
Plymouth 175,971
Pontiac 532,290
Porsch 12,414
Renaul 1,330
Rolls Royce 2,427
SAAB 22,839
Saturn 216,398
Scion 5,212
Sterling 768
Subaru 92,847
Suzuki 52,542
Toyota 847,533
Triumph 2,342
Volkswagon 165,715
Volvo 76,321
Yugo 3,323
Year of vehicle owned:
Pre 1949 5,118
1950-1959 7,269
1960-1969 51,552
1970-1979 178,971
1980-1989 1,281,748
1990 313,710
1991 375,844
1992 418,643
1993 498,434
1994 603,071
1995 741,743
1996 742,613
1997 803,886
1998 898,549
1999 800,000
2000 1,082,035
2001 981,366
2002 914,244
2003 679,875
2004 551,923
2005 401,407
2006 541,821
2007 37,076
Plan to purchase or lease timeframe:
Buy new vehicle 1-3 months 237,784
Buy new vehicle 4-6 months 501,199
Buy new vehicle 7-12 months 440,783
Buy new vehicle next 6 months 2,562,326
Buy used vehicle 1-3 months 351,936
Buy used vehicle 4-6 months 443,735
Buy used vehicle 7-12 months 389,776
Lease new vehicle 1-3 months 63,097
Lease new vehicle 4-6 months 111,353
Lease new vehicle 7-12 months 97,690
Lease new vehicle next 6 months 647,643
Lease used vehicle 1-3 months 36,624
Lease used vehicle 4-6 months 55,930
Lease used vehicle7-12 months 46,686
Buy/lease0-6 months 734,631
Buy/lease 7-12 months 866,213
Purchase behavior:
Buy yearly: 13,065
Buy every 2 years: 56,633
Buy every 3-5 years: 318,322
Buy more than 3-5 years: 562,849
Purchase factor-fuel economy: 763,779
Purchase factor-safety: 707,523
Interested in receiving a competitive price quote: 168,095
Type of vehicle:
Compact 161,363
Conversion van 28,677
Coupe 172,505
Hybrid 2,969
Light truck 112,357
Luxury 129,352
Mid-size 178,247
Sedan 352,210
Sport utility vehicle 864,149
Sports car 301,254
Truck 307,428
Van 226,396
Wagon/Sportwagon 47,980
Recreational vehicles owned:
Camper 121,983
Fifth wheel 42,520
Motorhome 91,770
Travel trailer 85,156
Motorcycle ownership:
Harley Davidson 25,935
Honda 19,624
Indian 1,007
Suzuki 7,960
Triumph 1,405
Yamaha 10,646
Own another manufacturer 77,237
Plan to purchase a Harley Davidson 138,604
Plan to purchase a Honda 43,789
Plan to purchase an Indian 10,738
Plan to purchase another manufacturer 136,146
Plan to purchase a Suzuki 16,482
Plan to purchase a Triumph 6,056
Plan to purchase a Yamaha 21,273
Buy a motorcycle-next 6 months 20,352
Currently own a motorcycle 93,439
Automotive Enthusiasts & owners:
Insta-lube - most often 6,742
Jiffy lube-most often 165,979
Midas-most often 33,662
Precision- most often 12,811
Go to a dealer 302,248
Do own vehicle maintenance 330,245
Go to a local service station 224,291
Go to a national chain 139,549
Go to another national chain 337,455
Auto Insurance carrier:
AAA 134,960
All State 434,267
American Family 129,272
Farmers 220,300
Geico 278,911
Nationwide 176,638
Other 1,309,460
Progressive 292,416
Prudential 44,309
State Farm 739,018
Travelers 48,059
USAA 141,337
Extended Warranty:
Request information 33,513
Request a quote 168,062
Purchased extended vehicle warranty within the last 6 months 353,399
Plan to purchase a warranty within the next 6 months 1,598,460
Lincoln 42,952
Aviator LS 109
Navigator 452
Town Car 146
Lotus 422
Maserati 313
Mazda 19,795
B3000 13
RX 8 286
Miata 51
MPV 16
Tribute 52
Mercury 10,795
Grand Marquis 72
Marauder 16
Monterey 16
Mountaineer 84
Sable 31
MG 471
Mitsubishi 35,830
Navistar 37,116
Nissan 104,700
Murano 67
Pathfinder 67
Quest 40
Sentra 77
Titan 145
XTerra SE 29
XTerra SE 4x4 63
Oldsmobile 13,266
Bravada 26
Opel 225
Peugeot 246
Plymouth 6,171
Pontiac 42,273
Grand AM 126
Grand Prix 123
Montana 46
Sunfire 83
Vibe 55
Porche 4,176
Renault 140
Rolls Royce 823
SAAB 4,149
Saturn 24,790
ION 115
L300 Sedan 116
L300 Wagon 12
Vue Sterling 195
Subaru 30,368
Suzuki 3,543
Toyota 229,023
4Runner 103
Avalon 94
Camry 509
Camry Solara 75
Celica 74
Corolla 246
Echo 24
Highlander 182
Land Cruiser 30
Matrix 104
RAV 4 158
Prius 108
Sequoia 155
Sienna 118
Tacoma 239
Tundra 175
Triumph 481
Volkswagon 58,849
Beetle 166
Euro Van 18
Jetta 217
Golf GL 1.9TDI 27
GTI 27
Tourag 57
Volvo 16,330
C70 29
S40 28
S60 26
V70 18
XC70 28
XC90 125
Yugo 971
Plan to purchase timeframes:
Buy a new vehicle:
1-3 months 242,583
4-6 months 505,731
7-12 months 468,805
Next 6 months 1,788,986
Buy a used vehicle:
1-3 months 354,989
4-6 months 443,180
7-12 months 414,268
Lease immietly 3,162
Lease within a week 1,805
Lease a new vehicle
1-3 months 63,691
4-6 months 110,958
7-12 months 102,932
Next 6 months 372,440
Lease a used vehicle:
1-3 months 36,694
4-6 months 55,097
7-12 months 48,931
Plan to buy/lease:
0-6 months 135,059
7-12 months 163,744
Purchase behavior:
I buy yearly 12,024
I buy every 2 years 54,193
I buy ever 3-5 years 309,871
I buy more than 3-5 years 540,330
Purchase factor-fuel economy 741,168
Purchase factor-safety 692,183
Type of vehicle considered:
Compact 162,292
Conversion Van 27,905
Coupe 171,182
Light Truck 111,885
Luxury 129,352
Mid-Size 180,969
Sedan 353,601
Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) 886,924
Sports Car 299,604
Truck 306,032
Van 225,976
Wagon/Sportswagon 47,620
Recreational vehicle owned:
Camper 118,758
Fifth Wheel 41,005
Motorhome 89,219
Travel Trailer 82,985
Motorcycle ownership plan to purchase:
Harley Davidson 135,982
Honda 53,127
Indian 10,735
Another manufacturer 48,701
Suzuki 20,481
Triumph 6,561
Yamaha 26,980
Buy a motorcyle -next 6 months 8,582
Currently own a motorcycle 19,544
Auto accessories purchased:
BF Goodrich 1,171
Bridgestone 1,027
Castrol 101,249
Chevron 12,491
Dunlop 462
Firestone 1,721
Goodyear 3,774
Havoline 45,825
Michelin 5,779
Mobil 42,584
Motor Club 267,245
Pennzoil 104,978
Pireilli 297
Quaker State 65,928
Store Brand 24,509
Synthetic Motor OIl 37,985
Valvoline 75,789
Auto maintenance is performed:
Insta-lube-most often 6,160
Insta-lube-most often 1,612,354
Midas-most often 31,976
Precision-most often 12,314
Go to a dealer 293,755
Do own vehicle maintenace 314,187
Go to a local service station 216,781
Go to a national chain 137,044
Go to another national chain 323,475
Auto insurance carrier:
AAA 134,488
Allstate 431,134
American Family 129,232
Do not have 66,050
Farmers 220,248
Geico 271,760
Nationwide 176,148
Other 1,284,351
Progressive 287,048
Prudential 45,618
State Farm 739,018
Travelers 47,035
USA 139,946
Request competitive quote for next purchase 164,753
Extended warranty:
Request info 86,117
Request a quote 77,617
Purchase extended vehicle warranty last 6 months 338,230
Purchase extended vehicle warranty next 6 months 1,317,907

Time Magazine Sells Their Email List of 187,223 Style and Design Subscribers

This is just one example of thousands of postal, telemarketing and email lists that are available to marketers. Many are overpriced, but some can become a valuable source for generating leads. This list might be good for a high end ecommerce retailer. We find that email works best for ecommerce and direct mail is better for brick and mortar promotion (no big surprise !).
If you go this route for customer acquisition - renting lists and direct marketing - then tread cautiously! Be sure to test small. Lists sound great but they don't always pay off. And, there are many resellers of lists who simply rename the list and mark up the price. Get help from a Direct Agency that is experienced in purchasing lists (that would be us ! sorry for the commercial message). There should be no extra cost to you to purchase a list through an Agency because the list owner pays the Agency's service fee. And, for some important clients, Agency's share the discount with their client.
Email addresses of readers of TIME Style & Design edition reaching TIME's most affluent and style-savvy subscribers.
30% male
70% female
average age 44
LIST SOURCE Controlled circ. SELECTIONS WITH COUNTS Active TIME Style & Design subscribers 187,223

Retailers: Identify Your Primary Trade Area And Create Top-Of-Mind Awareness

It’s all about top-of-mind awareness so that people think of you when they’re ready to buy. And the first step is clearly defining your trade area because if you’re a brick and mortar retailer, you’re dependent on the households within a reasonable drive-time of your store. Once you know where your customers are located you can begin the process of making certain they know who you are and what you have to offer.
Today’s mapping software makes it easy to see your trade area, but just seeing a pretty map isn’t enough. You need to apply some logic based on where current customers live, where your competition is located and the travel behaviors of shoppers in the marketplace.
If you don’t have a customer database then you’ll need to test to figure out your optimum trade area: But once you have a clear target, you’ll stop wasting advertising dollars on long-shots. What’s more important, effective trade area targeting means you’ll spend dollars wisely and begin to establish top-of-mind awareness that will give you an edge over the competition.
This strategy is appropriate for:
Brick-and-Mortar Business to Consumer Retailers
· Restaurants
· Dry Cleaners
· Hardware and Home Improvement Retailers
· Rental Services
· Soft Goods
· Food, Drug and Liquor
· Discount Stores
· Specialty Retailers
Objective: Establish top-of-mind awareness in a store’s primary trade area.
Method: Geocode the customer database and map (scatter plot and measure) to define the optimum trade area or execute test mailings and use the results for a second test mailing
Define trade area by:
· Concentrations of customers per carrier route
o Rank carrier routes
o By recency, frequency and monetary value (if available)
o By type of promotion / offer (if available)
· Calculate the average drive-time of a customer
· Plot competitors and identify shared trade areas
· Establish shopping travel-pattern behavior
· Identify prospects and develop a direct mail or general advertising contact strategy targeted geographically to the highest ranking carrier routes

Reach Brand New Businesses … A Huge Opportunity to Tap Into Startups

If you sell what new businesses need then you can tap into start-up funds with this New-Business Prospecting Program: New business contact information is available and reliable because lists are compiled from public records and utility hook-ups at the time businesses are formed. And, the lists are categorized by SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) so you can hone in on the types of businesses that need your products or services most. Plus! Even in these trying economic times the number of new businesses being formed is substantial so you likely won’t run out of prospects.

On a national level there were:
· 2.3 million New Businesses formed in the past 12 months

And ...
· 200,000 New Business contact records are available each month -or-
· 40,000 New Business contact records are available each week

Information available on the New Business database:
· DBA, primary contact name and mailing address
· Phone number
· SIC Code
· Residential or Commercial based business

This is an appropriate strategy for:
Business to Business goods and services
o Office Supply
o Advertising Services
o Web Developers
o Electronics Suppliers
o Accounting Services
o Office Furnishings
o Delivery Services
o Transportation and Shipping Suppliers
o Financial Service Consultants
o Attorneys
o Goods and Services (specific to an industry)

Objective: Create new customers who look like your best customers.

Method: Analyze the customer database to identify the types of businesses that generate 80% of the profit. Choose businesses that look like your best customers.

Strategy: Execute a lead generation campaign using direct mail and direct contact via telephone or email.

Tactic: Personal letter from a senior executive co-signed by the sales representative who will follow up with personal contact. Mail new businesses monthly and follow up within one week of the letter reaching the prospect to develop a follow-up strategy. Remail quarterly until each prospect has had the opportunity to respond to your sales reprentative.

Scope: Six to eight week test campaign (direct mail quantity determined by results of analysis and budget).

The Direct Mail Package: Letter format: An 8 ½ x 14 laser printed letter with a perforated “faux check” or certificate offering a discount on initial purchase (or free white paper or some other call to action). Piece will be inserted into standard #10 kraft outer envelope. Enclose a tri-fold brochure with complete product information and testimonials.

Copy: Testimonials from current customer(s) in same or similar business as the prospect.

Hyper-Local Marketing For High Ticket, Home Improvement Lead Generation

Capitalize On the Power of the School Lunch Menu and Police Blotter: Local newspapers, unlike Metro newspapers continue to enjoy high readership and high penetration in their primary circulation areas. People are interested in local news, and if you ask any local newspaper reader she likely will tell you that the police blotter, school lunch menu and recently closed real estate sales are the reason why she reads every week.

Now, nothing is for certain, but it’s worth a test to see if using your customer database to identify a hyper market (ie. area where neighborhoods are filled with potential customers), and then running an integrated direct mail and newspaper campaign will become a reliable method for generating qualified leads.

Hyper-Local Marketing Test For Home Improvement Lead Generation

This is an appropriate strategy for:
Residential Remodeling Product Sales and Contractors
o Home Additions
o Window Replacement
o Basement Waterproofing
o Roofing
o Garage Doors
o Garage Builders
o Carpeting, Flooring and Tile
o High End Window Treatments
o Fencing (including invisible fencing)
o High End Landscape Contractors
o Kitchen Remodeling and Cabinet Refacing

Objective: Generate quality leads.
Method: Analyze the customer database to identify neighborhoods where most recent customers live. Use this information to target prospects in zip codes and clusters of zip codes that rank high in terms of having the greatest number of potential customers.
Strategy: Execute a multi-channel, hyper-local lead generation campaign using direct mail, email and free-standing inserts and ads in local newspapers. Layer the ad campaign with articles and press releases with the purpose of creating top-of-mind awareness in an important “micro-market”.
Tactic: Testimonial quotes and photos from satisfied customers.
Scope: Six to eight week test campaign (direct mail quantity determined by results of analysis and budget).

Direct Mail:
The List: Using current customer database, create a geographic profile of recent customers (active within 24 months). Select names based on the following criteria:

- High ranking geography (in terms of where customers live)
- Single family dwelling
- Home value is in upper quartile (based on median price of homes in the area)
- Age of home is greater than 10 years (or any number of years relative to the home improvement category

List processing: Purge existing customers from the mailing.

The offer: Test three offers (sequentially vary throughout the mail file). Examples of effective offers might be:
o FREE (countertops, drapery rods, padding, etc.)
o % off (test different price points)
o $ off (test different price points)
o FREE installation

Call to action: Call 800 # and/or go to website to contact

The Direct Mail Package: Letter format: An 8 ½ x 14 laser printed letter with a perforated “faux check” or certificate offering a discount on purchase. Piece will be inserted into standard #10 kraft outer envelope. Enclose a tri-fold brochure with complete product information and testimonials.

Newspaper:
Publications: Community and neighborhood newspapers with paid circulation in the target markets. Select newspapers that have at least 50% penetration in the primary circulation area.

Offer: Highest (most generous) offer in direct mail test.

Call to action: Call 800 #

Email:
Email list: Double opt-in consumers (and consumers at work) in zip codes that cover the hyper-local targeted area.

Offer: Test three offers (sequentially vary throughout the mail file).

Calls to action: Click to website contact form; request an estimate and Call 800 #.

Visit this blog often for insights on direct marketing ...

Come to Measured Marketing Insights when you're looking for new ways to go direct. We're a creative bunch with years and years of advertising and direct marketing experience. We have a passion for doing it right ... for communicating clearly and effectively and using practical methods to reach new customers and keep good customers coming back.

We're looking forward to sharing our insights on direct mail, mailing lists, offer testing, internet strategies, targeting, back end analysis and more to help you get - and measure - your results.

Yes! We'll share our insights on all the fun things that we marketers do to figure out what's working (and what's not working!).

So, visit often and keep the faith !

Measured Marketing Insights

P.S. There are no magic bullets in marketing, but that doesn't mean there isn't alot of ammunition! Like the "P.S." on a direct marketing letter ... whatever you write almost ALWAYS gets read!