Electronic direct mail
At Red Campion we encourage clients to talk to their customers. Building relationships through high quality electronic communications seems to us a marketing fundamental.
We have learned from experience that a ‘soft sell’ approach is very powerful. After all, most of your customers and prospects will know you and it can be counter productive to push too hard.
However, in our view there is a time and a place for a harder sell. Everyone likes an offer or a deal and well presented at the right time, it can be welcomed via email.
Equally, we like to include e-comms in a programme that has no obvious sell at all.
A customer survey for example, where we
simply ask the opinions of our audience.
Here are three recent examples from Red Campion client IDEXX Technologies, talking to both prospects and customers of their water testing products.
Soft sell, harder sell and no sell. Three different ways to talk to your customers. Intelligent communication, well presented, delivering high opening rates and minimal unsubscribes.
Above all, keeping customers in touch and making clear that their business is valued.
The soft sell
The harder sell
Almost no sell at all
One of IDEXX’s products recently received an important 'blue book' industry accreditation.
Cue an email alerting their base that the drinking water test in question could be used with added confidence and security as a result.
IDEXX water testing technology is wonderfully simple to use. They also have a clever piece of kit to quantify the level of target bacteria in a water sample.
Here’s an attractive offer to customers for an equipment upgrade. No messing. Simple and to the point.
Listening to customers is critically important.
Red Campion devised the ‘One Minute Survey’ to garner opinion and make clear that becoming involved would not impose on the recipients. The response was phenomenal.
Promoting sophisticated testing technology for IDEXX Water
The Water Division of IDEXX Laboratories Inc. develops and markets tests for a variety of water borne bacteria. These products represent a new technology and way of working in comparison with conventional water testing.
IDEXX were looking for a communication strategy to promote their products to both prospects and existing customers.
Given a relatively small specialist audience of influencers and specifiers, direct communications was clearly the key to unlock the door. But what was the right methodology?
A programme of electronic mail was recommended to help build relationships and exploit strong product benefits to educate and stimulate product enquiry and trial.
The electronic mail was supported by highly cost-effective microsites carrying further information and literature for download. The marketing microsites also providing data capture and a portal into the IDEXX corporate web infrastructure.
Mail opening rates are high - as they should be given quality content from a trusted source. Initiated in the UK, the successful model has been rolled out across a number of continental markets.