Our own masterpieces

Project:

The International Direct Marketing Fair 2008 visitor marketing campaign

Client:

Reed Exhibitions

Introduction

The International Direct Marketing Fair was the UK's largest and longest established exhibition for the direct marketing industry.

In 2008, they wanted to 'practice what they preach' by using some of the latest marketing innovations to promote the exhibition to the marketing industry, encouraging them to visit the website to register.

Brief and objectives

To design and develop a direct marketing campaign utilising highly personalised communications for direct mail, email and the web.

To drive more unique users, year-on-year, to the official website at www.idmf.co.uk

To raise the profile of The International Direct Marketing Fair.

Target audience

Marketing strategy makers and decision takers in direct marketing, data, customer management and research.

Managers and above, they were responsible for customer retention and acquisition and they managed all communications with their customers and prospects.

B2B, B2C and not-for-profit professionals from all industry sectors.

Largely UK based.

The solution

An integrated direct marketing campaign featuring:

  • Wave 1 – 35,000 personalised and dynamic emails
  • Wave 2 – 35,000 personalised and dynamic direct mailers
  • Wave 3 – 35,000 personalised and dynamic emails
  • Wave 4 – 35,000 personalised and dynamic direct mailers
  • Personalised websites and URLs for all contacts

Lorien Unique worked with The International Direct Marketing Fair marketing team and their design agency, Elliottyoung, to design and develop their creative campaign.

Dynamic and personalised emails and direct mail

The emails and direct mail use the same creative treatment. The email was HTML featuring a personalised comic story and a letter, which appeared underneath the comic. The direct mailer was an A5, eight page digitally printed booklet and was inserted into a clear C5 envelope.

  • Dynamic and Personalised Direct Mail – Example 1
  • Dynamic and Personalised Email – Example 2

The story has extensive personalisation throughout but specifically on page 1, where each frame of the comic was personalised in either words or imagery. In total there were 30 different permutations of the comic strip based on imagery alone.

Plus, the email and direct mail piece featured five targeted letters, which changed dependent on recipient type. And, there was further personalisation in the masthead (first name, last name) and footer (personalised URL) throughout the other six pages.

Personalised websites and URLs

The main call-to-action on all of the direct mail and personalised emails was the personalised URLs, which linked through to a personalised web page. A separate domain was purchased for the URLs and was a variation on their main address of www.idmf.co.uk. The personalised websites used the overall look and feel of the main website but featured personalised elements to work with the direct mail and emails.

The main call-to-action on all of the direct mail and personalised emails was the personalised URLs, which linked through to a personalised web page.

A separate domain was purchased for the URLs – www.myidmf.co.uk/firstname.lastname. This was a variation on their main address of www.idmf.co.uk

The personalised websites used the overall look and feel of the main website but featured personalised elements to work with the direct mail and emails.

Please click on the link below to see an example, which highlights all of the areas that feature dynamic content.

  • Dynamic and Personalised Websites and PURLs – Example 1

The results

The response rates for the emails and direct mail were:

Personalised and dynamic email – 44%
Personalised and dynamic direct mail – 9%

Actual impact

The International Direct Marketing Fair Website Statistics

  2006 2007 2008 % increase
yr-on-yr
Page Views 409,296 416,483 464,099 +11%
Unique Users 53,854 62,104 96,398 +55%

For more information about how Lorien Unique can help you to improve your response rates, please contact:

Tel:     +44 (0)8703 344400
Email: enquiries@lorienunique.com

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