MindFireInc Spotlight
Fast Fact
A recent DMA survey found that two-thirds of consumers said they are reviewing direct mail more closely than a year ago. The study found that this is due to a higher desire for special offers.
Solving a Critical Business Issue
What is the one thing that all of your clients are thinking about? In these challenging times every organization should be thinking about maintaining their current customer base. As a MindFireInc® Partner you are in a unique position to have a strategic conversation about client retention with key executives at your top clients.
Any astute business professional knows that it is less expensive to maintain client relationships than it is to develop a new one. Because of this, many companies are keenly focused on client retention strategies in these challenging times. With the changing needs of the marketplace and buyer behavior unpredictable, many organizations are looking for ways to understand what is happening in the marketplace. Most executives have a desire to keep their finger on the pulse of the customer.
The LookWhosClicking® survey tool is an excellent way to help your clients gain the business intelligence they so critically need. Rather than approaching a client about a "PURL" project, this month talk to them about customer retention strategies. Ask them if they have a clear understanding of what factors are affecting their clients. Ask them if they have clear insight as to what is motivating their current clients to buy?
By having a conversation with key executives about retention strategies you will be positioning yourself as a subject matter expert. Often you will find that senior executives are concerned about customer retention, but they do not have a clear understanding of what is happening in the marketplace.
A cross media campaign can be the perfect solution to gathering business intelligence and creating "good will" with customers. By conducting a survey, your clients will have the ability to react to any feedback that may cause concern. They can also use the campaign to provide an offer that will help generate short term revenue.
After you have launched a retention campaign for a client, be sure to do a thorough campaign debrief. Ask your client if they can monetize that value of the customer insight. If you are calling at the right level of the organization this process should provide a home run for both you and your client.
Tech Tip - Personalized URL Security
Often, MindFireInc® Partners are asked, "How secure is a Personalized URL, Landing Page, or Microsite?" Clients want to ensure that the data displayed on (or entered into) a Landing Page or Microsite URL is safe. With very little effort, these aspects of the LookWho’sClicking® system can be as secure as any e-commerce system on the internet.
The first layer of security is known as Secure Socket Layer or SSL. This can be quickly activated in the Global Properties section of the campaign by simply using the pull down menu and turning SSL on. When a SSL is activated, respondents to a Landing Page are automatically directed to an SSL-enabled version of the Landing Page. The respondent will know they have hit a secure page because the URL displayed in the browser’s address bar will now read https: ("s" for secure), and in most browsers an icon that looks like a padlock will be displayed.
How does SSL work? When a Landing Page or Microsite is SSL-enabled, the respondent’s browser checks to ensure that the site connected to is a "real" site, and not someone intercepting the connection. This is done by checking the site’s secure certificate.
Then, the browser determines the encryption types that the browser and web site server can both use to understand each other. The browser and server then send each other unique codes (also known as a key) to use when encrypting the information that will be sent.
At this point, the browser and server can be speaking to each other using the encryption, and the web browser shows the encryption icon (usually a padlock), and pages are processed securely.
How secure is the LookWho’sClicking SSL? In a word, it is "very" secure. The system uses industry standard 128 and 256 bit high grade encryption. The level of security used during the respondent’s visit is determined by the respondent’s browser. What does this really mean? Let’s put it in terms that are easier to understand: If every person in the world had 10 computers trying to crack the combination and each computer could try 10 billion combinations per second, then it would take 77,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years to crack one personalized URL.1
If that is not enough to put your client’s mind at ease, you can also assure them that all of the MindFireInc data centers are SAS-70 Type II (the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70) compliant. This is a set of industry standards that among other things, ensures that certain security controls are in place to protect data. These standards are audited by independent party to ensure compliance. While many marketing professionals may not be familiar with SAS-70 certification, you can assume that their IT counterparts will be.
Finally, the LookWho’sClicking system can also be configured to require a password to be entered on the welcome page. This password can help protect any information that has been uploaded to the system including contact information that might pre-populate in the profile page.
Each of these tools adds an additional layer of security for your clients. For more information about security of the MindFireInc LookWho’sClicking system you can visit the Knowledge Base in your Control Panel. Simply select the RESOURCES tab and click the Knowledge Base button that appears at the top of the page.
1 Source = Seagate Technology whitepaper 128 bit vs. 256 bit encryption
As a service provider you are likely asked to provide a mailing list on a regular basis. Even with a great looking mail piece and a solid offer, you will not get responses unless you are sending your piece to the right people. Here are some tips on how to select the right list:
First and foremost, start with the right list vendor. You can acquire lists from hundreds if not thousands of different sources. In most cases it is better to work with a list broker. These companies will have the ability to purchase lists from dozens of sources. This is helpful because they will be "vendor agnostic" and can direct you to the data that is best suited for your campaign.
Develop a relationship with your provider. You will come to find them to be more of a partner than a vendor. By having a key point of contact you will be able to brainstorm which data sets will be best for your particular campaigns. Because brokers work with data every day they will be familiar with new products that are available on the market. A data expert will also help you micro target your list by suggesting different "selects" that you can use. By refining your target you can provide a more relevant experience to the recipient, and ultimately improve your results.
Go for a quality list. Not all lists are created the same. A reputable supplier will know which lists have the highest quality. It is important those lists are updated on a regular basis; old data will lead to poor results. By spending a few cents more you may be able to significantly improve the quality of information you are purchasing.
Recently, a MindFireInc® Partner helped a high end contractor generate a 20x return on investment in less than seven business days. Republic West is a manufacturer and contractor specializing in three key areas: window & door replacement, cabinet refacing, and kitchen remodeling. They specialize in a process driven approach that provides high quality craftsmanship with a minimal amount of lifestyle disruption during the renovation.
Republic West needed to generate incremental revenue to impact profitability across all divisions. They needed to do this in a short period of time to ensure that all of their experienced staff could be retained. The goal was to convert those prospects that had shown some interest over the last year, but did not make a purchase. Republic West worked with the MindFireInc Partner to develop a multi channel campaign that included variable data direct mail complimented by a trackable email campaign.
The service provider began by indentifying ways to segment customers from their existing database. The simplest way was to look at prospects in terms of the product line they had initially shown interest in. A cross media campaign was developed with variable messaging and imagery that covered all three divisions of the organization.
The overall theme that was developed focused on a concept that time was running out. A highly stylized mail piece was developed that drove customers to either call or visit the company website. A cross media component was also included. Each recipient received a series of emails that followed the direct mail. Respondents were informed about special incentives the federal government was offering as part of the stimulus plan.
Within minutes of the initial email blast sales people were receiving leads. The process included an immediate phone conversation, and then a formal appointment. Within seven business days this campaign generated over $100,000 in incremental revenue. The key value for the client was far more than the revenue. They had a critical business need to retain their highly skilled staff. By retaining their staff they protected years of investment in training and developing.
