Newsletter

April 2010

MindFireInc Spotlight is a monthly newsletter prepared and edited by Ted Raymond of Allegra.

Fast Fact

According to an online report by MSKYNET, 10 million QR codes were scanned in the month of December in 2009). Of those scanned from a mobile device, more than 42% of them came from iPhones.

Sales Tip: Make it Interactive

In today’s business world, simply targeting prospects is not enough. Marketing professionals are increasingly interested in a higher level of interactivity from their marketing and advertising efforts. There is a growing trend to tie together both online and off-line marketing into a single “user experience”.  The MindFireInc Personalized URL system creates the perfect platform in which to build this interactive experience. There are several emerging technologies that can be integrated into the MindFireInc system to create a highly interactive campaign. Below are just a few samples of how you can utilize our market leading technology that we have available today.

QR codes – QR codes are a two dimensional barcode originally developed by a Japanese Corporation in 1994 for inventory control.  QR stands for quick response. This two-dimensional matrix can be scanned by mobile phones or web cams and can launch specific computer commands such as launching a particular URL. This includes Personalized URLs created in the MindFireInc environment. Including the two dimensional barcode on a direct mail piece is one growing application of the QR codes. This piece can then be scanned by a mobile device such as an iPhone or Webcam to launch a specific URL. This takes what was traditionally a standard direct mail piece and makes it completely interactive with a mobile device and the web. While the software technology on many mobile devices has not hit critical mass in the United States, internationally this technology has been in place for years. Within the next several months, experts anticipate an increase in the implementation of QR codes in North America.. Most people (in business or in general?-quite possibly an attractive group of people) agree that the fastest growing segment of QR code users will be through a boost in mobile device users, especially those of whom use smartphones. In today’s business efforts, campaigns that integrate QR codes should be targeted at tech savvy or professional recipients in IT, marketing, or affiliates of the mobile industry. A proper understanding of this technology is required and can be learned in order to extract the results that you may desire.

Augmented reality – In simple terms augmented reality is a combination of a direct view of the physical environment with elements that are enhanced by computer-generated imagery. This is most often achieved by combining a live view of the environment from a Webcam with an overlaid digital display. A good example of augmented reality is the “first-down line” that is superimposed on the football field in an NFL broadcast. The technology combines the live action of the football game with the augmented reality of the first down line. This technology has become more advanced and has taken print and online marketing to a whole new level.

Recently, the Lego Company began to experiment with augmented reality in their retail locations. They integrated print, in this case the package of the Lego box with web-based technology to create a new experience. In their retail locations they have Web-enabled cameras and video monitors throughout the store. Shoppers have the ability to take a box off the shelf and walk up to one of these cameras. The camera displays the shopper standing in front of the monitor in real time.  Simultaneously, the camera instantly recognizes the pattern that is printed on the box the shopper is holding and superimposes the completely constructed Lego model in a three-dimensional virtual environment.  The shopper then appears to be holding a fully constructed version of the toy in their hand.

This same technology is available for integration into Adobe Flash which can be used in the MindFireInc system. Augmented reality does require some advanced knowledge but is completely open source code. Advance providers of cross media marketing services are now integrating Personalized URLs with augmented reality.  One application of this is to send a direct mail piece with a URL printed on the mailer.  When the recipient goes to this site they are instructed to launch their webcam. They subsequently see the view of the room that they are sitting in appear on the screen.  When they hold up the direct mail piece in front of the camera it can then be transformed into a three dimensional object.

Short codes – As text messaging and mobile technology continue to advance, short codes have become more popular. One recent example of this was the donation mechanism for the Haiti disaster.  Millions of dollars were donated simply by texting the word Haiti to 6436.  This technology can also be used to create interactivity direct mail. Along with QR codes and augmented reality, many marketers are also including short codes in multiple media channels to create interactivity and begin a dialogue with their clients.

Tech Tip: E-mail vs. Direct Mail

Many marketing service providers have struggled with the appropriate use of e-mail vs. direct mail. When is it appropriate to use an e-mail blast as an invitation to personalize URL versus using direct mail? Many experts in the cross media space would say that the best practice is to use both direct mail and e-mail. In this article we will explore when it may be appropriate to use one over the other.

E-mail – The advantage of using e-mail with cross media marketing is that it is quick and easy and is relatively inexpensive. E-mail is an ideal solution for cross media marketing when speed to market is of the utmost importance. E-mail is also an ideal solution to promote transactional offers. For example: an end of the month sale to reduct inventory that will only run for two days. The disadvantage of e-mail is that it can often be lost because of the sheer volume of electronic communication that consumers receive. In addition, e-mail is perceived as less valuable by the recipient and therefore, often times, not the ideal way to build a relationship. Finally, it is difficult to purchase an e-mail list. It is often necessary to prospect potential clients before you will have an opportunity to collect their e-mail address.

Direct mail – The advantage of direct mail is that it has a higher perceived value to most recipients. Direct mail is particularly powerful when it is produced using advanced variable data print technology. This allows the imaging and messaging to be targeted to a specific recipient. Recipients often see this type of communication as requiring a greater investment on behalf of the marketer and therefore lead to a higher perceived value. This incremental value is critical when trying to develop a long-term relationship with a prospect. In addition, there is a broad market of data compilers that you can purchase lists from. Direct mail is an ideal opportunity to reach out to grasp new prospects and compels them to their Personalized URLs where the acquisition of their e-mail addresses will take place.

Integration of multiple channels – In the perfect world, marketers will have the ability to use both direct mail and e-mail to target prospects with multiple channels. This is clearly a best practice when marketing to existing customers. E-mail and direct mail should be coordinated to be received by the recipients on the same day. Many marketing service providers will include e-mail communication that instructs the recipient to look in their mailbox for special offers. This type of integrated communication will provide the best results.

Data Management: Survey Says

As a service provider of cross media marketing, have you leveraged the technology to fully support your business? The power of cross media technology can be used to address several key business issues including customer satisfaction, cross-selling, and referral management.

Let’s explore the possibility of using a multi-channel approach to address all of the business issues listed above. This process could be used for a marketing service provider or any company where recurring business is important to the growth of the bottom line.

It is a common business practice to survey clients after they’ve completed a project or transaction. This process is used to measure customer satisfaction and identify potential issues early. The MindFireInc solution can be easily configured to accomplish this important business task. One example of this would be to send out an e-mail each month to all clients that completed a project. This e-mail could simply invite them to complete a quick customer satisfaction survey. By crafting the language in this e-mail appropriately, you can easily send the message that ongoing feedback is an important part of your business culture.

After recipients receive the e-mail, they would be asked to report to their personalized URL. This URL can be very basic.  The survey could be configured to ask a few simple questions. For example:

• How satisfied are you with a product or service that you just received? (pull down scale 1-5)
• How likely are you to refer a friend or colleague? (Pull down scale 1-5)
• Please select from the list below of those products or services that you would like to receive more information on. (Checkbox of all primary services)

Creating a survey with these simple questions can provide powerful insight about your clients. First, simply measuring their satisfaction is a fantastic way to understand where you may need to adjust your service model. Secondly, asking a question about how likely they are to refer a colleague is an excellent way to measure how loyal and engaged your client is with your business. Finally, having a series of checkboxes with all of your products and services you will be able to introduce cross-selling opportunities to your client and let them self select into areas that they’re interested to receive more information.

After the simple survey you can version thank you pages based on how the respondent has answered the questions in the survey. For example, the respondent who said they were highly likely to refer a friend or colleague can be redirected to a thank you page that can capture information immediately on who that individual referral is. In addition, you could easily set up a series of e-mail triggers that would provide information on specific products and services based on how the respondent answered the third question.

Internally, this data can be very powerful. Information collected on customer satisfaction can be used to immediately address issues that may be arising before they result in client defection. It is also an outstanding opportunity to look for areas to recognize staff members that are going above and beyond. Data that is collected from the survey must be reacted to immediately. This will encourage respondents to fill out future surveys they may receive. Over the course of a year, it will also provide tremendous trend analysis to help you evaluate the quality and value of your service.

Case Study

Recently, a MindFireInc service provider used cross media technology to effectively communicate the acquisition of a competitor. By carefully versioning outbound communications, the service provider was able to ease the transition and retain a greater portion of accounts.

In challenging economic times, it is only fitting that some industry consolidation will take place. This is no different in the print and marketing industry. During times of consolidation clients can feel uneasy about transitioning to new providers. One such situation recently took place when a MindFireInc service provider acquired a struggling digital print operation in their market area.

Upon the acquisition, it was important to communicate with the clients of the purchased company. They were concerned about pricing, artwork and customer satisfaction levels. Using multi-channel communication, a message was sent to existing clients that positioned the transition not as an acquisition but a merger. Key points were communicated to this customer segment including the fact that pricing would remain consistent for at least a period of one year. Clients were then driven to a URL that introduced the new organization and allowed them to experience the company’s website. This intermediate micro site allowed co-branding to take place. This co-branded site successfully eased the concerns that many of these clients had.

The second segment was the existing clients of the parent company and the general marketplace. It was important to communicate that the parent company was in a strong financial position and was continuing to grow through the acquisition. Therefore the messaging being communicated was very different. By versioning direct-mail communication and micro sites, two very distinct segments of communications were deployed by the service provider.

By effectively using data, the service provider was able to achieve two distinct goals. First, they were able to ease the fears of those clients that would be undergoing a transition to a new provider. Second, they were able to position themselves to the general marketplace as a company in a strong financial position with the ability to grow while others are struggling. This multifaceted approach of communication has resulted in a high percentage of retained business as well as increased visibility within the industry and marketplace.