The Proof is in the Planning (and don't forget it's Movember!)

Late last week I met with a customer at a credit union. Over lunch, we were discussing direct mail ideas for 2012 (yikes! that will be here very soon), and ways that you can most effectively use mail to reach clients and prospects. After tossing out the typical questions, such as do you want this to be an ongoing mail campaign (multiple drops), how many are you targeting, are you offering different services or a group or services, etc., I realized she needed more ammo than I could "shoot from the hip." In planning for her annual budget, she needed proof that what we were discussing was a good method of approach for her 2012 marketing campaign. So, I came back to my office and dug up some case studies from BPI Media Group's storefront for account reps. Here's what I found, and I wanted to share it with you in case you need to tap into some of these resources in planning your marketing strategy for 2012.

I discovered a wealth of knowledge and experience we have through case studies. The case studies are those from BPI and our peers in the industry through professional associations. We have these broken down by vertical markets:

• Automotive
• Education
• Financial
• Fundraising
• Grocery
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Insurance
• Mortgage
• Real Estate
• Retail
• Sports
• Statements (Notices/Invoices)
• Telecommunications

Within each of these folders for each vertical are multiple case studies. Some are geared strictly toward direct mail, some toward personalized landing pages, some toward digital printing and some toward VDP (variable data printing). There's a ton of info and insight into what has worked for other marketers. The way I see it, why not learn from the experience of your peers and colleagues in the same industry? Your planning can be made easier by the proof they provide in these case studies. How awesome is that?

Being able to help this marketer by providing her with case studies not only gave her the statistics she needed to see for what has been effective (and present that data to the board for budget approval), but it also got the creative wheels turning. Sometimes, just a different perspective is all one needs to come up with a genius marketing plan! This is where marketing and strategy come together to develop a plan.

Another thing that you may want to consider in your planning is having an online storefront. Using BPI's storefront made it easy for me to locate the case studies I needed, save them as a pdf or order a few copies as print on demand. If you could benefit from having a site where reps or employees can order items as print on demand or have access to pdf documents, we would be glad to discuss your needs and provide a quote. You could include a storefront in your 2012 marketing plans, and myself along with some of BPI's clients can tell you how much time that has saved! (PS-I have a marketer's brief that is all about materials asset management to help you determine how much a storefront/fulfillment solution could save you.) If part of your to-do list in the coming weeks is to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and present a marketing plan or preliminary budget and you need some help with planning or proof of what works, let me know. I'd love to talk with you about it and share a case study (or studies) with you to help guide you in your planning. We could do some quotes for you to help know costs up front. After all, doing your homework can really pay off in the long run! (I know some high school teachers who are grinning ear to ear reading this.)

Join me in supporting men's health during Movember for the special men in your life (Dads, brothers, boyfriends, husbands, sons, etc.) Click here to learn more and donate to this great cause if you'd like. Until next time...Elizabeth