A Lasting Relationship
Customer databases can help direct marketers to retain a unique record of each customer and make communications relevant to individual needs. Databases can analyze the demographics of customers’ addresses. For example, postcoding an address provides access to government census data. Details about customers can be used to target offers and segment the market. Personalization can be effective if it dramatizes the message and the offer. In the UK, the public perceives direct mail negatively, due to its irrelevance to most recipients. However, computer databases can identify and target the most responsive customers. By eliminating unprofitable segments of the market, the total profitability of a campaign can be increased dramatically. Such statistical modeling can provide a competitive edge for a variety of companies: 1. business-to-business marketers, 2. automobile manufacturers, and 3. consumer goods advertisers.
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Pearson, Stewart
Full text: [Marketing] May 22, 1986
Modern Business Goliaths Felled by ‘David Strategy’
Small and regional companies can compete with larger corporations through an accurate analysis of the competition and an actionable appraisal of themselves. When analyzing a large company, it is possible to identify weaknesses, such as high fixed costs and the ”cash flow” trap. However, smaller companies must analyze their own strengths and weaknesses. Community Coffee, a small coffee roaster, was losing share to General Foods’ Maxwell House and Procter & Gamble’s Folger’s. The 2 giants were planning to reduce merchandising expenditures, creating discontent within the trade. Community Coffee’s direct sales force had regular contact with the trade, an agility the other 2 did not have. Community rapidly gained merchandising support and shelf space through its sales force’s leverage against the trade’s discontent with the big companies’ merchandising spending cuts. In another case, Diamond Crystal Salt was able to mount an aggressive campaign against Morton Salt in its regional core markets when it found out Morton was not investing in its salt business. Diamond now outsells Morton by as much as 3-1 in these markets. Small companies should advertise, but they do not have to spend more money to compete with the giants.
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Stibel, Gary M.
Full text: [Marketing News] May 23, 1986
Increase Sales by Decreasing Number of Bad Leads
In a campaign to generate sales, the percentage of legitimate leads is relatively small. A system is needed to restore credibility by recognizing the value of a salesperson’s time. Such a system consists of: 1. a mechanism for response from the target audience, 2. a method for quick response to the audience with a letter, brochure, or sample, 3. a follow-up telephone call to qualify the prospect and answer questions, and 4. a way to record the inquiry. Responses usually are produced from mail, print advertisements or trade shows; with the first 2, business reply cards are often included. Responding quickly with a letter, literature, or a sample is essential. Follow-up phone calls are the key to the system; the prospect usually views this as positive. The calls determine if the mailing was received, what questions the prospect has, whether the person can make a decision, and what advantages the product has over the competition. All inquiries should be recorded, and each should be categorized as a hot lead, a warm lead, long-term potential, no potential, or unusable. Salespeople should understand that such a system benefits them by providing qualified prospects.
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Hood, Robert
Full text: [Marketing News] May 23, 1986
U.S. political consultants exporting their skills
WASHINGTON (UPI) – A small cadre of U.S. political consultants is exporting American-style politics, advising foreign candidates and their parties on how to take the pulse of voters and win an election. In South America, Europe, Africa, Greece, Israel and other places, U.S. consultants are marketing their skills in polling, television advertising, direct mail and even the exit polls used by television to project winners. “I don’t think the world is suffering because of a spread of American media consultants,” says consulting magnate David Garth, who has handled many campaigns around the world and in the United States.
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Full text: [The Ottawa Citizen] May 24, 1986
Special report: Bank of Boston invests in marketing campaign
The Bank of Boston, the 14th largest bank in the US, has begun a marketing campaign to promote itself as a “friendly consumer bank”. The bank continues to pursue retail, commercial and business lending aggressively and has made several acquisitions since New England’s six-state interstate banking legislation was passed. Part of the marketing campaign has been a 2 million piece mailing promoting the bank’s three credit cards.
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Dunphy, Paul
Full text: [Advertising Age] May 26, 1986
New England: Bank of Boston Invests in Marketing Campaign
The 202-year-old Bank of Boston, (Massachusetts), the largest bank in New England, has launched an aggressive campaign to position itself as a friendly consumer bank. The bank is moving into interstate banking and has adopted an offensive-defensive marketing strategy. The bank plans to challenge competition from outsiders and from regional banks. According to James McDermott of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, investors have been reacting favorably to Bank of Boston — primarily because of results of its marketing efforts. The bank’s efforts include a First Choice Auto Loan campaign, direct mailings, and other specific product promotions. Bank of Boston’s 1986 advertising budget will increase to about $10 million. Despite its momentum, Bank of Boston was embarrassed recently when it had to plead guilty to charges of failing to report cash shipments. As a result, the bank kept a lower advertising profile but strengthened its relationship with its ad agency.
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Dunphy, Paul
Full text: [Advertising Age] May 26, 1986
Lever’s Coup De Claxon
The UK’s market for commercial detergents, worth some L4 million-L5 million annually, has been in a steady decline. However, market leader Lever Industrial’s Trevor Goul-Wheeker explains that Lever decided to stay in the market because it is international. The company launched a new powder, Clax Crystal, in 1985 that is now the top-selling premium laundry detergent. Goul-Wheeker adds that Lever introduced Clax Crystal as a forerunner for a series of Clax products. The firm positioned the detergent as a premium product to help laundries promote their services on the basis of quality. The promotion for Clax Crystal was targeted to laundry managers and used direct mail. The mailings included a test kit and free product offer. An incentive plan for the salesforce featured prizes of Waterford crystal. The promotion, done on a budget of L25,000, was successful. Clax Crystal now has 45% of its market segment, and Lever has introduced Claxmatic, another new product.
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Kreitzman, Leon
Full text: [Marketing] May 29, 1986
Money & Politics
According to early 1986 figures, 18 Republican senators running for reelection in 1986 had already collected about $22.6 million in contributions for their campaign treasuries. The 9 Democratic senators who will be up for reelection had raised only $6.4 million. The Republicans also have a database containing more than 10 million donors on the national level, and they have intensely developed their ”small donor” database. Despite this volume of funds, in the last few years, political fund-raising in general has suffered. Direct mail donations have been falling off at high rates because of factors that include economic forces, the saturation of political fund-raising programs, and a scarcity of talent in the field. Some politicians have been criticized for not taking direct mail fund-raising efforts seriously enough. To counter negative trends, politicians should become more aware of the fund-raising process. It may be possible to create new issues and programs, such as the Presidential Task Force, through which President Reagan makes appeals to Republican voters for donations of $120 or more.
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Hanley, Kevin
Full text: [Zip Target Marketing] Jun 1986
DM Hot Spots
The US Midwest has been cited as a frontier for direct marketing (DM) growth and profit maximization. Mid-continent corporate location seems to be especially appealing to members of the telemarketing industry, such as WATS Marketing of America (Omaha, Nebraska) and USA 800 (Kansas City, Missouri). Several DM companies have experienced substantial savings on shipping and distribution expenditures because destinations are more equidistant. Direct marketers based in the Midwest mention that being in the Central Time Zone gives greater flexibility in telemarketing, and the ”neutral” accent quality of employees means calls do not sound parochial. Some cities, such as Duluth, Minnesota, have begun corporate relocation campaigns focused on direct marketers. In Duluth, the campaign involves the Chamber of Commerce and independent investors. Kansas City, Missouri, is also positioning itself as a relocation site for DM.
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Thiermann, Heather B.
Full text: [Zip Target Marketing] Jun 1986
It’s Time to Fight Back Against Quackery
Called the ”$10-billion scandal,” health fraud, or quackery, reflects badly on all pharmaceutical companies, as well as the media that promote them. A mail survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Advertising Council and the Food & Drug Administration provides evidence of the need for the education and protection of the public in regard to health fraud. The survey was done in preparation for a joint print and broadcast public service campaign. Although the survey’s sample tended to be older, better educated, and disproportionately Caucasian, it gave much insight into the public’s perception of health fraud. Almost 1/2 of the respondents reported that they had purchased a product that did not work. Almost all the respondents felt that quackery involves needless expenditures and prevention of legitimate care, but less than 3/4 of them saw such fraud as causing direct physical injury. The report indicates that more public awareness is needed. In particular, the elderly and the poor should be targeted, and suspicion should be raised about such products as weight reducers and arthritis treatments.
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Gregory, John D.
Morris, Louis A.
Klinberg, Ronald
Full text: [Medical Marketing and Media] Jun 1986
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