Rational Marketing

Target Marketing Magazine included some great tips and considerations for creative planning as a part of suggestions for campaign planning meetings. We want to help you think about these as you plan your Direct Marketing.

The Offer

Remember, an offer can be a full-price product with special value.

• Why was it created?
• What problem will it solve for your customer?
• What are we asking the customer to do?
• What is the overall strategy?
• What are the goals in terms of response rate or overall sales, and how is the offer going to help reach those goals?

The Audience

• Who is getting this piece, and what is his relationship to your company? The message that you send to a customer should be drastically different from the message you send to a prospect, who may not even know who you are.
• Think about the individual person behind the demographics. What will motivate him? What is his attitude toward what you are selling?
• What key words can you use to speak directly to his needs?

The Brand

• Your brand isn’t your logo; it’s the consumer’s perception of your company. How can you remind—or for a prospect, introduce—the recipient of your unique point of differentiation?
• How can you prove that you are delivering on your brand promise?
• What words and visual cues can you use to reiterate your brand?

The Format

• What is the format, and why was it chosen? This is especially important to explore when using a solo package including multiple components. Explore each component, discussing the hierarchy of each piece.
• Can the format be improved? Your production manager may be able to explain important options and opportunities as ideas are generated.

The Creative

• What visuals will help grab attention and quickly explain your offer?
• Where are the hot spots in your format, and how will you use them to your advantage?
• How will you exploit an offer and make sure it is seen?
• How many times will the offer be repeated and where?
• How will the recipient process the piece—what will he look at first? If it’s a mailing, how will the envelope entice him to open it? If it’s a postcard or e-mail, how will you identify or introduce yourself at a glance and answer for the consumer, “What’s in it for me?”
• What copy will intrigue the reader the most?
• How much copy will be required and at what ratio to images?
• How can you show value in every product? Is it necessary to include additional insets or callouts to showcase benefits?
• Review the creative and production schedules: Who will work on the piece first; who will work on it second?
• What is the proofing and editing process?
• Together, create a list of must-haves: phone number, URL, fax and registered trademarks.
• Are multiple versions necessary to accommodate different 
customer segments?

There is no guarantee that your project will run smoothly from beginning to end, but with the right planning—an understanding of the offer, audience, brand position, format and creative strategy —you have a head start. Take the time to talk through all of these points before the design process begins, and your program will generate better results.