Breaking through: The power of direct mail

If you were out and about last night, you probably noticed one sure way to break through: burrito giveaways. Chipotle's free burrito event netted crowds stretched around multiple city blocks at the downtown locations here.

But, if you don't have a burrito bar built into your core business strategy, here's another suggestion:

Direct mail.

Sure, it sounds old school, but I'd argue that some of the most engaging DR work going on right now can be found among the newsprint and val-packs right in our mailboxes. It represents opportunity seized from the jaws of faux highlighters and foil starbursts. So attention will be paid!

My favorite is the new catalog work coming out of Neiman Marcus. This seen@nm series targets a younger audience with a more editorial style and breaks out of the usual catalog form factor with a tabloid shape and a great matte stock that just makes the sexy color pop. The quality and content feels exclusive. It not only breaks through -- I'm guessing it's a temporary keeper in a stack of recent issues of Vogue and The New Yorker in bedrooms around America.

My second favorite is totally local, although the concepts are paralleled nationally.

Local example. Take a look at this item:

Couple of buy local stickers and a business card from the Director of Dangerous Ideas at AreYouBrilliant.com. It came in a plain envelope, handwritten with my address and stamped with the brilliant logo.

I was curious and logged on to check it out. (Incidentally: logged on? Total adopter word. Who logs on anymore? Oh, wait, sorry Mack.)

Seems like community action, right? Nope. It's an insurance agent who specializes in local businesses. And, what's more - I wasn't even disappointed to find that out. The Web site features local businesses, tells their stories and positions Ryan Morgan (said director) as a really authentic partner to them.

Fantastic execution.

National example: HBO's True Blood.

This effort was definitely buzz marketing instead of social outreach, but it's still an interesting approach. A slew of other bloggers beat me to posing about it; so, I won't go too deep, but essentially I got a padded envelope in the mail that  contained a "free sample" of a new synthetic blood:

And a decidedly creepy overview of just what an innovation in SNACKING this new choice in blood would be.

The only URL in sight? This creepy destination.

Ok, you win, I'll Google. Turns out it's publicity for True Blood, a new show about vampires premiering the Fall. A name I'll definitely remember. And, an experience that created something between dumbfoundedness and curiosity.

Check out Yes but No but Yes for more.

Comments

[Halz]

Hey!
Thanks for the shout out about Seen@NM!

[baierman]

Advergirl - Thanks for the link to YBNBY. I appreciate it. Normally I usualy chuck DM but this one had my home address and I had just moved (not forwarded) so whomever is behind it really did their homework.

[Joe Doyle]

Actual hand-written mailers are always opened, second only to the dimensional ones. The insurance agent mailer is perfect for large insurance corps with local affiliates, too.

We're doing something similar for a national provider with local offices.

Thanks for blogging the example.

- jd

[erinjoan]

i totally agree with the direct mailing idea -- have you seen Matter? http://www.matterbox.co.uk/ not in the states yet, and not sure how local it is, but still a cool idea -- also just wrote about it early this morning http://www.yaybia.com/2008/06/matter-box.html

[Catalysta]

Hello Advergirl,

I hope you know I was not attacking you on LaraK's blog! I think the food drive is a great thing to get involved in! Lara and I work together so trust me when I say she's the nicest person ever- I've never heard her say a negative comment about anyone!

I LOVE your site! Your site is exactly what I want mine to look like, but I just started blogging so I have a ways to go. I talk about the transition from college to the corporate advertising world and all my fun stumbles along the way. Come check it out if you get a chance!

I look forward to reading more on your site!

-Catalysta

[ryan]

thanks for the kind words!

it IS shaping up to be a community project for the common good. we're just supplying the ingredients, is all. building collaborative partnerships and seeing where people want to take it.

PS. feel free to pass a couple out to your favorite shops!