Classic marketing, much like the sport of boxing, is rooted in discipline, repetition and hard work. You may recall the 
phrase used when boxer Muhammad Ali was marketing his fight along with George Foreman: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.” This statement also rings true for any single marketing tactic: it may come close, but often doesn’t score any knockouts.
You may also remember how lots of postcards, flyers and letters your friendly mailman delivered to your parent’s house. You probably got a kick out of hearing your father call it “junk, junk and more junk,” throwing the mail away before he even opened it, as if he had X-ray vision.
Historically, however, direct mail has actually delivered a powerful punch to build brands and increase sales. A good example is AOL, a company that went public in 1992 along with fewer than 200,000 subscribers. Within 10 years, they reached over 25 million subscribers. In 1998, along with the launch of AOL 4.0, AOL used all of the global production of CDs for two straight weeks. Not a single music CD or Microsoft CD was produced at that time. Looking back on AOL’s first large mailing program in the spring/summer of 1993, Jan Brandt, AOL’s former Chief Marketing Officer, said, “The average response to that mailing was a staggering 10% – unheard of in direct marketing – or any marketing circle.”
While today’s consumer is still influenced by direct mail, lots of marketing executives today believe that it’s too costly and can’t be targeted well enough to reach only their ideal prospects. Not to mention, the same “junk mail” stereotype exists today.
Based on my experience, the ideal marketing strategy leverages the most effective of both print and digital. This “sting like a bee” strategy delivers a one-two punch that makes your marketing message heard repeatedly and more cost-effectively.
Leave a Reply