Two Ways to Raise a Dollar for the DNCTuesday, August 3, 2004 – I could have sworn I saw John Kerry wearing one of Lance Armstrong's yellow wristbands on one of his televised campaign stops just prior to touching down in Boston for the Democratic National Convention. Good for him. Not that he needs it, but such strength by association certainly can’t hurt.Coincidentally, like Lance, John also knows a thing or two – literally – about timing a direct mail drop. Because less than 48 hours after he accepted the nomination on the floor of the FleetCenter, my wife, Barbara, and I were on the receiving end of not one, but two direct mail appeals from this indefatigable presidential candidate for campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee.One of these…
Live Strong for Lance
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 – Lance Armstrong's resounding, record-setting sixth Tour de France victory a few days ago was yet another demonstration of this man’s fortitude and resolve. I mean, think about it. His exploits in the saddle are near miraculous, given the fact that just eight years ago, he was far from riding high, confronted by a formidable foe not even he could be expected to be ready for: cancer. But to say Lance has survived the disease would be an understatement. He has thrived since his diagnosis, both on and off his bike, establishing himself as one of the top cyclists in the world – ever – and speaking up on behalf of cancer prevention and survivorship as founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). Of course, if…
Viral Marketing Gone Good
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 – Chances are you’ve already seen the Flash parody of the Woody Guthrie folk song, "This Land Is Your Land," that’s been racing its way across the Internet this week at lightning-like speed. My good friend, Michael Chinnici, emailed it to me a few days ago, and initially I didn’t think twice about it. Spoofing President Bush and his Democratic challenger, John Kerry, it’s amusing, sure. But at first glance, I though it was just another joke du jour encumbering my Inbox. However, on second thought, turns out this clip (produced by the Los Angeles-based animation studio, JibJab) is an instant classic, the perfect example of viral marketing gone good. So good, in fact, that JibJab is getting so many hits on its Web site that its principals,…
Marketing Miscellany
Wednesday, July 14, 2004 – Say cell phones, and my first thought is Nextel -- probably because I’m hooked on a clever, little walkie-talkie feature called Direct Connect. But now I have another reason to be enamored of this wireless communications behemoth: its new tagline, “Done,” which, in one four-letter verb, speaks volumes….However, just because I like it doesn’t mean Thomas L. Collins wouldn’t be able to suggest a better alternative. After all, perhaps no direct marketer out there has a more critical -- and more experienced -- eye than Thomas, "The Makeover Maven" columnist for DIRECT magazine. Seriously! Read him -- and reap….I have to hand it to the folks at the United States Postal Service for practicing what they preach in a glossy, tri-fold self-mailer that came to…
12 Ways You Can Be a Direct Marketing Hero
Thursday, July 8, 2004 – Continuing a longstanding agency tradition, Yellowfin Direct Marketing is just days away from the release of our new fiscal year calendar, designed both as a useful time management tool (for those on the receiving end) and as a timely, self-promotional vehicle (for us). That’s right, in the spirit of practicing what we preach, this calendar is offer-laden, information-packed and just begging for a response all year long. (It’s also -- hint, hint -- absolutely free to anyone for the asking.) Each month of the calendar features a great, little tip on how to “take your organization’s direct marketing initiatives to the next highest level.” Along with this colorful, new wall calendar, we've included a dozen different coupons, each one good for one free half-hour consultation…
The Brilliance to Which We Aspire
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 – Thumbing through the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine last week, an ad for eBay Motors -- smack, dab in between the “Correspondence” and “Rock & Roll” sections -- stopped me dead in my tracks. An extraordinarily simple, no-frills composition, it uses a story about “Brothers John and Tom [who] want a great way to sell their cars” to illustrate the benefits of peddling wheels on eBay versus the old standby, the classifieds. After seven days, John, who uses eBay, “sells his car for a great price,” while Tom, who went the old-school route, finds his “ad is used as litter box lining.” It’s hip, funny and irreverent, sure, but it’s also textbook in formula, drawing on a case study of two young men and…
The Law of the Name
Tuesday, June 22, 2004 – On page 73 of their incredibly insightful book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, celebrated marketing strategists Al Ries and his daughter, Laura Ries, couldn’t be more succinct -- and sagacious -- in writing that “the most important branding decision you will ever make is what to name your product or service. Because in the long run a brand is nothing more than a name.” Of course, it takes much more than just a catchy name to succeed in business, but the Ries’ point is well taken. And they do expound on this law, reminding their readers not to “confuse what makes a brand successful in the short term with what makes a brand successful in the long term. In the short term, a brand…
Talk about Target Marketing
Tuesday, June 15, 2004 – If you’re like me, you own more loyalty cards than you care to admit, but like a good boy scout showing off his merit badges, you don’t hesitate to flash them -- with great pride -- at the register. These cards, of course, are used by database marketers to keep track of our purchases, but on the surface, all most of us consumers care about are the “rewards” (read: discounts) we receive for our frequent patronage. Yes, there are those who dismiss such loyalty marketing tactics as too “big-brother”-like. But privacy concerns aside, I think these cards point up an incredibly effective way to forge bonds with your audience and introduce them to products and services they’ve shown a predisposition to buy. For instance, the…
Those Whom Are Sure to Attract Others
Friday, June 11, 2004 – Some of the best ideas have a way of falling into your lap. For instance, one of our higher education clients is doing something on its Web site that any other school, non-profit organization or association (I can’t help but think of the New England Direct Marketing Association) could emulate. In promoting Alumni Weekend 2004 on its Web site, Ithaca College is posting a list of those alumni who have already registered to attend, the idea being that if you see someone you know, or someone you want to know, you’ll be more likely to attend. Think Evite. After all, if it’s all about networking -- and you just so happen to be on the fence -- what could be better than knowing in advance…