Patricia Uhrich, Author at DCI

February 16, 2023

5 reasons why Super Bowl LVII marketing was like no other

With most of the Super Bowl ads hype in the rear-view mirror, we decided to take a dive into what made this year’s marketing push different. Even if you didn’t find the ads themselves to be creatively unique or powerful, there are trends and tactics in here that have something to say about how our culture and our marketing landscape is changing. #1 The appearance of Jesus: This year, the sea of alcohol and crass consumerism parted to make way for a brand re-fresh of Christianity. What does is say about our culture? The post-game banter says that we are as curious and skeptical as ever because we immediately wanted to know WHO was behind it. According to Christianity Today, the ads are partly funded by the family that owns Hobby Lobby, plus other evangelical groups. #2 The end of Anheuser-Bush InBev’s 33-year+ alcohol exclusive: While we may miss the Clydesdales and the likes...

January 25, 2023

in Marketing, Uncategorized

by Patricia Uhrich

2023 Direct Marketing: Top Trends and Predictions

With the unexpectedly rapid recovery of 2021 and 2022 in the rear-view mirror, and inflation slowing as we entered 2023, we are left with a big question mark on where the economy is headed. Will inflation plus rising interest rates trigger a recession, or will the Federal Reserve’s policies deliver the “soft landing” everyone desires? In either scenario, businesses are likely to spend more conservatively and look for highly measurable marketing tactics that have the largest impact on the bottom line — i.e., exactly what direct marketers aim to do regardless of economic conditions. Here are some of the top ways we expect businesses to benefit from direct marketing in 2023: Increased emphasis on B-to-B marketing: According to the White House, over the last two years, Americans have applied to start 10.5 million new businesses, the strongest two years on record. Layer onto that the fact that B-to-B markets have higher-value purchases...

November 22, 2022

in Marketing

by Patricia Uhrich

5 Tips for Maximizing the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season

Despite the evidence of inflation all around us, consumers seem unfazed when it comes to their shopping habits. According to National Retail Federation President and CEO, “October retail sales data confirms that consumers continue to stretch their dollars on household priorities, including gifts for family and loved ones this holiday season.” In other words, consumers are still spending and they’re spending early on holiday gifts. The question is, what can you do to win your share of today’s holiday shoppers? We have some tips. Appeal to the Hybrid Shopper The intermixing of digital and physical shopping is becoming more dominant with more than half of consumers reporting they shop both ways. Clients of Aptos commerce solutions saw a 75% increase in e-commerce sales fulfilled from their physical stores during the 2021 holiday season. That means more of your customers will expect that they can purchase online and pick up the...

October 24, 2022

in Marketing

by Patricia Uhrich

Insurance Ads Gone Wild – A Brief History

Pure genius. That was the phrase that came to mind when we clicked on the YouTube page for Liberty Mutual’s Young People commercial. It has 1.4 million plus views, half of which are probably from marketers who saw it on broadcast and then had to see it again. Have a look. Kudos to the agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and the client for having a laugh at themselves. Insurance companies have been trying so hard to make ads that people want to watch, that it’s become a competition. 1999: GEICO Gecko Debuts We can thank GEICO for breaking away from stuffy, artless ads with the advent of the GEICO Gecko which first aired in 1999. Originally targeting government employees, Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO) had an image problem as they entered the broader market. Obviously they succeeded, because according to Ad Age, 98% of people recognize the GEICO Gecko. With a running start, GEICO...

September 27, 2022

in Uncategorized

by Patricia Uhrich

What it takes to win a Telly

Filming three versions of a DRTV spot with six actors, multiple extras and props in an outdoor location is akin to herding cats in a hurricane. Fortunately, our partners at Center City Film and Video are pros at managing what looks like controlled chaos. After months of concept and script development, we watched our creative vision come together in one frenzied day of shooting. The What Matters TV spot was conceived out of a need to appeal to a broad audience during open enrollment for individual health insurance. Together with our client, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, we knew our spot needed a setting that could serve as a common ground for a diverse group of people. We landed on a public park. Specifically, we chose the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s Central Green which had all the ingredients needed for a one-day shoot composed of numerous scenes. After a rain...

July 19, 2022

in Uncategorized

by Patricia Uhrich

Summer Reads for the Marketing Obsessed

If you’re reading for escapism, this list isn’t for you. Maybe check out some smart beach reads suggested by NPR. This list is for those of us in the marketing world who can’t resist a title that could improve our careers and how we run our businesses. It’s also good if you just want to look smarter than the sunburnt vacationer asleep in the beach chair next to you. For your strategy side: The Experience Maker: How to Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait to Share by Dan Gingiss. You don’t have to be a CX strategist to appreciate this new book. It’s for business owners and marketers who understand the value of investing in customers to build loyalty and boost positive word-of-mouth advertising. As a reviewer on Amazon (also on Gingiss’ site) stated, there are plenty of books touting CX advice that’s totally impractical for the average business —...

June 1, 2022

in Uncategorized

by Patricia Uhrich

Pride Month. It’s about more than waving a rainbow flag.

With so many brands jumping on the rainbow bandwagon every June, it’s not surprising that the LGBTQ+ community may find some marketing practices as opportunistic, or even worse, hypocritical. Last year, Popular Information, an advertising-free online newsletter, called out 25 rainbow-flag waving corporations that donated a combined $10 million to anti-gay politicians. Understanding pride month is a good first step to ensure that your brand is in synch with the history and meaning behind this important event for the LGBT+ community. Here’s a refresher on the origins and significance of Pride Month. In the United States, the lack of rights and protections for LGBTQ+ community led to a gay rights movement beginning in the 1940s. The U.S. movement gained serious traction after the well-known Stonewall riots, which began in June of 1969. This series of spontaneous demonstrations in Greenwich Village, NYC was in response to police raids at gay bars but more...

May 20, 2022

in Uncategorized

by Patricia Uhrich

Direct Choice honored with Best of Show at Philly DMA awards

Last night’s Benny Awards Celebration was extra special on many levels. First of all, it felt so refreshing for everyone — our agency family and the greater Philly direct marketing community — to be together in person. That honestly would have been enough for an amazing night out. To our good fortune, the night became progressively better as we were awarded for our work across three marketing categories: Interactive – Social Media Winner: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina “What Matters”. As part of a multi-channel campaign for individual health insurance, our social media campaign leveraged the star of our TV spot to garner attention. Each ad promoted affordable plans that can “check all the boxes that matter to you” for as little as $0 a month. Outdoor Campaign – Other Media Category (Outdoor, Transit, Posters, Point of Purchase): Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina “Healthy Blue +...

April 28, 2022

in Marketing

by Patricia Uhrich

Brand Advertising and Direct Marketing – aka Beauty and the Beast.

by Bill Rogers Many years before joining Direct Choice, I strolled into a creative presentation with Progressive.com weary from an early flight but emboldened by the solid direct mail concepts my team had prepared. This was before Arnold Worldwide had crafted the beloved Flo character. At the time, Progressive.com was the new kid on the block, smothering the airways with a bold offer: get the best quote on auto insurance even if it’s not ours! It was a novel approach, not to mention an offer that was built for direct mail. The presentation was going exceptionally well until I presented a mailing which removed the Progressive logo from the envelope in favor of what I called an “urgent, under-the-radar” approach. They didn’t get it. The argument I heard against the “under the radar” approach was the same one I hear today. Quote the client, “Why would we mail un-branded envelopes when we’re...

Author: Patricia Uhrich

5 reasons why Super Bowl LVII marketing was like no other

2023 Direct Marketing: Top Trends and Predictions

5 Tips for Maximizing the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season

Insurance Ads Gone Wild – A Brief History

What it takes to win a Telly

Summer Reads for the Marketing Obsessed

Pride Month. It’s about more than waving a rainbow flag.

Direct Choice honored with Best of Show at Philly DMA awards

Brand Advertising and Direct Marketing – aka Beauty and the Beast.

directchoiceinc