Lessons Learned in 2011: A Direct Marketer’s Perspective

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 2011 WAS a very good year from a direct marketing perspective. As it turned out, the year was filled with hunches confirmed, tests proven and insights gleaned….regardless of the client.

As experts in the industry, the Direct Choice Staff has decided to share their thoughts on  the most significant lessons learned in 2011 from their perspective:

• Karin: I would say, stick with what works. My clients have been tasked with saving money, and can’t afford to put a wrong  foot forward. We took our controls, made them even stronger and strengthened the branding aspects to support the retail level, and then off we went. Our programs have been pulling hard for several years, and thank goodness, they did even better this year.
• Nick R.: Qualifying the lead pays off. It was the client’s prospect list, so we used messaging to deliver a serious lead, instead of a so-so one. We delivered more sales than the current control, which is what really matters.
• Anne: Creative matters. I say it every year, but this year it was REALLY important.
• Mike: “Couldn’t have said it better than Anne.”
• Christine: At a time when budgets are tight, we are making it work! Drilling down on the data is yielding some incredible results. We customized our messaging and went back out there to a tightly targeted file, speaking to them about what we knew really resonated with them. I would say that in any marketplace a 24% response rate is extraordinary…but at this time and in this economy, it is truly amazing.
• Nick L.: Tuning in to the budgets for each client. I know it sounds really boring, but in this kind of year, that’s where the victories are. That and reinvention. It’s a time to review where you are at, where you are going, and set up a different navigation path.
• Scott: Innovation that can bring down cost per lead has been the name of the game. Whether that’s reducing paper, implementing a digital communications build-out, and looking at every communication contact for its efficacy…it’s been critical.
• Beth: There are no sacred cows. In 2011 and into 2012, everything has been up for taking a second hard look.

These are all wise words to take into 2012, and if you follow this blog, we will have many more to share throughout the year. What were your lessons learned?

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Direct Choice Inc. is a full-service direct marketing agency that has worked with national and regional brands in a wide variety of vertical markets. In addition to this blog, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.