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Direct - March/April 2010:
Tough times called for new approach
Using variable data personalisation, intelligent data handling processes and an online component Prografica delivered a phenomenal response rate for its hotel client.
When a leading hotels group approached digital printer Prografica to develop a new way of securing conference bookings for some of Sydney’s premium beach-side hotels, the challenge seemed great. As a result of the GFC the hospitality industry was in a slump, competition was stiff and the client’s previous marketing efforts had not met their expectations.
“We believed we had that new approach,” said Prografica Managing Director Kerim El Gabaili. “We were already having great success with other clients using multichannel DM strategies. We had a proven track record with building effective two-way sales data streams, which created the sort of feedback loop that benefited both marketers and their clients.”
Prografica’s back-end analytics are state of the art, allowing the El Gabaili and his team to drive both transactions and improved detail in client profiles. But the real challenge, he said, was to put all that into a presentation to a client who was new to this kind of data-driven marketing. El Gabaili believes that what finally won the client over was the time and effort Prografica put into education. He outlined in detail how prospects were more likely to pay attention to messages that spoke to them personally and showed the client creative applications of image personalisation and how using a PURL would allow them to tailor the message to be more relevant to each recipient. He also explained how site visitors who use a PURL tended to stay engaged longer and have higher sales conversion rates.
Campaign execution
The campaign consisted of a premium direct mail piece incorporating variable data, image personalization, e-wrap packaging and personalised URLs. The mailer encouraged conference organisers to answer a series of questions as to their needs, budget, purchasing criteria and role in the decision making process. The database was made up of over 1400 contacts who were either decision makers or influencers. The objective was to motivate potential clients to “self qualify” themselves.
Results and key learnings
The campaign achieved a 29.83 per cent response rate and over $18 million in comprehensively qualified clients. El Gabaili believes the campaign was successful because it combined multichannel strategy and winning creative with measurement.
“Firstly we used a touch-point marketing strategy designed to reach out to the prospect with the optimal combinations of touches, to deliver the best ROI,” he said.
“Secondly, we delivered a highly creative, personalised and relevant message that motivated the recipient into action.”
“Thirdly, we intelligently leveraged a balance between driving the sales process and improving data, while always keeping the client’s goals and need for accountable metrics in mind.“
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