The hard work and thought leadership of Catalyst Direct is hitting the industry press. Recently, Jeff Cleary, one of our managing partners, took part in a roundtable discussion in B to B Magazine discussing trends in direct marketing, ranging from use of BRC’s to offers, to prospect targeting and analytics.
Frank Magnera, account director on our Kodak business was also highlighted in a B to B Magazine piece about a campaign we created for the Kodak ScanMate i1120. You’ll see that the comments Jeff made in his piece are reflected in the work that Catalyst produced for the ScanMate project. It’s all about walking the walk.
I contributed to an article for last weeks’ DM News, titled “Adding Dimension to DM Success”. You can read the entire article here. For the right target, and the right product or service, nothing works like getting a “present” in the mail. We recommend a dimensional piece for a number of our clients, because the engagement level is so great. And most importantly, because they work. Here’s one we recently mailed for Weyerhaeuser. You can check it out in our portfolio
At the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA’s) annual meeting (October 13-17 in Chicago) I participated in a number of sessions that addressed marketers’ growing desire to integrate interactive and traditional direct marketing methods into cohesive and tightly coordinated campaigns. A new form of direct marketing is afoot. Clearly, marketers who embrace multi-channel communication strategies quickly realize the powerful effect these channels have on delivering results and revenue. These clients and agencies are the ones embracing Direct Marketing 2.0, and they are quickly reaping the benefits. All the different talk tracts (Strategy, Creative, and Data and Analytics, across both B-to-B and B-to-C) delivered observations, case studies, and best practices that included interactive marketing as a key and critical component of direct marketing. Let me share a personal example.
Prior to rejoining Catalyst Direct this past August, I was working in the corporate marketing department for Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, a leading provider of innovative solutions for conventional, digital and blended print production environments. Obviously, delivering the message to corporate marketers that “print is alive and well” was a major priority. Kodak’s “Print Is…” campaign was designed to demonstrate Kodak’s commitment to driving demand to its customers’ printing presses?a challenge, considering all the attention we’ve seen given to interactive. Pitching print might seem a bit old-fashioned. So we did it in a new-fashioned way.
First, Kodak declared that “print is the new interactive” and asserted the power of Variable Data Print (VDP) to communicate as personally as a Web site. Second, the campaign emphasized the prowess and physicality of print as a powerful and interactive customer experience. Third, we executed the campaign through an integrated approach, leveraging both online and offline channels to great effect. The campaign used traditional techniques, such as print ads and direct mail. But these traditional methods were augmented by banner ads, a video stream and a powerful Web site, www.printambassador.com. This program provided Kodak with an opportunity to leverage their brand strategy and provide a value-add for those who rely on print every day. And it’s the blend of traditional and interactive methods that is driving the results. Heck, if a company that sells printing presses can see and understand the value of integrating online channels into their direct marketing efforts, shouldn’t we all?
