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Volume 1- Issue 1

PRIORITIES IN THIS ISSUE:

Sharpen Your Focus How marketers are using observational tests to learn more about customers than metrics alone.

PLUS: How to use creativity and storytelling to make any product seem interesting.

@Shutterstock.com

The what, where, and how of using data for segmentation.

INCREASE EFFICIENCY

SUSTAINABILITY PRODUCTIVITY

PREDICTABILITY

VALUE DRIVEN

Making an impact with print communications is crucial to both your business and your brands, and our experts in paper, sourcing and distribution will help you make them stand out with print solutions that are cost-effective, efficient and productive.

This project was printed using UBrand 80lb Gloss Text provided by Veritiv

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

TABLE of CONTENTS

PEOPLE WATCHING Pages 2-3

HOW TO STRUT YOUR STUFF Pages 4-5

A PIECE BY PIECE PROFILE Pages 6-7, 9

STATISTICS Page 3

As we look back on 2014, it was a good year for Priority and our clients. Looking ahead into 2015 we are excited about the prospects this year brings and excited about helping our clients GROW their business. With the economy stronger than it’s been in years, our clients are focused more than ever on growth. However, with growth comes challenges. For instance, there are never enough resources or enough time to get it all done. Priority is committed to bringing the people, processes and technology together while leveraging data, print, (e)mail, mobile and web channels to help you get it all done. Priority continues to invest so we can be the right business communications partner for you. This year we will be expanding our building, groundbreaking in the spring. We will be adding 18,000 square feet for additional equipment and to expand our warehousing and fulfillment capabilities. If you have any ideas you would like to share on how we can be a better partner for you, today and in the future, I would love to hear them. We are committed to your success and growth. Best wishes, Joe Straka

President Priority Press

Priority Press •

888.955.PRINT • www.priority-press.com

PEOPLE WATCHING

People Watching W

Improve customer engagement through careful observation.

hen we want to understand whether our direct mail efforts are working, we tend to look at metrics like response rates, conversion rates, and ROI. But how often do we look at the why? Why are respondents acting as they do? Why did this month’s offer work better than last month’s?

To understand why customers and prospects act as they do, an increasing number of marketers are doing observational tests. They are bringing people into their offices and watching them interact with their direct mail pieces and seeing how they behave.

A Clean Start

52%

For example, if you are testing personalized versus non-personalized envelopes, does the personalization increase the amount of time the person spends looking at the envelope?

of marketers implement regular data cleansing.

How about the contents of the mailer or package? How much time do participants spend reading the personalized materials versus the non-personalized materials? If the mailer includes multiple pieces, which pieces do participants look at first? In one observational study, the marketer discovered that 20% of its sample looked at the product brochure before looking at anything else. In another, it discovered that 30% of its sample opened the package upside-down, so they were viewing the contents in reverse order from what the marketer intended.

Interested in setting up an observational test or focus group? Let us help!

Growing Leads

35%

of marketers say that having a lead nurturing program is so important they couldn’t live without it.

Another way to gain insight is to use focus groups. In a focus group, you bring multiple participants around a table, show them different marketing pieces, and ask them questions together. It gives you a chance to ask questions in a more interactive environment and understand their motivations and perceptions more deeply.

Source: Experian Data Quality (September 2014 poll) Source: Bizo (June 2014)

You can also test the power of different offers. For example, even if two offers save them the same amount of money, people will often react differently to those offers based on how they are presented. Are participants most likely to react to 30% off? Or does “Buy Two, Get One Free” garner the best response? Do they take time to think about it? Or do they grab the offer and “respond” right away? Likewise, if you are promoting a discount, does it make a difference if you present the offer in terms of a onetime savings? Monthly savings? Or yearly savings? An observational test will allow you to watch how people interact with each one.

Priority Press •

888.955.PRINT • www.priority-press.com

HOW TO

Strut Your Stuff

ÂŠ iStockphoto.com/Lightwriter1949

Make any product fascinating by displaying your best features.

STRUT YOUR STUFF

et’s face it. Not all products are interesting to talk about, let alone look at. Fast cars and fancy evening wear are sexy, but tire wrenches and lug nuts are not. Neither are bars of soap, toilet plungers, or light bulbs, but competition for these products is every bit as fierce as for cars and little black dresses. Whether it’s in direct mail, a newsletter, an email, or a television commercial, how do you sell a product that doesn’t sell itself?

Define how it creates value

Help customers visualize

Ask how your product creates value. Does it improve the customer’s quality of life? Solve a problem? Save money? Pinpoint the value that the product provides.

Tell a story Craft a story around the product’s value. There is a reason Lowe’s uses the phrase, “Let’s build something together.” Its print and television ads don’t show lumber and nails. They show the process of building and the joy the homeowner experiences from doing the project themselves. In other words, Lowe’s isn’t selling paint and plumbing supplies. It is selling homeowner pride. That’s the Lowe’s story. What’s yours?

Be creative To tell a story, some products need a little help. That’s why Beldent, a South American snack company, took a very unusual approach to selling sticks of gum. Beldent set up an experiment with the help of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires. It created exhibits of identical twins who were almost identical except that one was chewing gum. Then it asked visitors a series of questions such as which twin they thought was more fun, had more friends, or was more likely to give employees a raise. Overwhelmingly, museum visitors chose the twin chewing gum, and a marketing campaign was born.

People remember images better than they remember text. Images also communicate complex concepts quickly. That’s why we have the soft, cuddly Snuggle bear and the fat, green Mucinex blob with suspenders. These characters communicate concepts of softness and sticky goop in your lungs with speed and clarity that text alone cannot. Plus they produce almost instant recall. Just one glimpse on a package, a print ad, on a point-of-purchase display, and the entire campaign comes roaring back.

Personalize it When used alongside storytelling, powerful imagery, and creativity, personalization packs a powerful punch. Target your value message based on demographic or market segment, then personalize using relevant variables. If you need to append your database to increase your targeting and personalization, let us help. That’s what we’re here for. When it comes to print and multichannel marketing, there is no excuse to be boring. Tell a story. Without lug nuts, tires fall off of cars. Without plungers, toilets overflow. There’s nothing boring about that!

Priority Press •

888.955.PRINT • www.priority-press.com

PIECE BY PIECE

A Piece by Piece Profile W

e know how important branding and competitive differentiation is. We know how critical tracking and measurement has become. According to new research, however, data collection and monitoring for segmentation tops them both. According to Experian, 61% of marketers say collecting and managing structured and unstructured data is a business challenge. Compare this to tracking and measurement (44%) and branding (39%). Both of these measure high, but segmentation is higher. Where and how can marketers improve their segmentation? It starts with a simple where, what, and how. Continued on page 9

We can dress you for ANY occassion. What does your company’s apparel say about you? Custom apparel is a reflection of your company’s brand and should be just as unique. Priority Promotions is committed to innovative designs, quality products and exceeding expectations. Let us develop a line of products that does your brand justice.

Your Brand is Our Priority

855.955.PROMO  www.priority-promotions.com 8

PIECE BY PIECE

Build a strategic database by collecting data and monitoring for segmentation.

WHERE

WHAT

Where do you get the data for segmentation? You can always purchase new lists and append existing ones, but make sure you are tapping into all of the available resources to collect data you already have first.

Next is to make sure you are collecting the right data. Every target audience will require different variables to make your communications relevant to them. What data are marketers currently tracking? According to Experian, nearly all are collecting ZIP codes and first and last names. Fewer are collecting country, phone number, and date of birth. Even fewer (but still more than half) collect gender and mobile phone numbers. If you are tracking these data, you’re in a better competitive position than many.

Where are top marketers getting the data they use for crosschannel communications? • Physical store

42%

• Face-to-face

60%

• Website

73%

• Mobile website 36% • Mobile app

35%

• Catalog

24%

• Call center

54%

• Other

14%

Are you taking advantage of all of these sources? Even if you don’t have a physical store, we all have face-to-face interactions. We all have websites. We’ve all got transaction histories. The next step is integrating this data into a centralized database so it can be used for marketing. (Need help? Ask us how!)

Likewise, location. Nearly all marketers have the physical address of their customers. That can be used in direct mail, email, and other communications to grab attention. “Pets in Houston, TX, love our treats!” Other options include targeting messaging by market vertical or job title. You’ll communicate with a director of facilities differently than you will the director of finance. Segmentation doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be strategic. Let us help you come up with a plan!

HOW There are three levels of segmentation: simple, mid-level, and sophisticated. If you’re not a data guru, start simple. For example, 76% of brands collect birthdays, but only 35% have birthday programs in place. Here is simple, implementable segmentation that will increase customer engagement and boost customer loyalty by using the data you already have.

GENDER INCOME

PROPERTY

AGE

WORK

RACE

HOBBY

Priority Press •

888.955.PRINT • www.priority-press.com

4026 W. 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46222

About Priority Press

Priority Press helps companies grow their brands by communicating consistently, effectively and creatively in the print, (e)mail, mobile and web channels.

Want us to help YOU grow? Call us today to explore how Priority can help grow your business and bring you unprecedented value.

888.955.PRINT

You may also visit our website to subscribe to our mailing list at www.priority-press.com

Keeping Track

53% of marketers are tracking new lead acquisition in 2014, up from 43% in 2013.

of Marketing Source: Ifbyphone State ay 2014) (M Measurement Survey

ÂŠ iStockphoto.com/vision008

At Priority Press, we believe growth and progress only happen through effective communication.