| Using Alternative Media to Generate More | | | | want my prospectto do when they get my |
| Customers | | | | insert?" Then put that in yourheadline. |
| | | | |
| | | | Tip # 4 |
| | | | |
| Last week I received a very nice thank you | | | | Make sure that you are utilizing the maximum |
| gift from afriend of mine, Eric Ruth, who is | | | | allowable sizeof insert. |
| arguably the number one marketing coach to | | | | |
| the personal fitness trainer industry. | | | | Tip # 5 |
| | | | |
| Eric, asked if he could interview me about a | | | | Make sure that it is easy to respond (this |
| specific topicand I agreed. | | | | should gowithout saying). And use free offers |
| | | | to generate leads. |
| After it was done, Eric sent me a bunch of | | | | |
| filet mignonsteaks from Omaha Steaks (Thanks | | | | Tip # 6 |
| Eric). | | | | |
| | | | Make it clear why your insert is riding along |
| But the steaks are not what this article is | | | | inside the package. You need to link your |
| about. | | | | copy into the relationship that already |
| | | | exists between the company offering the PIP |
| It's what was inside the Omaha Steaks box | | | | and your product or service. |
| that I want totalk to you about. | | | | |
| | | | For instance, a Home Depot insert that went |
| You see, two things came with the steaks. One | | | | to newhomeowners said, "You've just moved |
| was a Omaha Steaks cookbook. | | | | in..." |
| | | | |
| The cookbook not only contained recipes but | | | | Tip # 7 |
| also a bunch of bounceback special offers. | | | | |
| | | | Always have new offers and new creative ready |
| Each of these offers were specifically | | | | to go. After awhile, if the PIP program is a |
| designed to get youto call Omaha Steaks up | | | | regularly shipped item, people get tired of |
| and order more steaks. | | | | seeing the same old ad. So you need to mix it |
| | | | up once in awhile. |
| And Here Was the Second Thing that Was In the | | | | |
| Omaha Steaks Box... | | | | Tip # 8 |
| | | | |
| The second thing was a blue envelope that | | | | If you've been successful with one PIP |
| said, "Don't Miss | | | | program then test afew more. |
| | | | |
| Out - Special Offers from Americas Favorite | | | | ____________________________________________ |
| Companies." | | | | _________ |
| | | | |
| Here's what they looked like: | | | | Here Is a Comprehensive List of PIP Program |
| | | | Managers |
| The contents of the blue envelope included | | | | |
| what is known inthe marketing industry as, | | | | ____________________________________________ |
| "package insert." | | | | _________ |
| | | | |
| _____________________ | | | | Leon Henry practically invented the package |
| | | | insertbusiness. They still have the largest |
| Package Inserts 101 | | | | and perhaps the most experienced PIP brokers |
| | | | in the industry. |
| _____________________ | | | | |
| | | | Leon Henry, Inc. |
| Package inserts are basically advertisements | | | | |
| that getinserted into packages that are being | | | | 200 North Central Avenue Suite 220 |
| sent out from various vendors. | | | | |
| | | | Hartsdale, NY 10530-1940 |
| For instance, in this case, Omaha Steaks | | | | |
| sends thousands of boxes to its customers. It | | | | Phone: (914) 285-3456 |
| sells space in its boxes to other companies | | | | |
| who want to advertise to Omaha Steaks | | | | Fax: (914) 285-3450 |
| customers. This is called a "Package Insert | | | | |
| Program" or PIP for short. | | | | E-Mail: Web Address: |
| | | | |
| There are thousands of PIP program offered by | | | | Here are several other PIP management |
| manycompanies. Here are just a sampling of | | | | companies. |
| the type ofcompanies that provide PIP | | | | |
| programs: | | | | 1. AM/Direct (Peterborough, NH); (603) |
| | | | 924-9262 |
| Amazon | | | | |
| | | | 2. American Marketing Network (New York, NY); |
| American Stationary | | | | (212) |
| | | | |
| Divers Direct | | | | 243-8065 |
| | | | |
| Crafts Enthusiasts | | | | 3. AMG Global (Redbank, NJ); (732) 741-0585 |
| | | | |
| Global Industrial Equipment | | | | 4. Atrium Marketing Group (Chicago, IL); |
| | | | (312) 733-3383,ext. 36 |
| Kingfisher Maps | | | | |
| | | | 5. Bernice Bush Co. (Irvine, CA); (949) |
| Mantis Gardening Tools | | | | 752-4210 |
| | | | |
| Pitney Bowes | | | | 6. BrightStar Marketing (Lake Bluft, IL); |
| | | | (880) 700-7483 |
| Speed Gear | | | | |
| | | | 7. D-J Associates (Ridgefield, CT); (203) |
| Toyfare | | | | 431-8777 |
| | | | |
| Vitamin World | | | | 8. DK Group (Hillsdale, NJ); (201) 358-6100 |
| | | | |
| Zoysia Grass Plugs | | | | 9. Edith Roman Associates (Pearl River, NY); |
| | | | (845) 620-9000 |
| If the profile of your target customer | | | | |
| matches the profileof the customers that | | | | 10. Effective Mailers (Roseville, MI); (248) |
| these companies sell to then youmight | | | | 588-9880 |
| consider a PIP advertising program with them. | | | | |
| | | | 11. Everyday Media (New York, NY); (212) |
| The going rate for package inserts averages | | | | 481-7300 |
| around $60 per thousand packages. What this | | | | |
| means is that you pay $60 and your insert | | | | 12. Gage Marketing Services (Minneapolis, |
| will be sent out with 1,000 packages. | | | | MN); (612) |
| | | | |
| This relatively cheap when you consider that | | | | 595-3862 |
| renting a listfor a solo mailing might cost | | | | |
| anywhere from $100 to $250per thousand names. | | | | 13. GTE Directories Direct Delivery (Tampa, |
| | | | FL); (813) |
| On the other hand, the response rates for | | | | |
| inserts are much lower than direct mail. An | | | | 664-5400 |
| acceptable response rate used for PIP | | | | |
| programs are typically measured in tenths of | | | | 14. IDG Communications List Services |
| a percent vs. the 2-5 percent return of solo | | | | (Framingham, MA); 1-888-IDG-LIST |
| direct mailings. | | | | |
| | | | 15. List Services Corporation (Bethel, CT); |
| The number of inserts in a package can vary | | | | (203) 743-2600 |
| from four toeight. Generally, only | | | | |
| non-competitive pieces are included together | | | | 16. Media Solutuion Services (Atlanta, GA); |
| in one package. | | | | (770) 955-3535 |
| | | | |
| Here's a photo of the inserts that came in | | | | 17. MKTG Services (Newtown, PA); (215) |
| the Omaha Steaks package I received. | | | | 968-5020 |
| | | | |
| As you can see, there are only three inserts | | | | 18. Our Tribe Marketing (New York, NY); (212) |
| from thesecompanies: | | | | 462-0036 |
| | | | |
| 1. Hawthorne Village (model trains) | | | | 19. Pihera Advertising Associates (Lebanon, |
| | | | OH); (513) |
| 2. Discover (credit cards) | | | | |
| | | | 932-5649 |
| 3. Select Comfort (beds) | | | | |
| | | | 20. ProForma PrintNet (Marina, CA); (323) |
| Here's Why You Should Consider Using a PIP | | | | 692-9200 |
| Advertising | | | | |
| | | | 21. Right Lane Media (Saint Paul, MN); (877) |
| Program in Your Marketing Mix | | | | 412-3200 |
| | | | |
| 1. You get the power of direct mail at about | | | | 22. Select Publishing (Madison, WI); (608) |
| 20% ofwhat you'd normally pay for a direct | | | | 277-5787 |
| mail campaign. | | | | |
| | | | 23. The American Mailshop (Sioux Falls, SD); |
| 2. You can target specific niche markets and | | | | (605) 338-4004 |
| consumersegments. | | | | |
| | | | 24. The Media Organization (Woodbury, NY); |
| 3. You can target people by the way that they | | | | (516) 496-2577 |
| buy (i.e.mail order buyers, phone order | | | | |
| buyers, television orderbuyer etc.). | | | | 25. Tobin Productions (New York, NY); (212) |
| | | | 727-1500 |
| 4. You get category exclusivity in the | | | | |
| mailing (i.e. nocompeting offers to worry | | | | 26. VentureDirect Worldwide (New York, NY); |
| about). | | | | (212) 684-4800 |
| | | | |
| 5. Your offer gets an implied endorsement | | | | 27. Vis/Aid Marketing (Inglewood, CA); (310) |
| from thecompany mailing the package. | | | | 399-0696 |
| | | | |
| I'm not saying that you should base your | | | | 28. Walter Karl, Inc. (Pearl River, NY); |
| entire marketing program on insert media. | | | | (914) 620-0700 |
| What I'm saying is that using inserts can be | | | | |
| a good compliment to how you're already | | | | 29. (Hot Springs, AR); (501) 627-0817 |
| advertising your product or service. | | | | |
| | | | 30. Worldshop (Grand Rapids, MI); (616) |
| With the shrinking list market, package | | | | 957-0555 |
| inserts are a good alternative way to | | | | |
| prospect for qualified leads. It's hard for | | | | ____________ |
| companies, I think, to rule it out. | | | | |
| | | | Conclusion |
| ____________________________________________ | | | | |
| _________ | | | | ____________ |
| | | | |
| Here's a Few Tips to Get the Most Out of PIP | | | | Getting Eric's gift from Omaha Steaks |
| Programs | | | | reminded me just how powerful a Package |
| | | | Insert Program can be. And package insert |
| ____________________________________________ | | | | programs are just one type of alternative |
| _________ | | | | media. |
| | | | |
| Tip # 1 | | | | There are many types of alternative media to |
| | | | choose from to reach your target market: |
| Be very careful of how you pick a PIP | | | | |
| program. It's muchlike picking a mailing | | | | Ride-Alongs |
| list. You have to pick a PIP program that is | | | | |
| reaching people who are good prospects for | | | | Co-op Mailings |
| your product or service. | | | | |
| | | | Statement Stuffers |
| Make sure you set aside some time to sit with | | | | |
| your brokerto identify the characteristics of | | | | Sampling Programs |
| the programs that work. | | | | |
| | | | Card Deck Mailing |
| Then find plans that share these | | | | |
| characteristics, and put a plan in place to | | | | Catalog Bind-Ins/Blow-Ins |
| test them. | | | | |
| | | | Newspaper Inserts |
| Tip # 2 | | | | |
| | | | Supermarket take-one racks |
| Alternatively, with your broker, identify | | | | |
| potentialprograms NOT on the market that may | | | | It's wise to work with an experienced broker |
| accept your insert. | | | | whounderstands the industry and can help |
| | | | guide you through to successful campaigns. |
| Tip # 3 | | | | |
| | | | The broker doesn't cost you anything. The |
| Use large, bold type and a strong, simple | | | | company offeringthe insert media pays the |
| offer on yourinsert. All the rules that apply | | | | broker so you'd be silly not towork with an |
| in creating a compellingspace ad also apply | | | | experienced broker. |
| in creating a compelling insert. | | | | |
| | | | Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back |
| Ask yourself, "What is it, exactly, that I | | | | to eating oneof my Omaha steaks! |