T H E O F F I C I A L K E S S L E R C R E AT I V E N E W S L E T T E R
Conque ri ng th e World of digital ove r saturation
@kesslercreative
MAY 2023
VOLUM E 18
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Back-to-School Marketing
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Why Precision Matters
Conquering the World of Digital Oversaturation Optimizing Direct Mail Frequency
i n th is issue AN INSIDE SCOOP
by Dina Kessler
Welcome to the 18th edition of Hot of the Press! We are excited to deliver valuable insights, industry updates, and highlights of our company culture. In this newsletter, you will find a wealth of marketing tips and
A M essage from Th e Presi de nt PAGE 2
strategies to help your business stand out in today’s crowded marketplace. From the latest trends in direct marketing to proven tactics for boosting customer engagement, we’ve got you covered!
HOT OFF TH E PRESS
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Back-to-school marketing is an opportunity for businesses to promote their products and services to students, parents, and teachers during the start of the school year. This usually happens mid-July, which means it’s time to start planning your back-to-school-strategy now to get ahead of the competition. Some common strategies include offering discounts on school supplies, hosting charity events and contests, collaborating with schools for exclusive deals, and using marketing campaigns to reach potential customers. It’s an important time for retailers and businesses to boost their sales, and by using innovative marketing tactics, they can successfully attract back-to-school shoppers. Back-to-School by th e N um be rs
77% of shoppers expect to start their BTS shopping at least 3 weeks prior to school beginning. This is up from 74% in 2018 and 64% in 2008. 51% of parents will spend over $200 per child during BTS shopping. BTS shoppers will make an average of 16 shopping trips between July and September. Ti m i ng is Eve ryth i ng.
June: Planning Phase
The success of any seasonal promotion depends on careful preparation. Use the month of June to work with our marketing experts on developing your marketing plan.
July: Execution Phase
July is a critical time for executing and launching your back-toschool promotions, with the first wave of back-to-school shoppers arriving by mid-July.
August: Peak Shopping Season
September: Last-Minute Rush
While the bulk of back-to-school shopping occurs in August, many students and parents wait until the last minute to purchase essential items. Don’t underestimate the importance of midSeptember, as it’s still a significant time for retailers to promote their back-to-school products and capture last-minute shoppers. Keep plugging away at your promotions to capture this valuable segment of the market. Make your offe r re levant eve n i f you se ll non-re late d products
Regardless of whether your business offers school-related products or not, there are still opportunities for you to participate in the back-to-school season. To stand out during this time, it’s important to show your commitment to meeting the needs of your customers. Be creative in demonstrating how your products or services can enhance daily school life and fulfill student needs. Instead of simply showcasing your offerings, strive to create a memorable and impactful impression on potential customers by creating a “wow-effect.”
From late July to early August, the majority of back-to-school shoppers start making their purchases. This period accounts for two-thirds of the entire season’s spend.
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Why Precision Matte rs: A Deep Dive into Targeted Lists for Direct Mail Targeted lists are critical to the success of any direct mail campaign. They help you increase response rates, generate more sales, and create more relevant messaging, amongst various other benefits. By taking the time to create a targeted list, you can maximize the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns and achieve greater ROI. Here are a few ways that Kessler’s list capabilities can take your campaign to the next level.
Higher response rates: Targeted lists allow you to send your message to the people most likely to respond positively to your offer. This means you’ll get a higher response rate compared to sending your message to a broad audience.
Increased ROI: By targeting your audience, you’re more likely to generate sales from your direct mail campaign. This means you’ll get a better return on investment (ROI) compared to sending mail to a broader audience that may not be interested in your offer.
More relevant messaging: Targeted lists enable you to create more relevant messaging that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and interests. This makes your message more engaging and increases the likelihood that recipients will take action.
Improved brand reputation: Sending targeted mail shows that you’ve taken the time to research and understand your audience’s needs. This can improve your brand’s reputation and increase customer loyalty.
Reduced costs: Targeted lists help you save money by eliminating the cost of sending mail to people who are unlikely to respond to your offer. This allows you to focus your resources on the people most likely to generate sales. Types of Targete d Mai li ng Lists
Real estate agents, financial institutions, healthcare providers, home service companies, restaurants, and retailers all use targeted mailing lists to reach the consumers that matter most. Below are some popular examples of targeted direct mail lists we can provide for your next campaign!
B2B Mailing Lists- Target businesses by location (radius, area code, city, county, state, or zip code), business type, or data such as the number of employees, annual income, number of years in business, NAICS code, and more.
New Mover Lists- New movers are often looking for local restaurants, plumbers, contractors, healthcare professionals, and other service providers. Effortlessly market to new movers with our New Mover Program! When you need to find a specific audience for your next direct mail campaign, Kessler Creative can access hundreds of specialty mailing lists and demographic preference selects to find the best prospects.
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HOT OFF TH E PRESS
Conque ri ng th e World of Digital Ove rsaturation When the World Wide Web released in the 1990’s, the entire
build valuable trust with consumers and equate a company with
world and how its businesses operated significantly changed. The
dependability. Consumers rely upon relationships with brands, and
internet created new industries and revolutionized existing ones.
traditional methods of marketing build these more effectively than
This new digital realm brought an endless new audience to the
digital ads alone.
fingertips of business and leisure, and these businesses knew that they needed to create and maintain an online presence to compete
• Track Your Results
in their respective markets.
Any marketing effort should be tracked to identify effectiveness.
So how do busi n esses navigate
The first step is to set marketing objectives that are S.M.A.R.T
th is ove rpopulate d ocean known as digital?
Presence of Digital Fatigue According to Statista, the average time in minutes spent with digital media in the United States per day in 2021 was 477, with 2022 at an estimated 482 minutes spent online per person. That is almost eight full hours that any one person spends on the internet each day on average. This has led to people seeing up to 10,000 ads per day. Because of the influx of ads and digital content, digital surfers everywhere are becoming increasingly less attentive to ads, and this has caused responsiveness to decline.
or specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound to determine what your company views as a successful campaign. Site visits, content shares, product purchases, and exclusive offer signups are all indicators of responsiveness to a marketing campaign. Partn e r with Kessle r Creative
Kessler Creative houses a whole team of dedicated experts in marketing including direct mail and print with the ability to incorporate digital components such as email blasts, IP targeting, landing pages, and informed delivery to optimize any campaign. If you feel that you are not getting the return you should be on your marketing efforts, our
Ove rcom i ng Ove rsaturation
team is a few clicks away
• Integrated Marketing Communications
with all the knowledge
When your marketing messaging stays consistent across multiple
a lasting impression on
channels, you strengthen your brand image in the eyes of search engines and individuals who see your messages. This also builds
and expertise to establish your target audience.
trust with consumers which is one of the most important attributes of popular companies that remain that way.
• Traditional Marketing Methods The technological world we live in is filled with countless digital ads, but this is not the only avenue of distributing content. Traditional methods such as direct mail and print are shown to still be highly effective, even in today’s digital age. These traditional channels
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Pe rfecti ng th e Call to Action Learn More. Click Here. Add to Cart. How do these phrases make you feel? Do they make you want to click on a button or link? If you answered yes, they are doing their job effectively! With the right message, these phrases urge you to act — whether that’s to get more information about your product/service or make a purchase!
Learn M ore!
Click H e re!
Add to Cart!
What is a Call to Action? A call to action, also referred to as a CTA, is a marketing ploy used to get visitors to take a desired action—like buying a product or subscribing to a newsletter. It’s created as a short piece of content that directs an audience towards action. When they act, they can learn more about your product or service and possibly make a purchase.
What Makes a Good Call to Action? The main goal is to increase the number of people performing your desired action. The language you use to craft your CTA will determine your level of engagement. However, remember that the average conversion rate for a call-to-action element is only 4.23% across all industries. Of course, this number varies, and a catchy CTA can render much higher rates. A compelling CTA is clear and generates curiosity. It must deliver what you promise without wasting time. For example, if you ask audience to click to “download our newsletter,” the link should take them directly to that newsletter and not anywhere else. Creating the perfect CTA can be tough! The goal is to ask your audience to do something without coming off too pushy, which can be a difficult line to walk.
H e re are a few i m portant ti ps that can h e lp you pe rfect your Call-to-Action!
• Foster curiosity and anticipation • Make it stand out • Create urgency • Use action words • Personalize it • Keep it to the point
Continually test new strategies to optimize your results. It’s the best way to make sure your callto-action drives the response you want – and the results your business needs. If you need help perfecting your CTA, get in touch with our marketing experts today! PAGE 6
HOT OFF TH E PRESS
Optim izing Direct Mail Frequency Any direct mail campaign should include multiple drops to achieve the most efficient response and conversion rates. Just as digital ads, if you aren’t hitting your target customer multiple times, you’re wasting valuable impressions. The most agreed upon frequency of direct mail drops is 3 hits per customer with an average of 3 weeks between each mailing. This frequency is not universal, as each product, brand, and target market are unique, but multiple impressions are the most obvious choice for increasing response and conversion rates.
How to I de nti fy an I deal Freque ncy Before determining the most efficient direct mail frequency for your business, you must examine strategy you already have in place including budget, objective, and market size of the target area. If your objective is building awareness, industry best practices support multiple audience touchpoints when using direct mail to reach both current and prospective customers. However, if you’re an e-commerce brand using direct mail to fuel mass customer acquisition, using a one touch approach is more efficient until it’s time to re-engage your audience. Another scenario is when your market is competitive and crowded such as healthcare, insurance, and even restaurants in crowed areas. Mass appeal business like these should launch multi-touch campaigns as to stay top of mind whenever your product or service is desired over a competitor. Having your mailers pre-printed all at once is one way to increase the cost-effectiveness of direct mail marketing and helps offset initial costs.
Run a Test Testing any marketing strategy helps safeguard your budget against possible losses if your plans don’t work out. Establish two groups, a control group, and a variable group. Both groups should receive the same piece containing exact creative, offer, copy, and list source. The only difference would be the frequency of mail each group receives. Your test size will largely depend upon budget but conducting at least a small test is beneficial to finding the best cadence of your mailers. If possible, test using multiple sample sizes as to increase the validity of your results.
E ffects of Freque ncy You’ve identified your current strategy, defined a budget, and found an ideal direct mail frequency after testing. What happens next you may be asking. Settling on your frequency allows you to now shift focus to testing creative strategy as to determine if your audience should be receiving the same piece each time or a variety of pieces, maybe with separate CTA’s, with each mailing which might yield higher response rates. Also consider including digital elements such as paid ads and email marketing into your test campaigns. These could identify a necessary precursor to direct mail response compared to a mail only group. MAY 2023
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E m ploye e spotlight As we take time to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, this Memorial Day, we also want to recognize and honor our veteran employees. Their service and contributions to our organization are invaluable and we are grateful for the skills and leadership that they bring to our team.
12276 San Jose Blvd, Ste 111 Jacksonville, FL 32223
Much appreciation to:
Darren Peterson
Wilshan Tiller
Kessle r Kulture We believe that happy employees make for happy clients, and we are proud to have a team that knows how to have fun in and out of the office! Check out this recap of our latest team outings:
David Bock Work hard, play hard! Our sales and marketing team enjoyed an afternoon of golf and friendly competition!
Dan Smith
These ladies worked up a sweat and had fun doing it! Our team enjoyed a challenging fitness class together, pushing each other to new heights and building stronger bonds.