3. Do something different. DirectSmile leverages its technology to create personalized images that go back to the Godin school of thought. For example, DirectSmile can take a customer’s alma mater and create an image of that school’s band spelling out the recipient’s name on the school’s football field (see image below). “Somebody gets that personalized postcard form the university with their name spelled out on the football field, the inclination is not to throw that piece out. They’re like, ‘Wow, there’s my name!’ and they’ll turn it over to see the offer,” describes Ickowski.
4. Be multichannel. Integrate your campaign, with the personalization following suit, across all channels—print, e-mail and online. There are instances where single-channel personalization still works, but it’s becoming more and more vital to hit consumers from all angles.
5. Track it. “We will not let a program out of here unless we can track it because even if it fails, that’s the only way we’re going to learn,” says Regan. “… We actually insist with our clients, 'If you’re not going to track this, we don’t want to do business.' That sounds like a harsh statement, but we’re in this to develop a relationship. And unless you track, you’re not going to have basis to go forward. That’s important.”
To witness a campaign that incorporates all these personalization keys and then some, check out the Miami Dolphins’ recent season ticket campaign, a client of DME, that uses DirectSmile technology. The campaign was three-pronged, reaching Dolphins fans through direct mail (see image below), e-mail and an online viral video at www.mydolphinslive.com, for which each recipient had his or her own personalized URL and video.
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