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For example, Vertis developed a successful trigger program for a leading specialty retailer. State-of-the-art technology and customer information were used to develop and deliver a truly customer-centric trigger program that has increased sales over traditional, personalized direct mail.
The company analyzed both its RFM (recency, frequency and monetary value) segmentation and transactional data to identify the appropriate customer trigger points. The desired outcomes then were defined:
• Increase the frequency and value of a customer’s purchasing cycle; and
• Boost customer retention and loyalty.
On a regular basis, Vertis Digital Production Services receives a data feed of those customers who had been triggered for communication. Vertis’ proprietary dynamic publishing workflow then populates the appropriate template with the specific individual-level content (event, recommended product, etc.) and a selection from hundreds of graphic assets determined by the client’s business rules. The result: an individual conversation in print composed and printed specifically for each customer that exceeded the client’s ROI expectations.
Top Tips for Trigger Mailings
Here are 10 tips that can help make trigger programs successful.
Tip No. 1: Ensure senior-level decision-makers support the program. As trigger programs have cross-functional boundaries between marketing, IT and advertising, project managers need to ensure that senior-level decision makers from all departments work together effectively.
Tip No. 2: Know your data. Trigger programs are only successful if the underlying data is retrievable and relevant. Before designing a program, inventory the data you have and consult with a marketing services group that is skilled in trigger program development to determine if you have the right data.
Tip No. 3: Understand your customers and customer segments. Trigger programs cost more per piece than traditional direct mail programs and might not be appropriate for lower value segments.
Tip No. 4: Know what outcome you want to drive. Trigger point, assets and template design all need to be aligned with your ultimate goal. Decide before you develop and design your program whether you want to trigger a sale, enrollment, inquiry or Web visit.
Tip No. 5: Understand the relationship between the trigger event and the outcome. Frankly, just because you can push a trigger on someone’s birthday, it doesn’t mean you should. All trigger events should be appropriate to the individual consumer and your product/service.
Tip No. 6: Be appropriate, not overbearing. Strive to delight and surprise the consumer. The individual receiving the trigger communication should think, “Wow, this really fits me right now!” and not, “Why do they know that about me?”
Tip No. 7: Involve creative from day one. Your creative team needs a strong understanding of the output process and data from the start. Design and file preparation for trigger programs is complex. When making a decision on a design resource, ensure they have experience with content management, dynamic document publishing tools and the options for variable digital output.
Tip No. 8: Be sure you can measure your outcome. You’re still a direct marketer! Know how you are going to measure the ROI of the program and ensure you can do it before designing the program.
Tip No. 9: Be prepared to change content as you learn. As with any direct marketing program, you need to continuously analyze and optimize results.
Tip No. 10: Understand what the output technology can and can’t do. A successful trigger program comes down to the right design, the right data and the right production partners who can optimize your program. u
Janice Mayo is senior vice president of sales and marketing at Vertis, a leading provider of technology-based integrated marketing and advertising solutions headquartered in Baltimore. She can be reached at jmayo@vertisinc.com.
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