Layering Inserts With Solo Efforts for Bigger Results

Stanton agrees, but leans a little more toward the coordination strategy. "The advantage to coordinating messaging across media is that consistency builds credibility with buyers" as each exposure reinforces the others. And, he emphasizes, it projects a reliable image to the consumer, especially when the message comes in branded third-party vehicles—package insert programs, statement stuffers, ride-alongs—that add an implied endorsement of the host mailer.

That said, marketers must keep in mind that they need to work within the unique parameters of each medium in a multichannel campaign. With inserts, says Gizzo, marketers only have a certain amount of selling real estate versus direct mail and even e-mail campaigns.

The same is true when considering the best offer to promote. With niche products, Stanton advises, marketers have to be careful to secure accurate demographics and geographics to be sure of the audience affinity. Otherwise, marketers can match their offers to their goals; for example, a cataloger or company with a wide product lineup can use an insert to promote several of its top-sellers that are representative of the overall offerings to drive traffic online.

Stanton does caution marketers to approach the creative and offer presentation from the mind-set that consumers might not have seen or won't remember your direct mail piece, e-mail, TV commercial, etc. In keeping, develop the insert to include all pertinent details to sell the action you want taken, and incorporate any specific media crossover elements (e.g., "as seen on TV" icons, before-and-after images) so they make sense without the audience needing exposure to your other media efforts.

Additional Tactics for Success
Marketers considering this layered media approach should work with their brokers to negotiate more favorable pricing when renting a list owner's postal and/or e-mail addresses as well as participating in any of its insert media programs, says Stanton.

Finally, don't forget to measure performance. To help track the effect of layered campaigns, marketers can use special URLs in their insert media that trace visits through to conversion, Stanton says, and then compare results to any rental lists for the same audience. While keycodes are standard elements in insert media campaigns, he explains, they also can get overlooked by consumers during the online checkout process.

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