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Why yet another "waltz down the same aisle?"
In the midst of a nasty stew of shrinking budgets, a tottering postal system and general economic queasiness, it's not surprising clients view major change as too risky. They want to stay in the game without taking a chance on a failed promotion. The flip side, of course, is that tiny tweaks to the same tired package rarely result in a home run.
So here are some reminders, plus a few suggestions for "mid-size" tweaks, to help you score higher response rates — without causing budgets to sink or anxiety levels to soar.
1. Segment your audience.
There's always an age, gender or income divide to exploit even if your audience is interested in the same product. With the explosion of personalized data now available, it's easier than ever to peel off niche markets and create a customized game plan for each segment.
Be sure to zero in on each target's emotional hot buttons. Learn what keeps each target up at night. Is there a hot button you missed? Dig. Then dig deeper. Chances are you'll come up with a few nuggets of informational gold.
2. Experiment with offers.
Discounts and deadlines always pump up responses. But what about structuring a different kind of offer: Like giving buyers an opportunity to be part of an "exclusive" gathering of like-minded individuals? Or offering dinner with a celebrity? Cutting (or maybe doubling) price points? Bundling a related service or product? Experiment and discover what works for you.
3. Find the differentiator.
Rosser Reeves, the savvy ad executive whose character Don Draper of Mad Men is loosely based on, popularized the saying: "A gifted product is mightier than a gifted pen." Short of going back to the drawing board, Reeves believed the way to increase the appeal of any product was not glib copy. Instead, his technique was to uncover a unique benefit or differentiator — the Unique Selling Proposition.
Take chocolates, for example. Some people would consider chocolate to be a parity product. After all, chocolate is chocolate. But what differentiated the candy made by the Mars Company was the coating used to prevent their chocolate from melting.
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