Thinking Inside the Box to Generate Demand

What’s better than an email invite for an upcoming webinar? Hm, that’s a tough one, but we’d probably go with…a delivery box filled with a cocktail kit inviting you to a mixology session with a certified mixologist! If that sounds oddly specific, that’s because it is—this year, SAP sent 100 direct mailers inviting highly-qualified prospects to a virtual mixology session. High-impact direct mail pieces like this one are some of the most effective tools for B2B marketers looking to help B2B sales teams get quality leads and close sales. Below, you can find a few of the benefits of direct mail marketing based on Drew’s 3rd video in Renegade’s B2B Demand Generation Tips series.

Direct Mail that Increases Response Rates

As Alex Reed, previously the Global Marketing Director at Big Ass Fans said in his Renegade Thinkers Unite interview: “People don’t get mail anymore. It’s the best-kept secret.” That best-kept secret is the reason why Big Ass Fans focused a lot of its marketing efforts on physical mailers: “We’ve seen consistently with our demographic in the markets that we serve that direct mail is a higher response rate driver.”

In addition to sending small swag like coffee mugs to get people’s attention, Big Ass Fans’ marketing team also put together a quarterly magazine that used humor and human stories. Ultimately, the magazine was so well received and gained so many subscribers that the company created the “Big Ass Fans Club” for loyal prospects turned customers.

Customized Experiences that Win Leads

Dan Frohnen, the CMO for the sending platform Sendoso, answered some of our questions about what mailers resonate with customers in this moment: “Now, more than ever before, people are receptive to having conversations with brands that come across as helpful and empathetic.”

That’s why he recommends direct mail that provides an interactive experience rather than merely a box of swag, to include video mailers (said swag but with a personal video message), conferences in a box (like SAP’s mixology session), and more personal items based on what you know about the person in question. For more about how direct mailers can differentiate your marketing, and more, be sure to check out tip #6 from our B2B Demand Generation Strategy Guide.

Memorable Mailers that Gain Prospects’ Attention

With days full of Zoom calls and soaring levels of webinar fatigue, the last thing a prospect is going to care about is a generic email, or even a personalized email in their mailbox, for that matter. Businesses need to earn the right to get in front of prospects, and that means they need to feel like you’ve invested serious time and thought into what you send them. A great way to do this is to turn company purpose into a direct mail piece.

Cybersecurity company White Ops’ purpose “Keep it Human” came from impactful t-shirts it created that had one word printed on it: “Human.” The company would send these shirts to prospects, inviting them to their noble cause, with remarkable results. CMO Dan Lowden explains: “We’ve had a tremendous response to it by simply sending out a FedEx package with a “human” shirt in it. There is a customer right now that we’re working with that is going to be a substantial win for the company just because of that FedEx package.”

Design Considerations for Direct Mail Marketing

If you do decide to send a direct mail piece, there are a number of packaging design options worth considering. Creative packaging can do more than just catch a prospect’s attention, it can also build brand loyalty and customer relationships. For more, be sure to read Case Makes’ “Ultimate Guide to Creative Packaging Ideas.” 

Be sure to consider sustainable packaging options that are made with eco-friendly materials and reduce your carbon footprint. For more tips on that, check out Packhelp’s “Guide to Making Your Company More Sustainable.”