Nick is the CEO of PFL , which helps businesses around the world create hybrid business opportunities.
"I don't want to spend my marketing dollars in a landfill."
When I finish a curated direct mail presentation and ask an audience a question or comment, it's not the kind of comment I expect from a room full of marketers. But that bold statement is a clear signal that marketers (and our clients) are tired of sending and throwing away cheap talent and marketing materials that don't quite hit the mark.
Garbage goes to landfill. Physical marketing, also known as "junk" mail, is often the result of poorly planned and executed marketing campaigns. However, I don't think we should dump an entire channel just because a marketer posts junk.
Offline marketing is a very powerful channel. To make an impact without sacrificing sustainability, marketers need to shift their mindset to "What do we deliver?" to "What moment do we want to create?"
Sustainability is something we have always valued at PFL. Our facilities are powered by renewable energy, and in addition to using sustainable paper that is 100% recyclable, we partner in the global tree-planting space where every tree our customers consume is grown with paper and has to be corrugated.
To help others achieve their sustainability and communication goals, here are five sustainable offline marketing strategies.
1. Understand the power of moments.
Marketing works offline. Your brand can stand out simply by using the inevitable channels. Physical mail can't be ignored as easily as digital methods, but that doesn't mean your marketing team has to start sending something out to everyone. A big part of sustainability is reducing waste, so ship slowly. Look for quality over quantity. Create meaningful and meaningful moments. By sending fewer gifts and connecting during delivery, you create spectacular moments. Best of all, deep thinking comes at no extra cost.
2. Give value.
Make your value proposition clear to your customers within the first few seconds of a promising delivery. Marketers must provide immediate and visible value to recipients. Customers care about themselves, so share market insights, relevant guides, or other valuable resources to keep your inventory on the counter, not in the trash.
3. Focus on premium products.
If promotional products are part of your strategy, choose quality products that your customers will use rather than sending cheap products out to more people. This is another game based on quality and quantity. By increasing the value of the products they provide, marketers can build stronger relationships with buyers, differentiate their brands in the eyes of buyers, and create experiences that are valued, not rejected.
4. Talk to the right people.
Use customer data to benefit your customers and your budget. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, target customers who are clearly interested in your product or service. Has the prospect finished the demo? Follow up with relevant content based on what the sales team learned from the conversation. Providing a roadmap or product guide explaining how to come up with a budget for the products you sell is invaluable. Your attention to detail can be appreciated for getting potential customers and increasing the sales funnel.
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Focus not only on making your mailing list more targeted to reduce waste, but also on offering reusable and recyclable products for your direct mail program. Use 100% recycled paper and corrugated board, but remember, this is only the beginning. Sending hard copy content and information from sustainable sources is a great way to add value to your customers and reduce the overall carbon footprint of your direct mail campaigns. Some of the benefits of paper are that it can be made from 100% recycled materials and is often lighter than promotional products. It can also be folded, cold formed, and recycled again.
If your team needs to send out promotional items, consider items like reusable water bottles, lunch boxes, quality backpacks and organic produce. When you spend more on quality products made by companies that share your sustainability values, your gifts are more likely to be used or reused for those in need.
Green. It's not just a color. work
Reusing, recycling and reducing our dependence on non-renewable resources is the best thing we can do to preserve the precious resources in our environment. Tight budgets, changing trends, persistent supply chain problems, an unfavorable economic climate, and increasing public awareness of the environmental impact of mail and direct mail are recurring challenges for today's marketers.
So for those who don't want to spend money filling landfills with trash, I say don't. There's a better way to make direct mail an integral part of your marketing mix. Modern direct mail can be sustainable, valuable, and effective when done carefully.
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