Dean Petrulakis     LinkedIn     Twitter

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Rider Dickerson

In today’s marketing world there are many different channels to choose from when trying to get your message out.  In the past year Mobile Marketing has become one of the most talked about channels.  With everyone attached to their mobile devices all day long, mobile marketing is a great choice to capture your audience’s attention.  It has been said that a person’s mobile device is the one thing they could not live without.  According to a recent survey conducted by Nokia, it found that looking at their phone is the first thing many people do each day – as they use its alarm function – and is also the last. In between, phones are used to check the internet, read emails, take photos as well as to make calls and send texts.  With individuals being this attached to their mobile phones, mobile marketing has been a great channel to get your message out to your target audience.

It has been found that 93% of SMS text messages are opened within 4 minutes of sending!- that is a fabulous open rate! On average, users check their smartphones close to 150 times or every 6.5 minutes during a waking day of 16 hours!  Using mobile as a part of your marketing campaign can help drive a higher response rate. While mobile alone will not drive response rates and interactions, when coupled with other media channels it can be a very persuasive and powerful tool.

Mobile marketing is not limited to only sending text message reminders; it can be utilized through QR Codes, promotional coupons, links, videos, etc. There are many great use cases of how to successfully use mobile marketing. One example of using mobile marketing strategically in your marketing mix is Red Bull.  They recently launched a mobile media campaign that drove potential customers from a US Weekly Mobile Ad to the company’s mobile site where consumers could learn more about the product.   Red Bull has been able to showcase its new products and drive more traffic to it website through this mobile ad. To read the full article on how Red Bull used mobile media in its marketing campaign click here.(http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/15231.html )  

Another marketing campaign that Rider Dickerson ran which included mobile marketing was CRAIN’s Chicago Business Vision 2013.  CRAIN’s Chicago Business ran a cross media marketing campaign that incorporated print materials, the CRAIN’s website, and QR Codes leading to a mobile optimized microsite. Through the use of QR Codes, we were able to drive the audience to the mobile experience.  Visitors were able to download the chosen article directly to their mobile device. There are many other ways that you can incorporate mobile into your marketing campaign such as event reminder texts, promotional text messages, links to microsites, coupons, videos, and many more.

One mobile marketing campaign that we ran in the fall was for Robert Morris University.  The integrated strategy for the RMU Camp College Campaign was composed of variable postcards to 21,000 students containing a text short code, “CampRMU”, which will respond with a link leading students to a landing page experience. The postcards also included a URL and QR Code leading students to the landing page incase students could not receive text messages. On the mobile- optimized landing pages students were asked to fill out a form to schedule a visit to attend Camp College. With most high school students attached to their cell phones, using SMS texts to help students sign up for a visit day worked out great!  

Whether you would like to start with a simple SMS text message incorporated in your marketing campaign such as a text for an event reminder or if you are ready to dive in to mobile marketing with a more elaborate mobile campaign similar to the Crain’s Vision campaign there are many different levels of involvement.  For your next marketing campaign there are plenty of ways to incorporate mobile marketing with any budget.  If you have questions regarding mobile marketing, would like more information on the case studies or where to get started, I am happy to have a conversation.

Dean Petrulakis

Rider Dickerson

Senior VP Business Development

Dean Petrulakis     LinkedIn     Twitter

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Rider Dickerson

Every day the average American receives over 3,000 messages- that is a huge amount of information each day! We are constantly bombarded with text messages, billboards, T.V. and radio commercials, online ads, etc. The average person remembers eight of those messages each day.   In order to get your message heard and remembered it is important to stand out.  Because digital media can sometimes be diluted with so many messages, the use of print in your marketing campaign can help your message be heard and stand out in the clutter.

In 2013, The Target Marketing Media Usage Survey found direct mail delivers the strongest ROI out of all media channels. (printinthemix) According to the study, customer acquisition for direct mail was 31.3% and customer retention was 37.5%. Incorporating the use of direct mail in your marketing campaign may help to have your service or product be remembered. In today’s society, Millennials (people who are between the ages of 18-33) make many purchasing decisions.  Knowing how to target them correctly is imperative.  While one would think that since they are constantly on their phones or connecting via social media, that would be the way to get their attention.  If it is done in the correct way it could be but according to a study found in Deliver Magazine, 75% of Millennials would prefer to be contacted or sold to via direct mail.  This is because they are on their phones and social media channels all day that when a well-done mail piece arrives to them it captures their attention.  Like I mentioned before, it is all about standing out so any old postcard or letter just won’t do.  You need to invest in quality creative and targeted messaging.  More important, you need to make sure your mailer is sent to the right person at the right time.

With that in mind, there are ways to spice up your direct mail without breaking your budget.  One way to grab your target’s attention in the mail is with the use of color.  While most of the mail that comes to your house is in a white window envelope, just by adding color to that envelope can instantly help you stand out.  This is also true with postcards.  While everyone receives hundreds of junk mail postcards each year, many of which don’t get read- with great design and minimal copy and a strong call to action you have a better chance of getting noticed.  Another way to standout is through the use of personalization.  Everyone likes to feel that the messaging relevant to them.  In fact, they expect it today!  There’s simply too much data out there for you not segment your list and target folks more effectively. pURLs (Personal URLs) can be added to mail pieces to drive recipients to an engaging online experience.  By using personalization correctly, messaging and creative can have more of an impact on individuals.  It is important to always have a call to action with each piece of mail you send so that pieces are not just being sent for the sake of being sent.

With any marketing campaign it is important to track the success of the pieces.  Our SmartTrack technology allows marketers to do just that.  We can manage various pieces and see when they arrive in recipient’s mailboxes and can schedule a follow-up email or text to remind them to check their mail.  In addition if the direct mail piece is personalized with a pURL our technology can track that pURL and see when the targeted person visits their personalized microsite experience.  It is a great way to track the piece and see how well it did. We can provide the client with real time dashboards so that they can monitor and respond to leads in a timely manner—helping them convert leads into sales more efficiently.   With many people investing in digital technology and throwing print to the way side, it is important to see how print still plays a huge role in the marketing mix.

Direct mail has been a primary channel of marketing communications for decades and will continue to be in the future.  You may have noticed that you receive less magazine and printed inserts in the mail than you did years before.  Personally, because print pieces are rare and if they have a good message, they tend to make more of an impact than 1 of the 500 emails we read each day.  If you are looking to stand out it would be a great idea for your next marketing campaign to invest in “smart” direct mail and really connect with your target audience.

Dean Petrulakis

Dean Petrulakis     LinkedIn     Twitter

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Rider Dickerson

I hope everyone has had a great start to 2013. With all of the stress and craziness of the holidays way behind us now, it’s nice to get back to the grind and focus on bettering yourself for the new year.  Many people make New Year’s Resolutions each year such as; lose weight, eat better, spend more time with the family, quit smoking, etc., but rarely keep up with them.  Did you know the average New Year’s resolution lasts 4-5 weeks?! If you are one of those people who has already let your New Year’s resolution slip now is the time to get back on track! While you are setting your own goals for 2013, it is important to keep in mind some of the most prevalent predicted marketing trends for 2013.

The marketing trend that in my opinion I think will really make an impact in 2013 is Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality is relatively new and is grabbing the attention of marketers everywhere.  It is digital sensory technology.  Imagine being able to try on any watch you want all while sitting in front of your computer.  Talking Dog Studios allows you to do just that! Check out this awesome example of augmented reality.  With this technology just becoming prevalent in the market place the opportunities and use cases are endless! Augmented Reality is definitely something that we are looking forward to using in 2013!

We have seen in the last year how mobile has completely exploded onto the scene.  It is now a key player in all multi-channel marketing campaigns.  Mobileprofs.com predicts that 68% of companies will increase their mobile marketing budget.  Whether it’s for in store ad displays, SMS text campaigns, or mobile coupons mobile marketing is going to continue to grow and be an effective marketing channel.  The average U.S. adult spends 82 minutes a day on their phone! If your company is not utilizing mobile marketing at this time, it may be something you should look into.

Similar to the early adoption of mobile marketing, are QR Codes.  QR Codes have been used in Europe and Asia since the early 90’s but have just become popular in the U.S. in the past few years. Many marketers are still trying to get the hang of how to properly use QR Codes effectively.  Two companies that have used QR Codes correctly are Cadillac and McDonalds.  Make sure to check out how they used QR codes to engage their customers and potential customers.

Another form of media that has always grabbed the audience’s attention is video.  Rather than sending out an article on a certain subject many marketers have already started shooting videos to capture the viewer’s attention. According to Internet Retailer, visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than visitors who do not. Setting up your own YouTube channel and creating more videos is one way to better capture your target audience’s attention. In 2012, video was the fastest growing ad growth and it doesn’t show any signs to be slowing down in 2013. Just remember to keep the video short and focused.  The average consumer is so overwhelmed with marketing messages every day, and you don’t want to lose their attention with a video that runs too long.  The duration of the average online content video is 6.7 minutes.

Other trends that are predicted to continue to make an impact in 2013 are location based check ins, integrated social media, inbound marketing, data and content marketing to name a few.

With a month and a half already over, I hope that if you haven’t already made goals for 2013 that maybe I have influenced you to do that now! If not, at least I gave you some cool marketing trends to research! I hope that 2013 is a very prosperous and successful year for everyone!

Dean Petrulakis

This month we are pleased to feature Melissa Niksic, Marketing Communications Specialist at Loyola University Chicago, as a guest blogger.  Melissa is a long-time client of Rider Dickerson, and we affectionately call her a “friend of the program”!  Melissa was a featured presenter at our inaugural printForum conference in 2011, and we lean on her for her social media expertise.  Melissa’s role at Loyola has evolved over time, and today she oversees all of Loyola’s enrollment social media marketing and video marketing efforts.  Melissa also handles select print and direct mail projects, and fully understands how print and the digital world can work wonderfully together. We love working with clients like Loyola who understand that it’s not a question of which channel to use.  Rather, it’s a matter of how to make them work together synergistically to create maximum impact with your marketing message and to reach your target audience effectively.

Keeping it Social: How Loyola University Chicago Integrated Social Media into Every Aspect of a Key Marketing Campaign

By: Melissa Niksic
Marketing Communications Specialist, Loyola University Chicago

Imagine that you’re a high school senior trying to decide where to attend college next year. Most of us probably remember being inundated with college viewbooks in the mail when we were applying to schools (sadly, I am probably showing my age here). Things have changed dramatically, and while print materials are still a huge part of the enrollment marketing equation, today’s students are also bombarded with e-mail messages, Web sites, mobile communications, and of course social media. Multiple channels give universities an advantage because there are now more ways than ever to connect with students. However, with multiple schools competing for each student’s attention (and tuition dollars), how do you make your campaign stand out? That’s the question we asked ourselves when we revamped our Loyola Weekend campaign in January 2012.

Loyola Weekend is our largest yield event of the year. All admitted undergraduate students are invited to campus for what is basically a glorified open house. Statistics show that the majority of students who attend Loyola Weekend ultimately enroll at Loyola, so we knew that we needed to make this campaign special. In addition to giving the entire look of the campaign a design overhaul to match our new undergraduate branding, we decided that it was essential to bring social media to the forefront of the campaign—the entire campaign.

Loyola has had enormous success using social media as a recruitment tool, particularly via our class pages on Facebook (“Class of 2016,” etc.). We wanted to capitalize on that success and generate even more student engagement through social media to create buzz around Loyola Weekend. We also recognized that our target audience strongly valued social media as a method of connecting with the Loyola community. Therefore, we made sure to incorporate social media into every single communication that went out to students regarding the event. Some examples:

• We collaborated with Rider Dickerson to create a dynamic personalized print invitation to Loyola Weekend. Each invite included a link to the registration Web site, along with a QR code. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR code directed students to a mobile landing page featuring a teaser video about Loyola Weekend, as well as a mobile registration form.
• The Web site we created for Loyola Weekend also featured an energetic video designed to get students excited about the event. The site included personalization features specific to each student, making the experience more targeted to each individual user. Every page on the site also included links to videos, blogs, and Loyola’s various social media channels.
• Every Loyola Weekend e-mail communication encouraged students to connect with Loyola and with each other via social media. Many e-mails also featured our Loyola blogs and videos very prominently (and many of those blogs and videos contained messages specific to Loyola Weekend).
• During the event itself, we organized several contests using social media that allowed students to win prizes by engaging with the university through various social channels. We also live-tweeted during the event, and let students know that candid photos taken of them on campus would be available for them to view and download on our Facebook and Flickr channels.

I’ve worked on the Loyola Weekend campaign for several years, and the latest campaign was definitely the most time-consuming. There were so many different aspects to the campaign, all of which were somehow tied to social media. So what were the end results? Ultimately, we had the largest Loyola Weekend turnout in history. Additionally, we saw huge spikes in our social media activity, and shortly after the Loyola Weekend event, our “Class of 2016” Facebook page greatly surpassed class pages from previous years in terms of number of “likes” and overall user activity.

As we gear up to launch a new Loyola Weekend campaign in January 2013, we will build off of the successes we had this past year and incorporate new ways of bringing social media to the forefront. If you have any questions about Loyola or about this campaign, please feel free to contact me at mniksic@luc.edu or @melissaniksic.

Dean Petrulakis     LinkedIn     Twitter

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Rider Dickerson

When you meet as many people as I do and interact with as many different personalities as I’m fortunate enough to do on a daily basis, the question “Aren’t people printing less these days” comes up a lot.  I get it. Believe me, I get it.  At Rider Dickerson, we certainly put our fair share of ink on paper.  Truth be told, putting ink on paper is something we’ve done for years and years, and quite well if I may say so myself.  However, in today’s climate, being just another printer is an ill fated recipe for disaster in my opinion.

We realize our clients are under tremendous stress today.  There are more channels available to get your marketing message out to your intended audience than in the history of mankind.  In fact, there are probably too many if you ask me!  It’s enough to make your head spin.  To that end, we realize our clients don’t roll out of bed in the morning, pump their fist and say “Yes, I get to go to press today with our new direct mail piece!”  Having said that, print is proven (and I believe will continue to) to be a valuable medium in today’s mix.  When done right, print has the ability to stand out from the clutter and create an emotional connection with your end customer in a way that’s real and tangible.  That’s why my answer to the question I reference above is a simple one.  At Rider Dickerson, our job is to help our clients use print more strategically and thoughtfully.  Better put, our job is to help our clients put print to work!

What does that mean? Simply stated, how can our clients’ printed pieces-whether they be direct response marketing pieces or high-end collateral pieces—be more effective.  The technology is at our fingertips to do some pretty amazing stuff on press and in post-press finishing processes.  Heck, we are now able to print overtop of a metallic laminate to make traditional inks look iridescent.  It’s so cool, and our clients are eating it up.  Talk about making an impact with a printed piece!  That’s just one example.  I have more, but for the sake of keeping this post succinct I will save those for another day.

Let’s talk about 2 other ways print can be used differently and more effectively today.  The easy one is variable data and customized print.  This is nothing new, but as marketers become more and more savvy on collecting better data on their customers and potential customers, we stand in the great position to help them make sense of that data and use it in well thought-out targeted and relevant print pieces that speak directly and in absolute relevant terms to many segments within their list.

The stats are there to support it–personalization is proven to drive higher response rates. I’m not talking about simply putting somebody’s name on a piece and calling it personalized.  Rather, I’m talking about true database marketing.  No more “spray and pray”, when we mail the same piece with the same message and same imagery to everyone on the list and keep our fingers crossed for a lift in response rates.  Marketers understand the need for personal and relevant communications, and during a 7 month period during 2011 the amount of mail that was personalized was 46% higher than in 2009 (printinthemix).  Shame on us and shame on our clients if we are not leveraging data and making our direct mail more relevant (and then tracking and measuring it on the back end—see my previous post on Cross Media).  And for an excellent example of a customized publication, check out this case study.

And then there’s print on demand.  Again, this is not necessarily a new concept.  Only in the past few years has it picked up momentum, and we can tie that back to the surge in digital printing and the improved quality of digital printing. As we continue to educate our customers on the advances in digital printing and the efficiencies that can be realized by streamlining their print and distribution across their organization, interest level has risen and we can begin to discover ways the concept of print on demand might make sense for our respective clients.  Within that challenge lies our opportunity to bring more value to our clients.  Print on demand, when it makes sense, is proven to work.  It’s simple—print only what you need, when you need it, and give your national retail network or sales organization access to these branded materials through a user-friendly web portal.  Pieces can be customized, and they are printed and shipped within a few days to exactly where they need to be.  Brilliant, huh!

These are but a few examples of how we are using print differently with our clients.  There are many others, and as always, the ultimate goal is to help our customers make the most impact and get the most value out of their printed pieces.  Let’s start a dialogue and continue to find ways to put print to work!

Dean Petrulakis

Senior Vice President,

Business Development