Tag Archives: dimensional mail

Emotion In Advertising Is Now More Important Than Ever

We all know good advertising when we see it or, more accurately, when we feel it.

The best brands – the ones that consumers turn to in good times and bad – focus on connecting deeply with their audience by consciously harnessing the power of emotions and using it skillfully in their advertising.

In recent weeks, in particular, we’ve been seeing this more frequently from all kinds of brands. From Budweiser to JanSport and Dominos, businesses the world over are tapping into the fear, loss and isolation many of us are feeling while waiting out COVID-19.

But emotional advertising isn’t just relegated to a screen. Dimensional print enables marketers to create emotional connections and build brand loyalty quicker and more effectively than ever before.

Here’s how:

It sets the stage. Who doesn’t love to receive a piece of mail? Especially now, when so many of us are stuck in front of screens or locked inside our homes, it’s an easy and (can be) a relatively low-cost way to surprise and delight. The format you choose for your piece can set the tone with the right emotional moments.

It presents options. Are you looking for something that pops? How about something that spins? Structural Graphics and Red Paper Plane can design anything from paper, whether it means incorporating sounds, lights, pull tabs or even video. The ways you can deliver your brand messaging are endless.

It can be tracked. Physical mailers are notoriously difficult to track. However, with designs like Web Keys and add-ons like QR Codes or NFC tags, these make it easy on your team to see the value of your advertising and assess if the emotion you’ve conveyed is on track.

3 Ways to Shift Marketing Strategies in the Age of COVID-19

The rise of COVID-19 has brought an array of challenges for brands, one of which is effective marketing. With a drop in on-site video and photo production, teams being asked to work from home, and businesses being forced to shutter indefinitely, it’s certainly pushing marketing teams to think creatively about how to cope with our “new normal”.

Here are a few ways to shift your current marketing strategy to help better equip your business during COVID-19.

Ditch the handshake: Unfortunately, we’re living in a world in which face-to-face interactions aren’t feasible for many of us for the foreseeable future. At a time when lead generation feels as though it’s being challenged, focus on engaging with the accounts that have the greatest potential for revenue. Refresh your LinkedIn page and increase your engagement with new or former customers. Set up one-on-one webinars to demo a product or service that can be shipped or installed in a safe environment. Create an immersive experience for prospects as soon as they visit your website or social media channels.

Shift dollars to dimensional: We all seem to be spending a lot more time in front of our screens than usual these days. Instead of investing in a one-dimensional marketing strategy, consider using print mailers to your advantage. Dimensional print pieces like the ones at Structural Graphics and Red Paper Plane stand out, deliver the message you want, and offer an interactive experience that’s sure to be remembered.

Communicate: We can’t think of a better time to strengthen your communications skills. Whether it’s updating internal staff on company news or sharing how your brand is pivoting during this time, consistent and engaging communication is integral to the longevity of any business.

Struggling With Lead Generation? Here Are 4 Simple Tips.

Lead generation. It’s the holy grail of the marketing world.

Everything hinges on it, whether that’s the overall success of your marketing campaign or the business’ bottom line. However, it’s important to note there’s no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to finding and converting new prospects.

So, where does one begin? Here are a few tried and true tips to get you started:

CURATE. Before beginning any type of direct mail or email campaign, it’s important to pare down any of your current mailing lists so that you’re only reaching out to the right people for your brand. Who is your ideal buyer? Where do they live? What income bracket are they in? Essentially, cultivate a targeted profile of who you want to take an interest in your product.

DELIVER VALUE. In our opinion, this is the most important (and often overlooked step). What is your value proposition? Once you’ve determined who your target audience is, it becomes much easier to decide how your product or service will solve a problem they have. Does what you’re selling offer convenience? Help with self-esteem? Provide comfort? Your mail piece, whether it’s a postcard or an email, serves a purpose. Don’t let it get lost because you’re unable to deliver value to the recipient.

BUDGET. No business wants their marketing assets to appear cheap, especially when making a first impression on potential new customers. However, it’s important not to break the bank either. Now is the time to decide whether you should use an in-house graphic designer, copywriter or photographer, or if it would make more sense to outsource. This is a great opportunity to explore helpful third-party websites like RedPaperPlane.com, which allows brands to customize “WOW”-worthy direct mail pieces at an affordable rate.

TRACK. If you want to know if you’re generating viable leads, you need some way to track who is responding to your marketing calls to action. Aside from using tracking software, consider incorporating QR codes, NFC technology or web keys into your direct mail piece. When used correctly, these interactive tools can tell you exactly what content is working for your business and who is interested in what you have to offer.

Ready to get started generating viable leads for your business? Give us a shout to learn how we can help.

Are You A Direct Mail Noob? We’ve Got Some Tips for You.

Are you a marketer who sees the value of direct mail marketing, but aren’t quite sure where it would be most effective with your brand or business? Here at Structural Graphics, we like to think of ourselves as direct mail experts and have put together a few quick tips for incorporating it into your next campaign.

Start with a goal in mind. Do you want to drive virtual event attendance? Website hits? Lead Generation? Whatever it is you’re setting out to achieve, make sure you outline your objective in detail and consider what a successful execution of your campaign would look like. From there, determine your budget, audience and time frame.

Now, make it pop (literally). Two-dimensional direct mail pieces are a thing of the past. To really capture the attention of your target audience, consider going the dimensional route with a Pop Up Cube, VR Viewer or Video Mailer. These designs are now easier than ever to find and have the ability to surprise and delight where a generic postcard just can’t. At Structural Graphics, and our online design-it-yourself offering, Red Paper Plane, you’re in the driver’s seat and can customize the dimensional design of your choice with logos, colors, copy, and graphics unique to your brand.

Finally, send and track. To get the most out of your direct mail pieces, we highly suggest using a detailed approach to tracking them. You put all that time into making sure they perfectly reflect your business, after all! Be sure to collect tracking numbers for each of the mailers you send, then create a spreadsheet to keep track of its status. It’s also important to include the intended recipient’s name, address, and the sales representative or project manager who is responsible for following up.

And that’s it! Follow each of these simple steps and you’ll be a direct mail marketing champ in no time. Give us a call at (860)-767-2661 or send us a message to find out how we can help you get started on your first campaign!

Entering Q2: Our Future Marketing Predictions

In the lead up to the new quarter, we put our heads together to share our vision for the months ahead. Here are a few trends we think will be shaping our marketing throughout the remainder of 2020.

Video Marketing

It’s no secret that customers respond well to visual content. Now, more than ever, this type of content is essential, due to in person meetings and events being cancelled. But, just because you can’t be there in person, doesn’t mean you can’t be there at all. Video marketing is relatable, emotional and aids in building relationships. Much like we predicted in 2019, video content will continue to be an essential part of any marketing strategy for the duration of 2020. 

Whether you’re just getting started with video marketing or you want to up your video marketing’s “wow factor”, give our Video Mailers a try. Not only are they attention-getting, they also provide a visual experience of your brand for your prospects.

Online Goes Offline

Believe it or not, what’s tried and true are staples for a reason. That’s why direct mail still has value.

However, now brands are using technology and data gleaned from customers’ online presence to inform how to approach them offline. Billboards, retailers and others have begun experimenting with this ultra-targeted communication and consumers are falling for it. 

Don’t have the budget (or the data) to do this yourself? Use what you do know about your customers to approach them in a thoughtful way that is both relevant and valuable to them. 

Increased Direct Communication

Similar to our above point about personalizing direct mail, we expect the channels of communication between customers and brands to improve. Instead of the impersonal connections that many social platforms and websites offer, we’re seeing text messaging platforms, real-time Twitter Q&As, and on-call customer service representatives resurfacing and resurrecting the strong direct connections many of us have missed having with our favorite brands.  

SleekPeeks® Cardboard VR Viewer

Sensory Immersion

It’s not just about pumping out consistent content anymore. Customers are oversaturated with it. Instead, capturing the attention of potential buyers will require brands to get more creative. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will continue to deliver on this front, but we’ll also see more interactive marketing experiences like this one that engage each of the five senses.

5 Ways to Incorporate Tech Into Your Direct Mail

Do you ever feel like a print marketer in a digital world?

Well, you’re not wrong. But you’re not exactly right in feeling this way, either.

From Facebook ads to targeted email campaigns, it’s evident that technology plays a crucial role in influencing the purchasing decisions of customers. However, even despite the ongoing wave of technological advancements, customers are embracing direct mail, too.

Here’s how you can combine both technology and print, and use them to your advantage:

Video Brochures: By taking the best parts of video (sound and image) and merging it with the best part of print (context), Video Brochures are a win-win. Instead of sending another flat postcard with copy and graphics, these brochures allow brands a greater opportunity to connect with and capture the attention of their recipients. With a variety of sizes to choose from and the ability to customize not only the video, but the brochure as well, this is a format that is sure to take your business’ printed communication to the next level. Not to mention, marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than those who don’t. Click here to read about how combining video with a high-impact printed solution is such an effective marketing tool.

Audio in Print: Why settle for plain text when you can make it pop with sound? Print plays to the human senses in ways that digital tech is hard-pressed to match. Add sound and you’re able to deliver your customers and/ or prospects the ultimate sensory experience. Start by adding your jingle to your print communications or include a personalized video message from your sales representative or CEO. Now, that’s sure to capture their attention.

Near Field Communications: NFC technology uses tiny, radio frequency emitting tags to connect with digital devices like smartphones. When a smartphone comes within range of the signal, its web browser displays the content the signal steers it to – no apps necessary. What’s especially great about NFC is that it can be used on just about any printed material: brochures, in-store signage, posters, flyers, coupons, business cards and more.

Virtual Reality: Have you been considering incorporating VR into your marketing? New, inexpensive VR headsets like our SleekPeeks® have made it possible for brands of all sizes and budgets to deliver this immersive experience to their customers. Ours ship flat, assemble in seconds and are fully customizable.

Augmented Reality: Unlike VR, AR invites people into an interactive experience that doesn’t require the need for a headset. Customers, prospects and other members of the public are able to experience computer-generated information in a real-world setting. Combine AR with a brochure, magazine insert, invitation, or other printed collateral and deliver a larger-than-life experience to your customers.

Interested in incorporating technology into your next print campaign? Let’s talk.

Use It or Lose It

Thanksgiving is already a little over a week away, which means, the end of 2019 is upon us. For marketers with leftover money in their budgets, the end of year brings the prospect of using it now or forfeiting it next year, especially when revenue goals aren’t being met.

Spending your marketing dollars wisely is essential, even when the race is on to “use it or lose it.” Dimensional mail, the kind we offer at our online ordering division, Red Paper Plane, consistently delivers response rates that are 3X those of traditional mail, which are already superior to those of email.

Dimensional mail is effective, efficient, and at Red Paper Plane, fast. We have over 60+ designs to choose from. Each is ready to be designed by you on easy-to-download templates, and most ship in as little as 7 days.

Don’t waste your “use it or lose it” budget. Get the most from it at Red Paper Plane. For examples on how you can USE IT WISELY take a look at how others have found success below:

First American sent this video mailer to C-level executives, showcasing a recent client success video. These prospects were decision makers, so the piece needed to capture their attention.

The technology solutions provider, Eze Castle, hoped to turn new prospects onto the company’s cloud based solutions. They generated a positive buzz by including a promotional item in the well.

 

 

 

The company, EI Microcircuits, promoted their Ninja Circuits prototype services to prospects using the Flapper®. It continuously folds into itself allowing for multiple panels to showcase brand content.

The state government agency, Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, included this Pop Up Pen Holder, which promoted the agency’s brand beliefs, in a brand kit that conference attendees received.

 

 

 

 

The Value of Direct Mail in the Digital Age

As newer technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), chatbots and voice recognition software increasingly enter our everyday, today’s hyper-connected marketing landscape begs one important question: is there still a place for direct mail?

In a word, yes.

Direct mail has come a long way since the catalogs and postcards of yore. Today’s direct mail, as seen by Structural Graphics’ customer spotlights, can be dimensional, incorporate technology and video alongside print, and successfully engage your target audience.

However, it’s important to remember that direct mail should be one part of a larger, integrated overall marketing strategy, as consumers prove again and again that they interact with a variety of media formats when it’s most convenient for them. Even in this digital-first age, it’s important to take a holistic approach when it comes to developing marketing campaigns and root them in success metrics.

Here are three reasons to keep print top-of-mind:

It drives ROI. Although many may think direct mail is a tool of the past, consumers are actually often reading, and more importantly reacting, to the mail sent to them more than they are email. According to a recent response rate report by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), direct mail achieves a 5.1 percent response rate compared to 0.6 percent for email, 0.6 percent for paid search, 0.2 percent for online display and 0.4 percent for social media.

It goes straight to the source. Sending marketing materials straight to a consumer’s mailbox is perhaps the most direct path to communicate a brand’s message. Although digital platforms like paid ads and social media provide marketers with a unique opportunity to reach their target audience at any time, print remains a critical means to reach them at home and tailor each piece accordingly. In fact, tech-savvy consumers aged 18-21 years old had a direct mail response rate of 12.4 percent, according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

It integrates seamlessly with digital. Research shows that printed collateral continues to be a compelling and successful way to capture the attention of your target audience. However, when coupled with video, it has the capability to not only gain consumers’ attention, but also to hold it. Consider this: 76% of companies who have used videos in the past year report a direct business impact (AdWeek) and 90% of customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions (HubSpot).

Video in Print brochures offer an effective option when it comes to getting your company noticed. One of the biggest advantages of combining these two mediums is the ability to enhance your brand messaging. Video is highly visual and auditory, which means it’s easier for many people to remember than text-based content. When consumers remember your video content, they, in turn, remember your brand. This can translate into better brand loyalty as well as more sales and leads.

Cool Startups Love Using Direct Mail. But Why?

When was the last time you had a mailbox full of actual mail?

Us too.

Print magazines and books now have “e” in front of them. People are paying their bills on the Internet. Customers are opting to go paperless and companies have scaled back printing catalogs, opting instead to use their budgets for websites and social media advertising.

Yet there seems to be a print resurgence of sorts among new, digitally-savvy, direct-to-consumer companies. Brands like Casper, Glossier, Quip, Wayfair and HelloFresh have taken to targeting customers in the mail, not just via email.

“The rise of young, digital brands spending money to mail us stuff speaks to the cyclical progress of shopping trends,” says Chavie Lieber in this Vox article. “A decade ago, companies looking to reach customers would often buy email addresses from third parties. They’d do giveaways and, if existing customers handed over their family and friends’ email addresses, they’d offer discounts too.”

But today, it’s a different story.

“[T]he virtual mailbox today looks a whole lot like our parents’ IRL mailboxes back then: A total s*** show,” Lieber continues. “Our inboxes are overflowing with newsletters, real letters, ride-sharing receipts, lunch-sharing receipts, bills, fake bills, breaking news notifications, not-so-breaking news notifications, brand promotions, sales promotions, social media alerts, spam… How do we all stay on top of this?”

The answer: We don’t.

Every day, we’re inundated with hundreds of emails. Add that to the excessive number of ads we’re faced with on social media, TV, radio and the Internet, and it almost makes you want to scream “Uncle!”.

“People our age get hundreds of emails a day, but they only get ten pieces of a mail a day, if that many,” says Pete Christman, the head of acquisition marketing at the shaving company Harry’s, which counts on mailers as part of its marketing. “From a numbers perspective, email is a much noisier environment. Same goes for social media,  you will work yourself to death unless you buy views on TheMarketingHeaven.com. Otherwise you won’t be seen and there are too many people banging on the same door. ”

But it’s not just consumers who are feeling the effects of playing in this noisy digital space. Businesses are feeling it, too. Many are finding themselves fishing in a small pond, targeting the same age group, living in the same heavily populated areas with the same general income. In a word, it’s crowded.

This is why direct mail is often a more effective way to capture the attention of new and existing customers. Instead of pouring money into a Facebook or Instagram ad (the price of which increases based on how effectively it’s performing), direct mail pieces not only encourage trust in the brand that sent it, but the customer also retains the information in the mailer longer than if they were to have seen it in an email. Not to mention, when a high-impact printed format is received by a consumer it stands out in an engaging manner, which is more than we can say for the cluttered digital ads still sitting in their inbox or smartphone applications.

Structural Graphics Awarded 2 Gold Ink Awards

We are proud to announce that Printing Impressions has awarded Structural Graphics not one, but two, 2017 Gold Ink Awards! With submissions in the “Direct Mail” and “Dimensional Printing” categories, Structural Graphics took home “Silver” for each.

Here are the designs that took home the prize:

Our Diagonal Box Mailer that we designed for Porsche, and their agency Cramer Krasselt, was awarded Silver in the “Direct Mail” category of the Gold Ink Awards.

Our Circle Pop-Up Brochure Mailer that we designed for Audi and their printer, Hennegan, also took home Silver, but this time in the “Dimensional Printing” category of the Gold Ink Awards.

We’d like to thank Printing Impressions for both of these honors and recognitions. To learn more about the awards, visit Printing Impression’s website here.

For more dimensional print marketing inspiration, visit us online at StructuralGraphics.com.