How Top Financial Institutions Use Direct Mail
Pushing the Boundaries of Direct Mail to Build a Great Customer Experience
Introduction
Imagine…
…being able to synchronize your direct mail program
with email, social and web. …keeping your message on brand on and offline. …your advisors being able to get instant access to
customizable, brand-compliant collateral. …the time they’d save in the field. …if the story customers hold in their hands was only
limited by your imagination. 1 Direct Marketing Association, April 2015
2 MarketingSherpa Consumer Purchase Preference Survey
The Definition of What You Can Send in the Mail is Only Limited by your Imagination
Companies like Liberty Mutual, ING Direct, and
American Express are pushing the boundaries
of direct mail to stand out and get noticed with
innovative campaigns. Let’s dig deeper into some of the best direct mail
campaigns from leading financial institutions and
see how offline and online marketing is merging
into a meaningful customer experience.Liberty Mutual AUTO INSURANCE
Purpose
Liberty Mutual needed an affordable way to let
customers know their auto insurance offered quick
body-work, repair services, personalized customer
care and exclusive solutions. And they needed to say
it all at once.What Works
Liberty Mutual kept their outreach affordable by
adding the unique scratch-off feature to a standard
postcard. With this interactive self-mailer, they were
able to put the problem, as well as solution, in their
prospect’s hands.Pro Tip
We’d suggest filling in the area under the scratch-off
with a response option. Give customers a PURL, or,
if the audience is particularly tech-savvy, a QR code
to scan with their mobile. Have it take them to a
landing page where they can request a quote or talk
to a representative. Product: Liberty Auto Xpress Insurance
Credit: Rai Sao Paulo
Source: adsoftheworld.com
Ing Direct RETAIL BANKING
Product: Direct Savings Account
Credit: Rapp Collins DDB France
Source: www.coloribus.com
Purpose
This campaign targeted one of ING’s toughest
markets—spend-happy males in their late twenties/
early thirties who view savings as a change of
lifestyle. ING sent a doll with personality descriptions
that the audience would relate to, only with one
addition: an ING Direct account.What Works
This is a great use of data when it comes to targeting.
Using physical pieces like this doll adds a touch of
humor that makes the brand relatable, while the
content drives the message home to deliver results.Pro Tip
We’d suggest pairing it with a digital campaign that
kicks off with an email inquiring if they received the
perfect son-in-law. Now that’s a subject line that
would gain some attention.American Express CREDIT BANKING
Purpose
American Express wanted to drive card members
to a price-drop travel site where destinations were
being auctioned each day.What Works
The fun piece creates a sense of urgency with the
“Get the best of Hong Kong before someone else
does,” message and the already “eaten” fortune
cookie.Pro Tip
Create a multi-channel campaign by encouraging
them to tweet an image of their Fortune Cookie for
a chance to win free airfare. Product: Rewards Credit Card
Credit: Ogilvy and Mather London
Making it Work in the Field
These examples are inspiring, but they’re the product
of large corporate marketing teams with centralized
talent and coordinated effort. What about localized
marketing efforts? How can corporate marketing
teams reach financial advisors in the field?Imagine Your Advisors Getting Instant
Access to Brand-Compliant Marketing
Collateral
Imagine that collateral automatically personalized
with prospect data from Salesforce. Imagine the
time you’d save in the field. Imagine keeping your
message on brand. You can leverage Salesforce and marketing
automation platforms to create personalized direct
mail, emails, social posts and more. PFL’s Personal
Marketing Center combines sales and marketing
platforms to empower advisors in the field to
create, manage and execute their own marketing
campaigns. The assets they use are locked by
marketing, so the message never goes off brand.