The Market

Do you test? We’re big supporters of the concept here at Heinrich Marketing, because it helps solve the most basic of marketing problems: What do customers want, and how do they want it? Testing can strengthen your online and offline communications, and bring greater clarity to your marketing strategy. 

The turbulent economy of the past few years has forced companies to take a fresh look at existing marketing tactics that can help attract and retain customers — even as they have less money to invest in new innovations. At the top of the list: loyalty. Traditional programs, like American Express, American Airlines and Hilton, might immediately come to mind. But thanks to new online tools, the “points-for-purchases model” is just the beginning of what’s possible in loyalty, and that’s good news for businesses of any size. 

Creating a great marketing strategy requires passion + perspective. At Heinrich Marketing, our passion to solve marketing problems certainly drives us. But it’s our ability to step outside the problem and look in that gives us answers. When we can see your business through unavoidable cultural, social and economic lenses, we find new insights that can give your marketing strategy the right look and feel for that moment in time. 

Don’t let the constant chatter about digital fool you — direct mail can still be a viable part of any integrated marketing campaign. And thanks to new and exciting innovations popping up in the print production industry, it doesn’t have to break the bank. To learn more, we spoke to Debbie Roth, vice president of Japs-Olson Company, and a trusted Heinrich partner. Here’s her inside scoop.

The technologies behind location-based companies like Foursquare are advancing the possibilities of mobile advertising at a rapid pace. According to Nick Saint at AlleyInsider.com, Apple’s new iOS4 mobile operating system sets the stage for what’s next: A store can send you a coupon at the very moment you’re walking or driving by. (AlleyInsider.com, June 28, 2010). Talk about geo-targeting!

Heinrich Marketing helps clients maximize lead generation results. One thing we’ve learned along the way: You can increase conversions and grow your business simply by applying new approaches to basic lead generation principles.

As consumers ease their way back into spending post-recession, they’re more careful, both with their money and with the choices they make. In this cautious state, information is their friend — they’re hungry for it, and empowered by it. Is your business ready for them?

Now that the economy’s picking up, there’s the temptation to entice customers any way possible, with any offer, any tactic. Don’t do it! Now more than ever, you need a well-thought-out strategy, one that employs smart tactics to solve your specific business problems, and that stays true to your brand message.

The “R” word is pretty hot these days. Whether it’s your blog, your book or your tweet, it’s gotta be relevant to today’s consumer. But when it comes to marketing, it’s about getting it right on multiple levels. 

Mail has morphed in ways that not even the post office could have predicted.  The box looks smaller, but the mail is bigger. The dimensions are different, but the messages are similar. And just as the world turns away from tactility, print on demand is bringing it back.  And it’s better.

In case you’ve been living under a rock — and so far, there’s no app for that — you’re probably aware that women are still America’s taskmasters of choice. According to She-conomy.com, they influence 85% of all purchasing decisions. 

Refresh your core message. Recharge your differentiation strategy. You need it to keep tactics and strategy aligned.

Some marketers have, perhaps subconsciously, dismissed the idea of email marketing, as if there were space for only one contemporary tool in the marketing mix and clearly, social media had stolen the show. But we’re not buying it, and our partners agree.

Last month we covered consumer changes and delivered some new strategies to empower your reach and embolden your message, setting the stage for communicating with the changing consumer. This month, we’re digging deeper. As the economy improves, and consumers start spending again, marketers are keenly interested in new customer growth. Traditionally, marketers have looked to prospecting to fuel new growth, despite the well-known fact that it’s five to ten times costlier than retaining an existing customer. We understand. There’s something invigorating about mining new data, targeting new offers and acquiring fresh faces. Prospecting will always have its place. But customer retention — we like to call it preservation — is the new acquisition.

It’s a common practice for marketers, but is it the wisest? The choice to execute a tantalizing tactic before its studious sister, strategy. Why do marketers do this? Digital marketing, including social media marketing, allows us to communicate instantly.  And we often feel the need to react and respond to what we perceive is the new norm. Because it’s so tempting to push out our latest marketing idea, we can lose sight of the bigger picture. True, individual tactics can be quick hits and profit boosters, but often, are a short term fix. 

Mobile is maturing. This we know. Because this channel provides so many benefits in one exchange—immediacy, engagement, privacy, tracking and measurement—it’s absolutely ideal for creating a genuine consumer connection.  Add that to convenience and you’ve got a mandatory component of any multichannel marketing plan. We’re on it. 

The 2010 Content Marketing Survey from Junta42, a leading content-vendor matching service, reports that the majority (59%) of marketing professionals planning to allocate an all-time high of 33% of their overall budget to content marketing, including social media, blogs, articles and e-newsletters, up from 29% in 2008. 

Purpose has finally caught up with the pretty pictures. Measurement is more important than ever. That’s why businesses are tapping into durable direct marketing — and for a lot more than direct mail. With accountability and attention to context, these firms dive into consumer behavior and surface with current data and profit-driving, real-time strategies.  But how to discern the best from the rest?

Consumer confidence is heading toward more high-fives, but just as our grandparents could never get past their Depression-era habits, consumers today are clinging tightly to an irreversible, yet healthy frugality. Purchasing power is on the rebound, but it’s much more premeditated and far more intelligent. Before splurging, people compare notes with friends, perform rigorous online research and wait for that tax refund.  

Two categories of industry actually stepped up their direct mail presence in 2009, and it appears that the trend is continuing into 2010, according to Direct Magazine. “Direct mail was predominately the domain of ‘traditional direct marketing companies’ like catalogers, publishers, financial services firms, insurance companies and continuity clubs,” notes the article.

Fitness Together and Elements Therapeutic 

Our strategic and data experts show you how to approach customer research with new tools and make it work for you rather than just overwhelm you. Transform research from a six-month "initiative" to a streamlined, easy, fast economical solution you can actually use full-time. Heinrich customer research expert John Schlagel explains how the Heinrich Responder Lab web-based tool helps you use customer research to test offers based on data insights and see (before you mail a thing) not only what will get the response, but what ROI you'll get.

The landscape for marketing to women is changing. Women have more money, savvy and capacity to take control of their finances, health care, careers and relationships. We asked experts for three tips to help you market to the influential, economically empowered, mature and mid-life women's market based on emerging social dynamics. 

The U.S. Hispanic market isn’t just exploding – it’s evolving. Is your marketing strategy keeping up?

Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. People of Hispanic origin make up about 15 percent of the U.S. population; and that ratio is expected to grow to 30 percent by 2050. But here’s the real truth in these numbers: The market is now so substantial that it’s also much more diverse — and many marketers are getting left in the dust because they’re still working from old models and assumptions.

We asked Heinrich Hispanidad Account Director Rafael Rodriguez for insight on these seismic shifts in the Hispanic market, and how you can make your campaigns more relevant to Hispanic audiences.

Rate of social media site usage by demographic

English-preferring Hispanics 36%

Non-Hispanic Whites 18%

Source: Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication

Click here to find out why and get tips on how you can connect with Hispanic market segments.

Learn why the time is right for prepaid cards vs. credit cards — and get a five-step guide to dressing your prepaid program for success.

Looking for a game-changer? The prepaid card transaction market is expected to reach $257 billion this year, up from $63 billion in 2004. Prepaid is where the growth is when it comes to payment methods, especially as the recession has led more consumers to look for credit card alternatives to help them better control their finances.

Whether you’re a retail chain, a bank or a service organization, prepaid cards hold huge new revenue and profit opportunities for a wide range of industries and brands.

We asked prepaid card expert Keith Rose, president of Heinrich strategic partner Peak Results Marketing, to share his best advice to marketers looking for innovative ways to generate new revenue streams.

We all want to do right by the planet. So how do you reconcile continuing to integrate direct mail and other forms of print marketing in your strategy when digital marketing channels seem cleaner and more efficient?

You’ve got them surrounded. Mailbox, inbox, Facebook wall, Twitter stream, mobile device, search results, TV, radio, print ads …You can target customers from every direction at once. Yet as marketing channels have multiplied, one truth hasn’t changed: More isn’t necessarily better.

Leverage the strengths of each channel

Keep branding consistent across channels

Use interactive direct marketing to help you track response

Beneath all the hype about social media and mobile marketing, you still need direct mail in the mix to connect with all your customers and prospects. Direct marketers are using print differently today — not only to cut printing, paper and mailing costs, but also to leverage the advantages print offers over digital channels. We talked with Debbie Roth at Japs Olson printing for insight on the best ways to cut costs and boost ROI with your print initiatives.

30% of attendees at a recent Business Marketing Association meeting who said they're using Twitter, Facebook and/or LinkedIn to market their companies. 1% said they're using search engine optimization.