MIX CREATIVE HELPS LOCAL FIRM GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME
Recently, Mix Creative had the pleasure to work with Minnesota Women in Networking’s 2012 Destined to WIN recipient, Deb Brown of Time Creators.
Deb came to us looking for an innovative direct mail campaign that she could send out to a select group of prospects in her target market, most of whom signed up to receive more information at one of her sponsor booths at networking events for women business owners.
Time Creators specializes in taking on the little things so [business owners] can do big things. “Little things” include some business-related, but more frequently personal tasks that would otherwise consume hours set aside for work. In essence, she provides the gift of time, allowing business owners to be more productive.
In brainstorming ideas for the mailer, we came up with the fun idea of literally giving gifts of real value that would result in saving time for the recipient. We liked the notion of having a package that the recipient could open, knowing how much fun it is to receive and open a gift. The first mailing, a notepad marked with grocery sections to make shopping easier, set the tone that future gifts would be of equal or greater value. A second mailer (shown below) included a small book of stamps, and the final gift (also shown below) presented a gift card to try Time Creators for three hours free.
Below are some examples of how the campaign was implemented. Deb received great feedback from prospects, many of whom made an effort to connect with her directly to thank her for the unique gifts. Deb followed up mailers with a phone call, using the mailer as an effective ice breaker.
The gift arrives in a padded envelope with a branded label that says “Gift Inside!” Addresses are hand-written for a personal touch.
Inside the padded envelope is a white jewel box, tied with gold string. The jewel box is intentional; we're conditioned from an early age to associate boxes like these with items of value.
The second mailer. Inside the box is a trifold gift wrap, announcing "Your Forever postage stamps are inside...".
Inside the trifold gift wrap: the payoff! A small book of Forever postage stamps. The trifold also lists services, features quotes from satisfied customers, and includes a call to action to try Time Creators for two free hours when the recipient mentions the mailer.
The final mailer features a gift wrap announcing a Time Creators gift card inside.
The inside of the final gift wrap includes a printed gift card on heavy stock, laminated paper, that looks and feels substantial. The card is in place with a removable glue dot, and can be tucked into a wallet or business card file. In fact, the back of the card echoes the look and content of the Time Creators business card.
Acknowledgments:
Copywriting and design by Katrina Hase of Mix Creative. Printing by Printz.com. Special thanks to Deb Brown for implementation of the mailers, which required a hefty amount of hand labeling, wrapping, and sealing!
Tags: innovative mailer, mix creative, time creators, unique direct mail