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November 11, 2008
Personalized Print...Getting It Right Matters.
I get a fair amount of creatively personalized mail lately. I especially like the ones where my name is spelled in cheerleaders or other interesting shapes. And typically, after admiring the lovely printing job, I throw the pieces out.
So it was (albeit less creatively personalized) with a recent insurance mailing. It was for smoking cessation programs. Admirable cause, but neither I nor my wife are smokers. It bothers me when my insurance carrier can't get my profile right so that I could get useful information, instead of wasting my premiums on mailings that I don't need.
Way back in 2004, in a white paper titled “Beyond the Storm: How Innovation Can Enhance Business Performance In the Insurance Industry”, Accenture noted:
“The most ambitious opportunity for insurance companies equipped with a wealth of information and the systems to use it, is to step into the role of information broker. As consumers try to find the happy medium between tailored offerings and invasions of privacy, they may welcome the help of a trusted broker to help them decide what insight to share and with whom. Insurance companies could step into that role, which is a natural extension of many companies’ brand identities as friends, neighbors, protectors.”
Because I am in the business of sales and marketing support, I know that it can be hard to get data gathered and organized. I also know that while e-mail is cheaper, I ignore lots and lots of e-mail. So, direct mail is a good way to periodically touch me. However, CRM programs are seriously undermined when you send people mis-information. From personal experience, I know that a little extra work upfront pays off in increased response. A little sloppiness can set a campaign back and eat away at precious ROI in the increasingly expense direct mail medium.
Posted by jcioban at November 11, 2008 7:27 PM
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