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90TOBACCOOUTLETBUSINESSMAYJUNE2009MarketingStrategieSBYMIKEKIRKWOODAccordingtotheDirectMarketingAssociationmorethan35percentoAmericansrespondtodirectmailadvertisinginagivenyear.Whetheritisthroughacata-logapostcardorviaInternete-maildirectmailadvertisingisaneectiveon-targetandlow-costmeansogettingpeopletobuyromyourstore.Directmailisusuallydex1nedaspiecesomailx14fyerscata-logslettersbrochuresorsamplesx14senttoagivenaudienceocurrentcustomersorpotentialcustomersgatheredinagivenlocalarea.Thepurposeistogetthemtorespondtoaspecialoerorserviceyouwillbeproviding.Theeectivenessothedirectmaileortdependsontheintegrityothemailinglistandtheperceivedvalueotheoer.TheBasicsOneothemostimportantaspectsoasuccessuldirectmailprogramisthequalityothemailinglist.Otenawell-thought-outdirectmaileortailsbecausethemailingdoesnotreachthepeopleitwasintendedor.Thebestsourcesorqualitynamesandaddressesareyourowncustomerlistandlistsprovidedbyyoursuppliers.Manytobaccocompanieshaveaccesstomultiplesourcesosmoking-consumernamesthatcanbebrokendownbyzipcodes.Inadditiontonamesandaddressesopotentialandcurrentcustomersitisagoodideatogetagebreakdownsaswell.Eachstatehaslawsthatmaya-ectwhatcanandcannotbesentviathemail.Besuretocheckthosethatapplyinyourarea.Onceamailinglisthasbeenestablishedandcheckedtheoerhastobeputinplace.Fortobaccooutletoperatorsmanyoeroptionsexistbutkeepinmindthatthegoalisorcon-sumerstoredeemtheoeratthestore.Theoermustbeoperceivedvaluetotheconsumer.Examplesothistypeooerarex1cFreecigarwhenyoupresenttheattachedcouponx1dorx1cFreelighterwithyourpurchaseothreecartonsocigaretteswiththisfyer.x1dDirectmailworkswellwhenyouareoeringanewserviceorhavesomenewstotellcustomerssuchastheadditionoasmokingloungeextensionostorehoursortheoeroanewpickupservice.Directmailalsoworkswellwhenyouwanttoannounceanewproductthathasjustarrivedatyourstore.Designingthemailingpieceisveryimportant.Itcanbeassimpleasan8.5-by-11pieceopaperthatisdesignedonahomecomputeroritcanbeaselaborateasaour-colorprint-edpiecewithmanypages.WhateveryouchoosetrytoollowthesesimpleguidelinesordesigninganeectivepieceCox1dorx17rx17csx17ex1fiox1f.Iyouhaveasmallbudgetusecol-oredpaperwithblackink.Iyouhavealargerbudgetshowpicturesipossible.Fox1dx1dowheKISSKeepISimpx1deSpidcox1fcep.Donx19tgocrazywithextensivecopy.Statetheoerimmediatelyandipossiblestatethepricebeingoered.Iamabiganostatingtheoerintheheadline.Gettothepointrightaway.Dox1fx19OVERSIZEi.Rememberthepostox1cecanmailanythingandthebiggeritisthemoreitcosts.Iyouarejuststartingoutdesignsomethingthatcanx1tintoastandardlet-terenvelope.Betteryetdesignapiecethatcandoubleasasel-mailer.Forexampledesignafyeronan8.5-by-11sheetopaperolditthreetimeslikearegularletterandthenstapleit.Ax1xamailinglabeltotheblanksidewithareturnaddressandsendito.Iyouhavearatherlargemailing500piecesormoreitmightmakesensetogotothepostox1ceandap-plyorabulk-ratepostagenumber.Thiswillreducethecostsignix1cantlyx14especiallyiyourmarketingplancallsormorethanoneothesetypesomailingsperyear.execuTingItisrecommendedthatthemailingtakeplaceapproximatelytwoweekspriortothestartotheoer.Givethemailachancetogettotheprospectivecustomer.Alsomakethex1cliex1dotheoerrelevant.Donx19tlimitthecouponorpromotiontoacoupleodays.Allowtheoertostandorseveralweeksorevenamonth.Thiswillallowcompletepenetrationothemailingintothetargetmarket.GauGInGRESultSAswithanymarketingexpenditureresultsshouldbedocu-mentedtoevaluatetheeectivenessothepiece.Keepax1leothetypeooeradvertisedandtheamountoreturnsreceived.Thiswillallowyoutotweakthenextmailingtomakeitmoreeective.Alsotabulatingresultswillallowyoutobetterbudgetoruturemailings.Manybookshavebeenwrittenonthesubjectodirectmailandprovideexcellentexamplesohowtodesignafyerorcatalogandhowtowriteeectivecopy.Therearealsomanyreeonlineresources.Howeveryouchoosetoimplementyourdirectmailoermakecertainthatyouhavetheundstoprop-erlyexecuteitandtheinventorytobackitup.Nothingturnsocustomersmorethanwhenastoremakinganoerthroughdirectmailisnotabletoollowthroughorthem.TOBx1cSalesmenonWingsx1dHowx1bosx1bx15mulxfx1bx12sxflx12sx1bhx19oux13hdx15x19x12cx1bmxfx15l.