Monday, August 31, 2009

RMI Round-Up: Meet Debbie

In 1985 - back when hair was big, acid-wash jeans were all the rave, and Marty McFly was a household name, RMI Direct Marketing was born. And with it, our first receptionist - Debbie McLain. Twenty-four years later, Debbie has grown from an RMI rookie to a mail planning sensation as RMI's Senior Vice President; Director of Nonprofit Brokerage.

In an "exclusive" interview [cue the Access Hollywood music] that I had the pleasure of conducting with Debbie we uncover everything from quirky anecdotes, to family life, to industry outlook and more.

Q: How would you spend your ideal day?
A: Hanging out with my 13 year old son, Tyler, and husband, Matt, at the beach on a beautiful sunny day.

Q: You just won a sweepstakes and have the choice of getting a lifetime supply of anything. What would it be?
A: Good red wine.

Q: If you could have any super power what would it be?
A: The power to protect the ones I love.

Q: What three things do you want to do before you die?
A: Take my son to the Grand Canyon, see my son grow up, see Greece with my husband.

Q: Without forfeiting anything (work, family, money) you can pick up and move from Connecticut to anywhere in the world. Where would you move to?
A: There’s no place else I’d rather live full time. However, I wouldn’t mind having a house in CT, a house in FL and a house in ME.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: I have so many!!! But, if I had to choose one, I guess I’d have to say when people are inconsiderate of others.

Q: How did you fall into the direct marketing industry and become the broker you are today?

A: Long story but I’ll try to make it brief. When my future husband brought me to NY in 1985, we stayed with his friend and his fiancé while we looked for a place to live. The fiancé worked at RMI and told me they needed a receptionist so I applied for the job. Within 3 months, we all knew I had a future in direct mail! They promoted me to Assistant Account Manager, then Account Manager. Martin took me under his wing and proceeded to teach me everything he knew. He pushed me on to the next step, even when I thought I wasn’t ready, and he was always right. He gave me every opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience and I continued to take on more and more responsibility.

Q: As a broker, what success story are you most proud of?
A: That’s a tough one. There are so many, I can’t name one specific thing. But I am always proud to be a part of so many terrific organizations and to be able to help people through them. It fulfills the social worker in me - which is what I actually went to school for.

Q: What advice would you give to marketers looking to “mail smarter”, and “do more with less” in today’s climate?
A: Look at every aspect of your program to see where you can save money, be more efficient and get better results. Whether it's improving list selections, negotiating better deals, improving the merge process, tweaking your control, getting a better price from your printer, leave no stone unturned and never stop asking “how can we do this better, cheaper, more efficiently”.

Q: Now that economic recovery is underway, how have response rates trended thus far in the 2nd quarter?
A: Some mailers are starting to see improved results in 2009 but it varies a lot. The mailers who started seeing the decline earliest are seeing the most improvement, whereas those who started seeing it the latest are still struggling. Some are seeing improvement simply due to the fact that they are only mailing their core files. And some are flat compared to last year. But I definitely think we’re seeing some improvement over last year.

Labels: employees

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

An empty mailbox is sad.

There are numerous articles online and in print proclaiming that junk mail just fills our mailboxes and our landfills without any real purpose. Just a few weeks ago we sent my oldest daughter off to college, and her adjustment period has been quite seamless except for one item that is bothering her… “My mailbox has been empty.” Since her arrival on campus nothing has been placed in her student mailbox.

Being raised in a family where a full mailbox was a profitable venture, where mail is studied and catalogs are categorized this is a new horizon for her... And her conclusion is that an empty mailbox is sad.

Labels: direct mail

Thursday, August 20, 2009

8 methods to grow your e-mail file

Got some quality information from a webinar I recently attended, sponsored by http://www.care2.com/. The topic was e-marketing, but much of the webinar focused on ways to increase your e-mail files size. Some quick data points:

• 19% of your e-mail file is lost each year due to lapsing records, email bounces, unsubscribes
• Files with accompanying e-mail addresses perform better than files with just one channel
• Bigger E-mail lists = More Money

8 ways to grow email file:

1. Collect email addresses on web site via donate or subscribe button (make very visible & very easy to do)
2. Leverage offline communications - take every opportunity to collect email address in every format
3. Encourage pass alongs (Viral Marketing, Forward to a Friend)
4. Online Advocacy - get emails from a petition people sign
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - Use free advertiser account through Google
6. Ask Supporters to market for you (Web 2.0)
7. List Swaps - potentially “exchange” email lists with a corporate partner
8. E-appends

Give one, or all a try. It will be worth your while.

Labels: email, Internet

What are the Vikings thinking?

Had a little extra time on my lunch hour today and wanted to rant about a completely non industry related topic. Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. For those of you have not heard or read the story, Brett Favre has come out of retirement once again and signed a two year contract with the Minnesota Vikings for a reported 25 million dollars.

I am not one to begrudge a man for changing his mind. God Bless him for being able to convince the Vikings that he was worth that kind of money, especially in these economic times. What I have issue with is the Vikings basically telling their two other QB’s, that were vying for the starting job, that they have now been relegated to backups because the “once great” Brett Favre has decided he wants to bring his pail and shovel to the NFL and play again.

This is a man who is coming of surgery to his throwing arm, who was less than spectacular last year with the Jets, who somehow was able to convince a franchise that he was a “franchise QB”. I am completely confident that the Vikings will not be getting the ROI they hoped for in this transaction.

Would go on, but my lunch is over.

Labels: sports

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Online fundraising roadmap: 101 for the interactive novice

Read a piece today from the DM News, speaking about Dos and Don’ts of Online Fundraising.

For a person raised in the direct mail world, online fundraising can sound intimidating to say the least - but if you look at the suggestions, strategies and tactics noted, you’ll find them sounding very familiar. Use personalization wherever possible, as it improves results; track every piece of outgoing email so you can determine the source; test copy in the subject line.

All of these strategies are very much like tactics nonprofit mailers have always done. Personalize your mail piece, make sure you code the mail piece so you can read list and package results, and test, test, test. The two channels are much more alike then different.

The 4 experts quoted in the article go on to give some simple, but very useful tips. Learn from every person’s actions and non actions; don’t skip over small details; never stop building prospect and email files.

In my eyes one of the true powers of the online media is how it can be utilized to bring your organizations message and mission to people through others. Ask your constituents to be stewards for your cause. Interact with people in ways that are important to them individually. Inspire people!

Labels: fundraising, Internet, nonprofit

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Change the title

The title if this article is terrible but the message is one that RMI adheres to strictly.

The title is "how to manage unruly clients". If your relationship with a client, or clients, is "unruly" don't worry, they won't be around much longer. However the 5 tips the author gives are the cornerstones of RMI.

1) Listen
2) Educate
3) Communicate
4) Focus
5) Make the Case

We do these every day. It keeps away "unruly clients".

Labels: client

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Another postage sale?

I read today that the USPS is going to have another "sale" on postage. This time on first class mail. Very similar to the sale this summer, which I believe is still going on.

My question... how is this summer's sale doing? I haven't read any reports as to its effectiveness.

Labels: postage

It's not "junk" if you want it.

What? A slow news day at MSN.com? Do we have to read more dribble about how direct mail is polluting our landfills and angering consumers? 41 Pounds, donotmail.org etc. It's all the same message. But what about water bottles? How about prescription bottles... yogurt containers... pudding containers, toy and microwavable food packaging?

Most importantly, direct mail works. If it didn't mailers wouldn't mail. So somewhere out there, there are loads of people who respond to mail and want to get it. Why punish them?

Secondly, if these writers would do just a little more research they would find out that mail volume has decreased over the past two years... 2.4 billion dollars in lost revenue to the post office. And the reason you're only getting 1.5 pieces of letter type mail is because more and more people get bills etc via email lately to avoid higher postage rates set by the USPS.

It's time for these anti mail organizations to move on to other topics. Like packaging.

Labels: Do Not Mail, postage

Check please! Pairing nonprofits with restaurant chains

Salvation Army around the holidays, The Jimmy Fund at grocery stores, donations at online checkouts - asking for money at a time when consumers are already purchasing for themselves (or others) is obviously a successful fundraising tactic.

I had an idea while getting ready for work this morning that I think would be a knock out. A partnership between a nonprofit organization (Food For The Poor would be perfect!) and a restaurant chain (Chili's, Outback, Olive Garden etc) to strategically place a $1 appeal directly on the bill ala the mock-up below...

The restaurant would benefit from appearing philanthropic, and the nonprofit... need I say more?

If someone's already done this, was it successful? Please speak up!

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit

Monday, August 10, 2009

USPS in trouble? Oh really...

I think I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. If the PMG rolled back the prices on postage to pre-2007 then mailers could afford to mail more. There needs to be an incentive for mailers to increase their volume in the mail.

This is a serious issue that is largely attributed to the postal service itself. If you want mailers to use the mail it must be affordable. Roll back the rates and mailers will mail more.

The post office will not go out of business. The government will cover the losses and help fund more. But who ultimately pays?

Labels: postage, postal regulation

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Sports Illustrated teams up with Madden NFL 10

S.I. has thought of a great way to boost their younger demographics. They are giving away a copy of Madden NFL 10 with a $50, 28 issue subscription. Subscribers actually save $10 this way if they were planning on buying the game anyway.

There are restrictions if you cancel, like you have to return the game and bonuses - and if you don't, they will deduct a $26 handling fee from the refund. But you could turn around and sell the game for more so there's no down side.

Always thinking...

Labels: publishing, subscriptions

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

TO BE or NOT TO BE “delivered”. That is the question.

Just read a story off yahoo.com that the word is that the USPS is considering closing some 700 post offices in the coming months to combat their widening deficits. That is just about 2% of the post offices across the country. Doesn’t seem to be a huge amount on the surface, but what will that do to expected delivery time of the mail.

In these already uncertain times can mailers be expected to take much more?? Higher postal, paper, list costs, and now longer expected delivery times. What is next, 5 day delivery schedule? Oops, did I say that out loud?

Labels: postage, postal regulation

Monday, August 3, 2009

Where does your magazine rank in subscription price?

In the August 3rd edition of Advertising Age there was an article on The 10 Cheapest Magazine Subscriptions Today and the ten most expensive. The article listed two of RMI's clients: Woman's Day, ranking #6 on the cheapest list, and Garden & Gun, #2 on the most expensive list.

It is interesting to see and read the philosophy from the publishers about their introductory offers and subscription rates. Since both lists (the cheapest and the most expensive) have very successful magazines on them, it leads one to the conclusion that there is no rule-of-thumb in subscription pricing.

Labels: publishers, subscriptions

Monday, August 31, 2009

RMI Round-Up: Meet Debbie

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

An empty mailbox is sad.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

8 methods to grow your e-mail file

What are the Vikings thinking?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Online fundraising roadmap: 101 for the interactive novice

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Change the title

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Another postage sale?

It's not "junk" if you want it.

Check please! Pairing nonprofits with restaurant chains

Monday, August 10, 2009

USPS in trouble? Oh really...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Sports Illustrated teams up with Madden NFL 10

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

TO BE or NOT TO BE “delivered”. That is the question.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Where does your magazine rank in subscription price?

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