Some PURLs of Wisdom —Sherburne

THE CURRENT economic situation has not been kind to our industry. On a national basis, printing shipments continue to slide, with May commercial printing shipments down $761 million as compared to May of 2008—a decline of 9.4 percent.
While this is clearly exacerbated by the economic situation, it is a process that has been underway for some time and should be no surprise to our readers.

More important than the economic situation, which will correct itself eventually, is the transition many marketers are making to using alternative media in lieu of print. That is a trend not likely to reverse itself. Yet, as printing professionals, we know that print still has a significant role to play in the marketing mix. We just haven’t done a very good job of getting that message out.

One of the easiest ways to link print into an integrated marketing campaign is using personalized URLs (PURLs). These are Web addresses personalized to the recipient that can be printed on direct mail pieces (or included in e-mails) which direct the recipient to a personalized Web microsite for more information or to take advantage of an offer. This links print into the media mix in a very real way and allows marketers to track results in real time.

When a respondent visits a microsite, other actions can be triggered that might also involve print, building customer relationships while giving marketers an increasing amount of information about recipients. It helps marketers better target future communications, keeping the dialog going in a meaningful fashion.

This stuff really works, and it is not hard to do. I challenge you to try your own PURL-based direct marketing campaign for your business. In this way you will show customers and prospects, by example, that you understand how to link print with other media, and that you believe in the methodology enough to use it for your own business. The technology has been around for a while, but it is just recently that we have started to see more public disclosure about the type of results being achieved.

Here are three great examples, using technology from three different suppliers. But the best results for your organization will come when you try it yourself.

Salt River Project Scores Big Response

R and R Images, of Scottsdale, AZ, has transitioned its business to the marketing services arena and is leveraging integrated campaigns to solidify its position as a marketing partner to its customers. Owner Rod Key worked with Salt River Project, a large public utility, in a followup to an event that was attended by 200 commercial customers.

A printed direct mail piece thanking recipients for attending the event included a photo of the recipient’s account manager and directed the recipient to a Web microsite via a PURL using MindFireInc’s Look Who’s Clicking software. Salt River expected about 2 percent of the recipients to respond, but was delighted when the campaign generated a 26 percent response rate.

Hit a Home Run at Wrigley Field

Tukaiz, a family owned and operated supplier of marketing communication products and services located in the Chicago area, has grown from its humble beginnings of prepress manufacturing to providing worldwide development for companies in digital imaging, specialty print and interactive media. One of its clients is WGN Radio, the leading news and talk station in Chicago, and the exclusive broadcast station for all Chicago Cubs games.

WGN’s partnership with the Cubs includes a huge opening day party at Wrigley Field. In 2009, WGN worked with Tukaiz to develop a unique marketing campaign to invite top advertisers and sponsors to the party. The station wanted to provide a personalized experience and connection with each of its advertisers to the Cubs and the festivities of opening day.

Tukaiz used DirectSmile image personalization within a direct mail piece to 300 recipients, and included a PURL for the response that featured a Flash animation of the recipient in a Cubs uniform hitting a home run for the team. A sample can be seen at john.smith.wgn720openingday2009.com.

The campaign was a smashing success, and the response back from advertisers and sponsors was overwhelming. WGN had more RSVPs to the mailer than ever before and had the largest turnout at the party ever. The phones rang off the hook at the station with comments from happy recipients thanking them for the invitation.

Googling for Success

Denver-based Faction Media recently used XMPie PersonalEffect cross-media software in an interactive campaign for tw telecom, a provider of managed voice and data networking solutions. The campaign was designed to generate and retain high-value leads and customers. It targeted enterprise telecom and network services decision makers, and spanned traditional and online media, including Google Pay-Per-Click advertising and customized text inside a video feed.

The campaign kicked off with a personalized e-mail message that directed the individual to Google (search) his/her name to find out more. A name search brought up a sponsored link featuring his/her name and a personalized message from tw telecom linking to a personalized Response URL microsite, which featured a humorous variable data video. The site also offered special incentives for scheduling a meeting with a representative from tw telecom.

For recipients who did not respond to the initial e-mail message, personalized direct mail pieces reinforced the e-mail message and prompted the non-responders to Google their names. The campaign was so successful that the company is continuing it on an ongoing basis, entering new lists into the database and automatically generating new mailers, e-mails, personalized microsites and videos.

There are lots of resources to help you get started. The supplier of your digital print engine undoubtedly has partnerships with providers of PURL solutions, and would be happy to help you get started.

If you haven’t yet added digital printing to the mix, just Google “personalized url marketing” to find potential partners you can work with to try this out. There is even a YouTube tutorial on PURL marketing that provides good base information and links to a number of other videos on the topic.

Although PURLs are fairly new, they have rapidly proven their worth and are quickly moving into the mainstream. Don’t get left behind. Check them out. PI

—Cary Sherburne

About the Author
Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries. She has written six books, including “Digital Paths to Profit,” published by NAPL; and, most recently, “No-Nonsense Innovation: Practical Strategies for Success,” written with Bill Lowe, the father of the IBM PC. She can be contacted at Cary@SherburneAssociates.com.