Generating leads with dimensional direct mail

Don’t try to sell expensive products or services that need an elaborate explanation with a one-step technique.” That was the approach extolled by direct marketing guru, Axel Andersson.

When Stephan & Brady Advertising and Public Relations began planning a marketing campaign for the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center™, they knew they would need a multi-step approach. The new Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, Wisconsin was unknown to most area meeting planners. It has over 16,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, 183 guest rooms, four restaurants, an indoor water park and is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan. The problem was how to entice meeting planners to take a close look at Blue Harbor. Once seen, the resort would sell itself.

Dimensional mailings get attention and get opened. This tube package for Blue Harbor Resorts included a letter, brochure, pen, and Viewmaster with slides.

The account team at Stephan & Brady first identified their target market. They wanted to generate leads from meeting planners at private companies that were located within 3 hours driving distance from the resort. They contacted A.M. Mailing Services to help develop a mailing list. A.M. recommended a compiled list of businesses with 150 or more employees in a 15 county area between Sheboygan and Chicago. That list would be merged/purged with Blue Harbor’s own database of prospects creating a final list of over 5,000 prospects.

Stephan & Brady wanted to get the attention of prospects with a threedimensional mailing. They chose a clear mailing tube for the package. A monogrammed blue velvet bag was inserted into the tube. Inside the bag there was a personalized cover letter, a rosewood pen and a kids Viewfinder. The Viewfinder had 7 slides that showed off the facilities at Blue Harbor Resort in three-dimensional detail to showcase the property’s facilities and amenities.

This creative package was too costly to mail to 5,000 prospects. Stephan & Brady and A.M. Mailing decided that it would be more efficient to utilize a pre-qualifying selfmailer with attached reply card to identify prospects. The reply card offered the free rosewood pen and more information about the resort. It also asked several qualifying questions. Those who requested to be contacted would receive the 3-D mailing tube that included the Viewfinder.

Three versions of the postcard were developed. Each emphasized a different benefit of Blue Harbor. One version was mailed each month for three consecutive months. As replies came in, A.M. captured the response data and created a spreadsheet report that listed each new lead. A personalized laser letter was printed to accompany each fulfillment package. The packages were assembled, addressed and mailed weekly. A response report was sent to Blue Harbor so sales associates could follow up after the tube packages were received. All respondents were added to a suppression file so they wouldn’t receive another mailing. New prospects were added to the list to keep the mailing file at 5,000.

Blue Harbor and parent company Great Wolf Resorts™ were extremely happy with the results. Over 280 responses were received in a four-month period. This provided a 5.4% response rate. There were enough meetings booked within the first month of the promotion to pay for the project. The promotion was very beneficial in the development of new business. Blue Harbor expects to feel the effects of the program’s success throughout the year.

As an added bonus, the 3-D tube mailer won a Silver ADDY Award. Stephan & Brady entered it in the Three-Dimensional B2B single category at the 2005 Madison Advertising Federation ADDY Awards. Dimensional mail does get attention.

For more information about this promotion or how a dimensional campaign could work for you, contact Jeff Veesenmeyer at A.M. Mailing Services, LLC 608-884-3452 or Chris LaScala at Stephan & Brady Advertising and Public Relations, 608-241-4141.