Anderson Marketing Blog

Did you know that Anderson Direct Marketing has a Proofreading Department? That’s right; everything from email blasts to websites to letters, self-mailers and postcards (and more!) is reviewed by a critical eye several times prior to being released. Our department is just one example of Anderson’s commitment to quality.

When I first saw the letters UX, I had to ask,

Having the right people, doing the right things, at the right time. That’s the core approach to developing interactive projects. Each department should be represented and team players need to be aware of their part in the big picture. Leaving a key player out, even during the first kick-off meeting, can have consequences in the later stages of the project. This chart is an example of what makes up an Interactive Team. Refer to Six Stage Interactive Process to see how each department coincides with the phases of an interactive project.

To help ensure the success of an interactive project, it’s essential to communicate with the client and your internal team during each stage of your process and when key stakeholders’ reviews and approvals are required. ADM’s six interactive stages are the foundation of all our interactive services. Our six stage interactive process is as follows:

Here at Anderson Direct Marketing, we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality as noted in our direct marketing quality mission statement: Anderson Direct Marketing is committed to providing the highest level of quality and direct marketing services in the industry. We accomplish this by educating and communicating with our associates to drive quality and consistent timeliness for our clients.

After two decades of working on business projects with technical components and over a decade of Internet-related project management experience, one of the best pieces of advice that I can share to increase your project's Return On Marketing Investment (ROMI) is to focus on PLANNING. While taking my first project management course in 2005, I was introduced to the saying "one hour of planning today will save two hours of work tomorrow." Back up and read that statement again, then let it sink in because you'll want to apply that motto throughout your career, starting today, to be an effective project manager.Do you want to reduce or prevent scope creep? One hour of planning today will save two hours of work tomorrow.

As we continue to enhance and refine our digital marketing services, I love to see that social media continues to evolve for the business world. Did you see that Facebook has recently rolled out its “Offers” marketing platform to local businesses in the U.S.? It had been running recently in just a “test” phase but has gone National now. The program is similar to the already established Google Offers, Groupon and LivingSocial programs but unlike its competitors, Facebook won’t take a sales cut for redeemed vouchers.

Probably the most popular rule of thumb in direct marketing is 40/40/20 Rule. The rule states that the success of any DM program relies 40% on the data/list strategy, 40% on the offer and 20% on the creative/messaging approach. My experience is that this rule of thumb typically holds true and as a result, I spend most of my effort guiding clients to test and optimize their list and offer strategy. However, we certainly can’t ignore the last 20% and when it comes to DM campaigns (mail, email, DRTV, etc.) as there are many best practices that need incorporated to develop creative that is truly “effective” at driving the desired action.

This is Anderson Direct Marketing’s first official blog post and we are truly excited to join the blogosphere! There will be several contributors to our blog so you will have the opportunity to get a variety of perspectives about a wide range of topics that center around direct marketing, interactive, and a host of other subjects. It is our hope that you get to know each of us and keep an eye out for the topics that you are most interested in. Please feel free to share with us what you find valuable and what you don’t so we can share the knowledge we have that is most beneficial to you.