Creative
Blog Category
The Critical Importance of Data and Creative Best Practices to Drive Marketing Success
A few years back, I was out on a sailing trip with other dads and their young sons in the Gulf of Mexico. The afternoon wind had died, so our captain suggested we take down the big sails and try our luck catching some dinner. My son and I eagerly dropped in our lines and […]
Why Direct Marketing Creative Must Create Emotional Connections Across Channels
Like most new jobs, I was excited, but wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I joined IWCO Direct about a month ago. I began my career at an agency with direct marketing in its blood, Ogilvy & Mather. And I knew IWCO Direct would give me the opportunity to rekindle that DM experience by […]
In Praise of the Direct Mail Letter
“Letter schmetter,” said the marketer who wanted to cut the cost of her direct mail package. “Let’s mail an oversized postcard.” Maybe your first thought is, “Sure, we could do that.” But then another thought chases that one away and you say to yourself, “Self, wait just a minute. The letter is the most important […]
The Seven Magic Words of Direct Mail
Magic words of direct mail? That seems a little “out there” for such a hardworking marketing tool. Especially with the strategic, data-driven approach IWCO Direct uses for performance marketing. But, yes, there are magic words you can use in direct mail; they’re “magic” because they can cause a dramatic increase in response to your mailing.
The Johnson Box—What, Why, Where, and How
Before we dive into the value and inner workings of the Johnson Box, a little family history. The Johnson Box was invented by my great great great grandfather Eustice Aristotle Johnson, a pioneer in direct mail. This breakthrough in marketing occurred shortly after he created boxed cereal and sliced bread. I’m a little fuzzy on […]
Design for Multichannel Marketing Starts with Direct Mail
Not too long ago, my colleague, Marcus Johnson, shared his thoughts on writing copy for different marketing channels. Creative design also needs to be tailored for each element in multichannel marketing. When the IWCO Direct creative team designs multichannel marketing campaigns for our clients, we always start with the direct mail piece. Why? Because […]
How to Write Direct Response Copy in Any Channel
Staring into the abyss of writing direct response copy for a multichannel marketing campaign? Pull up a chair and let’s discuss. First, define the scope. Say you have direct mail, email, ad-like objects (think banner/display ads, including those for different online platforms like mobile, tablet, and desktop), and social media. We could go deeper, but […]
Six Direct Mail Don’ts
The usual focus of my wildly entertaining blogs (hold your applause until the end, please) is ways to improve your direct mail—writing, strategic thinking, presentation, etc. In other words, what to do. This month’s topic is based on one of my father’s favorite phrases, dating back to my youth. At some point during an average […]
Mail is for Memories
There’s nothing like a human connection. We can survive not being able to go to movies or eat out at restaurants; we can muddle through distance learning and working remotely. It’s another thing entirely to survive being deprived of human interaction. It’s a weird revelation that’s come out of the pandemic—for all our advancements in […]
3 Questions to Ask When Designing for Digital Printing
We talk a lot about the benefits of digital printing and how you can maximize your creative direct mail design through its benefits. What we haven’t touched on is a specific concern when designing for digital printing: how to stop yourself from overusing or maxing out on the features that make digital printing great.
