I got a happy birthday mailing yesterday with a special offer yesterday. I love birthday presents! Doesn’t everybody?
Last night, we used my special Birthday Offer from Rocco’s Tacos. We made it a Dataman Group evening – including Data Ed, Data Scott and Data Dave. You know, I haven’t been to Rocco’s in a long time. I was prompted to go there simply because I got that special birthday offer in the mail. The tableside guacamole and pitcher of margaritas were wonderful. We had a great time. I would totally go back.
A few other outstanding birthday mailers from LensCrafters and from Macy’s. Both provded excellent offers, enticing me to their stores. I am absolutely going to buy glasses at LensCrafters and take advantage of the free frame!
Birthday Wishes not only by Direct mail – they also come by Email
I also got a lot of email birthday greetings. My insurance agent wished me Happy Birthday. So did every cruise line I have ever traveled on. And, some cruise lines I have never sailed on. How did they get my birthday and email addresses, you ask? Most probably, they were smart marketers and appended that data onto their mail file. This way they created a robust email marketing list that enhanced their visibility and promoted their brand.
I also got a birthday offer from Aveda. This email had 2 offers. A free bottle of blended sensory oil and a coupon to get triple points on a shampoo/product purchase. I got my blended oil and I ended up buying shampoo and conditioner that I will need sometime in the future, just to get the triple points.
Bombas socks – I buy from you all the time. You sent me a Happy Birthday email. Where was my special offer? Hmm. You missed that boat. BTW, readers, they don’t often miss….Maybe their marketing strategy precludes birthday offers. I wonder.
But, the bottom line truth of the matter is that these kinds of personalized trigger offers really do work.
We all know that one of the keys to smart marketing is being able to break through the clutter. Birthday mailings offer a marketer an opportunity to reach people with a meaningful message and a special offer to stimulate response. That goes for both direct mail and for email marketing.
Each Birthday is a Marketing Opportunity
Every Birthday triggers a marketing opportunity. Businesses need to be creative. If our local jewelry store or florist had sent a personalized direct mail piece to my husband with a chance to buy a birthday present for me – he would have jumped at it.
In addition to individualized birthday offers, there are some standard milestone birthday programs that have historically provided a very strong ROI:
Examples:
Turning 65 –
Widely used by insurance agents to reach individuals who will qualify for Medicare. Turning 65-ers must sign up for Medicare and supplemental Medicare insurance plans.
Turning 50 –
This list is used by hospitals, medical practices to market first Colonoscopy
Individuals Turning 49 –
Used by Insurance Industry. This is the time to apply for Long Term Care, since the price increases at age 50.
Turning 70 –
Hearing Aid Special Offers; Pre-Need Planning Special Offer, Financial Planners
Individuals Turning 75 –
Overlay these turning 75-ers with homeownership and income criteria. This list is widely used by CCRCs, Independent living and Assisted Living Facility Offers
Women Turning 40 –
Used by Hospitals, medical practices to market first mammogram
Parents whose Children are Turning 16 –
Insurance agents reach out for new driver (high-priced) auto insurance
Parents whose Children are Turning 3 and 4 –
Schools reach out with pre-school/kindergarten offers. Pediatric dentists may reach out for first appointments.
Individuals Turning 71 1/2 –
The financial services industry markets to this group since they now qualify for an RMD. Many stockbrokers want to reach people who need to disburse this Required Minimum Distribution of from their retirement savings accounts.
This is Low Hanging Fruit
There are quality, accurate mailing lists for each of these marketing opportunities. Marketers can have their prospects mailing list coded with month of birth. This way they can mail to the right prospects on a monthly basis. Businesses can can even have individual’s month/year of birth appended to their own customer files. This way they can create a successful birthday mailing impact campaign.
As I said earlier, businesses need to take a look at their own products/services. This way they can carve out their unique value proposition and creatively select their best target market.
Using birthday mailings is a great tool to get noticed, build brand awareness, earn new customers, increase revenue and create a unique marketing campaign that people can look forward to each year.