The response to luxury direct mail is very high. These tips will help you grow your response.
Be True to Your Brand.
I call this taking advantage of luxury direct mail. If you’re marketing a luxury product, make sure your mailer conveys luxury. Luxury auto manufacturers who use high-quality direct mailers ensure their brand is on the top of the consideration list once car shoppers turn to the Internet for more information on specific models.
Finding the right prospects.
Don’t skimp on your list. You can have the greatest creative in the world but if you are not reaching the right households, you’ve wasted a lot of time and money.
Nowadays there are many great options that marketers can choose to fine tune their criteria to reach the most affluent prospects, including net worth, income producing assets, discretionary spending power and home value. Marketers should also look at their current customers and try to “cookie-cutter” them with similar demographics and psychographics . There are great resources in the marketing world that allow a marketer to analyze their current customers.
Stand Out from the Crowd.
High-end customers expect something a little different. When it comes to this luxury direct mail, consider thick stock, unique sizes or different folds. These customers have a certain expectation level. If you’re trying to sell a multi-million dollar home, you can’t just send a postcard. For that kind of investment, you will need something that really stands out. NOTE from 2018 – Consider mailing virtual reality glasses prospects that show the property in detail.
Choose the right vendor.
Choose a vendor with experience in producing high-end print communications of the finest quality. Even how the piece feels to the fingertips is important. A luxury buyer will “feel the appeal”.
Personalize.
The power to personalize is a key advantage of direct mail. Print ads need to have universal appeal — the same message reaches everyone. With direct mail, you can target your message to specifically appeal to, for example, a 50-year-old woman at a certain income level.
Use Multiple Marketing Channels.
Consider integrating a fabulous email campaign with your luxury direct mail, as a pre-cursor, as a companion and as a follow-up. Your brand equity goes up with the numbers of times a prospect sees your message.
Synchographics.
Marketing at the right time. Someone who just bought a million dollar home needs high-end goods and specific services. Let’s face it, everyone needs a plumber…but the plumber who direct mails a well-thought out brochure offering 24/7 concierge service will win the hearts of many affluent New Homeowners.
Match Creative to List to Offer.
The best response comes from campaigns that “put it all together”. A high-end Jewelry store I work with does a great direct mail campaign in April marketing gifts for Mother’s Day. We use a fine-tuned mailing list of affluent married men in their key market area and the mailer itself features a beautiful photo of a loving husband-wife couple admiring a striking gift. There is also an appropriate reminder to not forget this special day.
On-to-one Communication.
A 2011 study found that 50 percent of the wealthiest people don’t use social media. Exclusivity and personal one-to-one communication are keys to reaching them. Find a way to connect with a high-end customer in a one-to-one fashion.
Test.
Marketing is not a single event – that’s why we call it a marketing campaign. What we may think will work as far as list criteria, creative and offer – simply might not. Luxury mailers need to test different options before going “all in”.
Measure.
Luxury retailers are attracted to direct mail because it is measurable and it delivers solid ROI without skepticism. It has the power of data behind it. There’s no better way to measure your marketing.