But it’s not that easy. It’s easier. Our ideas come from our imaginations, which are open 24:7, and everything in our imaginations is available at the bargain price of…free.

Of course, keeping our imaginations well stocked with unique thought bubbles does require a little work. We have to read a lot, view art a lot, play a lot, dream a lot, sing a lot, and occasionally do our best to remember what life was like when we were three years old.

Three Years Old?

Of course.

Next time you’re in a creative rut of any sort, watch toddlers. Toddlers’ imaginations are bursting at the seams with ideas. Give a toddler a spoon, and he’s got a microphone, a missile, a catapult, a drumstick, a toothbrush, a phone, a key, a chew toy, and a doll. Then, he’ll lick it, throw it, bite it, balance it on his thumb, and look at it from every possible angle to come up with more fun games. Why? He’s not limited by what’s been done before with that spoon – he just looks at the possibilities. What could I do with this? What could this be used for? And he’s not afraid to try out his ideas and see if they work.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, each of us gets scolded for using a spoon the “wrong” way, and little by little we lose the capacity to turn any object into a brainstorm of fun, new ideas.

But since we were all toddlers once, we’ve all got the potential to see all those possibilities again. So at imPress, to keep ideas plentiful in our imaginations, we try to look at things from the perspective of little guys and girls sometimes. When it’s time to put together a project, we try not to think about what everyone else does or what we’ve done before. We think, What could be done? What would this look like from a different angle? What does this brochure taste like?

And before we know it, creative ideas are abundant in our imaginations, and all because our inner toddlers reminded us about the world of possibilities.

Our guess is that approximately 98% of people will naturally look in the direction of the stare-er and, even for just a moment, make eye contact. (We also guess that approximately 1% will pull out their phones and nervously send themselves a text message to make themselves look busy. And the other 1% are probably split between diving under the seat in fear and making obscene gestures.)

The point is, when people look at us, it gets our attention. Regardless of whether we’re receiving a friendly look or a scary stalkerish look, the overwhelming inclination is to look back.

Ads That Make You Want to Look

This explains the huge number of advertisements that include pictures of people. One of the main reasons people are so central to many designs is that they can do something that words can’t – make eye contact.

That’s right – models on the covers of brochures and viewbooks and pamphlets are staring at you – and inviting you to stare back. And even though a picture of a person may not be quite as effective as an actual person, it still works very well…and is a lot easier to mail.

Start a Staring Contest

So during your next marketing campaign, including photos of some friendly, happy people in your marketing materials can be a good way to catch your targets’ eyes. And getting their attention is the first step to getting their business.

In truth, probably not all that well. After all, if these people are just potential customers, you may not even have laid eyes on them yet. So you probably know them about as well as you know…say…your coworker’s mother-in-law, the lady who rented your apartment before you did, Justin Bieber, or someone else you’ve heard of but never actually met.

But to put together a great marketing campaign using VDP and PURLs, it’s essential to have specific details about the clients you’re looking to attract.

Luckily, you can fake it.

Big Brother Makes A List

When you buy mailing lists for your direct mail campaigns, you can get more than just names and addresses. There are lists available with more specific details about each person on the list. Do you need to know makes and models of their cars? Their shopping habits? Chances are, there’s a sneaky list maker on the prowl right now compiling the information you need. And through effective list buying, you can obtain this information easily and use it to improve the effectiveness of your campaign.

You’ve Got The Details…What Now?

After you’ve got a magic list with lots of specific details about your targets, there are lots of ways you can put this information to work. One way we recommend is putting together a marketing campaign involving VDP coupled with PURLs.

Picture this. Your target, who we’ll call Sammy, is sorting through his mail when he comes across a postcard that says “SAMMY. We Know How Much You Love Your Labradoodle. Our Pet Supply Store Has A Special Deal Just For You.” Sammy’s intrigued, not to mention happy and chill because he’s thinking about his beloved labradoodle.

As he continues reading the postcard, he discovers that it invites him to visit his own personal webpage – www.yourpetstorenamehere.com/SAMMY – where he can download coupons just for him. He’s intrigued. He’s never been invited to his own personal website for a pet store before. He hangs onto the card. He goes to the site. He takes a survey there that gives you even MORE information about him and his darling labradoodle. He gets his coupons, visits your store, and becomes a lifetime customer. And all thanks to a little V to the DP and a little P to the URLs.

Specific Details & VDP & PURLs Come Together to Rule the World

Or, at least to help you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to direct mail campaigns. Campaigns that use specific details about targets do really well, and campaigns that use VDP do really well, and campaigns that use PURLs do really well, so putting them all to work can get you the results you’re looking for.

And the best chance at turning your co-worker’s mother-in-law, the former renter of your apartment, and Justin Bieber from people you’ve heard of into your clients.

Let’s say your teacher is giving a boring lecture on a warm September afternoon. If you’re anything like us, you find yourself in a daze, focusing on everything but the lesson. Then suddenly, out of the blue, the teacher calls on you. And, BAM. You’re back in the zone.

That’s what personalization does. In school, little Johnny pays much more attention to Mrs. Stuffenburger when she is addressing him directly than when she is talking to the whole class. And in marketing, people are much more likely to respond to a campaign when it seems to be reaching out to them personally than when the message is less personal.

Valuable PURLs

In previous posts we’ve shared our enthusiasm for variable data printing and talked about how awesome it can be for your direct mail campaign response rate. But that’s not the only personalized marketing solution out there. We’ve got more fun tricks – like PURLs.

PURLs are “personalized uniform resource locators” – we prefer to think of them as “personalized URLs” so they don’t sound so scary. (In case you’re not sure, a URL is just a web address – the terms “URL” and “web address” work interchangeably.)

That’s right. Personalized web addresses – meaning that there’s a special web page designed for Johnny that’s different from the ones that have been designed for each of his classmates and different from the one that has been made for Mrs. Stuffenburger.

You Can Do That?

Totally. And we find that when our clients use PURLs, they end up with websites that yield more sales.

Yes, indeedy. We love to personalize things, and we love the results personalizing things gets for our clients. Whether you’re looking to personalize URLs, mailers, or clown fish squeeze toys, we’re up for the job.

Well, unlucky discarded mail pieces, here’s why it was you.

Interesting Mail Survives…

The typical mail opener is on a serious time budget. So he’s only going to open the mail that piques his interest for one reason or another. We’ve talked before about how clutter busters and self-mailers can give your direct mail the intrigue factor that it needs to make sure it gets some attention.

And interesting mail isn’t the only mail that typically makes the cut.

…And So Does Important Mail

While most Americans probably fantasize about throwing away all of their bills, they don’t go through with it. Bills fall under the category of mail that’s too important to throw away. Other things that belong in this department? Account statements, checks, new credit cards, letters from the government, and official correspondence from important-looking companies, to name a few.

So besides making your direct mail look interesting, making it look important can also help it to avoid the circular file.

Make It Look Official

There are lots of ways you can give your direct mail that “important mail vibe.” Someone we know gets coupons from a restaurant that arrive in a very official-looking envelope stamped with “Handle With Care.” The first time the coupons came, she opened the envelope believing it was a bill, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the envelope contained something good.

Another pal recently received a brown envelope with very little writing on it. His instinct was to toss it, but after more careful examination, he discovered that he could feel a sheet of bubble wrap inside the envelope. Assuming that there would have to be something significant in there to require bubble wrap, he tore it open.

In both cases, creative design of the direct mail helped it to get read.

Interesting, Important…We Do It All

So when it’s time for your next direct mail campaign, let us work with you to come up with a strategy that will package your marketing message in an irresistible way. Whether we make it look too unique to pass up or too official to throw out, we’ll give it the best chance of joining the “keep” pile.

A butcher’s thing might be preparing a delectable cut of meat. A baker’s thing might be baking the perfect cupcake. A candlestick maker’s thing is, well, fantastic candlestick making. (Quick side note – although we’ve got a handle on the essence of each of their professions, we’ve never been quite sure why these men were caught rub a dub dubbing in a tub together.)

Anyway, what we’re getting at is this – things work out best when the right person does the right job. When the butcher needs a cupcake, he should consult the baker. When the baker needs a candle, he should leave it to the candlestick dude. And when that candlestick maker is hungry for a steak, he should pay the butcher a visit. And if they do, all three will find themselves satisfied and free to devote more time to their own businesses.

Our Thing? Marketing Materials

We love designing marketing materials. From promotional items to brochures to postcards, we’ve got our clients covered when they want to get their messages out there.

One thing we’re particularly fond of is writing copy for direct mail. Writing direct mail is an art that definitely benefits from the skills of a professional. For a direct mail letter to do its job, the tone, format, and content need to be just right – and we know just how to make that happen.

What a Professional Can Do

At imPress, we have a keen awareness of the audience for a direct mail piece and take these readers into consideration as we write. Through years of experience with this medium, we’ve picked up on a lot of tricks of the trade that increase the odds that our clients’ direct mail pieces will make an impact.

For instance, a strongly written “P.S.” can be hugely persuasive. While a reader might skim the body text of a letter, a “P.S” section that is succinct and packs a lot of punch is likely to be read in its entirety. So adding a good one can make your letter much stronger.

There Are More Writing Tricks Where That Came From

From your salutation all the way down to that all-important “P.S.”, we know the powerful, subtle cues to include that will increase the success of your piece. We know what to say and how and when to say it to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing materials.

The butcher certainly could pop some Betty Crocker cake batter into a muffin tin and buy a make-your-own candles kit from Michael’s, but he’s going to end up with stronger results if he leaves the cupcake and candle production to his friends. And when he needs to develop a great direct mail campaign with a high response rate, he’ll get the results he’s looking for if he leaves the writing and designing to us.

In addition to sweat, action, a groovy buzzing sound, and an excuse to skip work to go out for drinks, the World Cup also offers something else we love – logos.

Each World Cup tournament boasts its own logo. And each of these logos incorporate elements of the time period and location of the particular World Cup. We’ll guide you through a handful of neat ones.

A Walk Down Logo Lane

If you take a gander at the 1994 logo, for example, you’ll recognize the red, white, and blue color scheme that is a shout out to the good old USA, the host country that year. The red stripes are even drawn to look like the American flag and the blue soccer ball is strategically placed where the blue part of our flag would be. Crisp, bright, and very American looking. Nicely done.

Or check out the logo from the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan. The contoured shapes in the logo remind us of similar shapes in the South Korean flag, and the logo includes plenty of red, which is found in the flags of both nations. The flavor of the whole logo is similar to that of traditional Asian art. And the feeling of divided pieces making up a whole works well for the first World Cup hosted by two nations. All in all, a sweet logo.

But our personal favorite? Mexico ‘86. The Mexican flag colors are in full effect, but the reason we like to look back at it is that it’s so scrumptiously 80’s. The stripey font makes us think of the 80’s Pepsi logo, which in turn makes us think of the Pepsi ads starring Billy Crystal. And then we get that happy little piano tune from the jingle stuck in our heads, and then we start thinking about Saturday Night Live from days of old…all of which is just marvelous.

Yes, it’s true…if we can’t be watching the World Cup, checking out former World Cup logos really is the next best thing. (Well, that, and devouring nachos like the ones we would have ordered if we were out watching a game.)

Since our blog posts are usually like 400 words tops, we figured we’d give you more bang for your buck today by keeping the text short but including a few pictures.

As we mentioned a couple of posts ago, two imPress team members recently won NORI awards for some print pieces they designed.  Check out some pics of their award-winning designs.

Michele designed this NORI-winning brochure for NYSID

Erin designed this NORI winner to promote Burst Marketing

Thirsty for more?  You can check out more of our creations in our portfolio online.  Or come visit us in person if you want to see, touch, and smell the real things.

If you’re ready to play along, we need you to read the following list. Ready…go!

Goldfish

Tonsils

Winter

Goldfish

Door

Thermometer

Goldfish

Noise

Goldfish

Golf towel

Goldfish

Fork

Bologna

Goldfish

Spider

Goldfish

Stapler

Tree

Goldfish

Goldfish

Goldfish

Okay, without looking, name the first item from the list that comes to mind.

Was it “goldfish”?

We thought so. And if we could follow up with you tomorrow and ask you the same question, we’re 98% sure the only thing on the list you’d remember is “goldfish.” (And maybe “bologna” as well, if you’re particularly hungry.)

Repetition Makes It Stick

Our silly experiment is our attempt to remind you how important repetition can be in making people remember your business. It goes without saying that any advertising you do is better than no advertising at all. But sending the same people multiple mailers is definitely the way to go if you want to make a lasting impression.

That’s why we encourage our clients to think in terms of mini direct mail campaigns. We can develop a series of mailers that build off of one another and repeat your message to their recipients. That way, even when the first postcard has long since been recycled and turned into newsprint, you have more mailers up your sleeve to remind your targets that you’re still around and ready to do business.

To sum it up…

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Repetition keeps your brand alive in your targets’ minds.

Goldfish.

Yes, as you sit and read this blog, it’s quite possible that the whiny kid who sat behind you in third grade, your sister’s roommate’s dad, and your eccentric former neighbor all have the image of your face in their minds. And you know we’re right about this because chances are, some random folks from your past are crossing your mind right now.

Of course, people from our past are much more likely to resurface in our thoughts if something jogs our memories. If we come across old photos, gifts we received, or e-mails from waaaaay deep in our inboxes, we’re apt to remember some faces from earlier days.

Cross Your Clients’ Minds

While the thought of your ex-significant other daydreaming about you might make your skin crawl a bit, the fact that human brains store so much information about the past is actually a really good thing marketing wise. At this very second, one of your clients might be randomly thinking about you or your products for no reason at all. And if you’ve given your customers a nudge by sending them something that will jog their memories, the chances are even higher that your business is on somebody’s mind.

How Touchpoints Make a Difference

In marketing lingo, any contact a customer has with your brand is called a “touchpoint.” Your goal as you market your business should be to provide your customers with enough touchpoints to get them thinking about your brand regularly.

Promotional items are particularly useful for providing touchpoints because people tend to hang onto them for awhile. If you give a client a high-quality water bottle or coffee mug, that client could be seeing your company logo several times a day and thinking about your business frequently. And this could theoretically go on for years if your client keeps on using your free gift.

Money Well Spent

Since one promo item can provide numerous touchpoints, it would not be unreasonable to expect thousands of thoughts about your company to result from giving out just a handful of promotional items. And getting your clients thinking about you is the first step toward making sales. This means that a marketing campaign involving well-chosen freebies is definitely worth the initial investment.

Okay, we’re all done here. You can go back to your reverie about that hottie who had a locker next to yours during your freshman year.