Direct Marketing PlanChecklist to Success

Step One – Executive Summary

Typically, an executive summary will:

be no more than 10% or so of the length of the main report

be written in business/professional style consist of short and concise paragraphs with a title

sentence and 2-3 support phrases Begin with a summary of the purpose of the project Be ordered with discussion similar to primary document only include material present in the main report – no

winging it! Summarize findings/recommendations provide a justification for findings Include a conclusion Be inserted immediately following the table of contents

Step Two - Situation Analysis

Internal› Covers the four P’s – product, place,

distribution and pricing External

› Marketplace and marketing environment› Economy› Legal› Competition

** Discusses the importance of the information and includes some discussion of analysis

Target Group Profiles & SWOT Analysis

Who are you wanting to communicate with and what do you want the response to be?› Demos› Geographics› Behavioristics

Psychographics Intended Usage Usage Rates Occasion?

Opportunities and Issues Analysis› SWOT

Goals and Objectives Quantitative

› Build lead database› Acquire new customer› Cross-sell› New product introduction› Prospect cost per lead› Acquisition cost› Retention› Win back cost› ROA – return on advertising

Qualitative › Increase Customer Satisfaction, enhance brand

satisfaction

Marketing Strategies

Differentiation› Differentiated Marketing, Niche

Marketing (focused)› Mass Market Marketing

Positioning – perceptual mapping Uniqueness

Tactics

Goal› To win the war

Strategy – an idea of how the goal could be achieved› Divide and Conquer

Tactics – action to execute the strategy› CIA spies gather intelligence› Navy Seals knock out enemy

communications› Paratroopers secure the airport

Test Plan

Test your media selections› Do you reach the customers you

anticipated? Does your offer generate

responses? Do you visuals tell the story,

capture attention? Copy – is it easily comprehended

and include relevant information?

Budget/Financial

How much does your media cost?› Placement, reach, CPM, quantity discounts?

BEP ?

Direct Marketing Strategy & Campaign Plan Checklist Advertising Objective › Primary (sales, response)› Secondary (brand awareness)

Marketing Message – “The Promise” Product/Service Description – benefits, benefits, benefits Customer Problem Creative Must Solve Media Plan

› Media Mix – when, where and how will you deliver the message

› Budget – frequency and placement costs Creative Strategy – Know your audience Offers and Call to Action – hard offers, soft offers Direct Marketing Essentials – urgency, ways to respond,

messages/affiliation to reduce risk in mind of consumer Copy/Layout Legal – know FTC, FDA and FCC advertising guidelines,

disclaimers and self-regulation

Fundamentals

The right offer to the right person at the right time› Aperture, problem solution

Relevancy and personalization are ways to win better response in direct marketing

Test, test, test Track, track, track