Despite the ungodly hour at which I had to drag myself out of bed, the Direct Debate “Loyalty” was a slick event with great content.

There was an attempt at networking (although it turns out that it’s quite difficult to maintain polite conversation while wrestling with a pain-au-chocolat at the same time), and then on into the main event, organised by the Mail Media team in An Post.

Leanne Papaioannou of Chilli Pepper Marketing gave a great overview of “Loyalty” in general with some insightful key tips:

• “Loyalty” can’t be the sole remit of the marketing department, it has to involve company-wide buy in
• With regards customers, her mantra is “See me! Give me! Engage me!”
• When your programme is running, it’s all about the data, baby: Metrics! Metrics! Metrics!

Leanne then handed over to Paul Candon, Marketing & Corporate Service Director for Topaz Ireland who really opened up and shared their thought process behind their new Park or Play loyalty programme. One thing I found particularly interesting was the level of staff training they undertook in order to educate all their colleagues about the mechanics of the loyalty programme and why it’s so important to their business going forward.

Topaz obviously has a great working relationship with their agency Target McConnells and it looks like they’ve done a great job on this programme for them. Interestingly they also developed a stand-alone App for the programme so consumers can swipe their mobile instead of their key fob.

When asked about the numbers of consumers using the various methods, off the top of their heads Paul & Leanne reckoned the split was 60% / 40% between key fobs / mobile App uptake, which if accurate is a great uptake on a stand-alone application.

Either way, it’s great to see a company embracing new technologies to enhance their loyalty offering and from the way Paul was talking, it looks like they’ll always have innovation at the forefront with possible plans to introduce NFC communications over the next 24 months too, and plans to evolve the “win” for consumers to keep them engaged with the programme.

Between Topaz, Chili Pepper and Target McConnells, they’re obviously doing something right.

Despite the fact that the programme has been running for only 9 weeks, they’re tentatively noticing a €0.15 increase in spend per loyal customer compared to non-loyal customer.

Now that’s definitely worth getting out of bed for!

It’s the highlight of the Irish direct marketing calendar. Every year the Mail Media Unit from An Post outdoes itself with a bigger, better, brighter event than the year before.

Every year interest in the event grows, the competition gets that bit tougher and, as sure as night follows day, every year the mad dash to submit entries before the deadline is followed by the torturous wait to see if you’ve made the cut…

In reality, the judges don’t hang about and the process is generally completed within a couple of weeks of the entry deadline but those few days can seem like forever.

The wait to see if your campaign has made the shortlist for the An Post Awards can be just as fraught as the painfully prolonged period between despatching your mail pieces and seeing the responses coming back. Nightmare!

This year, that painful wait ended at 11.00am on Tuesday 23rd April. After a morning of continuously shifting between browser tabs, furtively fingering F5 on the awards website in one tab and keeping a keen eye on the MMU Facebook page  in another, the announcement finally came.

You can download a complete PDF with all of the entries shortlisted here.

By all accounts the competition is particularly stiff this year. With an ever-increasing number of entries across an ever-increasing number of categories, it’s a testament to the popularity of the event among direct marketing practitioners in Ireland.

We are delighted to have been shortlisted in two categories. We’ve made the cut in the ‘Supplier of the Year’ section and we’ve also been shortlisted in the ‘Best Start-Up / Small Business’ category for our Autofocus Campaign.

We’ll be keeping our fingers firmly crossed between now and what promises to be another fantastic night at the An Post DM Awards on the 9th May. Wish us luck!

We’ve had a busy few months over here at Ireland’s leading data management and direct marketing provider. We’ve said bitter-sweet goodbyes to some of our most valued team members, we’ve had a couple of key people take on new roles within the company and we’ve added some exciting new talent to the team.

We bid fond farewells to Billy Ryan and William Jones recently. They were valued members of the team and will be greatly missed by many. I’m sure that they will excel at whatever they do next. Best wishes, gentlemen!

We’ve had a bit of a reshuffle internally too. Mark Loughran, a senior account manager here since 2008, will be stepping into the role of Operations Supervisor. Mark has worked as a general manager in the direct mail business previously and will bring all of this career knowledge to bear in his new role. Best of luck, Mark!

We are also delighted to welcome some new talent to the team. Barry May has come on board as a software/web developer and John Bateman has taken over the Project Manager role vacated by William Jones. These two really no their stuff and although they’ve only been here a relatively short time, John and Barry have both proven themselves to be excellent additions to the team. Welcome aboard, lads!

In an age of always-on technology; when smartphones, tablets and internet-enabled fridges are making our daily lives more and more digital, it’s easy to see why many marketers might forget about the power of the humble mail piece.

It’s all about digital these days. Everybody spends their days on social networks; liking photos, commenting on posts, following friends, clicking links. Obviously, that’s where marketers should be talking to customers. Right?

Yes. And no. Smart marketing communications require companies to engage and interact with customers with the right message, at the right time and via the right channel. Mail is the perfect channel for certain types of communication and it does really well among the very segments that marketers are trying to reach.

Here’s an interesting infographic from MarketReach in the UK that really underlines the power of direct mail with social media users…

On 13th March 2013, the Marketing Institute of Ireland hosted DMX Dublin 2013.

When I was told they were sending me to DMX at the AVIVA Stadium, I was a little disappointed to learn that it was not a surprise gig by one of my favourite 1990’s, New York, hip-hop artists.

That disappointment soon subsided though when I realized that DMX was in fact an action-packed, world-class, digital marketing conference.

The slick website and the accompanying blurb made some pretty bold claims:

• amazing keynotes from international expert speakers
• specialist streams of real-life case studies from successful global and local brands
• whiteboard breakout workshops – drop-in sessions to quiz the experts face-to-face
• state-of-the-art digital technologies that are transforming marketing
• With a plethora of examples, case studies and extensive networking in the Aviva Stadium, aimed at an audience of marketing leaders, DMX Dublin is the must-attend digital event of 2013

Could the event live up to its rather braggadocious billing?

In a word: ‘Yes’!

DMX did not disappoint. The venue was great. The planning and organization were spot on. It attracted a great crowd and in terms of content, the event provided the perfect mix of entertaining and knowledgeable speakers with practical and informative case studies, examples and tips.

The only negative was the queues for lunch but that’s to be expected at a sell-out event. Maybe staggered break times would have eased the congestion a bit. Anyway, that’s a very minor concern when stacked up against such an impressive list of speakers.

On the day, we were treated to fascinating talks with a range of inspiring speakers. We had a full schedule of discussions across four key themes: Acquisition, Conversion, Engagement and Interaction. You can view the full schedule here

All of the speakers that I heard on the day were very good but the undoubted highlight of the event had to be Teddy Goff from Obama for America. He delivered an awe-inspiring overview of Barack Obama’s use of social media in his historic bid for the White House.

All in all, it was a great event and I hope that DMX will become a regular feature of the Marketing Institute’s annual event’s calendar..

A recent survey has thrown up some very interesting insights into the state of domestic technology use in Ireland.

The findings come from the recent Eircom Household Sentiment Survey which incorporated some primary research by Behaviour & Attitudes.

A poll was conducted in February and March among a sample of 1,000 adults.

Here are the highlights:

• 1.3 million people wish to stay connected 24/7
• The Irish home now has four potential online devices
• A quarter of a million of us check emails on holidays
• Tablet ownership has doubled in the last 6 months
• 1.2 million of us will have access to a tablet by the end of the year
• 1 in 4 of us access email first thing in the morning
• 63% of the nation use the internet to diagnose symptoms when ill
• Twice as many of us believe that men are more tech savvy than women, despite higher female smartphone ownership

Beyond the top line findings the report provides some really interesting findings. Here is more complete information from the press release on the Eircom website:

Ireland has a need to be constantly connected as digital device ownership continues to rise to enable round the clock online access, according to the latest eircom Household Sentiment Survey (eHSS) released today.

Always On Culture
The in-depth bi-annual nationwide survey shows how we are embracing technology at every opportunity and how it is impacting every aspect of our lives. We are now a nation that has a desire to stay connected 24/7,with almost a million of us admitting to checking our emails first thing in the morning, while over a quarter of a million of us now check work emails on holidays. The nation’s need to be constantly connected also extends to evenings and weekends, with over half of those surveyed revealing that they won’t and can’t switch off.

From a Land of Saints and Scholars to a Land of Digital Devices
Irish households are a now a network of online users; there is an average of four devices that connect to the internet in every Irish home. In the last six months alone, tablet ownership has doubled. This year 15% of us intend to buy a tablet meaning 1.2 million people will have access to a tablet by the end of the year. This has led to some interesting trends in usage. Since the last eHSS survey, smartphone ownership has also dramatically increased; from 39% to 50%. This equates to 1.6m smartphone users in Ireland.

Reliance on Technology for Every Day Life
With increased usage of smartphones and the increased functionality on a single device, it is no surprise that 71% of us stated that we do not miss digital cameras and 63% of us can live without iPods and portable MP3 players. The reliance on technology has reached new levels and our insatiable appetite for information revealed that 37% of adults admitted to have searched online for DIY tips with 56% of parents searching online to diagnose symptoms when their children are ill. Overall twice as many of us believe that males are more tech savvy than females even though smartphone ownership is higher among females (52%) than males.

Weird and Wonderful Locations of Usage
With the increased usage of smartphone and tablet devices, the nation is now equipped to log on at every opportunity. This trend is leading to an increase in demand for online accesson the go. Of those surveyed, 71% use their smartphone sitting in their car and 51% on public transport.While at home, it’s not just the conventional spaces in the house, as 33% admit to using their smartphone in the bathroom, 78% in the bedroom and 27% while on the toilet.

A Little Less Conversation, a Little More…
The online rules of engagement continue to split opinion. Half the population believe that as a nation we have lost of the art of conversation. However, the younger generation in the 16-24 age bracket believe that the conversation is continuing but in a different way. 70% of 16 to 24 year olds now prefer to text than call.

The Mobile Etiquette Debate Continues
Meanwhile mobile and smartphone etiquette continues to divide the nation. The eHSS findings show that males and under 35’s have a higher acceptability for late evening and weekend texting and emailing, leading to the breakdown of traditional boundaries between home and work life. 62% of those in the 25-34 age group believe it is acceptable to text a colleague after work or at the weekend. And it seems our digital habits are proving to be a distraction, with 19% of respondents admitting to having agreed to something without realising it while using a digital device.

A Virtual World with Virtual Friends
There is less of a divide between our on line and off line selves as social media usage is now part of everyday lives. 38% of respondents believe they are the same online and offline compared to 28% of respondents in the last report. Social media fatigue is also on the rise with 28% of those surveyed claiming that they are getting tired of social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

Earlier this year the Commission for Communications Regulation granted An Post permission to increase postage rates.

In a statement ComReg said it had received an application from An Post and that it agreed to: “changes in charges for certain postal services within the scope of universal postal service relating to postal packets weighing less than 50 grams which were set out in An Post’s adjusted application of 29 January 2013”.

These changes follow on from another raft of price increases that came into play back in May 2012. This is essentially the second part of those increases.

Back then, we were a bit baffled by the decision to split the existing weight band of “not over 100 grams” into “not over 50 grams” and “not over 100 grams”. Now it makes sense though…

An Post needed approval from ComReg to change rates on items weighing less than 50 grams as these fall within the scope of the Universal Postal Service agreement.

Now they are simply bringing the new 0 – 50 gram category into line with the increases that came into play back in May last year.

The changes took affect on 2nd April 2013. The most widely publicised of the changes were increases to standard postage rates. The cost of sending a letter rose from €0.55 to €0.60 and the charge for a large envelope went from €0.95 to €1.05.

For direct marketers, though, the increases to Bulk Discount and PostAim rates are of much greater concern. These changes see the letters and large envelopes weighing not over 50 grams rise to parity with the rates for 50 – 100 gram items that came in last May.

Generally, the increases see rates rise across all volume discount rates by 4 cent for letters and 8 cent for large envelopes.

Here is a full breakdown of new Bulk Discount Rates and you can check out the new PostAim rates here.

We are not talking massive amounts of money, for a mailing of 10,000 that would have cost €3,600 in postage, now it will cost €4,000.

Now €400 is not to be sneezed at but even with these increases, I believe that direct mail still represents great value for money for marketers.

That said I would be worried about the logic behind the price increases. The argument is that due to dwindling postage volumes and the availability of electronic substitutes these increases are needed.

My fear would be that these increases will only serve to make electronic substitutes more attractive, further driving down mail volumes and leading to more and more of these increases.

Sound data management isn’t just for giant, global tech companies or massive online retailers. Any business, regardless of size, can benefit greatly from robust data processes.

Irrespective of scale, if you treat your customer data with the respect that it deserves, it will reward you many times over.

Whatever your business, you collect information about your customers everyday. Unfortunately, most businesses fail to use that data effectively. By developing a comprehensive data management strategy you can make your existing data work for you.

Aside from the obvious data protection and compliance benefits, improving the way that your business manages its customer data can bring huge commercial gains.

Whether youre talking about kilobytes or petabytes, the principles of sound data management are the same:

1. Develop your plan.
2. Set objectives.
3. Design your database.
4. Identify all existing sources of data.
5. Clean, merge, de-dupe and import the various files to create a unified customer-centric data resource.
6. Define processes for ongoing capture and data hygiene.
7. Analyse your data to learn more about your customers.
8. Use your data to communicate directly with your customers via channels like direct mail, email, mobile and online.

Ultimately, the aim is to createa clearer picture of who your customers are, where hey are and how you can find more of them.

With a little planning and a commitment to treating your customer data with the respect it deserves, your business will be able get more from its data: more insight, more intelligence, more loyalty, more customers and ultimately more revenue.

Well that’s what our new radio ad says, anyway.

We’re running a radio campaign on NewsTalk this week. We want to share what we do with a wider audience.

So we’ll be telling companies all over Ireland about how we can help connect them to their customers.

It’s a new departure for us so we’re really eager to see how it pans out. The ad asks listeners to go to a specially developed micro-site or to call us on a dedicated free phone number.

This means we’ll be able to see exactly how the ads are performing and whether or not radio is a medium that works for us.

If you haven’t heard it yet, you can listen to the ad right here.

Be Direct Radio Ad

Hopefully, the campaign is a success. We’ll keep you posted.

Listen out for the ads and let us know what you think…

We achieve this by helping you to understand your data and by providing effective methods of communicating with your customers. These methods include direct mail, email and sms. These channels allow you speak directly to your customers, measure the results and maximise response.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our site. You’re probably here because you want to know a little more about who we are and what we do.

Well, here are the slides from our corporate presentation. We’d be delighted to pop in and present to you or your team. Just say the word.

…and if you are really interested, you can download a copy of our corporate brochure here.

Thanks for stopping by. If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to get in touch…