How to market during a recession.

Findings from recent surveys conducted by the Association of National Advertisers and the Women’s Leadership Exchange indicate that companies in every industry are slashing their marketing budgets in response to the current recession.  Since fewer companies are spending on marketing during the recession, the level of competition is lower, and suppliers are more willing to offer reduced prices.  That means recessions make marketing dollars go further.

One communication strategy to capitalize on now is direct mail.  Currently, overall mail volume is down by nearly 4% (source: USPS).  Reduced mail volume translates to increased attention to your direct mail package.  Highly targeted and personalized direct mail can be an effective break-through medium during this recession.  Many marketers are choosing to utilize email marketing exclusively.  With the inundation of email, it’s challenging to make your message stand out.  And, with wide acceptance and use of email come response rate plateaus.

The techniques used to test and refine direct mail are numerous.  From the segment, package format, fonts to components, messaging, offer, etc.—all are designed to achieve optimum response rates.  By combining creative expertise with behavioral data, it’s easy to develop a relevant, personal communication that will grow your business.