Memo: Winner of the international 'Best-of-the-Best' Print Award

Graham Smith receiving award

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In 2009, the MBA Group installed the UK's first Xerox 980 continuous-colour press with an investment of over £4m. We needed to tell UK print buyers about our hungry digital printing press, but there was no big marketing budget available.

I decided to use co-op marketing and engaged with both Xerox and Print Media Management (PMM) magazine on an idea for a joint venture.

PMM wanted to demonstrate they were the leading trade title for Print Buyers and Marketing Managers (our key audience) and Xerox wanted to show the success of MBA's investment.

MBA needed to demonstrate the benefits and quality of variable data print, so I proposed producing the world's first 100% variable data publication.

The publication was different from anything the market had seen before. Firstly, it’s
fully digital, not a digital/litho combination. This opened opportunities for personalisation and variable content on every page.

Secondly, it used offline data – an existing subscriber database – not one that has been built or amended via a web page. So every reader gets variable content and personalisation, not just those that visited a website and completed an online form.

Finally, it has both variable editorial and advertising throughout the publication. This ensures the content is relevant to the reader; more relevance means greater readership and response.

MBA fought off stiff competition with an incredible number of entries from over 19 different countries. The award was presented in front of an international audience at the Premier Partnership Congress held in Manchester on 17 May 2010.

Case Study: B2B multi-channel Prize Draw

Prize Draws are often considered to be a B2C tool. Here's an example of how it can be successfully used in a B2B environment.

Memo: Me me me, Minute and Me too.

There are 3 types of bad marketing I encounter on a regular basis; Me me me, Minute and Me too.

If you experience bad marketing,
show the red card.
Click to download.

'Me me me' Marketing
This is when people base their marketing expertise on personal opinion. They believe they are typical of the target market - if they don't like something, then the target will not like it either.

Marketing based on subjective opinion will not work - unless you get lucky. Good marketing is based on objective fact. Your personal opinion counts for nothing, it's the opinion of the target group that matters.

'Minute' Marketing
All too often I hear the phrase "I've got a good marketing idea"... normally based on 60 seconds worth of consideration. The 'good idea' is never based on market research or with any thought about the target market or USP.

Often it's just random words, like 'Awards' or 'Webcast'. No thought about whether we have anything that is award worthy or how much a Webcast might cost.

If it's not part of the marketing plan it will fail, you'll waste valuable time and energy putting it into place and it will not benefit from being part of a co-ordinated, targeted campaign.

'Me too' Marketing
A classic mistake made all too often. Executives look at their competitors' marketing and decide to copy certain elements - me too!

They assume their competitors marketing is more effective, or that the marketing is based on extensive research and careful planning. What if it's not? What if they just copied the idea from another company?

Potentially you could have a series of companies all copying the same marketing idea without anybody checking if the idea works or its ROI.

Conclusion
Marketing without a plan (Minute) and based on assumptions (Me too) or personal opinion (Me me me) will never be truly effective - unless you get lucky.

The answer is to do your own research and develop a Marketing Plan. Through research & planning you eliminate the guesswork and remove the need for luck. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

Memo: How to write successful sales letters

Download this free .pdf for the top 10 tips that can increase response by up to 23%.

Stats Facts: Can Direct Mail deliver?

A presentation discussing the future of direct mail. Answering the 3 questions; Who decides to use DM? How much are they spending? How does it compare to other media?

Stats Facts: Has Facebook got the X-Factor?

Download research on Social Media. How many people actively participated in The X-Factor's Facebook page? How deep was their engagement with the page? Does Facebook live up to expectations?

Case Study: World's first 100% 'variable content' magazine

A case study on how to market a major investment in machinery with a limited budget - and win an award for your efforts.