Direct Mail Pieces | Print Ads | Business Letters | Promotional Content
UUNET : The Promise of IP VPNs
Working closely with the client, I enticed decision makers to a seminar by playing to UUNET’s perceived strength as the “backbone of the Internet” and by playing off the audience’s concerns that most ISPs do not have the experience or capability to offer a secure, dependable VPN. We leveraged well-known leaders in the industry for the live online event and created a Tech Center that offered the audience more information they could access any time after the event.UUNET : "Range of Services" Resource Kit
As a result of the success of the “question trilogy” concept used to promote UUNET’s VPN products, I leveraged the concept for an integrated marketing campaign that described the breadth of products and services UUNET has to offer. This self-mailer leverages limited-time discounts and an intellectual offer to gain important lead generation information and further explain how UUNET products benefit the audience.UUNET : UUsecure VPN
Taking a competing technology to task, this self-mailer directly compares Uusecure VPNs to leased lines. The messaging makes it clear that Uusecure VPNs offer better security and higher performance at lower costs. Offering an IDC bulletin in exchange for lead generation, this successful direct mail piece generated an unprecedented number of qualified leads and was considered a great success by the client.Sun Microsystems : 3D Web Seminar
Understanding the playful nature of IT managers and looking to differentiate this direct mail from the rest of the recipient’s mail, 3-D glasses are attached. The primary goal of this self-mailer is to motivate the audience to attend the event. To that end, and intellectual offer and limited-time promotions are made. The secondary goal is to generate awareness regarding the release of Solaris 7.IBM - Lotus : How E-Learning Boosts IT Training Effectiveness
As part of an integrated campaign that targeted different audiences, this direct mail piece was sent as a package sealed in an envelope. Sent to IT training managers, this piece leverages the perceived benefits of e-Learning while reassuring the audience that the technology will not replace them. The messaging resonated with the audience and this project succeeded because I worked closely with the client, grasped how the technology worked quickly, and understood how the audience would perceive the technology.Lotus : SmartSuite
The underlying goal of this integrated marketing campaign was to reassure SmartSuite customers that Lotus was still committed to the product. The main goal was to entice current customers to upgrade and make inroads within the NetObjects community. This was accomplished by creating four different packages that reflected the particular interests of each audience segment. This particular piece was sent to current SmartSuite customers who did not have NetObjects. Highlighting the new features and the ways in which NetObjects Fusion enabled SmartSuite customers to accomplish their goals more easily, we promoted both products simultaneously. To further entice the audience and generate qualified leads, a free trip for two and several other prizes were offered.Macromedia : Are You Certifiable?
Everyone knows that developers, especially the elite ColdFusion and Java developers we were targeting, have a quirky sense of humor. When launching the Macromedia Certification Program, I decided that the best way to gain the attention of this audience was to make them laugh. For that reason, this successful campaign uses an intriguing word play and a funny image to cause the audience to want to know more about the program. Once inside, the direct mail piece motivates the developer by linking certification to an issue of major importance to developers at that time – career advancement.Macromedia : DevCon 2001
Serving as the creative lead, I worked closely with the project manager to establish the event’s brand and positioning for this piece. This creative and messaging was leveraged for all online marketing and was also used at the event to ensure continuity of the brand. This piece was part of a highly successful integrated marketing campaign that enabled Macromedia to beat original attendee estimates in spite of the downturn in the economy.Macromedia : Kid in a Candy Store
At a time when Java developers were starved for information about J2EE, the JRun product marketing team decided to promote JRun through a seminar. Understanding that Java developers are more interested in data than discounts, this piece promotes the value of the technical information provided at the seminar by linking it to improved job performance.Macromedia JRun ISV Mailer: Looking to accelerate your development?
When JRun 4 was launched, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) were a new and critical market for the product line. Leveraging my previous experience with this market, I led the development of messaging and provided an external agency with direction. Knowing that JRun 4 offered ISVs a solution to a long-standing problem of time-to-market and ROI, this piece informs the audience that JRun 4 accelerates development with leading-edge technology while costing far less than its nearest competitors. The response was so great that Macromedia added more CyberSeminars than originally planned.Macromedia : Set Yourself Apart
The first in a series of three postcards sent to the same audience over a three-week period, this example of straightforward messaging and easily understandable imagery illustrates the value of creative that communicates in a visual and verbal language readily understandable by the audience. Both the headline and the image reflect the audience's aspiration to be considered set apart from the crowd. The linkage between the desire to be set apart, the need to advance professionally, and certification was the reason for the success of this campaign. I further supported the linkage with bullet points on the back and motivated immediate action with a limited-time discount.Macromedia: Certification HR
The Macromedia Certification program needed to build awareness. To that end, I was engaged to create an integrated marketing campaign that targeted IT recruiters. Since recruiters find searching through stacks of resumes both time-consuming and tedious, this campaign’s messaging and imagery makes it clear that using Macromedia Certification as a benchmark is the quickest and easiest way to find the top candidates. Additional messaging indicates that Macromedia Certification will improve a company’s bottom line. Also, since I knew that the Macromedia Certification program needed to dramatic increase the number of test takers, I suggested that Macromedia extend a generous offer to any member of the audience’s company. As a result of this campaign, Macromedia Certification was able to show a spectacular boost in sales.Allaire: ColdFusion Master
In order to motivate ColdFusion developers to pay for advanced training, I play off their strong need to be recognized as having mastery over ColdFusion. This piece makes it clear that they will be perceived as ColdFusion Masters if they receive advanced training. This concept is reinforced with bullets that relate directly to pain points and benefits that strike a cord with ColdFusion developers.Progress Software : Partnering For Success
An Application Service Provider (ASP) for the financial industry, Progress Software wanted key decision makers to know that they provided open, scalable, reliable products with an established reputation for excellence. Knowing that the financial industry is generally conservative, I made sure that the design, messaging, and offer reassures the audience that they can trust Progress Software. To accomplish this, I list industry leaders who rely on Progress Software and enable the audience to understand why organizations have chosen Progress Software by providing a customer quote and a brief case study.Surebridge : Solomon IV
The financial industry is wary of change, but the possibility of a large ROI will attract the attention of decision makers. This leading Application Service Provider (ASP) offers mid-sized firms the chance to benefit from software that only the largest firms could afford. Focusing on the tangible benefits, reassuring the audience that Surebridge would reduce their IT headache, and providing a monetary incentive, this self-mailer enabled my client to enter a new market successfully.
Macromedia: Dare to Compare
This is the concept that launched JRun 4. Since JRun 4 offered more leading-edge features and unmatched performance speeds at nearly 10% the cost of the nearest competitor, I took a very direct and aggressive approach. Even though research had shown that developers trusted JRun’s quality, many people in the industry didn’t think JRun had a lot of power. This campaign changed that. By explicitly asking developers to compare JRun 4 to their own application server, developers were able to see that JRun 4 was far superior to anything else on the market. The checklist framework was used because Java developers tend to reject flashy images and prefer to receive information in a format that is easy to read and understand. The campaign was a smashing success. JRun 4 downloads quadrupled the numbers recorded during the release of JRun 3.Macromedia : When You've Got It, Flaunt It
Tasked to increase developer awareness of Macromedia Certification, I directed the creation of a poster that would be placed in every Macromedia Training Center. As a result, while individuals learned how to use Macromedia products, they would also discover that their training could lead to professional certification. The concept, leveraging the success of a previous Macromedia Certification campaign, focuses on the idea that Macromedia Certification will set an individual apart from the rest. This particular image was selected because it is so eye-catching. Feedback from trainees was very positive and the poster even became extremely popular amongst Macromedia employees. For over a year, it could be seen in the offices of Senior VPs, Product Marketing Managers, and Engineers.Macromedia Training : Mastering Web Technology
Until the merger with Allaire, Macromedia did not have an extensive training program. This piece was part of an integrated campaign to introduce Macromedia Training to traditional Macromedia users and assure former Allaire customers that the comprehensive training program would continue after the merger of the two companies. The messaging and the imagery combine to let customers know that they could trust Macromedia Training. The messaging makes clear that Macromedia Training Instructors are experts in their respective fields and that no one understands Web design and development better than the people who built the award-winning products.
IBM Mindspan Solutions
As senior writer for this campaign, I was responsible for branding the event and creating all of the collateral. This letter was sent as part of a package that reached a targeted audience of IT training managers. The letter opens with a concrete reference to the main challenge these managers were facing at the time – maintaining technical competency. Once I’ve identified the problem, I show that IBM provides a solution that will enable these managers to keep up with the fast pace of change. The letter, which is only part of a package, provides the audience with several reasons why they need to attend this event and includes several ways to register. Signed by a Vice President at Lotus makes it clear that this event is important and the post-script at the bottom, which is usually the first and last thing the audience will read, urges the reader to act promptly, reminds the reader when the event will take place, and reiterates the call to action.Allaire Survey Cover Letter
Product Marketing needed to better understand the needs and interests of the Internet Solution Provider (ISP) and the Systems Integration (ISV) space. Since Allaire had a large number of customers who were part of this market, Allaire decided to contact key decision-makers from its own database and ask them to complete a comprehensive survey. Tasked to create a letter that would motivate busy people to participate, I advised the marketing manager that the response rate would be much larger if these individuals were to also receive the results of this survey. By sharing the results with the audience, we would be offering concrete business intelligence they wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. Even though we also offered several prizes as part of a sweepstakes, most people agreed that we received a response rate of nearly 80% because the audience was interested in the information Macromedia compiled. As a result, Macromedia received useful information it needed about an important market while improving its relationship with key customers.ColdFusion-IBM WebCast for IT Managers Invite Letter
As part of a growing strategic partnership, IBM and Macromedia worked together to invite IT Managers to a WebCast that would feature an analyst from Forrester Research. Because I had extensive experience marketing to IT Managers, I was asked to compose an invitation to the event. To ensure a high response from this select group of prospects, I emphasized that the speaker would mainly discuss relevant industry trends. Although both IBM and Macromedia are mentioned, it is clear from the letter that this event offers useful information without a strong sales pitch. The response rate was overwhelming and the WebCast filled up immediately.
