Direct mail campaign provides key to building database

30 May 2009

E-marketing is effective and inexpensive. But, if you haven’t got your prospects email addresses where do you begin? Airchannel Ltd used a variable data mailer to engage its targets and prompt them to provide the information needed.

Airchannel is the UK's largest compressed air distributor and was voted British Compressed Air Society’s Trusted Trader of 2008. Established in 1967 it has developed partnerships with key manufacturers and prides itself on the level of service and expertise provided to customers. With its reputation for being an authority on all industry related legislation, Airchannel has been involved in the formulation of recent government guidelines relating to compressed air use in the food and beverage industry. The company offers a complete range of services which include design, installation, supply and comprehensive after sales service in compressed air, pneumatic components and product finishing.

Keeping in touch with existing and prospective customers is fundamental to the company’s continued success. Using the traditional print and post method is costly so Airchannel wanted to use e-marketing methods in its new campaign but in order to ‘mail blast’ its database it first needed to ensure it had the email address of its prime contacts. Quiet Storm suggested a solution that would capture the valuable data required and also be an impressive marketing exercise in its own right.

Airchannel Marketing Manager Martina Hasmandova explained: “Before distributing our new catalogue we wanted to generate some excitement in the marketplace. It’s an important publication for us and shows we are a one-stop solution - whenever anyone needs anything relating to compressed air they can come to Airchannel. We asked Quiet Strom to design a direct mail piece that would announce our new catalogue and invite people to be one of the first to receive a copy. They would be directed to our website where their contact information would be requested. This would enable us to update and build our database ready for future telephone and email communication. Quiet Storm suggested using a variable data mailing to give the item a much greater impact and we were very happy with this idea.”

By using Quiet Storm’s variable data print capabilities, each individual recipient’s name appears on the mailer. Personalised mailers like this are real attention grabbers. This approach is proven to be highly effective and 34% better than standard direct mail. For Airchannel’s campaign, the targets name was positioned along the jagged edge of a striking key image.

Martina added: “We have had a good response from the first batch of mailings and are very pleased. The mailer is raising the company’s profile, driving people to our website and gathering the information we need for further marketing activity.”

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