Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fun times at the Expo!

I apologize for missing the blog post yesterday. I, along with a couple of colleagues, went to the Customer Engagement Technology Expo at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.


It was my first time at a huge Expo and we had a lot of fun going to the various booths. This particular expo turned out to be more hardware based than marketing based but we still learned a lot.


They had QR (2D) barcodes everywhere! As I have discussed a couple of times on the blog, this is definitely the new up and coming technology.


The expo also had a Social Sphere and Blogger Zone with laptops connected to the internet so people could update company blogs, twitter accounts, etc. I utilized this by tweeting from the event. Great way to gain more exposure for the event and a fun place to meet other social media people.


There were many interactive kiosks to try out the latest technology. It was fun to see how far the customer experience has come. Look for these interactive kiosks to pop up in stores near you!

Let me know if there are any other interesting conferences/expos that may be happening in the near future. DMI would definitely like to attend more of them!

--L

Monday, April 25, 2011

Direct mail and digital technology is a match made in heaven

Happy belated Easter! How was everyone's holiday weekend? I surprisingly did not eat my weight in chocolate bunnies.

An article caught my attention in April's Direct Marketing News, titled Direct mail and digital most successful combo in driving customer acquisition. Yes, the title is a mouthful but this is something that we at DMI, agree with 100%.

The article discusses the recent "integrated marketing campaign" by TruGreen, a lawncare company. They used digital support such as updating their website to bolster their direct mail. They also re-designed their direct mail piece to be more dynamic by doing things like a scratch and sniff postcard and three piece self mailers. Also to increase the number of touches they had pop up stores open up in malls, commercials, sweepstakes, and telephone calls.

Incorporating many different touches into an overall campaign is what DMI is all about. We want our clients not to only focus on the direct mail portion of their campaign but to make sure they have a web presence, social media presence, and other digital avenues like radio and/or TV. It is important to capture the buzz surrounding your organization/company.

Let me know if you want to know more about "integrated marketing campaigns" or what we can do to help you have a more successful marketing campaign!

--L

Thursday, April 21, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Dining Out Edition

Sorry for not having a post yesterday. I was out of the office enjoying daytime baseball! Also, tomorrow is Good Friday (and Earth day!) so DMI will be closed, which means no Friday post either.

So this post will have to do until next week!

I love eating out and when I can combine that with a charitable cause...it's wonderful!

Next Thursday, The Heath Trust will be having their Dining Out For Life event. "Simply dine at one of [the] participating restaurants on Thursday, April 28, 2011, and 25 percent of your food bill will benefit The Health Trust Aids Services."

Check out the website for a list of restaurants that are participating in your area and for more information about The Health Trust Aids Services program!

Make a difference in our community by dining out!

Have a great Easter weekend! Remember to save some Easter eggs for me!

--L

Monday, April 18, 2011

Are zip codes private information?

Did everyone enjoy their weekend? I mainly caught up on my DVR over the weekend!

A very interesting article was given to me today from April's Issue of Direct Marketing News. It was discussing the recent California Supreme Court ruling "that Williams-Sonoma could not longer collect ZIP codes during credit card transactions." The court sided with the plaintiff who accused Williams-Sonoma of using "customer ZIP codes to find home addresses, market to consumers, and sell that data to other businesses." This case has brought along hundreds of similar cases against other retailers.

I shop at many stores that ask me for my ZIP code but never thought of it as private information. I never gave it a second thought but now this makes me wonder. With the advances in technology, it seems that our personal data is more vulnerable. But is that really the case?

Also, for those companies that do use this information for data gathering purposes will now have to find another way to do so. How will this affect marketing efforts by companies?

What are your thoughts? Do you consider your ZIP code to be personal?

--L

Friday, April 15, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Baseball Edition

This past baseball off-season seemed really long. I couldn't wait for the season to start! But now, I kind of wish we were in the off-season again, since my team can't seem to win games!

Anyhoo...if you are like me and love watching games in person I highly recommend supporting our local minor league team the San Jose Giants!

It's a great atmosphere to watch the games and they have some awesome bbq!

Plus tickets are inexpensive and the ballpark is right in our own backyard.





 Check out their website for more information:  http://www.sjgiants.com/

Also, if anyone out there has any events, organizations, or any local happenings that you want me to feature on Fridays send them in.

Have a great weekend!

--L

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Postal Rates Increase...Again!

Today has been an odd weather day. First it was pouring and now it looks sunny! The weather keeps changing!

Speaking of changes...the USPS will be increasing postage rates starting April 17th.

Below is a table of some of the changes.

Item
Old Postage
Rate
Postage Rate
as of April 17th
Postcard
$0.28
$0.29
1st Class Letter 1 oz
$0.44
same
1st Class Letter 2 oz
$0.61
$0.64
Square/Odd-Shaped 1 oz Letter
$0.64
same
1st Class letter 3 oz
$0.78
$0.84
Square/Odd-Shaped 2 oz Letter
$0.81
$0.84
1st Class Flat 1 oz
$0.88
same
1st Class Letter 3.5 oz
$0.95
$1.04
1st Class Flat 2 oz
$1.05
$1.08
1st Class Flat 3 oz
$1.22
$1.28
1st Class Flat 4 oz
$1.39
$1.48
1st Class Flat 5 oz
$1.56
$1.68
1st Class Flat 6 oz
$1.73
$1.88
Priority Mail® – 1 lb Flat Rate Envelope
$4.95
same

For a full list of changes visit the USPS website: http://www.usps.com/

--L

Monday, April 11, 2011

Data Mining: Friend or Foe?

How was everyone's weekend? Did anyone watch the Masters? (Is that crickets I hear?)

Data is something that is important to us here at DMI. It is the backbone to what we do. I read an article today in a recent Time Magazine regarding Data Mining. Data mining is a way for companies to track details about you. "Data is collected in lots of way, such as tracking devices (like cookies) on websites that allow a company to identify you as you travel around the Web and apps you download on your cell that look at your contact list and location." This data allows companies to show the consumer targeted ads based on what they think the consumer's preferences are.

People have mixed reactions to data mining. It seems invasive that someone is spying on every move you make online. Others are okay with it because it allows you to only see ads that are pertinent to you and decreases the number of overall ads. 

This subject got me thinking about targeted direct marketing which is something we specialize in. We are able to find people who are most likely to respond to an organization/company's appeal. This cuts down on costs and allows the organization/company to concentrate their investment on a smaller group of individuals.

Although we don't track people the same way data miners do, we do believe in a similar principle. Targeting campaigns to those who are most likely to respond means that as a consumer, I will only get outreach for causes, products, etc. that most interest me.

What are your thoughts on data mining? What do you think about targeted direct marketing? Contact me for more information!

--L

Friday, April 8, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Veggie Edition!

Who's ready for the weekend?

I just recently found out about an organization called Veggielution the other day. They are a "nonprofit community farm seeking to create a sustainable food system in San Jose." The farm is located in East San Jose and "engages the community by providing access to healthy and local food, creating youth leadership opportunities, and developing creative solutions to social and environmental justice issues."

Every Saturday they have a Farmstand event where they sell their freshly grown veggies. All the veggies have "a suggested price, which is below the market rate for organic produce. Customers are welcome to pay above or below that price depending on their ability." The Farmstand event is located on 647 S King Street and runs from 10am-2pm.

Also, browse their website for other events (there's lots!) and other ways you can get involved. If you have a green thumb but no yard (or even if you do have a yard), this may be a perfect place to volunteer your time.

Enjoy the weekend!

I know I will, thanks to a win by the Red Sox! FINALLY!

--L

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

An insider's view into DMI! Part 2!

Last month I had a post about our Winkjet in the first installment of "An insider's view into DMI!" Since that post was such a big hit (at least I thought it was) I wanted to give you another sneak peak into DMI.

Today's guest of honor is Inserter #1!  (Not be confused with Inserter #2.)


Our inserting machine:
  • Has 8 stations which means it can insert 8 items at once
  • Originally only had 4 stations but we added the additional stations
  • Can insert up to 7,000 pieces an hour
  • Has a friction feeder which allows it to insert non traditional items such as booklets
  • Can be used in line with a stamper or a meter
  • Is the oldest machine we have on our Production floor currently
  • Is used for almost every job
As always leave a comment if you would like to know more about this machine or any of our other machines.

Or if you want to meet the Inserter in person, let us know!

--L

Monday, April 4, 2011

What's your Twitter influence?

How was everyone's weekend? We had some really great weather!

I must confess that I am addicted to Twitter!

I read an interesting article in The New York Times Magazine called A Better Way to Measure Twitter Influence. As the article states, the number of followers you have is "how people keep score on the site and compare themselves with friends and colleagues."

"But it turns out that counting followers is a seriously flawed way to measure a person's impact on Twitter." Which makes me feel better about DMI's Twitter account. (You know what will make me feel even better? If you follow us!)

So how do you measure your influence on Twitter? An independent research firm created something called the Influence Index. "It counts the number of times somebody's Twitter name is mentioned by other users (including retweets, which occur when one user rebroadcasts another's message)." So what they found was that it's not about how many people follow you but how many people are mentioning you.

So why does this all matter? If you were using Twitter as part of an overall marketing campaign, the main goal shouldn't be to attract tons of followers (granted that is important), but it should be to have people who support your organization or company mention your Twitter account to create the type of buzz you're looking for.

Do you agree with this article? Are followers just as important as your Influence Index? Is your organization or company looking to launch Twitter accounts?

--L

Friday, April 1, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Bakesale Edition

After much contemplation, I have decided to discontinue this blog.

APRIL FOOLS!

Were there any good pranks pulled at your work places today? We were pretty good here at DMI. No pranks...at least that I know of!

Today's edition of Community Weekend is about something that I love...baked goods! There is a nationwide Bake Sale for Japan this Saturday.

100% of the proceeds will go to Peace Winds Japan "whose mission is to strengthen disaster preparedness and response in the Asia Pacific. Right now, 100% of donations to Peace Winds America and Peace Winds Japan supports relief efforts for Japan."

There will be events all over the country and there's one right here in San Jose.  Roy's Station Coffee and Teas on Jackson Street will be hosting an event from 10am-2pm. As a bonus they will also be holding an evening event from 3pm-6pm that will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.

So go out to Roy's Station Coffee and Teas to support these great events for a good cause!

--L