blog:

by Heidi Miget on 3.15.2011 in Advertising, Interactive Marketing, Trends + Surveys 0

Sorting through mail at home is not a fun task. The amount of junk always outweighs what I actually want to receive, so I attempt to get through this chore as quickly as possible. Each piece of promotional mail probably receives about two seconds of my attention before landing in the trash, and it’s unlikely that any will make it into the “keep” pile.

It was a personalized flyer from Valvoline reminding me to change my oil that recently caught my eye. By “personalized,” I don’t just mean they used my name. The promotional text on the front side specifically called out the make of my car. This was already enough to warrant more than two seconds of my time, but the back side had care package recommendations from the manufacturer that were in line with the age of my car, the estimated mileage, and a recommendation on when I would need to come back for another oil change. The details were accurate and were accompanied by a coupon for my next oil change. Well done, Valvoline. See you in a few weeks.

Valvoline used personalized, relevant and timely information to set its communications apart from what I classify as “junk mail.” What struck me as interesting about this is that I shouldn’t be this impressed. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. They simply used my information to point out the details in order to convince me to come back.

Yet companies rarely personalize to this extent. Companies often collect loads of information on specific consumers, but the end result is a generic flyer or email, identical to the one everyone else received. Why?

I know firsthand that personalization is not always as easy as it seems. First, it relies on the customer database. Often these can be disjointed, unsophisticated, lacking information or even nonexistent. The second hurdle is typically the client’s hesitation to purchase the software that allows advanced customization, specifically in the digital space. Lastly, it requires connecting the marketing team to the database team, and often these aren’t as linked as they should be.

These are typically challenges that cannot be solved overnight, but they should be top priorities for any company looking to connect with its customers. According to business information service eMarketer, “2011 will be a year in which clutter doesn’t cut it anymore.” Although personalized marketing campaigns can be more challenging than a one-size-fits-all approach, they can help a company stand apart from the crowd and increase ROI. Meanwhile, consumers are receiving something that’s beneficial for them, not just for the general public. It’s a win-win!

• Tweet