One of the disadvantages (if it can be called that) of digital marketing is its extensive reach. With the current emphasis on local audiences, direct mail wins hands down for the targeting options it offers. One company that’s making the most of the medium’s ability to target local customers is the Great Basin Community Food Co-Op in Reno, Nevada.
The Great Revival
The Co-op’s reason for choosing direct mail as a part of their robust marketing strategy is simple: the majority of their business comes from a one-mile radius around the store. With such a narrow geographical center, social media and other online marketing methods run too high a risk of missing the mark, according to company marketer Steve Cook.
A Novel Approach
The format used by Great Basin in its recent campaign to local residents was that of an invitation. The company took care to design the mailer in the form of an invitation to call and check out the store. The design focused on a modern, fresh look, which is atypical for direct mail design these days and highlights the Co-op’s ties with local business people and the benefits of membership.
Making it Stand Out
With it’s unusual design, the direct mail campaign stands out among the other types of junk mail typically received by residents. It was mailed to only three Zip codes around the store, which gives it a hyper-local, exclusive feel. The campaign encourages prospective customers to get involved with the store by joining a panel on local sustainably raised meat. It also does a good job of telling people about the benefits of membership.
An Integrated Campaign
Great Basin also integrates its direct mail campaigns well with its various online properties too. With a strong, up-to-date website and active social media profiles (the company’s Facebook page has almost 10,000 followers). The company also takes part in local community events to help boost its brand awareness in the area.
And it’s working. Great Basin gets around 10% of the recipients coming in to the store, which is a compelling quantity. With most companies getting a typical response from direct mail of around 4.4% according to the Direct Marketing Association and around 0.12% from email campaign, 10% seems significantly effective.
Sure, there are lots of reasons why the Great Basin direct mail program is working, but the fact remains: it’s working to reach a hyper local audience. So if your company’s major challenge is right on your doorstep and all the typical inbound marketing methods aren’t, maybe you should be giving direct mail a new look.
