Direct Mail Resource

The Royal Mail (the national postal service of the United Kingdom) has to be part privatised by 2010, and in the run up to this date there is no doubt in my mind that the company is trying to raise its game. (Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turns operates the brands Royal Mail (UK letters), Parcelforce Worldwide (UK parcels) and General Logistics Systems. The Post Office Ltd., which provides counter services, is a wholly owned subsidiary).

One innovation I have spotted (and like) is the MMC – The Mail Media Centre.  The Royal Mail’s vision is to be “demonstrably the best and most trusted postal services company in the world” and in this regard they seem to be on a big ‘win the hearts and minds’ mission.

And the MMC is a big step in the right direction.  Its a cool resource for all direct marketers to immerse themselves in. By showcasing compelling creative and offering expert advice, it is clear they want to inspire excellence in direct mail.

Key contributors include Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK, London, Patrick Collister, editor of Xtreme Directory and Amanda Phillips.  They also feature expert content from Chris Arnold, strategic & creative director of Symple, Darren Burnett, head of data planning, Elvis, Mike Colling, managing director of Mike Colling & Company, Steven Day, director of UK Changes, Tim Dunn, head of marketing services at Mobile Interactive Group (MIG), Caroline Kimber, head of data planning at Stephens Francis Whitson, Jane Pritchard, head of strategic planning at Tullo Marshall Warren, Clare Taylor of Clare Taylor Consulting UK, coupon company Valassis, and Chris Whitson, planning director of Stephen Francis Whitson. Plus, they have made available selected content from an award-winning Redwood Publishing title - Contact magazine.

That’s some team sheet!

Yes the devoted online marketer will no doubt shout me down (“if you’re not with me, you’re my enemy” lol), and yes there is lots going on in online media that is down right impressive; but when used appropriately traditional direct mail still has a role to play in the marketing mix.

Don’t discount traditional direct mail just yet.  It can still be very innovative and very effective when used well.

If you are going to take a peek at the MMC, if I were you I’d head straight to the Creative Showreel.   Then take a look at their Knowledge Centre, Case Studies, Research, Facts & Figures, and the other Useful Tools.

Enjoy!

A***MUST READ***Resource for UK Technology research and analysis

There is a new resource for UK technology news and views that you should not miss if you are a marketer working in the UK Software and Services market, or indeed if your company operates in the UK.  It is provided by esteemed analysts Richard Holway and Anthony Miller.

TechMarketView‘s flagship product is UKHotViews, a source of informed opinion and comment on the events, issues and players that really matter.

The feed is here or you can subscribe to get a daily email by clicking here.  Just head to the top right and inserting your email address.

This is one of those rare resources that you should read every day, without fail.

Please help

Sport Relief

(I should apologise for bringing you here by illicit categorisation and tagging, but I won’t. You might have wasted just 10 seconds. Hopefully you will make the choice to change someone’s world in less than a minute).

10 emerging trends in Media

Rainer Präsoll points out this study which examines 10 emerging trends sure to have a major influence on the media sector.

6 factors that make a marketing leader successful

Forrester‘s Marketing department do a great job, and they have cut me a very personal email called the Marketing Leadership home page, which has 6 Success Imperatives – the 6 factors that make a marketing leader successful.

Needless to say each imperative leads to a report that I can’t share, but I can share the imperatives themselves!  They are;

1. Harness emerging customer trends.  Find the results of global Consumer studies which expose how consumers change their interaction with brands, media, and each other.

2. Thrive on market and technology change. Markets and technologies change rapidly, and effect how your firm manages consumers, content, processes, and business partners. This imperative will help you set priorities and select the right tools and markets to stay ahead of your competitors.

3. Differentiate the brand experience. Brand loyalty continues to drop as product cycles shorten and consumers turn away from advertising. To differentiate your brand from the pack, and justify high margins, find the latest research on brand and loyalty management.

4. Optimise the marketing and media mix. “Half of the marketing budget is wasted; we just don’t know which half” no longer holds true. With new marketing and media planning tools and methods, you can raise the return on every marketing dollar and develop effective multichannel campaigns.

5. Build influence across the company. The role of the CMO is evolving from “market communications” to corporate business strategy, putting the customer first in everything the firm does.

6. Create and nurture high-performance teams and partnerships. The changing role of marketing forces leaders to review their organisation, skills, and partners.

Sound advise as usual from Forrester, who I have to say have always been my favourite analyst co.