See it, hold it, smell it – do it. A touchy-feely reminder
Fairfax - Sydney Morning Herald - DM
Issue 24 | September 2012
Agency
MercerBell
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director: David Bell Senior Art Director: Paul Critchley Head of Copy: Simon Gaffney
Production Team
Graphic Artist: Cathy Bignell Senior Production Manager: Lex Tully
Other Credits
Account Director: Iain Griffin Account Manager: Jess Rix
Date
February 2012 - ongoing
Background
The target market was lapsed subscribers to the newspaper. They had actively 'unsubscribed' and had not responded to a combination of four standard letters and emails attempting to win them back with price-based offers.
A new, more creative approach was required, centred on the insight that digital alternatives simply don't offer the same tactile experience and ritual as a newspaper.
Idea
The proposition, 'Reconnect to the SMH and get the full picture', was brought to life not by telling the target audience what they were missing but by bringing it to them.
A personalized, unbranded message on the outer teased recipients into opening the envelope.
Inside they found an actual front page of the SMH of genuine news paper but with the letter over-printed on it.
The experience of unfolding the paper, the feel of it, the smell of the newsprint, it all helped show the recipient what they were missing.
Results
A response rate of over 9% was achieved in the first mailing to over 18,000 subscribers.
The ongoing weekly communications is converting at 6%, a huge figure for a DM pack. (The average response rate for their last win-back campaign was 0.9%.)
What made the results particularly impressive was the fact that this audience had actively unsubscribed from their SMH subscription, adding a huge degree of difficulty to the task of getting them to renew.
Our Thoughts
This mailing ticks many of the boxes that make Mail a unique advertising medium. Feel, smell, sound (the rustle of the page), four of the five senses are all actively engaged in reminding you what a joy a newspaper is compared to an online newsfeed.
Most advertrising tells people what to think. This allows people to make the connection for themselves. It assumed the reader is intelligent and, consequently, was rewarded with extraordinary numbers.
One of my favourite Mail campaigns of the year.