Out Of Paper

Background

SD Worx is a trendsetter in Human Resources Management. One of their core missions is to digitise their services starting with the electronic payslip. The electronic payslip has nothing but advantages for the employer, for the employee, and for the environment: it saves tons of paper a year. So SD Worx wanted to persuade HR decision-makers to switch to this form of payment advice.

Idea

The campaign was introduced with a teaser mailing, an envelope marked: Important message regarding your payslips!

Inside the envelope, nothing. Just a message saying ‘We’re out of paper’.

An email follow-up provided more background as well as links to the website.

Because SD Worx promised to plant a tree for every employee that switched to the electronic payslip, each time the recipient clicked a link, the icon of a little tree grew bigger and bigger.

Also on the website, visitors could watch a movie based on amusing office situations where the paper has run out. The take-out was, be careful with paper and switch to the electronic payslip.

Results

In test, 24% of those targeted have registered to be contacted by SD Worx for the Starter Kit. This is a very high conversion rate and so the campaign will roll out to a larger target group later in the year.

Our Thoughts

One of the daft things about direct, I’ve noticed, is that a lot of people talk about direct mail and email as if they are diametrically opposed to each other. I’ve seen Mail enthusiasts wagging their fingers at conferences, urging marketers to ditch email because open rates are now abysmal. And I have heard digital specialists warn of the perils of snail mail in our hyperactive times.

The truth is, use both and you increase your chances of success. I watch my teenage daughter communicate with her peer-group, moving easily from one medium to another. Brands need to do the same, following their customers and keeping up the conversation. Like this, in fact.