Touching Brands Chocolate Letter
Royal Mail
Issue 6 | July 2008
Agency
Proximity London
Creative Team
Duncan Gray;Marcus Iles
Production Team
Chris Chadwick;Tony Parsons
Other Credits
Paul Sims - Group Account Director;Teresa Harris - Planning Director;Claire Aldous - Data Director
Date
November 2007
Background
Royal Mail wanted to encourage the top 6,000 advertisers in the UK who are currently spending below average amounts on DM to see the medium as more than a rational fulfilment technique. The pack had to demonstrate that DM can deliver a richer, more engaging brand experience to their customers.
Idea
Proximity asked the question: how do you create stronger, more intimate and ultimately more profitable relationships with customers? The answer: engage their senses. This principle was brought to life by mailing 6,000 personalised letters made out of the finest milk chocolate they could find. The letter encouraged the target audience to smell, touch and taste it, and explained the principle of engaging the senses to create more emotive connections with their customers, asking them to call Royal Mail to find out more about sensory marketing.
Results
Although the full results of the campaign will be measured over a 12-month period, within two months, 51 leads had been generated, with £1.17m in revenue predicted from a mailing budget of £210,000. The chocolate letter has generated exceptional cut through and achieved a good level of recall from the target audience of advertisers and agencies. Of those who have read the mailings, more than 70% say they have taken, or plan to take, action as a result. The mailings have had a positive impact not just on DM but also on the Royal Mail brand. The chocolate letter has been particularly effective in brand terms: 74% of those who recall the ‘Touching Brands’ campaign say that it has made them feel more positive about Royal Mail.
Target Audience
The top 6,000 advertisers in the UK who are currently spending below average amounts on DM.
Size
6,000 recipients at 1,000 sites.
Our Thoughts
Yes I know this is a bit of a dream brief: use the medium of direct mail to dramatise a proposition about direct mail being the only medium that engages all five senses. However, in less skilled hands I expect a lot more money would have been spent on a much more complex campaign. The team's restraint is commendable. SH