Last month our agency completed a four month process to become one of the first forty Marin Certified Agency Partners worldwide. Big whoop, right? 9,000 campaign changes and one certification later, here’s a snapshot of some SEM campaign changes we’ve made to our clients’ paid search campaigns.

Image source: Marinsoftware.com

·       We’re finding that more and more clients have a need to manage toward multiple conversion events. This is especially true for high consideration purchases like Medicare. One of our clients needs to optimize their search campaign toward Enrollments, Enrollment Kit Requests, and Contact Us forms. With Marin we can track and manage toward all three goals and customize the value for each. We simply tell Marin that Medicare Enrollment Kit Requests are worth 30% of an actual enrollment, and a Contact Us form completion is worth 10% of an Enrollment. It does the math and gives us a single, simple view of our SEM campaign’s ROAS (return on ad spend).

For large-scale online marketing programs, Marin’s intelligent bidding algorithm and campaign optimization capabilities are a lifesaver for marketers. (Image source: Marinsoftware.com)

·       Weekends typically produce poorly for paid search campaigns. One client in particular was having challenges with CPC (cost per click) spiking on the weekend. It looks like the same ad dollars chasing fewer clicks and even fewer conversions. With the help of Marin we reduced our bids by 40% on Google during the weekends and shifted the media savings into the work week.

·       I’ve never found keyword phrases that contained “cheap” and “inexpensive” to convert well for insurance products. Based on this experience we researched some historical data and Google Analytics and discovered that this axiom held true for one of our clients. In under 1 minute we were able to search more than 80 campaigns and reduce bids on phrases containing these words by 35%. This saved us some media funds that we could immediately shift to our top performers.

·       Marin suggested more than 3,500 new keywords for one of our client’s health insurance campaigns. We were able to quickly sort and review its suggestions which enabled us to add more than 600 new keywords to their paid search campaign.

·       We created folders to organize similar generic insurance keywords across campaigns so that we could leverage Marin’s bid automation feature. After monitoring the enrollments, clicks, and ad spend for four  weeks, Marin’s preview mode estimated that it could gain a 3%–6% increase in clicks and a 7%–11% decrease in costs if we turned on bid automation for these keywords. So we did!

·       One client has strong trends on a month-to-month basis. Enrollments start out slow at the beginning of the month and the last three always had the most clicks. In order to meet search demand we needed to shift funds from the beginning of the month to the end of the month. To do this we now reduce bids by 20% the first week of every month and increase daily budgets by 30% the last three days of each month. Marin lets us make these changes to more than 80 campaigns in about 30 seconds.

Wow, that’s only in four months! Bring on Open Enrollment …

The tools to get the job done

The platform will expand our capabilities in the digital sector with faster and more effective ways of building campaigns – and in effect will help free up my time to focus on continually optimizing campaigns and exploring new variables to test, such as ad copy headlines, CTAs, landing pages, etc.

I’ve worked on a number of health insurance digital campaigns, including Search, Retargeting, and Display ads, and based on previous experience the most impressive tools are the reporting capabilities, with dashboards, automated reporting, alerts, and even trend analysis. This will really help provide complete visibility into performance for my clients, and help us more effectively use our clients’ budgets and continue to better understand the customer experience.

Call tracking integration will also allow us to track calls generated by our SEM program and help to close the loop with mail and DRTV campaigns. Comprehensive tracking is key toward better campaign attribution.

On the horizon …

As a company, we are continuing to expand our training to become a certified agency partner with Marin Software. Marin is one of the premier paid search management software companies and currently has only 39 certified partners worldwide. Our partnership with Marin Software will enable DMW to build a more enduring client relationship by generating a greater return on campaign investment, while providing a more holistic view of customer experiences and behavior.

TV viewership is not only stable but it has risen by 13 minutes per year over the past 3 years.  The average American watches over 4.5 hours of television per day (eMarketer, Oct 2012).  In even the most connected, tech-savvy, segment of younger males TV has more influence at driving awareness than digital does at any other single stage of the purchase process (Google/Ipsos OTX, U.S., May 2012).  The future of television is even brighter as recent innovations have somewhat quietly turned the television set into the largest computer in the house.

• Smart TVs are becoming the standard for the living room. Wifi enabled Smart TVs integrate a host of web 2.0 features including apps and streaming content
  

  The television has come a long way since the days of rabbit ears…and consumers are pleased. Even in this tech-savvy age, TV has more influence at driving awareness than digital.

• In October of 2012 Microsoft launched a version of Internet Explorer on the Xbox creating an additional connection point for TV and the web.
• Then there’s the mythical tale of Steve Jobs whispering to his biographer from his deathbed that he had “cracked the code” of the television set.  The Apple Television launch is now believed to be ‘imminent’ with many analysts guessing mid-2013.

Streaming ads are becoming a necessary complimentary piece to traditional TV advertising.  Much like print ads taking a new shape on tablets, television ads need to be modified for use in a purely digital environment.  Value propositions need to be conveyed in under 5 seconds and 60 and 30 second spots need to be shrunk to 15.  Response advertisers need to cut the fluff and have strong calls to action.  In many ways DRTV needs to become DR-video which includes the television set as well as online video.

Although TV drives awareness website are often used to close the deal.  Web experiences need to be tuned differently in a multiscreen response marketing world.  Someone that sees a 60 second spot and wants to find their local store on their tablet has a different need than someone who clicked on a 15 second pre-roll ad.  Microsite and landing page design and testing needs to become a core competency for multiscreen marketers.

Consumer behavior, and by extension the purchase process, are in the process of revolution.  Laptops, smartphones, tablets and web-enabled TVs have created new opportunities for customer engagement while complicating the marketing process.  The implications for response marketing are extensive and more importantly permanent.

At 75 years young, Jane Fonda says she’s happier now than she’s ever been – and it certainly shows.

If you saw Jane Fonda at the Oscars, you saw how great 75 can look.

In fact, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, have concluded that the life expectancy of a 72-year-old man today is the same as for a 30-year-old 100 years ago. So, really, 72 is the NEW 30.

What does this mean for the Boomers’ financial health?

Their physical health may be holding strong but the same can’t be said for their financial well being. Many Boomers simply won’t have the money they need to last the rest of their lives – and this applies to the middle income market in spades. By the time they reach their late 70′s, any term life insurance they may have had will likely be gone and too expensive to renew. Their nest eggs were not designed to last 15, 20, or 30 years past their retirement.

Today 12% of the total population is age 65 or older, but by 2080, it will be 23%. In President Bush’s 2005 State of the Union Address, he highlighted this problem:

“Instead of sixteen workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it’s only about three workers. And over the next few decades that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.”

Time to adapt

 Should the retirement age be raised to reflect increased life expectancy?

Can social security really cover the aging population?

The questions and concerns are endless, but one thing is for certain for Boomers – Lifestyles will be changing to conserve what they’ve got. We may actually see more Boomers competing for jobs typically taken on by high school grads.

The Boomers are adapting, but the question remains:

Will marketers develop new products that take this new lifestyle into consideration or will things be status quo?

One brand in particular is taking into account the changing lifestyle of America’s older adults. AARP’s new approach, called Life Reimagined, is all about embracing the journey. And with the increase in life expectancy, they know it’s going to be a long and active journey!

AARP also knows that individuals 50+ are now searching for ways to make the most of their savings during retirement. As you can see in this TV spot for AARP/The Hartford auto insurance, helping the 50+ population save their hard-earned money is a top priority.

Whether it’s the excitement of happy and healthy aging, or the concerns of a financially strict retirement, it’s time marketers got on board with the Baby Boomers.

Now – fast forward to your professional life, especially if you work in direct marketing, and suddenly testing is your new best friend!

The recent economy has forced companies in every industry to be more careful with their marketing budget than ever before – no more “hoping for the best.” Quantitative, measurable marketing is the watchword today. And we’re here to help. I recently compiled some tips and techniques for an article called Testing for Success in Deliver Magazine. Following is a quick summary of some of the key points.

Check out the full article Testing for Success in Deliver Magazine for more insight on using tests in direct mail.

When you want to spend your marketing dollars wisely (and who doesn’t?) it’s important to know why your marketing campaign — in any medium: digital, direct mail, broadcast — is working and how to get even better results.

How do you determine the why & how? It’s getting more complex.

Testing!

Classic testing techniques, honed over decades of implementation in direct mail, can help you achieve direct response testing success in any medium. A few of these testing principles include:

• A/B Splits (baseline control mail sample is tested against several single-variable changed options)
• Multivariate Testing (multiple design elements are changed at the same time)
• List Segment Testing

Today, along with the media we use, testing has evolved as well. While testing has been a crucial discipline in direct mail for years, new consumer habits make testing even more essential. Multiple mailings, integrated campaigns, and shifting audiences all contribute to the need for reliable tests that reflect the current media reality. So, savvy marketers are accounting for a growing variety of response options …

• Email
• QR Codes
• PURLs
• Toll-free numbers
• In-person walk-ins
• Social media
• Text messaging

… and suddenly, measuring a response marketing campaign can be very complex and confusing!

The one key idea to keep in mind: focus!

It takes a lot of patience and creativity to create tests that produce quality results in the current marketing environment. On behalf of our clients, the team at DMW Direct is increasingly structuring tests measuring cells across creative positioning, various offers and incentives, one-step packages versus lead generation, as well as exploring new areas of concept testing. Taking an out-of-the-box approach isn’t always easy, but it gets results for the client.

If I could highlight one critical piece of advice when it comes to creating direct response testing success it would be to stay focused. If you can learn a little … isn’t a lot even better? Practically speaking: no. It’s so easy, and tempting, to dig deeper and uncover more. But so quickly, the details morph into minutiae. You really have to weigh the real world impact of potential findings and probe whether what you’re about to test is really going to move the needle.

Is there more? Of course, but too much for this post. For more about direct mail testing … check out Testing for Success in Deliver Magazine.

When the iPad first came out some questioned if there was a legitimate need for a ‘tweener’ device that existed in the space somewhere between smartphones and laptops.  iPad is now in its third generation, the iPad Mini is here, Android tablets have started to gain momentum and Microsoft’s Windows 8 was clearly engineered to make them a player in the tablet and smartphone markets.  Meanwhile the Nook and Kindle continue to get beefier with every iteration.

•  The IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker states that tablet growth is up 50% from last year in a year-over-year Q3 comparison
• IHS iSuppli estimates that 7” tablets like the new iPad Mini will double in sales by the end of 2013 to 67 million units worldwide and reach 33% share of the tablet market.
• In a strange twist of fate the tablet may be the final nail in the coffin for print publications but at the same time may prove to be their salvation.  Newsweek announced that 2012 would mark the end of their existence in print as they will be moving to a purely digital format starting in January 2013.

More often than not tablets are lumped in with “mobile” because they usually run the same OS.  However, behavior patterns are notably different between smartphones and tablets.  It’s important not to make the mistake devising programs for smartphones and assuming they’ll be effective on tablets.  Tablets are generally not taken on-the-go, they’re home-based devices more often than not.  They’re also more for entertainment purposes such as reading a magazine or book, playing games and watching videos.

People once questioned the need for a device between a computer and a smartphone. Now, Apple has taken it once step further with the iPad mini.

As more and more publishers move to a pure play digital format traditional print advertising should follow in a digitized format.  Ultimately these channels will be different than current banner ad creative or media planning and their print ancestors.  It’s a new hybrid advertising channel that multiscreen response marketers will need to cater to.  The incorporation of video into print and accessibility via tablets creates additional opportunities to incorporate online video ads into the overall response marketing mix.

Next, we’ll look at some of the aspects of the digitized TV and its implications in the multiscreen marketing world.

1)   Execute your best innovative, memorable ad, and

2)   Add a “Click Here” button, 800# or QR code.

… then stand back, win awards, and count up the money.

Yes...you too can play the flute and get the world to live in harmony - in less than :120 seconds - just Watch "How To Do IT" by Monty Python! Just like anyone can do winning direct response by applying a few simple principles. Click this image, or the link in the text, to see the classic Monty Python skit

It reminds me of this Monty Python skit "How To Do It." The way they send up “How To” experts is not just funny, but relevant to creating direct response that really performs.

Just as the Pythons were sending up TV promises like “learn to paint a landscape in 15 minutes” or "master the secrets of your golf game by watching a 30-second clip between a commercial break and station ID," response marketing technique isn’t that obvious, and cannot be mastered without untold hours of practice, practice, practice.

The “fallacy” of the 800# and URL. “Fallacy” of using an 800 number or URL to drive response? Hold on there, isn’t that the heart and soul of the direct response biz? Absolutely. But just like having a scalpel won’t make you a surgeon … or toting a .22 doesn’t make you a hunter, just adding a call to action to your ad doesn’t make it direct response.

So: What does true direct response require? Crafting winning direct response starts long before you add the “submit” button to your email, 800# to your TV ad, or a business reply card to your mailing. Very briefly, here are the steps to master:

1. Crawl inside your customer’s head to devise a sales proposition. Get to know them beyond demographics, targeting “clusters” or “cohorts” … what motivates them regarding your product or service? … what problems are they trying to solve? … what are their prejudices about your product or service? ... what are their fears, hopes, desires?
2. Nail down an offer they “can’t refuse.” The legal department won’t approve sending a Soprano over to knee-cap non-responders, so you have to be more inventive. Dig into the product and service. Can a 30-Day Right to Examine become a “Risk-Free Trial”? Perhaps Call For a Free Quote becomes “Save 15% in 15 minutes.” Or an assigned Customer Service Contact becomes your “Concierge.” If you can offer a $20 Free Gift Card, great. But a great offer can transcend a cash/value deal.
3. Create a convincing creative execution. Most advertising strives to be inventive and memorable. The highest compliment is that a brand icon became part of pop culture. From the Gieco Geko, back to the Taco Bell Chihuahua, that has been a sound Advertising Goal. The aspiration in Direct is different. It's all getting the consumer to act. Not laugh (at least, not only laugh). You need not remember the ad: just call! Now! It’s a different goal, and leads to a different range of creative concepting.

So, if not a simple 1-2, it’s an easy A-B-C. But having spent many years creating winning direct response by that formula, every client and each assignment demonstrates once again, it’s never rolling off a log.

And the real (secret) secret to direct response … applying years of experience to each new assignment. And that’s its own (long) story. Did I miss anything? Got a critical technique or crucial step to share? We’d love to hear about it – enter your words of wisdom below …

The multi-plex concept moves from the theater to every hour of every day. In our first installment of this 3-part series, we look at the Smartphone.

This increasingly varied consumer experience marks a permanent sea change in buying behavior with deep implications for response marketing. Multiscreen experiences are defined as simultaneous, sequential, and independent multiscreen usage throughout the day across laptops, smartphones, tablets, and TV. Innovations in smartphones, tablets, and television sets are enabling new consumer behavior that simply couldn’t exist as recent as a year and a half ago.

 Smartphones Reach the Tipping Point

Smartphones continue their drive toward ubiquitous adoption that has forever changed the way consumers respond to marketing and interact with brands. Given the following fact, it’s astonishing to think that smartphones are only 6 years old:

•  In Q2 of 2012 smartphones began to outpace feature phone sales (Chaten Sharma, Aug 2012).  It’s interesting to note that worldwide the figure is closer to one third (Gartner, Aug 2012).
• There are 100,000,000+ smartphone owners in the U.S. (comScore, Mar 2012)
• 9% of internet page views now occur on smartphones (comScore, August 2012).  One would expect this figure to at least double once total smartphone penetration starts to approach 100%.
• 64% of smartphones are on Android (Gartner, Aug 2012) which launched its first device as recently as October 2008.

The implications for response marketing are numerous. Crafting digital assets for mobile viewing moves from “important,” to “critical.” The type of offers and response we ask from consumers needs to adjust as well. While media continue to evolve, the time-honored truism that “The medium is the message” remains relevant. What you can realistically expect a consumer to do on a phone is just different than in a larger-screen media environment.

One example: requesting a quote for a financial or insurance product may make sense on a phone, but applying is not really likely. Offers to download assets need to be rethought. Links to videos may be even more attractive, when you think about where a person is while surfing via a phone, compared to a tablet, viewing TV, or engaging via a laptop or desktop unit – especially when we consider how those last two are morphing into the Smart TV.

Your consumer’s age comes into play as well. It’s not only relevant to adoption of technology, but how younger and older eyes vary relating to what we reasonably expect them to do, as well as how we design any offer we make via the phone screen.

And that’s just a first-blush consideration of how this single medium works. Next time, we look at Tablets, TV, and how it all fits together.

The new site is a wonderful example of digital marketing to boomers. It is a place where consumers can share and get information about the changes that occur during aging and how they feel about them. A survey gives them the opportunity to see how their feelings stack up with other people their age.

There are a number of things that Pfizer is doing right here as it relates to Boomers:

• Boomers respect the opinions of their peers. This site gives Boomers the chance to talk with peers about issues that deeply concern them.
• Boomers don’t like to be talked at or talked down to. Instead of Pfizer telling the Boomer how they should feel or how it thinks they may feel, the company has given Boomers a forum to tell how they really feel in their own words. Pfizer is doing the listening and not the talking. Boomers will respect that approach.
•  Boomers have seen it all when it comes to advertising. They were the first to experience TV advertising and as a result are somewhat jaded in their view of “as seen on TV” marketing claims. This forum provides them a very different and very real experience as opposed to the usual warm and fuzzy corporate brand advertising that is all about the company and not about them.

The Dove “Real beauty” campaign, which shows that women are beautiful with their unique appearances rather than airbrushed perfection, was an inspiration for the Pfizer campaign.

As a Boomer myself, I love the straightforward, no-holds-barred approach to the site, it’s approach to properly employ digital marketing to boomers.

One of the phrases you can pick from to describe how you feel about getting old is: “I feel angry.” I like the use of what is probably a very real emotion that people may have toward getting old. I am not so sure I like their straightforward approach to the name of the site. GetOld.com flies in the face of what we know about Boomers and that is that they don’t like to think of themselves as growing old. It is definitely a gutsy tactic. I would be interested to see how other Boomers feel about the name of the site. Weigh in and let me know.

This was my first year at BarCamp and I presented a rough draft of a presentation that I’ve been working on titled Multiscreen Response Marketing. It discusses changes in customer behavior now that smartphones rule, tablets are here to stay, and TVs are also getting smarter all the time. We had a great discussion about the challenges of consumers checking out information on a smartphone or tablet, developing opportunities for on-the-go apps, and new targeting opportunities in the TV medium.

There were tons of great activities on tap at BarCamp Philly.

I also sat in on Jess Ivins’ user experience presentation Designing for People, Ben Shive’s how-to on getting a top 25 ranking for your iPhone app, and the tail end of Austin Seraphin’s Austin’s Accessibility Adventure.

At the rockin’ afterparty, BarCamp’s organizers Sarah Feidt and Tim Allen looked totally spent.

You can find more coverage on Twitter #bcphilly

 Was it a good time? I’m looking forward to BarCamp Philly 6 — only 51 short weeks away! Maybe I’ll see you there!