There’s one point I really want to stress today: Even in a recession, you can dramatically improve your direct mail response. Let me show you how I helped one company—Colorado River Adventures—rev up their lead generation efforts in the mail.

Marketing challenge

Colorado River Adventures is a members-only resort chain designed for RV enthusiasts. For 2 years, the company watched lead-gen response decline. It needed to bring new members to its 7 locations in California, Arizona and Mexico, and fast.

The secret to a successful direct mail overhaul was this: Redefining the USP—the Unique Selling Proposition. It needed to be relevant to the competitive marketplace and really communicate what Colorado River Adventures had that no one else did.

I had to:

1. Differentiate the company from its many competitors across America
2. Demonstrate to prospects that the cost and commitment of a membership was well worth it

So my team and I repositioned each resort property as a private oasis—friendly, supportive and secure communities that were totally unlike crowded public RV parks.

Creative strategy and tactics

Only after that critical positioning work were we able to create a powerful direct mail magalog and compatible landing page.

The magalog focused on the value of having access to a members-only network of RV resorts, each with a unique personality—from active water sport vacations to back-country hideaways to the excitement of nearby casinos.

This was all packaged in an attractive magalog entitled RV Vacationer. Now the mailing piece looked like an informative special-edition RV guide.

The irresistible offer included a free 3-night stay and a package of gifts like a deluxe dinner for two and a free gas card. The piece included value-added information like RV safety tips and offbeat vacation activities.

To complete the effort online, the landing page included video footage and large photos of the resorts, easy-to-use maps, more customer testimonials and compelling reasons to accept the valuable offer.

A free newsletter signup was also created to boost lead-generation efforts.

Better USP, better response

Thanks to the new USP and innovative, informative mailing piece, this campaign far exceeded our client’s expectations. Traffic to the landing page grew, and more and more prospects opted in to the newsletter. Those who accepted the free 3-night stay opened the door for the on-site sales teams to close the sale.

You can see this kind of success with your prospecting efforts too. Call me at 310-212-5727 or email me at craig@cdmginc.com to find out how my team and I can build you a quality lead-generation campaign. There is no cost or obligation for your first consultation. So why not let us show you what we can do?

Direct Mail · Direct Marketing

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