How to Prepare for the next Wave of Sweeping Changes

I’ve written before on the topic of direct mail, specifically about how it’s not a dying product like many people assume. Our roots at Haines and Company are in direct mail—still a thriving part of our business model. Yet disruptive changes in the past decade are forcing us to evolve into both a direct marketing and digital marketing agency.

As a business that depends on innovation to fuel growth, we must remind ourselves to keep asking this critical question: “What’s next?” In our industry, that means finding perfect products to pair with direct mail to benefit our customers.

With this in mind, we’re excited about a leading-edge technology called IP Targeting that enables direct marketers to deliver digital ads to the home computers of people who’ve also received their mail pieces.

IP Targeting is changing the way online advertising can be measured by targeting real people in real households.

Using patented technology, IP Targeting matched physical addresses to IP addresses. What’s more, IP targeting focuses on return on investment, not click-through rates. A nonprofit organization, for example, can determine with incredible precision which households actually responded to their online marketing.

IP Targeting connects businesses, charities and marketers to their customers, donors and prospects. It’s the perfect match for direct mail.

We’re currently developing case studies to prove its value to our clients—although many who already use this technology have done so.

So why is this important?

As an evolving company focused on growth, it’s easy for your team—even the leaders—to get caught in the weeds and lose sight of the big picture.

Daily operations, customer complaints, inbound and outbound sales tracking—all cannot be neglected. But none of these move your business forward.

Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. – Peter Drucker

What helps move the business forward is determining enhancements to existing products. What new products and services can you bring to the table for your customers? How can you innovate and adapt to meet your customers’ wants and needs?

The best example of this is Apple. They tell us what consumers need before we even realize it. Not all of that is brilliant marketing. It’s driven by Apple’s singular focus: innovation. They put the consumer first and develop products that we can’t live without.

As a business leader, I challenge you to set time aside once a week to ask yourself: Is your company putting your customers’ needs first? If so—great! Consider this as a friendly reminder to keep it up. If not, answering this question could help determine the next steps in your company’s evolution.

Answering this question led us to explore new technologies like IP targeting, and we are beyond excited about the opportunity it presents.