B2B Marketing Cliches – In Direct Mail Campaigns
The handshake, the light bulb and the group huddle. What do all of these have in common? Have you got it yet? They’re all B2B marketing clichés! In the Really B2B office, these are just some of the concepts that spring to mind when we think of over-used images in B2B direct mail. But if people recognise these to be clichés, why are they frequently used in lots of B2B marketing campaigns?
Why Direct Mail?
We think that direct mail should to be standout, inspiring and increase the value of the proposition, not be the same as everyone else’s and not something the prospect has seen before. It is commonly believed that people don’t absorb content fully until the 4th or 5th viewing, so do marketers think that prospects might be more persuaded by a concept they’ve seen before? Surely this isn’t true, because overused clichés just become ‘white noise’ to prospects.
From results we’ve seen in past campaigns, people definitely take more notice if the direct mail piece stands out. Some campaigns we’ve done over the last year have included sending out hula-hoops, boxing gloves and swimming goggles and we’ve seen some great response rates.
Get Creative!
We’ve chosen to send these high-impact pieces because not only are they extremely eye-catching objects that people can keep, but they also represent the message and how we want the prospect to feel. So why are people sticking with what they know rather than using their creative thoughts and imagination to leave a lasting footprint on the mind of the key decision-makers? Maybe it’s a fear of being different or perhaps your peers don’t buy into the creative approach. So why not build a case for taking a more innovative approach and provide a good rationale for doing so. You will then be giving your colleagues a chance to overcome their own fears and enable them to make a judgment based on reason rather than their old beliefs.
To avoid using clichés and create original content (and direct mail campaigns)…
