Think Like a Marketer: Create a Multipart Campaign

Overnight success is a rare thing. Most substantial achievements come only through persistence. That’s why a multipart campaign is the ideal way to target dream prospects whether your own or your client’s. “The benefits of a multipart campaign are many,” says Lauron Sonnier, practical marketing expert and author of Think Like a Marketer: What It Really Takes to Stand out from the Crowd, the Clutter, and the Competition. “With the inherent powers of consistency and repetition, it becomes highly memorable.” The first step is to come up with a theme that will run throughout the program. “Of course, what makes anything a real campaign is a theme,” Sonnier says. “And that theme should be clear to the target from the second exposure.” The theme might play off the name of the company or product you’re promoting. (For example, a tech-support company called PlumChoice features the color purple in all of its marketing.) “Or, campaigns can be more broad and random, like, ‘Here are some of the benefits of working with us,’ ” Sonnier adds, with each component of the campaign highlighting a different benefit.

Before the kick-off, she recommends thinking about where else you can extend the impact of your campaign. “Do you need to change your Web site or add a new message on your e-mail signature or other marketing materials, so everywhere targets go, they’re getting the same message?” she The first mailing for the program needs to be an attention- grabber. The promotional product doesn’t have to be expensive, but make sure the envelope or package is “lumpy” so it gets opened. “You can mix up the heavy, expensive items with lighter, less expensive ones,” Sonnier says. Consider products ranging from bandannas to caps, from flip-flops to T-shirts. “You can build up to your message or tease a grand finale – there are so many ways to work it,” she adds.

Come up with consistent packaging so recipients recognize the each piece as a follow-up as soon as they spot it among the mail. Finally, the timing of the mailings is crucial to your overall success. “Schedule your campaign strategically,” Sonnier says, “so that targets understand that everything goes together and so they’ll have good memory of the last piece when the new one arrives. Weekly or bi-weekly is likely your best bet for a knock-out punch.”