DIRECT MARKETING MEDIA AND TOOLS 435A PURL is a personalised website (URL), customised to the person visiting the website. It is often used in combination
with direct mail campaigns to increase the response. When a direct mail recipient receives his or her PURL (for instance,
in a postcard mailing) and logs onto the PURL, the information from the database is used to tailor the web page
experience to that person. Moreover, once logged in, the website can track the respondent’s activity and continue
to tailor the information based on his or her behaviour to improve understanding of the customer. By combining
both media, marketers can take advantage of the comfort, tangible appeal and quality of commercial print on the
one hand, and the immediacy, tracking and instant response of the Internet on the other hand.
A bank that was not succeeding well in getting clients to switch to electronic banking with its direct marketing
approach used variable data printing combined with the PURL method. The bank increased registrations from 0.4%
to 2.5% (an increase of 625%). Of all people who actually visited the personalised site, 8 out of 10 enrolled.^37business insight
The power of a PURL in direct mailconcept), in line with the above campaign, through three contact moments per year. Every mailing grouped information,
a present, coupons or a contest. The tone of voice was familiar and friendly. Each year the user survey is updated
and a yearly report informs marketers about progress.
There are about 400 000 members in the programme: 88% of them are part of the three highest segments;
47% are in the highest two and use at least two of the four main sub-brands. Members use up to 30% more Nivea
products than non-members. Coupon redemption is responsible for 40% to 60% of sales of new products in the
two months following a mail drop.^35 In 2008, the ‘Nivea Awards’ were born. With the pay-off ‘Beauty is... to
be inspiring’, Nivea Belgium initiated several awards for women dedicated to making the world a better place.
A national campaign invited Belgians to nominate women who are truly inspiring because of their inner beauty and
put them into four categories: ‘family’, ‘society’, ‘culture’ and ‘women of the hearts’. Again in this case, the Nivea
brand ambassadors were the most active: 22.5% click-through on opened e-newsletters; 5250 dossiers sent in,
generating more than 105 000 votes with more than 1 million views. The participants acting as brand ambassadors
started a virtual buzz. The social media widget was installed 1049 times with 270 000 views. The PR effect was
very visible on blogs, forums, Facebook, etc. The campaign ended in an Award-gala show.^36Telemarketing
Telemarketing is any measurable activity using the phone to help find, get, keep and develop
customers.^38 Telemarketing may be considered as a number of different activities that can be
defined on the basis of two dimensions, i.e. the party taking the initiative (inbound versus
outbound telemarketing), and the extent to which it is used as a sales-generating versus a
sales-supporting direct marketing tool (Table 13.2).^39
Outbound telemarketing means that the marketer is taking the initiative to call clients or
prospects (outgoing calls); inbound telemarketing implies that interested customers or prospects
are using the phone to contact the company and ask for product information, order a product,
ask for help with a problem or file a complaint (incoming calls). Using telemarketing to take
orders is especially common in mail order companies or for direct response advertisers.
Telesales involve actively calling consumers or companies with the purpose of selling products
or services. Teleprospecting is searching for prospects by phone. Two other uses are controlling
and actualising databases and settling dates for the sales team. Telemarketing might also be a
good way of creating synergetic media effects when it is used together with other marketingM13_PELS3221_05_SE_C13.indd 435 6/5/13 2:56 PM