One Hardman Drive Bloomington, IL 61701

Everything’s Coming Up Asters for PiiCreative work for Aspen Valley Hospital, Union Hospital wins awards

Progressive Impressions International (Pii) and two of its clients

have taken honors in the 17th annual Aster Awards.

Aspen Valley Hospital, in Aspen, Colorado, received a Gold

award for its 2010 community calendar, among hospitals with less

than 75 beds. Designed and printed by Pii, the calendar features

photographs taken by members of the hospital’s medical and

professional staff in the Aspen area and around the world. The

images are highlighted with inspirational quotes and articles

about the hospital’s services.

Union Hospital, in Elkton, Maryland, earned a Silver award for

its Good Health community newsletter, among hospitals with

76-149 beds. Written, designed and printed by Pii since 2001, the

newsletter highlights Union Hospital’s state-of-the-art technology,

advanced medical services, new staff and a calendar of events, as

well as general health information.

The Aster Awards program is an elite competition recognizing

excellence in medical marketing. Organized by Creative Images,

Inc. (Sylva, North Carolina) and judged by independent experts,

the event draws the nation’s most talented health care

marketing professionals.

Pii creative teams for health care marketing are based in

Pompano Beach, Florida.

Direct mail still growingTo paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of direct

mail’s death are greatly exaggerated. In fact,

direct mail is still a strong medium and

growing. Direct mail volume increased

16 percent year-over-year in the first quarter

of 2010, according to direct marketing intelligence

firm Mintel Comperemedia. Leading the pack, insurance industry

mailings accounted for 43 percent of total volume passing credit

card mailings, the leader in 2009.

It’s all about me. Consumers want personalized e-mail.According to a new report, Manifesto for

E-mail Marketers, based on a survey by

Forrester Research for e-mail service provider

e-Dialog, more than half of consumers say they’d

be more receptive to marketing e-mails if they were more

personalized. Among the key findings in the report: 64 percent

of consumers want marketers to know what products and services

they prefer; 54 percent want marketers to know if they are new or

returning customers; 36 percent say marketers should be familiar

with their shopping habits (e.g., online shopping, catalog or

in-store) and 85 percent want companies to ask for their

e-mail preferences at registration.

Social media effective for b-to-b lead generationA study conducted this year by LeadForce1, a

marketing automation platform, found that

social media is effective for bringing relevant

leads to b-to-b Web sites. To determine whether

a Web site visitor could be considered a good lead,

the company measured visitor “intent” based on tracking

navigation or length of visit on the site. According to the report,

LinkedIn contributed the greatest number of visits, but these

visitors were more likely to be interested in learning about the

company than in making a purchase. Perhaps surprisingly,

Wikipedia was the most effective social media channel for

drawing visitors who have a real interest in the products or

services offered.

Industry Insights

Information, expertise and technology for corporate marketers

F a l l 2 0 1 0 E d i t i o n

Everything Old Is New Again

Skies are clear for smart marketers

Multiple Touch Points - Once Is Not Enough

HOW’S THE ROI

ON YOUR SMS?

MICHAEL,

Let’s discuss what we can do for you.

Marketing requires more than product knowledge. It requires insight. It’s essential that you understand exactly where in the market your opportunities are and utilize the most effective communications to keep your company “top of mind” for customers and prospects alike.

Let’s talk issentials …

Let us show you how our targeted customer marketing programs achieve maximum results through:

■ Education and cross-sell/upsell opportunities■ Loyalty rewards programs■ Channel marketing solutions

It’s that time of year again: budget planning, forecasting and

the last big sales push as fourth quarter approaches. There’s

no better time to review your marketing plan to ensure you’re

taking full advantage of all the touch point formats and media

channels available to you. In this issue of , you’ll

find a wealth of information to help you do just that.

You’ll read about the importance of transparency in

marketing communications, how frequency impacts

customer engagement, and ways to remain both personal

and relevant with old school (greeting cards) and new

school (SMS) tactics.

I encourage you to call or respond via BRC if you’d like

to receive our e-version of this publication. Currently, we

e-mail additional “essential” content in the months between

print newsletters. Beginning in 2011, we’ll offer an all

e-distribution option. Let us know what topics you’d

like addressed in future issues too.

Sincerely,

Table of Contents

WhateverItTakes.comBloomington, IL One Hardman Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 800.664.0444

Pompano Beach, FL3300 Gateway DrivePompano Beach, FL 33069

© 2010 Progressive Impressions International. All Rights Reserved.

About the PublisherSince 1992, Progressive Impressions International (Pii) has worked with corporate marketers to develop programs with personalization to support sales representatives working from local offices and stores. Pii has the resources to design, implement and update complete marketing solutions to keep pace with your changing needs. Pii specializes in maximizing customer relationships through education, cross-sell/upsell and channel marketing solutions to capture the full lifetime value of your customers.

Mobile Marketing

Everything Old Is New Again

How to leverage SMS for ROI

“Snail mail” and greeting cards

4

6

8

10

12 Industry InsightsNews with impact for marketers today

Touch Points x Media Channels = Customer Engagement Consider all options available

It’s perfectly clearWhy customers want transparency

issentials 11

It’s interesting to note that 62 percent of people feel inspired to send someone a card if they received one from that person. So don’t overlook the opportunity to encourage two-way communication and seek a response from your customers, if appropriate. Make getting in touch with you easy by providing your phone number, email address or a business reply card. It all adds up to a personal touch your customers will appreciate — and remember.

Stand out from your competitorsIt’s a noisy world for sure, whether the communication is in print or digital. You’re not the only one vying for

the attention of your customers. It’s important to match the format of your communication to the message. There are times when a phone call or e-mail is absolutely appropriate. But when everyone else has cut their marketing budgets or made the shift to nearly all e-formats, you can stand out from the crowd by staying in touch … the old-fashioned way. ■

Maggie Smith, PMP, is a Marketing Manager at Pii. As a Certified Direct Marketer, she specializes in product development and promotion. Reach her at mmsmith@whateverittakes.com or 954.956.3422.

✒ The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who exchanged messages of goodwill to celebrate the New Year

✒ Early Egyptians conveyed greetings on papyrus scrolls

✒ First known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1842

✒ German immigrant Louis Prang is credited with starting the greeting card industry in 1856

The History of Greeting Cards

Ron Drenning Vice President, Sales and Marketing800.883.1156 rdrenning@whateverittakes.com

Michael,

800.883.1156

10 issentials

First, e-mail replaced traditional letters (“snail mail”) and now it seems that texting and communicating through Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are

becoming more popular than e-mail. What’s a business professional to do? Finding new customers and retaining the ones you have is difficult enough, but it’s often harder during an economic slump. Now you’re expected to build trust and grow your business without necessarily having the benefit of personal interaction and face-to-face communication.

Certainly, the foundation of today’s digital world is about all-media access and instant communication, as long as you can say it in 140 characters or less. But that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to e-mails, texts and IMs. You may just find you can make a more lasting impression by incorporating the best of both worlds.

Keep those cards and letters comingIt may seem like a quaint notion, but people really do like to get mail. According to the Greeting Card Association, nine out of 10 American say they look forward to receiving

personal letters and greeting cards. It makes them feel they are important to someone else. One reason may be that it doesn’t take much effort to send an e-mail, even though an e-card may be absolutely appropriate for certain situations. A card or letter provides a tactile experience as well, and may be more likely to be viewed again rather than deleted.

Why do people send cards? Usually it’s for an everyday occasion (i.e., birthday, wedding, anniversary, birth of a child, get well or sympathy) or holiday. You can also use milestones in the customer relationship as opportunities to create stronger bonds and possibly even win back a lost customer. Be sure to acknowledge something specific, such as:

• Welcome – as a new customer• Thank you – for providing a referral• Reminder – for renewal• Request – for an appointment/review• Apology – for oversight/mistake• Stay in touch – update personal information

in an Evolving Digital WorldPersonal Touch

Maintaining a

By Maggie Smith

RetainGrowAcquire

Achieve personalization like never beforeIn today’s competitive market you have to treat each customer like they’re the “only customer in the world!” Now you can show you value their business and loyalty … for less than two cents per day, 24/7/365.

Your customer’s name is woven into every color photograph. A Custom Calendar Program from Pii provides an exceptional opportunity to define customer experience for your brand and sales representative.

Relationships are vital to your business, drawing customers to your representative — someone they know as an individual — for repeat sales and superior profitability. Invest in a Pii Custom Calendar Program to capture your full share in the lifetime value of individual customers.

Michael, Personalized Graphics Grab Attention and Drive Retention

Improve ROI. Call Ron Drenning, 800.883.1156.

N early a century later, the legendary Supreme Court

justice’s words have become a maxim that industries

live by. “Sunlight,” as Louis Brandeis remarked in 1913,

“is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Transparency

was a catchword of the last decade, but it’s really the same

thing Brandeis was talking about: sunshine, openness,

disclosure. In fact, first created in the mid-70s, U.S. and

state open-records laws are commonly referred to as

“sunshine laws.” Transparency was a catchword of the last

decade, but it’s really the same thing Brandeis was talking

about: sunshine, openness, disclosure. In fact, first created

in the mid-70s, U.S. and state open-records laws are

commonly referred to as “sunshine laws.”

The cornerstone of trustTransparency is about sharing information and acting in an open manner so that customers or stakeholders can easily gather the information critical to their interests. When it comes to the relationship between a company and its customers, transparency involves ethics in marketing and it relates to honest disclosure — authenticity.

From pharma to financial From health insurance reform to banking reform, transparency is a recurring theme in the profound changes taking place in the U.S. business environment. Public access to health care cost and quality information is at the

forefront of health insurance reform. Why? Because lack of financial transparency is a major problem in America’s medical and pharmaceutical industries. As Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute, pointed out at a health policy meeting in 2009, “Few people understand what things cost or who pays the bill.”

Pharmaceutical companies are all too familiar with transparency requirements involving drug research, production and marketing. From every level of government, drug manufacturers face growing requirements to disclose payments to researchers and medical professionals.

And it’s hard to remember a time when the integrity of the financial services industry, from banking to brokerage, has been the subject of such intense scrutiny from critics and peers — not to mention the ever more financially aware consumer.

No one said it was easyBeing authentic, sincere and open isn’t easy. It means getting in touch with the human side and the individuals of your company. It means living the time-honored cliché: Honesty is the best policy. In this case, multichannel

4 issentials

It’s Perfectly Clear: Why Cust

“Sunlight, is said to be

Not a chance of Transparency Chance of Transparency Cloudy

issentials 9

SMS mobile advertising offers a unique platform for marketers

While much of the buzz around mobile marketing focuses on smartphones and other mobile Web access devices, delivering marketing communication by text message — Short Message Service (SMS) — can be a powerful ingredient in the marketing mix. CTIA–The Wireless Association notes that 1.56 trillion text messages were sent in 2009, up from 81 billion in 2008. This widespread acceptance of text communications increases the effectiveness of the medium for marketing. Consider the following findings from the Mobile Advertising Report by mobile company Limbo and GfK NOP research:

> �Among those who remembered seeing an SMS message on their phone, one-third recalled the brand unaided.

> �Brand recall rates from mobile marketing are 20 times greater than the Web and 10 times greater than direct mail.

> �SMS has the highest deliverability of any medium. More than 90 percent of text messages will be seen.

> �SMS response rates typically average 10-15 percent.

To understand the power of SMS, look at the success of the Red Cross’ Text for Haiti campaign, which raised more than $32 million in less than three months.

SMS marketing does present challenges, including specific regulations, privacy concerns and creative limitations. To learn more about how it’s done, spoke with Progressive Impressions International (Pii) software developer Gary Moore, who, for a previous employer, created an advertiser-supported text messaging service call Homework Watcher™ that

allows teachers to text assignments and other school news to parents.

According to Moore, SMS can be a powerful tool because it facilitates personalized, relevant offers for consumers. However, there’s significant up front preparation required. First, the business has to acquire a short code (a five or six digit carrier approved number that mobile subscribers use to access your marketing message) from the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) at www.usshortcodes.com.

“You need to provide detailed information about your campaign for approval,” says Moore. “After the application is approved, organizations with a large volume of messages work with an Aggregator, which provides connections to one or more carrier networks to launch the campaign. A new option to Aggregators is a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), which can be less expensive for low-volume campaigns.

“There are also legal requirements for SMS campaigns,” Moore continues. “For one, you can’t purchase mobile phone numbers like you can a direct mail list. You have to entice subscribers to opt-in to your campaign.” The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) offers guidelines on these and other issues to ensure that your SMS campaign meets legal requirements. Download a copy at www.mmaglobal.com.

‘I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?’

Even your best pick-up line won’t work for getting consumers to opt-in, supply their phone numbers and give you permission to communicate with them. The best opt-in strategy should include these three key components:

> �Deliver value, not spam. A relevant offer — a coupon, service locator tool, contest or survey — is essential. Consumers need a reason to opt-in.

> �Keep your message simple with an easy response mechanism. SMS messages are limited to 140 to 160 characters; simpler is better.

> �Integrate your SMS campaigns with other media. Your Web site, e-mail campaigns, print advertising or direct mail can all feature your SMS offer.

SMS marketing offers opportunities for increased personalization, relevancy and immediacy in your marketing campaigns, as well as way to reach the approximately 20 percent of Americans who no longer have a landline. As a consumer-initiated, consumer-controlled interaction, SMS marketing can strengthen customer relationships. Marketers are embracing SMS for both its higher response rates and measurable returns. In addition, many see mobile as the unifying link that makes online, direct mail and print ads more innovative, appealing and actionable to the consumer.

As smartphone market penetration increases, mobile Web advertising and Multimedia Message Services (MMS) should become much more widespread, but for now SMS is an important first step for marketers beginning to explore the mobile world.

Managing mobile

To involve your distributed sales force in your corporate SMS campaign, a marketing-on-demand system, such as Pii’s Conductor, allows you to create customizable, creative SMS messages for local users, while maintaining your corporate marketing materials, brand and compliance standards, in the same way it helps manage electronic and print marketing communications. ■

Vicky Hyams is a senior writer for Pii who regularly covers new media issues in issentials. Reach her at vhyams@whateverittakes.com or 954.956.3328.

8 issentials

Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Cell phone? Check. Mobile phones are one of the essentials today’s consumers don’t leave home without. According to the CTIA — The Wireless Association®, there are more than 270 million cell phone subscribers in the United States reaching more than 87 percent of households. This explosion in consumer cell phone use has not escaped the notice of marketers. Spending on mobile advertising is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2013.

issentials 5

Continue to take personal inventory and when wrong promptly admit it.

Seek to improve contact with the community through thoughtful honest conversation, and actively seek input while marketing.

Try to carry this message to the blogosphere, and to practice these principles in all your affairs.

The message from all of this? Transparency is the new marketing. A blog post that I recently read defines transparency as “the degree to which a company shares its leaders, employees, values, culture, strategy, business processes and the results of those processes with its public. It’s the opposite of opacity, in which companies operate behind closed doors and shuttered windows.” (By Shel Holtz of Shel Holtz PC, http://blog.holtz.com/index.php)

Companies, organizations, non-profits and institutions — big or small — can no longer spin away problems with a press release or with silence. Consumers today are better-informed and more empowered than ever. Transparency just makes sense: It will help build trust and a mutually profitable relationship. Change is here; now it’s a question of whether you fight it or embrace it. ■

Ellen Schneider, Esquire, is a Chartered Life Underwriter and frequent contributor to issentials. Reach her at eschneider@whateverittakes.com or 954-956-3201.

omers Expect Transparency

the best of disinfectants.” — Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court justice, 1913

Completely TransparentPartial Transparency

honesty includes all things from product availability to design flaws to service issues.

This isn’t a new message. Back in 2007, blogger Jon Silvers posted a 12-step program for transparency in marketing:

1. Admit you are powerless over change — that spin is no longer in.

2. Believe that transparency in marketing can restore you to sanity.

3. Decide to turn your lives over to the community.

4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of your marketing budget.

5. Blog publicly the exact nature of your wrongs.

6. Be ready to respond to the community about all your defects of character.

7. Humbly ask your customers to blog about their experiences — pro or con.

8. Make a list of all marketers you’ve harmed and make amends to them all.

9. Make public amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

11.

10.

12.

By Ellen Schneider, Esq.

e-mail marketing the number one ROI

generator among marketing channels.

When was the last time you conducted

an electronic or print survey? Many

organizations consider surveys

essential for gaining deeper insight

into consumers’ attitudes about their

products, brand or marketplace.

Conducted on an ongoing basis,

surveys allow you to respond quickly

to new trends, changing perceptions or

early signs of customer dissatisfaction.

The cornerstone of many a campaign,

direct mail is still the granddaddy of

marketing. Digital print allows for

one-to-one customization of postcards,

letters, magnets and many other kinds

of print materials, while advanced

production technology gives unlimited

options for creating custom cuts, folds

and other physical elements.

Personalized URLs (PURLs) are new

enough to retain a feeling of novelty

but old enough to have achieved

refinement. PURLs are secure Web

sites personalized with the recipient’s

name and customized content.

YouTube and other video-sharing sites

let you dynamically demonstrate the

function or value of your service. You

can create maximum impact with

minimal production costs, and posting

videos is generally free.

the new site and solicits feedback about

the site’s new look, tools and features.

The key point: No marketing vehicle

— and this includes social media

— operates optimally in a vacuum.

Social media is the darling of the

moment, just as e-mail was the darling

before social media, and direct mail

before e-mail. But no single channel

is all things to all markets, messages

or moments. In the managed care

industry, for example, concerns

about privacy and negative feedback

have limited the popularity of social

media as a sales and promotions tool.

Progressive Impressions International

can help you devise a cohesive

marketing strategy that incorporates

all of the most appropriate and

effective marketing capabilities for

your target audience. ■

First, the bad news: There is now such a

wide range of marketing tools available

that you can easily get overwhelmed

when figuring how to choose the one

with the most impact.

The good news? You don’t have to

choose just one! Having multiple

options means you can make use of

multiple touch points in multiple

channels to achieve your marketing

goals. That makes customer engagement

not only more challenging but also more

layered, more effective and more fun.

If you have already adopted social

media as part of your marketing mix,

terrific! Its popularity is justified

and growing: Twitter has more than

100 million users worldwide, while

Facebook has about 400 million

active users. Despite its power and

potential, however, social media need

not overshadow all other engagement

techniques, including other forms

of e-marketing.

Consider all of the tools available to youE-mail marketing’s ROI has slipped

but remains impressive at more than

$43 returned for every $1 invested,

according to the most recent “Power

of Direct” report from the Direct

Marketing Association. That makes

6 issentials

Gene Downs is a senior writer for Pii specializing in health care. Reach him at gdowns@whateverittakes.com or 954-956-3279.

Customized newsletters and netletters

provide consumers more in-depth

information about programs, policies

and products. Netletters are an

especially good value because they have

no printing or postage costs, and click-

through data provides specific feedback

on what works and what doesn’t.

Even something as simple as a news

release service lets you get the word

out, on your own terms, to news

organizations, industry bloggers

and other outlets.

As always, you’ll want to use a variety of

these options to create your campaign.

So, to promote a new product or special

offer, you might use a combination of

e-mail, direct mail and social media.

But what really generates excitement

with a new communications channel,

such as the explosive growth of social

media, is the additional capabilities

for cross-pollination. Now you can

send out news releases via social media

outlets, in addition to distribution

services and e-mail.

Likewise, you can incorporate online

video and PURLs to promote netletters

and direct mail messaging. Create a

splashy site launch via simultaneous

announcements by e-mail, YouTube,

Twitter and direct mail — then, followup

a few weeks later with a short online

survey that both reminds customers of

Multiple Touch Points, Multiple Media Engages Consumers

issentials 7

By Gene Downs

e-mail marketing the number one ROI

generator among marketing channels.

When was the last time you conducted

an electronic or print survey? Many

organizations consider surveys

essential for gaining deeper insight

into consumers’ attitudes about their

products, brand or marketplace.

Conducted on an ongoing basis,

surveys allow you to respond quickly

to new trends, changing perceptions or

early signs of customer dissatisfaction.

The cornerstone of many a campaign,

direct mail is still the granddaddy of

marketing. Digital print allows for

one-to-one customization of postcards,

letters, magnets and many other kinds

of print materials, while advanced

production technology gives unlimited

options for creating custom cuts, folds

and other physical elements.

Personalized URLs (PURLs) are new

enough to retain a feeling of novelty

but old enough to have achieved

refinement. PURLs are secure Web

sites personalized with the recipient’s

name and customized content.

YouTube and other video-sharing sites

let you dynamically demonstrate the

function or value of your service. You

can create maximum impact with

minimal production costs, and posting

videos is generally free.

the new site and solicits feedback about

the site’s new look, tools and features.

The key point: No marketing vehicle

— and this includes social media

— operates optimally in a vacuum.

Social media is the darling of the

moment, just as e-mail was the darling

before social media, and direct mail

before e-mail. But no single channel

is all things to all markets, messages

or moments. In the managed care

industry, for example, concerns

about privacy and negative feedback

have limited the popularity of social

media as a sales and promotions tool.

Progressive Impressions International

can help you devise a cohesive

marketing strategy that incorporates

all of the most appropriate and

effective marketing capabilities for

your target audience. ■

First, the bad news: There is now such a

wide range of marketing tools available

that you can easily get overwhelmed

when figuring how to choose the one

with the most impact.

The good news? You don’t have to

choose just one! Having multiple

options means you can make use of

multiple touch points in multiple

channels to achieve your marketing

goals. That makes customer engagement

not only more challenging but also more

layered, more effective and more fun.

If you have already adopted social

media as part of your marketing mix,

terrific! Its popularity is justified

and growing: Twitter has more than

100 million users worldwide, while

Facebook has about 400 million

active users. Despite its power and

potential, however, social media need

not overshadow all other engagement

techniques, including other forms

of e-marketing.

Consider all of the tools available to youE-mail marketing’s ROI has slipped

but remains impressive at more than

$43 returned for every $1 invested,

according to the most recent “Power

of Direct” report from the Direct

Marketing Association. That makes

6 issentials

Gene Downs is a senior writer for Pii specializing in health care. Reach him at gdowns@whateverittakes.com or 954-956-3279.

Customized newsletters and netletters

provide consumers more in-depth

information about programs, policies

and products. Netletters are an

especially good value because they have

no printing or postage costs, and click-

through data provides specific feedback

on what works and what doesn’t.

Even something as simple as a news

release service lets you get the word

out, on your own terms, to news

organizations, industry bloggers

and other outlets.

As always, you’ll want to use a variety of

these options to create your campaign.

So, to promote a new product or special

offer, you might use a combination of

e-mail, direct mail and social media.

But what really generates excitement

with a new communications channel,

such as the explosive growth of social

media, is the additional capabilities

for cross-pollination. Now you can

send out news releases via social media

outlets, in addition to distribution

services and e-mail.

Likewise, you can incorporate online

video and PURLs to promote netletters

and direct mail messaging. Create a

splashy site launch via simultaneous

announcements by e-mail, YouTube,

Twitter and direct mail — then, followup

a few weeks later with a short online

survey that both reminds customers of

Multiple Touch Points, Multiple Media Engages Consumers

issentials 7

By Gene Downs

8 issentials

Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Cell phone? Check. Mobile phones are one of the essentials today’s consumers don’t leave home without. According to the CTIA — The Wireless Association®, there are more than 270 million cell phone subscribers in the United States reaching more than 87 percent of households. This explosion in consumer cell phone use has not escaped the notice of marketers. Spending on mobile advertising is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2013.

issentials 5

Continue to take personal inventory and when wrong promptly admit it.

Seek to improve contact with the community through thoughtful honest conversation, and actively seek input while marketing.

Try to carry this message to the blogosphere, and to practice these principles in all your affairs.

The message from all of this? Transparency is the new marketing. A blog post that I recently read defines transparency as “the degree to which a company shares its leaders, employees, values, culture, strategy, business processes and the results of those processes with its public. It’s the opposite of opacity, in which companies operate behind closed doors and shuttered windows.” (By Shel Holtz of Shel Holtz PC, http://blog.holtz.com/index.php)

Companies, organizations, non-profits and institutions — big or small — can no longer spin away problems with a press release or with silence. Consumers today are better-informed and more empowered than ever. Transparency just makes sense: It will help build trust and a mutually profitable relationship. Change is here; now it’s a question of whether you fight it or embrace it. ■

Ellen Schneider, Esquire, is a Chartered Life Underwriter and frequent contributor to issentials. Reach her at eschneider@whateverittakes.com or 954-956-3201.

omers Expect Transparency

the best of disinfectants.” — Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court justice, 1913

Completely TransparentPartial Transparency

honesty includes all things from product availability to design flaws to service issues.

This isn’t a new message. Back in 2007, blogger Jon Silvers posted a 12-step program for transparency in marketing:

1. Admit you are powerless over change — that spin is no longer in.

2. Believe that transparency in marketing can restore you to sanity.

3. Decide to turn your lives over to the community.

4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of your marketing budget.

5. Blog publicly the exact nature of your wrongs.

6. Be ready to respond to the community about all your defects of character.

7. Humbly ask your customers to blog about their experiences — pro or con.

8. Make a list of all marketers you’ve harmed and make amends to them all.

9. Make public amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

11.

10.

12.

By Ellen Schneider, Esq.

N early a century later, the legendary Supreme Court

justice’s words have become a maxim that industries

live by. “Sunlight,” as Louis Brandeis remarked in 1913,

“is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Transparency

was a catchword of the last decade, but it’s really the same

thing Brandeis was talking about: sunshine, openness,

disclosure. In fact, first created in the mid-70s, U.S. and

state open-records laws are commonly referred to as

“sunshine laws.” Transparency was a catchword of the last

decade, but it’s really the same thing Brandeis was talking

about: sunshine, openness, disclosure. In fact, first created

in the mid-70s, U.S. and state open-records laws are

commonly referred to as “sunshine laws.”

The cornerstone of trustTransparency is about sharing information and acting in an open manner so that customers or stakeholders can easily gather the information critical to their interests. When it comes to the relationship between a company and its customers, transparency involves ethics in marketing and it relates to honest disclosure — authenticity.

From pharma to financial From health insurance reform to banking reform, transparency is a recurring theme in the profound changes taking place in the U.S. business environment. Public access to health care cost and quality information is at the

forefront of health insurance reform. Why? Because lack of financial transparency is a major problem in America’s medical and pharmaceutical industries. As Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute, pointed out at a health policy meeting in 2009, “Few people understand what things cost or who pays the bill.”

Pharmaceutical companies are all too familiar with transparency requirements involving drug research, production and marketing. From every level of government, drug manufacturers face growing requirements to disclose payments to researchers and medical professionals.

And it’s hard to remember a time when the integrity of the financial services industry, from banking to brokerage, has been the subject of such intense scrutiny from critics and peers — not to mention the ever more financially aware consumer.

No one said it was easyBeing authentic, sincere and open isn’t easy. It means getting in touch with the human side and the individuals of your company. It means living the time-honored cliché: Honesty is the best policy. In this case, multichannel

4 issentials

It’s Perfectly Clear: Why Cust

“Sunlight, is said to be

Not a chance of Transparency Chance of Transparency Cloudy

issentials 9

SMS mobile advertising offers a unique platform for marketers

While much of the buzz around mobile marketing focuses on smartphones and other mobile Web access devices, delivering marketing communication by text message — Short Message Service (SMS) — can be a powerful ingredient in the marketing mix. CTIA–The Wireless Association notes that 1.56 trillion text messages were sent in 2009, up from 81 billion in 2008. This widespread acceptance of text communications increases the effectiveness of the medium for marketing. Consider the following findings from the Mobile Advertising Report by mobile company Limbo and GfK NOP research:

> �Among those who remembered seeing an SMS message on their phone, one-third recalled the brand unaided.

> �Brand recall rates from mobile marketing are 20 times greater than the Web and 10 times greater than direct mail.

> �SMS has the highest deliverability of any medium. More than 90 percent of text messages will be seen.

> �SMS response rates typically average 10-15 percent.

To understand the power of SMS, look at the success of the Red Cross’ Text for Haiti campaign, which raised more than $32 million in less than three months.

SMS marketing does present challenges, including specific regulations, privacy concerns and creative limitations. To learn more about how it’s done, spoke with Progressive Impressions International (Pii) software developer Gary Moore, who, for a previous employer, created an advertiser-supported text messaging service call Homework Watcher™ that

allows teachers to text assignments and other school news to parents.

According to Moore, SMS can be a powerful tool because it facilitates personalized, relevant offers for consumers. However, there’s significant up front preparation required. First, the business has to acquire a short code (a five or six digit carrier approved number that mobile subscribers use to access your marketing message) from the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) at www.usshortcodes.com.

“You need to provide detailed information about your campaign for approval,” says Moore. “After the application is approved, organizations with a large volume of messages work with an Aggregator, which provides connections to one or more carrier networks to launch the campaign. A new option to Aggregators is a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), which can be less expensive for low-volume campaigns.

“There are also legal requirements for SMS campaigns,” Moore continues. “For one, you can’t purchase mobile phone numbers like you can a direct mail list. You have to entice subscribers to opt-in to your campaign.” The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) offers guidelines on these and other issues to ensure that your SMS campaign meets legal requirements. Download a copy at www.mmaglobal.com.

‘I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?’

Even your best pick-up line won’t work for getting consumers to opt-in, supply their phone numbers and give you permission to communicate with them. The best opt-in strategy should include these three key components:

> �Deliver value, not spam. A relevant offer — a coupon, service locator tool, contest or survey — is essential. Consumers need a reason to opt-in.

> �Keep your message simple with an easy response mechanism. SMS messages are limited to 140 to 160 characters; simpler is better.

> �Integrate your SMS campaigns with other media. Your Web site, e-mail campaigns, print advertising or direct mail can all feature your SMS offer.

SMS marketing offers opportunities for increased personalization, relevancy and immediacy in your marketing campaigns, as well as way to reach the approximately 20 percent of Americans who no longer have a landline. As a consumer-initiated, consumer-controlled interaction, SMS marketing can strengthen customer relationships. Marketers are embracing SMS for both its higher response rates and measurable returns. In addition, many see mobile as the unifying link that makes online, direct mail and print ads more innovative, appealing and actionable to the consumer.

As smartphone market penetration increases, mobile Web advertising and Multimedia Message Services (MMS) should become much more widespread, but for now SMS is an important first step for marketers beginning to explore the mobile world.

Managing mobile

To involve your distributed sales force in your corporate SMS campaign, a marketing-on-demand system, such as Pii’s Conductor, allows you to create customizable, creative SMS messages for local users, while maintaining your corporate marketing materials, brand and compliance standards, in the same way it helps manage electronic and print marketing communications. ■

Vicky Hyams is a senior writer for Pii who regularly covers new media issues in issentials. Reach her at vhyams@whateverittakes.com or 954.956.3328.

10 issentials

First, e-mail replaced traditional letters (“snail mail”) and now it seems that texting and communicating through Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are

becoming more popular than e-mail. What’s a business professional to do? Finding new customers and retaining the ones you have is difficult enough, but it’s often harder during an economic slump. Now you’re expected to build trust and grow your business without necessarily having the benefit of personal interaction and face-to-face communication.

Certainly, the foundation of today’s digital world is about all-media access and instant communication, as long as you can say it in 140 characters or less. But that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to e-mails, texts and IMs. You may just find you can make a more lasting impression by incorporating the best of both worlds.

Keep those cards and letters comingIt may seem like a quaint notion, but people really do like to get mail. According to the Greeting Card Association, nine out of 10 American say they look forward to receiving

personal letters and greeting cards. It makes them feel they are important to someone else. One reason may be that it doesn’t take much effort to send an e-mail, even though an e-card may be absolutely appropriate for certain situations. A card or letter provides a tactile experience as well, and may be more likely to be viewed again rather than deleted.

Why do people send cards? Usually it’s for an everyday occasion (i.e., birthday, wedding, anniversary, birth of a child, get well or sympathy) or holiday. You can also use milestones in the customer relationship as opportunities to create stronger bonds and possibly even win back a lost customer. Be sure to acknowledge something specific, such as:

• Welcome – as a new customer• Thank you – for providing a referral• Reminder – for renewal• Request – for an appointment/review• Apology – for oversight/mistake• Stay in touch – update personal information

in an Evolving Digital WorldPersonal Touch

Maintaining a

By Maggie Smith

RetainGrowAcquire

Achieve personalization like never beforeIn today’s competitive market you have to treat each customer like they’re the “only customer in the world!” Now you can show you value their business and loyalty … for less than two cents per day, 24/7/365.

Your customer’s name is woven into every color photograph. A Custom Calendar Program from Pii provides an exceptional opportunity to define customer experience for your brand and sales representative.

Relationships are vital to your business, drawing customers to your representative — someone they know as an individual — for repeat sales and superior profitability. Invest in a Pii Custom Calendar Program to capture your full share in the lifetime value of individual customers.

Michael, Personalized Graphics Grab Attention and Drive Retention

Improve ROI. Call Ron Drenning, 800.883.1156.

Let’s discuss what we can do for you.

Marketing requires more than product knowledge. It requires insight. It’s essential that you understand exactly where in the market your opportunities are and utilize the most effective communications to keep your company “top of mind” for customers and prospects alike.

Let’s talk issentials …

Let us show you how our targeted customer marketing programs achieve maximum results through:

■ Education and cross-sell/upsell opportunities■ Loyalty rewards programs■ Channel marketing solutions

It’s that time of year again: budget planning, forecasting and

the last big sales push as fourth quarter approaches. There’s

no better time to review your marketing plan to ensure you’re

taking full advantage of all the touch point formats and media

channels available to you. In this issue of , you’ll

find a wealth of information to help you do just that.

You’ll read about the importance of transparency in

marketing communications, how frequency impacts

customer engagement, and ways to remain both personal

and relevant with old school (greeting cards) and new

school (SMS) tactics.

I encourage you to call or respond via BRC if you’d like

to receive our e-version of this publication. Currently, we

e-mail additional “essential” content in the months between

print newsletters. Beginning in 2011, we’ll offer an all

e-distribution option. Let us know what topics you’d

like addressed in future issues too.

Sincerely,

Table of Contents

WhateverItTakes.comBloomington, IL One Hardman Drive Bloomington, IL 61701 800.664.0444

Pompano Beach, FL3300 Gateway DrivePompano Beach, FL 33069

© 2010 Progressive Impressions International. All Rights Reserved.

About the PublisherSince 1992, Progressive Impressions International (Pii) has worked with corporate marketers to develop programs with personalization to support sales representatives working from local offices and stores. Pii has the resources to design, implement and update complete marketing solutions to keep pace with your changing needs. Pii specializes in maximizing customer relationships through education, cross-sell/upsell and channel marketing solutions to capture the full lifetime value of your customers.

Mobile Marketing

Everything Old Is New Again

How to leverage SMS for ROI

“Snail mail” and greeting cards

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6

8

10

12 Industry InsightsNews with impact for marketers today

Touch Points x Media Channels = Customer Engagement Consider all options available

It’s perfectly clearWhy customers want transparency

issentials 11

It’s interesting to note that 62 percent of people feel inspired to send someone a card if they received one from that person. So don’t overlook the opportunity to encourage two-way communication and seek a response from your customers, if appropriate. Make getting in touch with you easy by providing your phone number, email address or a business reply card. It all adds up to a personal touch your customers will appreciate — and remember.

Stand out from your competitorsIt’s a noisy world for sure, whether the communication is in print or digital. You’re not the only one vying for

the attention of your customers. It’s important to match the format of your communication to the message. There are times when a phone call or e-mail is absolutely appropriate. But when everyone else has cut their marketing budgets or made the shift to nearly all e-formats, you can stand out from the crowd by staying in touch … the old-fashioned way. ■

Maggie Smith, PMP, is a Marketing Manager at Pii. As a Certified Direct Marketer, she specializes in product development and promotion. Reach her at mmsmith@whateverittakes.com or 954.956.3422.

✒ The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who exchanged messages of goodwill to celebrate the New Year

✒ Early Egyptians conveyed greetings on papyrus scrolls

✒ First known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1842

✒ German immigrant Louis Prang is credited with starting the greeting card industry in 1856

The History of Greeting Cards

Ron Drenning Vice President, Sales and Marketing800.883.1156 rdrenning@whateverittakes.com

Michael,

800.883.1156

One Hardman Drive Bloomington, IL 61701

Everything’s Coming Up Asters for PiiCreative work for Aspen Valley Hospital, Union Hospital wins awards

Progressive Impressions International (Pii) and two of its clients

have taken honors in the 17th annual Aster Awards.

Aspen Valley Hospital, in Aspen, Colorado, received a Gold

award for its 2010 community calendar, among hospitals with less

than 75 beds. Designed and printed by Pii, the calendar features

photographs taken by members of the hospital’s medical and

professional staff in the Aspen area and around the world. The

images are highlighted with inspirational quotes and articles

about the hospital’s services.

Union Hospital, in Elkton, Maryland, earned a Silver award for

its Good Health community newsletter, among hospitals with

76-149 beds. Written, designed and printed by Pii since 2001, the

newsletter highlights Union Hospital’s state-of-the-art technology,

advanced medical services, new staff and a calendar of events, as

well as general health information.

The Aster Awards program is an elite competition recognizing

excellence in medical marketing. Organized by Creative Images,

Inc. (Sylva, North Carolina) and judged by independent experts,

the event draws the nation’s most talented health care

marketing professionals.

Pii creative teams for health care marketing are based in

Pompano Beach, Florida.

Direct mail still growingTo paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of direct

mail’s death are greatly exaggerated. In fact,

direct mail is still a strong medium and

growing. Direct mail volume increased

16 percent year-over-year in the first quarter

of 2010, according to direct marketing intelligence

firm Mintel Comperemedia. Leading the pack, insurance industry

mailings accounted for 43 percent of total volume passing credit

card mailings, the leader in 2009.

It’s all about me. Consumers want personalized e-mail.According to a new report, Manifesto for

E-mail Marketers, based on a survey by

Forrester Research for e-mail service provider

e-Dialog, more than half of consumers say they’d

be more receptive to marketing e-mails if they were more

personalized. Among the key findings in the report: 64 percent

of consumers want marketers to know what products and services

they prefer; 54 percent want marketers to know if they are new or

returning customers; 36 percent say marketers should be familiar

with their shopping habits (e.g., online shopping, catalog or

in-store) and 85 percent want companies to ask for their

e-mail preferences at registration.

Social media effective for b-to-b lead generationA study conducted this year by LeadForce1, a

marketing automation platform, found that

social media is effective for bringing relevant

leads to b-to-b Web sites. To determine whether

a Web site visitor could be considered a good lead,

the company measured visitor “intent” based on tracking

navigation or length of visit on the site. According to the report,

LinkedIn contributed the greatest number of visits, but these

visitors were more likely to be interested in learning about the

company than in making a purchase. Perhaps surprisingly,

Wikipedia was the most effective social media channel for

drawing visitors who have a real interest in the products or

services offered.

Industry Insights

Information, expertise and technology for corporate marketers

F a l l 2 0 1 0 E d i t i o n

Everything Old Is New Again

Skies are clear for smart marketers

Multiple Touch Points - Once Is Not Enough

HOW’S THE ROI

ON YOUR SMS?

MICHAEL,