Kelly Riddle

In this digital-first era we're living in, hard copy can still be a significant piece of the marketing mix. Just look at what J.Crew announced this week (https://lnkd.in/g77YhqJv) in bringing back it's old-school, hard copy catalog. Sure, they're only going to produce it 3 times a year vs. the 13 the brand did before. But, that's still a significant investment by JCrew. And judging from the early media attention, it may already be paying off. Or, what about Charles Schwab? We're Schwab customers and probably the most useful thing they send us is their hard copy magazine that we receive (AUDIBLE GASP) in the mail each month. It's a wonderful magazine full of financial stories and tidbits that I read cover-to-cover each month. Another good local example here in Minnesota: Life Time Inc.. I've been a member off-and-on the last 30-plus years and I still love their hard copy magazine that they send members each month. Much like Schwab, it's one of the few things I read (other than the newspaper) in a hard copy format, but I love the tips, stories and workout examples they give in the publication. Some of the success these brands are seeing might be the result of a "going against the grain" strategy. I used to get a LOT more mail. So, when I get that Schwab or Life Time magazine in the mail now, it stands out. That's part of it. Another piece is probably a bit of nostalgia. I know that's probably what JCrew is counting on. Those old catalogs are going to bring back a lot of the feels for folks my age and a little younger! Regardless of why hard copy is working, it's working. These are just the few brands I'm connected to that are using hard copy well--I'm sure there are many others. And I have a feeling more may experiment with going back to hard copy more in 2025, too.

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Bad marketing of the day: local Atlanta radio station trying to run a contest, and the punchline is "if you don't recognize the number, pickup! Pickup!" This runs contrary to any legitimate promotion. There are too many scammer spammers in 2024 that brands should take the high road. - Don't tell people to do something stupid or dangerous. A contest should not be a poor attempt to get viral impressions. - Promotions should be clear about how the enter, the chances of winning, and how often the prize money is actually given to the winner(s). Yes, unless otherwise stated in the contest, a prize has to be awarded. - Use a trusted and audited independent 3rd party solution to handle the entry collection, choosing a winner, and handling the analytics. There are sufficient options which are relatively inexpensive and very easy to use. - The best contests are close to the brand, don't give away trinkets and trash, and are just fun. Yes, people will do almost anything for a t-shirt with a brand logo. Just. Don't. Please. This does not build your brand, not introduce your product/service to potential new users, and there is little in terms of social buzz. Free product (when you typically don't give away free product)? yes please. - Notification of the winner should be fully thought out. Telling people to "listen out for a random phone number" is just plain stupidity. The contest should have the "how you will be notified" in the contest signup. I would not trust some random person who I don't know calling from a number I have never interacted with calling me about something that I could not verify & validate. If it is a promotion for an app, then why not do a push notification to that app? Most apps have a notification area (and yes this is just a SQL command to send a push to a random person who is part of the entry pool).

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Wrapping up another week with the best marketing and PR team in publishing. As our team grows by another member next week, I’m not just stoked on what we get to do together—but who we are and who we are becoming. 📚🤙🏼 @ Zondervan Publishers #zondervan #marketing #pr #bookpublishing #bookmarketing #team #leadership #teamleadership

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