Direct Engagement Initiative

Reflecting the maturity of Engagement from an R&D effort to an ARF council, the newly ARF Engagement Council will provide input into the research initiative and a forum for reporting/evaluating the findings. The actual planning and oversight of the study will be led by a group of 12-16 sponsors. We expect the study sponsors to include: Valassis, the United States Postal Service (USPS), the Direct Marketing Association, a small group of advertisers, retailers, agencies, and publishers and a few research companies.

Overview of the Planned Research

Objectives:

Determine how much adding an Engagement focus improves impact of direct marketing pieces.

• Evaluate alternative measurement and planning tools for implementing direct marketing Engagement.
• Assess the degree to which Engagement measures for magazines, newspapers, and direct mail can be integrated.
• Study how measures of direct mail Engagement can contribute to greater campaign effectiveness.

Method

Study a wide variety of product and service categories (packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, drug stores, financial services, electronics, retail, etc.) over a range of advertising types: Ritual (ordering pizza, grocery shopping, etc.); Reminder (oil change, dental visit, etc.); Research (television, computer, furniture, etc.). The study would include several Engagement measures and multiple methods of integrating and applying Engagement measurement.

Process

Consortium representatives from 12-16 sponsor firms will identify issues to be addressed. ARF will translate issues into a draft research plan. Consortium members will recommend revisions, if needed; then the final plan will be distributed to consortium companies for implementation in a dozen-plus separate campaigns. Each campaign will be assessed and reported in accordance with plan to the Consortium membership. ARF experts will conduct meta-analysis and develop a comprehensive report integrating learning from all campaigns.

Deliverables

Report on Unleashing the Power of Direct Marketing through Engagement including:

• Case studies in which Engagement strategies were employed as part of a direct marketing campaign.
• An assessment of the effectiveness of alternative Engagement metrics and planning tools.
• A group of experienced and dedicated consortium partners who have shared the learning who can serve as a resource for future application of the Engagement tools and strategies developed through the project.

Benefit

Accelerated learning on how to maximize new marketing applications of Engagement to jointly achieve brand building and brand activation.

Activity Timeline

12- 18 months:

• Recruit consortium members and arrange kick-off meeting
• Develop a Study Plan and distribute to consortium
• Expert consultation with each consortium member on application of plan in their campaign
• Execute campaigns and assess effectiveness in accordance with the Study Plan
• Create and publish collection report including case studies and synthesis