http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk The best Door to Door Leaflet Delivery Service en-uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item14.htm The most important question in marketing is always 'Where does my response come from?' Pre-internet, response measurement was simple  Direct marketing channels such as door drops have long benefited from having a tried and tested, linear measurement approach that meant they were seen as accountable.  You used a unique telephone number and measured the number of responses and, from this, the number of conversions received once they were distributed. You knew how much it had cost to produce and distribute the door drop and you measured this against the sales generated and the margin made to arrive at a return on investment. Search engines complicate response measurement All very straightforward, until the arrival of the internet when marketers began to put their web addresses onto their door drops alongside the unique telephone number.  All very straightforward, until the arrival of the search engines when it soon became apparent that the novelty of typing a full url into their browser had worn off for consumers. They much preferred to just tap your brand into Google to find you, thereby further clouding the issue.  Notwithstanding this, marketers began to actively encourage consumers to use the web to respond – sometimes even incentivising them to do so. In many cases, they then simply forgot to work out how to measure the response through this new channel. Perhaps they tried, but it was a bit complicated so they ignored it. Until the responses to the unique telephone number began to decline.  Offline media does influence online response At the same time, web analytics began to tell them how many responses they were receiving online without beginning to dig into where they were actually coming from. So, they began to invest less in the declining direct channels that they used to understand and more in the digital channels that they didn’t understand, but it was generating good response so why waste time probing too deeply.  Then they realised that when they stopped the offline, their online went down, and they fall to their knees weeping; ”so really, does it have to be so complicated!” And we arrive back at our starting point. Where does my search come from ? New research helps marketers measure response In an attempt to dry the tears of the marketer, portrayed above at their wits’ end, the DMA Door Drop Board Committee and the DMA Inserts Council decided to put their heads together and organise a piece of research to help. This took place in June 2011 and the results were presented at the first ever DMA Door Drop Board Committee and DMA Inserts Council collaborative event in November.  Thanks to the generosity of the Royal Mail and Trinity Mirror, clients were offered free media to measure the proportion of response to a leaflet that drove both to a conventional response channel – such as a call centre via a unique telephone number or a high street store – and to the web. The results were fascinating for the brands involved and the wider audience. Results prove offline media drives online response Overall, an average of 56% of the response went online across both insert and door drop tests. To put it another way, if those clients had been measuring purely based on the linear response to the traditional response channel, they would have been underestimating the impact of that campaign by about half. To gain deeper understanding we have looked at the results for each sector in more detail: Retail: The Perfume Shop  The Perfume Shop delivered 250,000 leaflets via Newshare, targeted at a customer profile within the store catchments of selected high street shops. Perhaps predictably, given that the product appeals to the senses and the targeting was skewed in favour of a store visit, 80% of the redemptions to the coupon were indeed in store.  However, what impressed the client was that 20% of their redemptions went online and of these an amazing 90% of them were from new customers, reminding retailers what most direct response advertisers already know – that door drop is a very cost-effective way to recruit new customers. Finance: Chartis Direct Chartis Direct was advertising a brand new product in the UK market – a cancer insurance product. It delivered 300,000 leaflets via the Royal Mail and amazingly 100% of the response to this leaflet went online, perhaps indicating that consumers wanted to do a little private research on such a sensitive product before they took the next step of actually talking to someone about it. Finance: Debt Free Direct Debt Free Direct delivered 500,000 leaflets via both Newshare and Royal Mail to advertise its services. This was targeted using customer profiles identifying relevant Financial ACORN types.  The response was split 50:50 between offline and online and, interestingly, 27% of leads were converted to sales. This indicated that the targeting had done its job and that the leaflet had driven greater consideration of the product on offer prior to the start of the sales process. What this says about direct channels and online response It is evident that there are a number of factors that will affect the percentage of online response. This will include the range of products being promoted, the number of response channels available, the target market and its relative online usage. What this does demonstrate categorically is that online response is now a very significant part of an overall campaign. In this study, it accounted for more than half of all responses received. Accurate measurement is thus more vital than ever before, if marketers want to really understand how every channel in their media mix is working. The DMA Door Drop Board Committee and DMA Inserts Council will publish the full research in early 2012.  To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk Source: Direct Marketing Association/Mark Davies/Door Drop Board Committee and Insert Council – Oct 2011 http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item13.htm London Letterbox Marketing have a number of planning tools to help our clients to reach their target customers. One of the tools we use is CACI Ltd’s ‘ACORN’ geo-demographic targeting system. What is ACORN? ACORN is an acronym for A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods. Based upon Census data, as well as other lifestyle surveys which CACI themselves research and produce each year, the population of the UK is divided into five categories which broadly reflect the make-up of the overall population - from Wealthy Achievers to Hard Pressed. These categories are then broken down further into groups and type to represent different kinds of people within each category and the kind of homes they live in, eg.Wealthy Mature Professionals, Large Houses to Multi-Ethnic, Crowded Flats. These categories and their sub-groups are then cross-referenced against all of the UK’s postcode sectors. Consequently, the ACORN data can show the dominant demographic profile of a given postcode sector. Sectors with similar ACORN types can be identified and grouped together to provide a distribution plan showing where a client should deliver their marketing or communications material to reach their target ACORN group. ACORN can help you to target and develop profitable relationships and improve business results. The classification also gives a better understanding of places and the people who live in them. Who uses ACORN? Retailers, financial organisations, and over 200 councils and public sector organisations use CACI data to provide an accurate picture of the needs of their customers and local communities. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on Sales@londonletterboxmaketing.co.uk Source: CACI http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item12.htm A recent study by Fresh Minds and the Royal Mail reveals that 89% of consumers remember receiving a door drop mailing - more than any other marketing channel. Furthermore, 45% keep leaflets on a pinboard or in the kitchen drawer for future reference and action. These are just two of many key findings in the survey, all of which prove that door drops are relevant, well received and a powerful medium in today's multi-media landscape. Other key findings of the study include: • Retail leads other sectors on consumer demand for door drops. • Nine in ten people are happy to regularly receive unaddressed mail/door drops/letterbox marketing from retailers. • 81% said their preferred frequency was up to twice a month. One quarter said they are happy to receive unaddressed mailings a few times a week or more from retailers • Door drops from FMCG brands are the next most popular with consumers. Nearly three quarters (74%) are happy to receive mailings up to twice a month • This was followed by restaurants where the score was 50% and local services on 46% Whether you call then door drops, door to door, unaddressed mail, letterbox marketing continues to be an important method of delivering information that is locally relevant. It is a form of advertising that is set to play an increasingly important role in local communications with the footprint of local newspapers in decline. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on Sales@londonletterboxmaketing.co.uk Source: Direct Marketing Association/Fresh Minds/Royal Mail – Oct 2011 http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item11.htm You see them every day on your mail and no doubt use them for your sat nav, finding a local plumber on Google, ordering goods via Amazon and for paying your bills - but what are they and why do we have them? The current postal code system in the UK was introduced by the Royal Mail over a 15-year period from October 1959 to 1974 in order speed up collection, sorting and to allow the introduction of automated sorting. A full postcode is known as a 'spostcode unit's and usually corresponds to a limited number of residential and business addresses or a single large delivery point. An earlier system of postal districts was implemented in London and other large cities from 1857. In London this system was refined in 1917 to include numbered subdivisions, extending to the other cities in 1934. These earlier districts were later incorporated into the national postcode system. The system breaks down the UK in various areas, districts, sectors and units (ie the 'spostcode's we use regularly on our mail and sat nav is actually the 'spostcode unit's) and within each postcode unit there will be an average 16 individual homes or businesses. There are special postcode units for Buckingham Palace, the Prime Minister and the Houses of Parliament amongst others ...... and even Father Christmas (ie SAN TA1)! Component: Postcode area - Example: YO - Numbers of UK codes:124, Component: Postcode district - Example: YO31 - Numbers of UK codes:2,971, Component: Postcode sector - Example: YO31 1 - Numbers of UK codes:10,631, Component: Postcode unit - Example: YO31 1EB - Numbers of UK codes:1,762,464, Component: Individual Postcode addresses - Numbers of UK codes:approx.27,000,000, Postcodes have been adopted for a wide range of purposes in addition to aiding the automated sorting of the mail: to calculate insurance premiums: designate destinations in route planning software; they are used as the geographic building blocks of the Census and other research. Postcode data is stored, maintained and periodically updated in the Postcode Address File database, along with the full address data for around 27.5 million delivery points. London Letterbox Marketing use the Postal Address Database every day for many clients and we can use it to help you deliver your messages and promotions accurately and efficiently. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on Sales@londonletterboxmaketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item10.htm Direct mail plays an important role in integrated online and offline campaigns, according to one industry expert. Writing on uktalkmarketing.com, Luke Griffiths, vice-president of client services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at e-Dialog said that although future lies in digital marketing, print is still extremely effective. He went on to say that email marketing and other digital influences have encouraged advances in direct mail. A recent Mail Media Centre report backs this up with some encouraging figures on how direct mail works with digital activity. The report reveals that direct mail can help online search - 58% of people said they were more likely to click on a search link for a company if they’re received something in the post. And 67% refer to physical mail when searching for a new product or service online. One of the case studies in the report shows the role direct mail can play in integrated digital campaigns. A direct mail and email campaign by Waitrose to celebrate its partnership with celebrity chefs Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal, led to the upmarket supermarket selling 14 weeks worth of rhubarb in four days. Created by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, the campaign targeted 500,000 members of the MyWaitrose food club. They each received a hamper with a recipe for rhubarb and ginger brulée – 50% of the recipients posted feedback on MyWaitrose. Direct mail can also improve the performance of other channels. For example, the TV component of campaigns is 37% more effective when direct mail is in the media mix. In the report Tess Alps, Chief Executive of Thinkbox says: 'sDirect mail can satisfy those appetites that TV provokes.'s Direct mail has seen its ROI level rise steadily over the last three years, a trend credited to improved targeting. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk Source: Direct Marketing Association – 4 July 2011 http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item9.htm Luxury brands have traditionally steered clear of direct marketing in a belief that it is for the mainstream only. However, more and more now see the value of direct mail or targeted letterbox distribution. Premium and luxury brands are often accused of keeping consumers at arm’s length, with marketing focused on glossy print ads in high-end magazines promoting a glamorous lifestyle. But now several up-market brands are choosing to communicate with people on a more personal level, with impressive results. Last month, car company Land Rover and clothing brand Boden won Marketing Week Engage awards for their direct marketing and customer relationship management campaigns respectively. Land Rover carefully identified customers whose vehicle was about two years old and who might be tempted to upgrade to a new model. It assigned adventurous and well-known faces to critique the new vehicles, including survival expert Ray Mears, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton. The direct mail pieces suggested to customers that the toughest test for the brand’s new model was earning their opinion, prompting them to book a test drive. Direct Marketing Association executive director Chris Combemale says high-end car marques are one of the sectors to use this type of personalised communication most effectively. 'Luxury car manufacturers have always built in very strong engagement with customers after purchase because if you get to know who has bought into your brand, you know that person is likely to buy from you again,' he says. Certainly this approach has worked for Land Rover: its DM campaign for the launch of last year’s range saw sales rocket - an average 174 vehicles per month, which is an 8.6% response rate. Agency Wunderman, which designed the mail packs, says the cost of the campaign per car sold was £59, and given that a new Land Rover sells for £40,000-plus, this is some achievement. How do premium brands use direct marketing? The jeweller Tiffany and auction house Sotheby’s, send out catalogues to customers. Sotheby’s also interacts with bidders personally and through an online system, according to Chris Combemale at the DMA. Other brands such as Scott Dunn focus on using catalogues and email marketing. Marketing Week’s Engage Awards judges were also impressed with Boden’s ’Love Story’ catalogue campaign that ran last winter and achieved a good return on investment. It worked well because each piece of mail sent out with the catalogue was tailored personally to customers and included product recommendations based on what they had bought before, using analytics by supplier Autonomy. Boden CRM manager Neil Warburton says it worked well because it was so targeted and featured founder Johnnie Boden talking ’directly’ to the buyer. 'People had got used to seeing a model on the [catalogue] cover, but when we were talking to them personally, it was much less likely they would assume it was junk mail and not open it,' says Warburton. But he is candid about how it was received once opened. 'People either loved it or hated it. We had much more positive than negative feedback although we definitely got some who said ’never darken my door again’. But we get that with every catalogue.' Warburton says feedback is very important to Boden and its ABC1 consumers are not scared of coming forward. The Love Story campaign went on to encourage them to contribute to the story by going online and 'sharing what they love and loath about Boden'. For smaller brands, direct marketing can be crucial for building client relationships. Luxury leather goods manufacturer Ettinger started selling via its website in 2008 and also sends out a newsletter six times a year Warburton is now working on the brand’s 2012 summer catalogues. The first group to be targeted will be its top-spending customers - about 10-20% of its customer base. 'No one wants to tell their customers that some are less special than others, but the truth is some of them are much more profitable. If we can spend a bit more to make sure these customers choose Boden over others, then we’ll do it,' he says. Using direct mail as a starting point has been effective for the brand, he claims. 'It worked well because people talked about it on Facebook. The only way to encourage that conversation is to follow up the DM with email and competitions on our community and Facebook sites.' While Boden might build its business model on direct marketing, it is less relevant for other brands in the premium sector. Victor Lanson, marketing controller, events and communication at First Drinks Brands, which distributes Piper-Heidsieck champagne, Rémy Martin cognac and Hendrick’s gin among others, is sceptical about DM. 'Because we are premium, I don’t really do emails or mail; generally people dislike them. We usually do event sponsorship, asking for exclusivity at events. Consumers won’t see us as people but they will see the brands and associate them with other partners such as Bremont watches, Porsche and Norton motorbikes,' he explains. For smaller brands, direct marketing can be crucial for building client relationships. Luxury leather goods manufacturer Ettinger started selling via its website in 2008 and also sends out a newsletter six times a year. It also makes small, co-branded leather goods for Bentley. Marketing and web manager Jerome Mackay explains that the brand is working on a new database of customers so it can send direct messages to people - but in a refined way. “We don’t want to hassle our customers. We are not here to get as much out of them as possible. We are there to be friendly and have less of a business relationship and more of a clubby relationship. There are some customers who feel proud to have found us,” he says. While Ettinger was founded in the 1930s, Mackay says it has only started seeing itself as a ’brand’ more recently. “Because we are a small company, we have to be very careful with anything we do. We are not a fashion brand, and we are not trying to emulate the marketing strategies that the larger groups can afford. We keep making [the same] goods year after year so it is a very different approach,” he says. As a result, the brand puts a face and name to every point of contact it has with customers, and has started marketing on a one-to-one basis, sending thank-you emails when someone has bought a product. For Combemale at the DMA, direct marketing is an activity that is somewhat unfairly maligned by some high-end brands. These brands might not categorise their activities as classical ’DM’ yet consider direct contact vital to their operations. He warns: 'The category has under-used database marketing, usually due to bias at the senior level. But I think that markets have changed. You have to build in activity that is right for the customer, not just bash out a sales message.' Scott Dunn is a direct-sell-only tour operator - we don’t sell through other means. Therefore, all our communication is direct. One of the big challenges for us being a high-end brand is to convey quality. Holidays are very emotive. We try to get across what a customer would get for £10,000 and how that makes someone feel. It is a challenge with a traditional paper direct mail. Acquisition DM is much less targeted, but you still want a quality premium feel. It is difficult to get the numbers to work on that, so conversion is lower. In the past, we have done very little acquisition marketing, it’s mainly been talking to our existing database of customers. Another challenge is that our high-repeat guests are saying to us that they want to hear from Scott Dunn on a personalised basis. They don’t want to be put on the mailing list with others. They might have spent £100,000 with us in the past three years and expect us to talk to them from a position of knowledge and understanding. We are focusing on that at the moment. We want our mailings to feel personal. When I have been sent a DM piece, I can tell if a computer has generated it, inserting three or four facts from a database. Particularly in the luxury sector, the guests are more savvy - you have to work harder to give that real, personalised feel. A big advantage of being 100% direct rather than through an agent is that we have our customers’ full details. All our outbound marketing is logged against each guest record so we recognise their phone number and can see their enquiry history, quotes, feedback, details of conversations and all the marketing that has been sent. Typically, travel brands are not as good at personalisation as other sectors. The bar is not set particularly high so it isn’t too difficult to wow people. There is a real opportunity to impress guests with all the information you have about them. At our end of the sector we send out book-style brochures, which might have coffee-table appeal. Some guests love them, whereas others sometimes send it back saying they object to us spending money on brochures when everything can be done on digitally. We have got to absolutely know the guests that don’t want the printed material and give them a choice, for example by sending a text beforehand asking them to let us know if they don’t want to receive a brochure. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk Source: Marketing Week – 16 June 2011 http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item8.htm The latest 'London Economic Outlook' from the Greater London Authority indicates that the London economy continues its post recession expansion. Even during the recent recession it seems that London just outperformed the rest of the UK – a change from previous recessions. Recent economic indicators continue to show a recovery in the London economy, with positive public transport usage and business surveys showing activity picking up. However, consumer confidence remains extremely weak with real wage growth being squeezed by inflation and higher taxes dampening consumption. Employment growth is expected over the next few years with increases in private sector employment outweighing public sector job losses. Unemployment however is unlikely to come down quickly. The Government’s fiscal retrenchment is likely to dampen economic growth slightly in the short run but will rebuild market confidence in the country’s finances and will help to provide longer run stability. Fiscal tightening also puts downward pressure on market interest rates, which should encourage private sector investment. A large downside risk to the recovery remains the fragile nature of many developed countries public finances and the possibility of a worsening sovereign debt/financial crisis in the Eurozone that would trigger a huge fall in investor confidence. Sovereign debt defaults or even restructures would put great pressure on the still strained balance sheets of many banks. Inflation is likely to remain above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target until 2012 due to the rise in VAT in January 2011, Sterling’s past depreciation and increasing commodity prices. There is a risk that at some point the Bank of England will have to raise interest rates sharply and quickly but still the most likely interest rate path is one of gradual increases towards more normal levels over the next couple of years. Sterling continues to remain weak and this should provide support to the economy from import substitution and improved export competitiveness. This will continue to benefit London’s tourism sector and encourage inward foreign investment. Overall this recovery will be led by private sector investment and trade rather than by public sector and household consumption. This rebalancing of the economy is required but will not be an easy one for consumers. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on Sales@londonletterboxmaketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item7.htm The Postal Services Bill passed by Parliament last week will lead to price increases for commercial mailers, says the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). The Bill lays the groundwork for a restructuring of the Royal Mail in order to make it attractive for sale and was passed on 9 June. The Government intends to take on Royal Mail’s large pension deficit with effect from March 2012 as part of the preparations for a sale. It also intends to restructure the company’s balance sheet so that the Royal Mail’s level of debt will be reduced substantially. Work to establish a new regulatory framework for postal services is already underway with a transfer of regulatory responsibility from Postcomm to Ofcom alongside an overhaul to ensure restrictions are proportionate to the needs of the market. Ofcom will launch a consultation in the autumn with a view to establishing the new regulatory framework in spring 2012. Alex Walsh, Head of Postal Affairs for the DMA, says: “While the new legislation will render Royal Mail a more attractive proposition for interested investors, we’re concerned that competition will suffer. There’s also no incentive for Royal Mail to improve efficiencies or cut costs. So, it’s highly likely that commercial mailers will be saddled with price increases along the line. This year alone we’ve seen a 15 per cent hike in mailing costs. Increasing prices further will undoubtedly lead to many companies shying away from using mail to communicate with consumers and withdrawing business from Royal Mail, which it can ill afford to lose.” The ultimate intention for Royal Mail is to sell up to 90% of the postal operator to a private company with the rest handed to Royal Mail employees. London Letterbox Marketing holds a Postal Operators Licence and can handle your direct mail deliveries in London. To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on Sales@londonletterboxmaketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item6.htm Door to door marketing is already a very cost-effective and 'green' form of marketing. - Modern targeting tools take the guess-work and waste out of estimating the number of leaflets, letters, postcards or magazines required for your campaign - Printing and distribution costs are optimised so you print the right number of leaflets and reach the right homes and the right people - Nearly all these items are made from recycled paper These factors mean that your marketing works harder for your campaign and there is less effect on the environment as the carbon emissions from printing and delivery are minimised. In a further advance in environmentally-friendly marketing, the Direct Marketing Association has recently offered suggestions on how to make more improvements and savings. http://www.dma.org.uk/_attachments/resources/7127_S4.pdf To find out more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item1.htm The recent launch of the 'Start Up Britain' campaign saw the Prime Minister herald 'the decade of enterprise'. That is encouraging news for business, but that still leaves a lot of hard work - making products and services customers want, managing staff and resources, effective marketing and sales. For most small and local business, customers live within 2 miles of their location. The web and social media are great marketing tools, but what is the point of reaching customers 50 or 5,000 miles away? With letterbox marketing in London or across UK, you can door drop to the street next to your shop or to target boroughs around your office. Recent figures published in Marketing Week show that unaddressed mail marketing is actually growing - and fast. In 2010 the top ten biggest unaddressed advertisers spent £38.8m, up from £27.2m in 2009. The 43% increase compares with the 7% uplift widely forecast for the entire advertising market in 2010. The prime reason for this - as in the recession in the 1990s - is that unaddressed mail is one of the most affordable and effective forms of marketing available - especially to Small and Medium Enterprises. If you are a small business wanting to target consumers by demographic in London or anywhere in the UK why not give us a call for an informal discussion? To find our more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on mailto:Sales@londonletterbox.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item2.htm London Letterbox Marketing deliver to London's 3.3 million homes and businesses. With an economy that is larger than that of several European nations, London is widely regarded as the primary location in Europe for business. Centuries of political and social stability and international trade have given rise to a thriving hub for international commerce. Over 65 percent of Fortune's Global 500 companies have chosen London as a center of operations and London plays host to more foreign banks than any other city in the world. The London economy contributes around 17 percent of the UK's total GDP and is comparable in size to that of Sweden, Belgium and Russia. Each of London's distinct regions - North, South, East, West and Central - is individually larger than many major cities elsewhere in Europe. The sheer size and diversity of London presents a wide variety of potential locations, so much so that most investors will find a region to meet their needs. Over 7 million people live and work in Greater London. Letterbox marketing aka door drops or door to door can deliver leaflets, postcards, brochures, magazines, newspapers or even product samples to target areas. Reach your customers across London in target streets, postcode sectors or boroughs To find our more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item3.htm Recent research from the British Marketing Survey shows that letterbox or door drop marketing has a response rate superior to TV, e-mail, web advertising, local radio and newspapers. In research during 2010, 90% of respondents noticed door drops (next highest TV at 65%) and 6.5% responded (next highest TV and web at 4%). So how do you plan the right door drop for your business? 1. Think about - who is most likely to want or need your service (a wide range of people or specific type(s), where they live or work (ie households nearest to your shop? More affluent homes and suburbs? Local businesses?) and the most persuasive sales message for your leaflet or brochure. 2. Use a reputable firm - always use a door drop practitioner who is a member of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). DMA practitioners agree to abide by a Code of Practice and are vetted to ensure that they have the necessary equipment and resources to undertake campaigns. Ask for references. 3. Use the firm's experience - most good companies will be happy to offer advice as well access to their planning tools 4. Agree where and when - make sure you receive a delivery plan and that the start and end dates are agreed in advance 5. Doormat impact - There is no point investing hard earned cash on a leaflet that fails to grab attention . Employ a designer who has a track record in designing persuasive sales material which promotes your business. You should aim for strong positive image and clear call to action for the customer. If you don't know a good designer, your letterbox company can advise or they may offer a 'One Stop Shop' - planning, design, printing and delivery all included. 6. Measure response - if possible have a dedicated number or e-mail address on your leaflet so you can identify and measure the source of enquiries. Otherwise, ask each enquiry how they came to contact you and build up a picture. We hope this helps, but to find our more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item4.htm Letterbox marketing offers a wide range of targeting to match the needs of your business. You may wish to deliver leaflets or postcards to the nearest homes and businesses around your store or you may wish to be more selective and deliver to specific streets. Perhaps you wish to reach all 3.3 million addresses in London ? London Letterbox Marketing can help you target and deliver your marketing and communications to varying degrees - Selected street - Postcode sector - Council ward - NHS area - Borough - Greater London Using up-to-date software and information, we can give you accurate numbers of deliveries required and maps to confirm the distribution areas. We hope this helps your marketing. To find our more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk http://www.londonletterbox.co.uk/Industry_News_Item5.htm Letterbox marketing offers a wide range of services to minimise costs and maximise budget. Direct mail - if you need to deliver to named individuals then we can deliver addressed mail across London. We can use your own database of customers or help you to buy required lists Letterbox marketing aka door drops or door to door or leafleting - we can deliver 'unaddressed' leaflets, postcards, brochures, magazines, newspapers or even product samples to target areas. Reach your customers across London in target streets, postcode sectors or boroughs To find our more call London Letterbox Marketing on 0208 940 0666 or contact us on sales@londonletterboxmarketing.co.uk