FREE Cake? Yes, Please.

I’ve admitted many things in this blog… I like sugary cereals, stupid sale names make me angry, I love rummage sales, my son makes money selling old fanny packs, I prefer cake & brownies over ice cream, and that I don’t take my wife to the movies often enough.

​Now this bombshell – I like getting junk mail, you know, the REAL stuff that comes in the mail box. It fascinates me. I look at all of it. I rate each piece. I look for errors, I clip coupons, I put some in a file for future ideas.

​The other day, I stuck my hand in the mailbox and out comes a card… Bright red with big, bold, white text that says, “FREE CAKE.” I was all in. I didn’t care if it meant I had to eat Kale – raw – I’m going to get my free cake.
 
It was a mailer for a restaurant trying to get me to sign up for their “Birthday Club,” and trust me, I will be. I enjoy this particular restaurant AND I get a free piece of cake... Um, awesome!
 
I mention this piece for two reasons. First, contrary to certain opinions, direct mail is NOT dead. Advancements in digital printing and creative postage options can make it a great solution for the right business/situation. Second, this piece illustrates the importance of, “It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.”
 
Had I received a piece which said, “Join Our Birthday Club Today! Sign-up Online and get a FREE piece of cake,’ I would not have reacted to the piece the same way. While the purpose of the piece is to get my email, and have me spend more money at their restaurant, the focus and/or message of the piece was the FREE cake – And it worked!!
 
Great marketing is a mix or art and science. Metrics can drive part of the process, but without great ideas and creative thinking, the message can miss the mark. As you begin to plan your next marketing project, don’t be afraid to “hide” the obvious within something fun and creative. A message can be delivered in many ways – Find a method which delivers results, regardless of whether it seems obvious or not.