DMA
INTERNATIONAL ECHO AWARD
2002
Echo Digital Award and Echo Gold Award:
Universal Music, Lost Highway Records.,
She's Rocking the USA - Lucinda Williams promotion
Lucinda
Williams was beginning a tour, and had introduced a new recording -- her
first in over two years. Her prior CD had been a smash success double
Grammy winner -- but now the budget was too low at her label, Lost Highway,
to promote the new CD in traditional ways. We took their budget and created
a 4-email, plus microsite promotion that blasted through to to the tune
of over 30% response to their house list, and over 2.7% to cold email
lists. PLUS over 50% of the responders purchased the new ESSENCE CD as
a direct effect of going into the site or reading continued emails. In
addition, our information gathering led to our developing the world's
first Roots Rock database, and in addition we now have a pattern of marketing
that we can repeat again for other recording artists in low-budget situations
and know we can make it work.
2000
Silver: American Isuzu Motors Inc.,
Ironman Promotion
Promoting
multiple products in a single direct mail package is traditionally a disaster
ready to happen. In this case, being given that mandate by Isuzu, WLC
and M\S Database marketing combined efforts to find the perfect glue to
both hold the campaign together...and catapult it to massive success.
That "glue" was the Ironman triathalon, which Isuzu sponsors,
along with Reebok, a sports shoe manufacturer who M|S approached for our
gift-for-testdrive. This promotion led to incredible test drives in an
'off' year, plus huge conversion rates for test drive to vehicle sale.
1999
Silver: American Isuzu Motors Inc., VehiCROSS Program
Isuzu's
outrageous new vehicle, the VehiCROSS, was ready to enter the market...sort
of. Well, actually they asked us to sell the first 500 within four months,
but unfortunately they had very few photos and none of them a perfect
representation of the entire vehicle. They also had a miniscule budget...about
$125,000. Undaunted, WLC and the team at M\S Database worked together
to develop a program which led to the sale of 500 VehiCROSSes, SIGHT UNSEEN,
in less than three months. How did we do it? We called upon our now-extensive
experience with premiums for test drive and purchase, and with M\S's extraordinary
slice and dice of data found our tiny but powerful universe of 'early
adapters' crossed with 'collectors' and Isuzu enthusiasts. The package,
slightly oversized in a vellum envelope and an offer of a limited-edition
silverprint photo of VehiCROSS in action by an acclaimed automotive photographer...and
you have a winner in every sense of the word.
1998
Silver: Remington Arms Industrial Division
Remington
Arms creates a piece of equipment which is nicknamed the Master Blaster...designed
to clean out the interior of industrial kilns far faster than traditional
methods. This direct marketing mandate was to blast past the competition
to sell this equipment, valued at tens of thousands of dollars apiece,
by appealing to both the plant supervisors and the plant managers of specially
targeted facilities. These are folks who traditionally ignore most direct
mail. However, when the plant manager received a pair of boxing gloves
with a brochure that colorfully exclaimed Crunch! Pow! Bam! in Batman-fashion,
and a compelling but brief letter inviting further conversation, they
responded and purchased beyond our client's wildest dreams. An even better
up-side is that Remington continues to enjoy more profit as they sell
the 'ammunition' to these customers.
1997 Gold: The Highlander Catalog
While television and film's Davis Panzer Productions
excel in the art of creation of The Highlander, a story of immortals and
their sword battles to win the final place in destiny, their catalog skills
(and those of their packaging company) were not marketing-oriented. Enter
WLC and the team at M2 advertising (Including TVA productions), who recreated
the catalog and the lead-generation program that changed their universe.
Developing the catalog as a true fan-oriented vehicle, the added-value
facts and photos created a framework for the products, and rather than
distracting them, added to the momentum of salesmanship. Selling everything
from $17 tee shirts to $400 collectible swords, this catalog became a
massive moneymaker. With little change in the product offering on this
first catalog, response more than quadrupled, and the average sale nearly
tripled from prior numbers. We're proud to note that this kind of success
continued for the two-plus year run in which we worked on this catalog.
Our involvement included pagination, design, photoshoot, copy and first
level production.
1994 Bronze: Health for Life Catalog
The
bodybuilding market is one which has money to spend if the prospects are
convinced that the products will provide breakthroughs for them in strength,
bulk, and performance. This market also included people in law enforcement,
martial arts, etc. This client started out requesting consulting with
WLC -- we made improvements in their offer structure and their order form.
Then, with success showing up immediately, we were given the entire catalog
to design and develop, from pagination through copy and design, through
final approvals. (copy by the brilliant Otis Maxwell) The changes included
moving from a product-driven catalog to a lifestyle and results-driven
one. And their results? HFL jumped from 4% to 19% in their house list
response on the first catalog!
1986 Gold: Players Club International
The first club for mid-range gamblers, Players Club International was
struggling to find and keep its membership. In dire straits after overspending
with a major international agency, they turned to Richard Potter and WLC
to create their final shot to break through. Discarding the oversized
process color package in exchange for a subdued grey monarch package which
concentrated on what potential members wanted to see...the major hotels
which were incuded in the Players Club package, and the benefit of being
treated like a high-roller...and people joined in record numbers. To add
to the punch, Telly Savalas (Players Club's new spokesman) was featured
subtly as a 'seal of approval' for these members. Response was 600% over
the control by the old agency, and Players Club thrived for years before
the casinos finally caught on to the member strategy.
Echo Leaders and Certificates for clients including:
American Isuzu Commercial Vehicles
American Isuzu Motors
Health for Life Catalog
Republic Pictures Video Catalog
ATI Computer Software Training
Calcomp Computer Printer Hardware and Supplies Catalog
Beneficial Standard Life Insurance Co.
National Benefit Life Insurance Co.
