Do the “Production Hustle”

Developing a single or multichannel campaign can be daunting. Downright scary even. Where do you even start? There’s such a variety of factors to consider: strategy, creative, data, costs and (wait for it)…

TIMING.

The importance of correctly timing each “leg” of a multichannel or integrated campaign is essential to maximizing the overall reach and effectiveness. And, the more channels of communication you bring into the mix, the more on top of your planning you’ll need to be.

Believe it or not, direct mail continues to be the “keystone” in most integrated campaigns.  Engaging the audience through its diverse assets – direct mail of course stands alone; but it’s also a valuable part of an integrated approach. Many times the “print” portion is the first leg of the campaign, with additional media channels complementing each other and driving the targeted audience to take action.

Mail tracking with the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb), for instance, makes it easier to identify when the direct mail piece should be received by the recipient. With that information – assembling a 1-2-3 multi-channel communication punch should be easy…schedule an email blast, point people to a specialized landing page and compliment your message via social media (and don’t underestimate the power of telemarketing).

Even so, and I can’t stress this enough, timing is everything.

Although every channel has its unique production challenges – in direct mail, scheduling isn’t always so easily condensed [cue account managers cheering in the background]. Especially when the format is unique and the messaging more targeted.

There is a direct correlation between the production timeline and the attributes that make a direct mail package stand out in the mail. The more customized the treatment – from custom envelope die cuts (can we mail a heart-shaped envelope?), to specialty stocks (two weeks to get French Vanilla?), to up-front premiums (how can I stuff a keychain into that #10?) – the longer it will take to produce.

Ugh. It’s enough to make your head spin!

So, how do we get that gorgeous direct mail package out the door ON TIME and perfectly in sync with our online efforts? Here are my thoughts:

1. Don’t underestimate the schedule that will be needed to launch each segment of your campaign. Whether using one channel or multiple, there are a lot of moving parts…you’ve got the “big picture” in your sights, but don’t forget all the little details that can add lag time.

2. Communicate openly and frequently with your clients and vendors. Establish clear expectations and goals, commit to deadlines and keep key players “in the know” so challenges can be met head on collaboratively.

3. Partner with trusted experts. They’ll have their execution down to a science and can foresee scheduling hiccups before they ever happen. Hit the wall anyway? You’ll need all the support you can get!

4. Schedules are fluid but don’t count on recapturing lost momentum in a one-to-one ratio – Lose a day through slow approvals and it may add multiple days to your timeline. Miss a deadline and the domino effect begins.

Don’t get me wrong, roadblocks can appear out of nowhere and sometimes there’s not a darn thing you can do about it. But by understanding the importance of timing, and staying on top of our schedules, we can set pace, keep it and meet our campaign goals.

How does your production hustle flow? I’m interested to know.

– George

________________________________________________________

George Lizama, a founder of Production Solutions and its CEO and chief marketing officer, has spent over 30 years in production management. A recognized leader in the fundraising industry, George served as president of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) in 2010 and received its Distinguished Achievement Award in 2006. In 2008, he received a Washington Business Journal Philanthropy Award for CEO Leadership, partly in recognition of his longtime support of Northern Virginia Family Service, of which he is a director.