HOW TO USE DIRECT RESPONSE CARD DECKS AS A MARKET RESEARCH TOOL... ...by Thom Reece

©Copyright 1985--2005 Thom Reece All Rights Reserved

Market research specialists have discovered a new tool which enables them to quickly identify target market cells, measure buyer acceptance, test new product or service concepts quickly and inexpensively and survey market characteristics...the Direct Response Card Deck.

For two to four cents per contact, researcher can now gather market intelligence from both specialized vertical markets (lawyers, doctors, etc.) or broad based horizontal markets (all marketing executives across industry lines). In addition, these same markets can now be tested in such confined geographical areas as business executives in Hawaii or professionals in Minneapolis.

Not only does marketer overcome one of traditional problems in research...test sizes...he or she also reaps huge advantage of accurate measurability and accountability. Since all responses can be directed right back to research organization, market feedback is both quick and accurate.

Many firms have difficulty in obtaining statistically significant samplings through traditional channels because of budget restrictions.

It's not uncommon for important strategy decisions to be made on basis of sampling as few as 2,000 names out of a universe of several million potential buyers. This is risky at best. It could lead to marketing disaster based on serious sampling error, or wrong conclusions drawn from insufficient data.

With direct response card packs, it is now possible to test or survey as many as 100,000 potential buyers for as little as $2,000 or less. For research or direct marketing consultant this results in meaningful figures which are both statistically significant and forecastable.

Proper analysis of this larger sampling should result in strategy decisions which are more accurate, more meaningful, more valid and more profitable for direct marketer.

The ability to order and conduct true A/B (or more) split run tests of offers, prices, etc. has important implications for creative team.

The marketing intelligence gathered through card packs can be a valuable road map to success. Critically important data, discovered through card deck advertising, can determine answers to such questions as:

• Have we targeted to correct audience?

• Is audience responsive to degree necessary to maximize potential profitability?

• Do we have right combination of offer, price, copy, graphics, headlines, terms, etc.?
  
  

There are two basic approaches to advertising or lead generation... shotgun approach... or rifle approach.

There is only one cost efficient way... rifle approach.

By carefully selecting specific niche markets, and presenting a compelling message directly to that audience, you will begin to reap real profit rewards of direct marketing.

First let's define a "niche" market. I define it as: "Any homogeneous market in which members of group have similar occupational or lifestyle characteristics... those characteristics being ones which would make them an excellent prospect to develop a Seasilver business... and/or consume product.

IDENTIFYING NICHE OCCUPATIONAL MARKETS FOR WELLNESS MARKETS...

Some of niche markets are obvious:

• Chiropractors

• Medical Doctors, Nurses

• Health Food Stores

• Fitness Centers

• Spas, Health Retreats

• Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, etc.

• Veterinarians, Pet Clinics, Pet Shops (Yes, Seasilver works wonderfully for pets.)
• etc.

NICHE LIFESTYLE AND DEMOGRAPHIC RELATED MARKETS...

• Senior citizens or "baby boomers"

• Specific Disease Sufferers... cancer, diabetes, arthritis, ADD, Lupus, etc. (Remember, we can make NO claims.)

• Pre-natal, Pregnant Women, Babies, Parenting

• Sports participants and enthusiasts

• Health & Fitness Buyers
• Etc. Etc.

HOW TO TARGET THE NICHE...

Regardless of how you intend to approach niche with your marketing message... print advertising, broadcast, direct mail, e-mail marketing, etc. ... you have to identify resources that can supply targeted pathway for your message.

The first place to look... and a pure qualifier for whether you have identified a real niche in first place... is to look for magazines and other print media (newsletters) that are targeted specifically to that defined market---and that can supply you with targeted mailing lists (snail mail or email) , print advertising vehicles (magazines, newsletters, newspapers, trade journals, etc.), to cost effectively reach niche.

Where do you find these resources? The easiest and fastest way is to do a search at Google for terms that closely identity target audience. For purposes of example let's use occupational niche of Chiropractors:

Searching Google for "chiropractic magazines" will show us a link... http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/journal.shtml ... which will in-turn identify several publications which show promise:

• Chiropractic Economics

• DC Products Review

• Dynamic Chiropractic

• Today's Chiropractic

Once you have identified several publications that serve niche market, your next step is to contact each publication and request a "full media kit" from advertising department. The publications ad department will send you a copy of publication, advertising rate card, and other marketing materials touting advantages of advertising with them.

SELECTING MEDIA...

Study contents of media kit carefully. Especially look at ads which could be considered competitors for your product. If you are luck enough to live near a large university or public library here is a trick used by many savvy advertisers... go library and see if there is an old copy of magazine in question. Go back at least a year or two. If you find same advertisers in old publications you can safely assume that publication is pulling a profit for their advertising. This is not fail-safe... but it is a good indicator.