Intense!

That is how I would sum up the championship dart finals that Gary Meyers and I, and the rest of our Chips team participated in on Wednesday night at Coopers, our home tavern. We were matched up against The Dart Bags, and they were ready to go, jumping out to a 5 -1 lead. First team to 11 wins took the crown, so at this point we were beginning to get a little concerned. We crept back into it, and before you knew it we were tied at 7-7.

Then we went to work and took the next two matches. Two more wins and the title was ours. This is where the atmosphere got intense. We were up both games, on the cusp of the championship, and then lost them both on the crucial bulls-eye throws.

So, with the score tied 10 to 10 we go to the “team” match of 801 to decide the night. Neck and neck throughout the whole game and it comes down to the first team to “double out.” Each player had an opportunity to win it, to be the hero, and each player failed, not once but twice. Then our team captain, Kirbie steps up for Chips and nails the double 4. VICTORY!!!! Well done guys. Cheers to a great season.

From left to right, Kirbie Predmore, Gary Meyers, John Kennedy, Frank Martel, Russell Nash, Robert Schwenn.

John Kennedy
New Business Manager

Depending upon the source, it’s been reported that consumers receive on average anywhere from 250 to 3,000 marketing impressions in a single day. Even taking a low figure of 100 impressions per day adds up to 36,500 a year!

So, if you’re an advertiser, how do you stand out? In the case of Hodgson/Meyers client CSG Systems. Inc. – a customer interaction management solution company – the answer was to come out fighting. Or at least to wear boxing gloves.

How to stand out in the direct mail crowd

In touching more than half of all U.S. households, CSG helps companies such as Comcast, DISH and Time Warner with billing and customer interaction solutions. When the time came to introduce a new product offering, CSG wanted to reach approximately 100 key decision makers in the cable and satellite TV industry.

With such a narrow, targeted audience, a direct mail approach seemed the most appropriate vehicle. However, these influential executives are also the same targets of most every other technology company as well. Thus, the challenge became to create marketing materials that would not immediately be placed in the round file, under W for wastebasket.

As the marketing agency for CSG, we needed to think big and think outside the box. In this case, thinking big meant size. And thinking outside the box had to do with thinking about what went inside the box.

Which brings us back to boxing gloves.

Adapt the mail strategy to the marketing strategy

Cable and satellite marketing managers face the never-ending problem of customer churn, people who leave one provider for another. CSG has a way to help providers eliminate churn with a better customer management solution. We recommended sending life-size professional boxing gloves along with product information to the target audience, allowing CSG to figuratively and literally give marketing executives the tools to effectively fight churn.

The sheer size of the direct mail piece (7.5” x 10.5” x 12.5”) received immediate attention. Inside a handsome box, copy and layout framed a personalized message as if announcing a heavyweight championship bout.

Box copy and Everlast boxing gloves were customized with each individual recipient’s name. These decision makers were encouraged to “K.O. churn with CSG customer intelligence solutions.” In so doing, they’d be able to build strong customer relationships, retain subscribers more effectively and enhance the value of each customer interaction.

Big package. Big Idea. In short, a real knockout!

(Customized boxes for the CSG mailer were provided by MasterCraft.)