Title | OVERCOMING INERTIA IN RECALCITRANT GOVERNMENT BUYERS |
Brand | GODREJ INTERIO |
Product / Service | OFFICE FURNITURE |
Category | E02. Cost/Creative Performance Direct Marketing Campaign |
Entrant | SELECT DIRECT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Mumbai, INDIA |
Entrant Company | SELECT DIRECT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Mumbai, INDIA |
Advertising Agency | SELECT DIRECT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Mumbai, INDIA |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Ramesh Iyengar | Select Direct Marketing Communications Pvt. Ltd | Managing Director |
Ameeta Iyengar | Select Direct Marketing Communications Pvt. Ltd | CFO & Director |
Kashiram Vithal Kadam | Select Direct Marketing Communications Pvt. Ltd | Art Director |
Ria Iyengar | Select Direct Marketing Communications Pvt. Ltd | Project Manager |
Asha Rawat | Select Direct Marketing Communications Pvt. Ltd | Sr. Project Manager |
Godrej Interio are India’s premier Office Furniture Company. Their customers are B2B such as Corporates, Government, SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises), and Hospitals. All prospects are databased by the company or available through List Rental Companies. The Direct Mailers are specific and targeted through selection criteria. Direct is the only stimulus used.
Usually in Government Offices, communication regarding DGS&D Rate would have been sent out through normal Government gazette publications. Made of rough newsprint, these were quite invisible to Purchase Managers of PSUs. There is an absence of qualified databases for this TG. List vendors never find Government decision makers as important to keep track of...due to poor demand for the same. So, we decided to send the DM under the designation of the recipient e.g. Head-Purchase. We flouted normal best practices in DM. It didn't matter if it were not personalized and appeared as bulk mail. A simple flat DM with high quality paper stock and elegant design was sent, to ensure it was differentiated from normal Government correspondence. We knew that mail rooms in Govt. Depts would not intercept bulk mail and junk it, as was the common practice in Private sector offices.
Purchase Managers in 7,314 Public Sector Undertaking companies across India
The strategy of direct communications worked. Large Government organizations who were mailed, responded. Total inquiries received were 664.The response was a thrilling 9.1%...from recalcitrant Government buyers. The Direct Mailing activity alone produced sales of Rs 380 mln. Cost of the campaign all told was a mere Rs 1.8 mln.The campaign cost less than 0.5%. The 'simple’and ‘direct’ creative, which was not even personalized, still got a lot of action and a very positive ROI