Expanding the Universe
Challenge:
When leading manufacturers sell through distribution, direct contact with customers is either missing from the start or lost along the way. When a world leader in pro audio, decided to reach out to a younger demographic in a direct way, the mechanisms weren't in place to make that happen.
Solution:
The answer was database marketing.
We recommended the development of a custom-built marketing database that would serve as a circulation base for digital and direct marketing, a research tool, a promotional medium and a company asset. We developed prototypes for online communications, including newsletters for two niche markets and demonstrated how a managed marketing database could pinpoint individuals within key markets, eliminate inefficiencies, provide critical performance metrics and, in the long run, deliver cost savings.
It was a year of tracking down source files, changing partners, surviving blistering sessions with IT staff, holding discussions with marketing and advertising associates, presenting, refining, testing, retesting, meeting, meeting and meeting. By fall, the Shure Marketing Database - comprising over 120,000 records from 80 individual datastreams - was born.
Just four months later, we launched Shure Notes. One version for newbies. One version for the growing church market. The mission? Develop relationships with customers and prospects by supplying helpful pro audio information - anything from building a project studio to tips on booking gigs.
Result:
Back then, someone told us, "Newsletter never survive more than one year." Apparently, we have proven them wrong in our fifth year of providing turnkey editorial, design, programming and e-mail services for both publications. Twenty-two issues of Shure Notes for Houses of Worship. Twenty-four issues and counting of Shure Notes/Music Industry.
We survey our subscribers (yes, they're all opted in, and we handled that, too) every year. And our grades are outstanding. (If only they'd been this good in college!)
"It's great to see this respected name in pro audio put out such a great resource."
"Shure Notes only reinstills my faith in Shure products."
"The fact that Shure Notes can be used by such a wide variety of personnel is what makes it great. Keep up the good work."
"Pretty wicked sweet."
The marketing database continues to grow and thrive. It is an essential tool in the company's aggressive e-marketing campaigns, the locus for several subscription databases and a resource for Shure's research department.
The upfront development costs have given way to nominal maintenance costs that are included in a service package integrating a spectrum of e-mail services we deliver on just about a daily basis.
And to think it all started with this question: "Where can we get e-mail addresses of young musicians?"
View the Shure Notes Archive here.
You can also subscribe for FREE.
When leading manufacturers sell through distribution, direct contact with customers is either missing from the start or lost along the way. When a world leader in pro audio, decided to reach out to a younger demographic in a direct way, the mechanisms weren't in place to make that happen.
Solution:The answer was database marketing.
We recommended the development of a custom-built marketing database that would serve as a circulation base for digital and direct marketing, a research tool, a promotional medium and a company asset. We developed prototypes for online communications, including newsletters for two niche markets and demonstrated how a managed marketing database could pinpoint individuals within key markets, eliminate inefficiencies, provide critical performance metrics and, in the long run, deliver cost savings.
It was a year of tracking down source files, changing partners, surviving blistering sessions with IT staff, holding discussions with marketing and advertising associates, presenting, refining, testing, retesting, meeting, meeting and meeting. By fall, the Shure Marketing Database - comprising over 120,000 records from 80 individual datastreams - was born.
Just four months later, we launched Shure Notes. One version for newbies. One version for the growing church market. The mission? Develop relationships with customers and prospects by supplying helpful pro audio information - anything from building a project studio to tips on booking gigs.
Result:
Back then, someone told us, "Newsletter never survive more than one year." Apparently, we have proven them wrong in our fifth year of providing turnkey editorial, design, programming and e-mail services for both publications. Twenty-two issues of Shure Notes for Houses of Worship. Twenty-four issues and counting of Shure Notes/Music Industry.
We survey our subscribers (yes, they're all opted in, and we handled that, too) every year. And our grades are outstanding. (If only they'd been this good in college!)
"It's great to see this respected name in pro audio put out such a great resource."
"Shure Notes only reinstills my faith in Shure products."
"The fact that Shure Notes can be used by such a wide variety of personnel is what makes it great. Keep up the good work."
"Pretty wicked sweet."
The marketing database continues to grow and thrive. It is an essential tool in the company's aggressive e-marketing campaigns, the locus for several subscription databases and a resource for Shure's research department.
The upfront development costs have given way to nominal maintenance costs that are included in a service package integrating a spectrum of e-mail services we deliver on just about a daily basis.
And to think it all started with this question: "Where can we get e-mail addresses of young musicians?"
View the Shure Notes Archive here.
You can also subscribe for FREE.
