using email before your campaign | emsa 2011

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Using Email BEFORE your campaign

Russ VineManaging Director

Junior

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Background

• Queensland Teachers Credit Union• Formed 1965• Nicer way to bank/lend money• Gets popular• Makes huge fuss it’s not just for teachers• Uncovers odd problem• Fixes problem with innovative campaign• As explained by this short video…

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

So how the hell did we come up with that?

• Best explained when the campaign is reviewed using traditional case study headings:– Problem– Insight & Strategy– Creative Solution– Results

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Problem

• 1,700 schools in Queensland.• Only 1,500 teachers in the database.• Modest budget.• No hero rate or hot offer to lead with.• Finance = Low interest category.• ‘Nice’ brand values.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Strategy

• Reaching teachers not the problem but signing them up on the spot unlikely.

• Developed a strategy to create an ‘opted in database’ rather than aim for ‘ready to go leads’.

• Win win would be if we could improve awareness and image along the way.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Insights

• Teachers have a very high sense of professional identity.

• Teachers are in their most teacherly mode when they are together

• Where to get them all in one place? Schools!

• Where to get them thickest on the ground? The staffroom!!

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Creative Solution – Part II

• So we want talk money, to teachers, in their staffroom.

• So lets offer them a cash prize.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Creative Solution – Part II

• So we want talk money, to teachers, in their staffroom

• So lets offer them a cash prize.

• So lets offer them a cash prize to make over their staffroom.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Creative Solution – Part II

• So we want talk money, to teachers, in their staffroom

• So lets offer them a cash prize.

• So lets offer them a cash prize to make over their staffroom.

• So lets offer them a cash prize to make over their staffroom depending on the most votes they can raise!

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Creative Solution – Part III

• Adopt a fund raiser mentality.

• Create a sense of competition around the competition.

• Email participants with updates of who else is doing what else to raise votes.

• Provide leaderboards and ‘tips’.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

Creative Solution – Part I (The Prequel!!)

• What else could we do to give the promotion a little zip?

• To research a mega staffroom is to trawl for ‘best staffroom in the world’– Which reminded us of all those ‘you’ve

got to check this out’ emails that people love to send you.

– Especially when they relate somehow to your job!

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

And a ‘pre campaign’ primer email was born

• Sent to 40 or so teachers in the first instance.

• Breaks every rule in the social media code of conduct.

• Produced exactly as any ‘normal’ person might produce it.

• Except it is a complete fabrication!!

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

The results

• 1024 out of 1700 schools in Queensland participated.

• Number of teachers on QTCU database rose from 1,500 to just over 17,000.

• Over a million consumers exposed to messaging.

• 40,000 unique votes cast.

EMSA 2011 | Innovation and InspirationOctober 19 | Brisbane Powerhouse | Queensland

And if there is a moral to this case study

• Email is a brilliant marketing channel.

• But it is also a way of life.

• Our original computer enabled means to disseminate the things that make us smile or think of someone else.

– More personal then facebook– Certainly more permanent– And (for professionals at least) viewed more often