Posten: Change The World

Credits:

Brief:
This B2B DM campaign from Posten (Swedish Post) was targeted at the 400 most important Marketing Directors in Sweden and to 30 Creative Directors in the ad industry. The call for action was to contact the specialists at Posten by phone to book a meeting. The objective was a response rate of 4% and new business worth of $1,500,000.

Execution:
Marketing Directors with big media budgets have to a large extent quit to use Direct Mail as a complimentary media in their mix. If Posten just could meet them we know they are likely to reconsider their stance. By way of promotion Posten could act with self confidence as the authority in DM they are, thereby lowering the barrier for contact.

Solution:
What is DM really? To make the point that it may be anything we searched for historic examples of direct communication that came to change the world. We treated the examples as if they had been collected and archived by Posten for several hundreds of years. We created “The Swedish Society for Direct Mail” as a spearhead in DM know-how at Posten, led by three executives. The Direct Mail unit sent was a couple of “original” files from this mysterious archive, together with a letter inviting the receiver to book a meeting by phone.

Result:
The campaign has ran for two month. So far 42 Marketing Directors at major Scandinavian companies has booked a meeting with “The Society” at Posten as an effect of the campaign. A response rate of 11%, more than twice as high as the objective. If they result in business every client is worth from $400.000 and up.

Advertiser/Client: POSTEN
Product/Service: THE SWEDISH POST OFFICE
DM/Advertising Agency, City: AKESTAM HOLST, Stockholm
Country: SWEDEN

Name Position Company
Andreas Ullenius Art Director Åkestam Holst
Mark Ardelius Copywriter Åkestam Holst
Petter Hanberger AD-Assistent Åkestam Holst
Katarina Johansson Production Leader Åkestam Holst
Peter Bergendahl Project Leader Åkestam Holst
Torbjörn Krantz Graphic Designer Åkestam Holst
Malin Andreasson Åkestam Holst