Attention, Please: Direct Marketing Basics Help CADM Draw A Crowd

You say you’ve planned a crackin’ agenda, chock full of exemplary sessions. And, you’ve got all the top suppliers in your field queued up to exhibit in your hall. Great! But what about attendees? How are you getting the word out that your show is the place to be?

CM Plus recently chatted with Nancy Artz, president, Artz Consulting Services, Northbrook, IL, and chair of the 2007 Chicago Direct Marketing Days & Expo, to see how the Chicago DM Association draws marketers to their event.

The primary audience for Chicago Direct Marketing Days is, not surprisingly, the Chicago area, although attendees do also come from Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and beyond. The show typically draws about 1,000 attendees, many from the city’s thriving direct marketing community. As CADM plans for 2008, the association hopes to draw more visitors from the growing interactive arena as well.

“It’s a branding issue here,” says Artz, noting that some practitioners of newer disciplines like search engine marketing might not see themselves as direct marketers.

Another challenge is the fact that both CADM members and nonmembers are, like everyone today, bombarded by media. “It’s a challenge to get their attention,” Artz says.

The primary marketing vehicle for the event, typically held in the spring, is a brochure sent by mail. Ads are also placed in industry publications, through deals with marketing partners.

“It’s funny how direct marketing basics always work,” she says with a laugh.

Online, banners are used, as well as e-mail campaigns to names on opt-in lists from marketing partners.

Efforts were also made this year to target key companies in the Chicago area that might be able to send multiple attendees or be interested in a deluxe VIP package for 10 visitors. And telemarketing was used four weeks before the show, to make contact with previous attendees who hadn’t yet registered.

A follow-up survey of attendees after this year’s show found that 45% said they had heard about the event by the mail brochure; in addition, 40% noted e-mail and 41% said they had heard about DM Days from a colleague.

“Word of mouth is important,” says Artz. “We need to encourage viral marketing.”

As for how they prefer to receive info, 76% mentioned e-mail, 48% said postal mail and only 2% said by phone.

And in promotion, naturally, money is always an issue.

“The challenge for not only CADM but any local or regional association is that we have a limited budget,” says Artz. “We’d love to go out and rent a lot of different e-mail or mail lists, but we don’t have the budget. We rely heavily on our media partners and sponsoring companies to help support us.”

Artz estimates that typically spends between $15,000 to $20,000 promoting the event, not counting things like donated printing, media space or time by volunteers.