In an attempt to head off competition and build market share and brand awareness, Okidata is returning to a marketing technique it used only sporadically in the past: direct mail.
Okidata, Mount Laurel, NJ, is also spending $4 million overall-the company’s largest campaign in many years-on targeted direct response space ads, Web marketing and other media to develop leads for its LED (light-emitting diode) printer line, says marketing support director Greg Van Acker.
Mail efforts include a drop to 200,000 information technology supervisors, management information systems executives and senior managers at small and medium-sized companies in real estate, financial, advertising and marketing positions across the country.
These mailings, which promote the new Okipage 8c digital LED color printer, involve a two-step process. First, Okidata sends out an interactive credit-card-sized CD-ROM, which links to its Web site (www.okidata.com). Once there, prospects can arrange to receive the printer’s merchandise kit, which includes information about color printing, new presentation templates and a payback calculator.
While Okidata is currently targeting small to medium-sized companies, it’s looking to expand beyond those after March, the end of its fiscal year. Different copy formats will probably be tested over the life of the campaign.
Okidata is running DR ads in such trade magazines as VARBusiness and Computer Reseller News as well as end-user-oriented personal computer publications. Van Acker says the ads aim to encourage prospects to visit the Web site or call an 800 number to receive the CD-ROM describing the $3,000 printers. He notes these CDs have been customized to suit specific prospect groups.
Other parts of the campaign include a 40-city “road show,” during which company salespeople and engineers run seminars on the printer and its technology; presentations at trade shows; and start-up kits that include a variety of sales incentives and other promotional materials geared to computer value-added resellers (VARs).
One reason Okidata is targeting VARs, Van Acker says, is that retailers have been promoting laser printers and haven’t been much interested in LED technology. LED has taken a back seat to laser for years.
Competitive pressures have also played a part in Okidata’s strategy. Last June, Lexmark came out with an LED printer and Hewlett-Packard is eyeing the technology as well, Van Acker says, adding that HP is already using LEDs in traffic lights (as reported on CBS’ “60 Minutes”).
He claims Okidata is now No. 3 in the 1-to-10-page-per-minute laser/LED printer market, but is aiming to build its presence and brand awareness in the higher-speed network and color laser/LED category.
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