Thomson Reuters Gets Attention With Dimensional Direct Mail

Dimensional direct mail pieces can get the attention of B2B buyers, but they’re not always meaningful when it comes to creating a brand connection. Thomson Reuters is using direct mail to creatively engage tax professionals and start conversations.

“We’ve had a lot of learnings in the space,” says Matt Hummel, former VP of marketing and demand gen, Thomson Reuters. “Dimensional mail needs to be thoughtful and tied in to the theme of the campaign.”

The brand has gotten away from higher-cost dimensional mailers that simply offer a pricey gift—like a pair of AirPods—and rather offering something that speaks to the needs of the audience and gets their attention. “Of course someone will do a demo in exchange for a $200 headset, but that doesn’t mean they’ll convert,” Hummel says. “We’ve put a lot into the message that will drive [the prospect] to a microsite and landing page, where we can track engagement.”

Working with ABM platform MRP Prelytix, Thomson Reuters worked on crafting packages to begin conversations on the company’s tax and accounting solutions with tax pros dealing with recent federal tax code changes. The packages include automated handwritten notes and reusable notebooks, which allow users to write with a pen, transfer the notes into the cloud and they erase the contents by popping the notebook in the microwave.

“We anchored [the theme] around the changes rolled out in the President’s tax plan, and created compelling messaging around the idea that you’d have a fresh, clean notebook to keep up with the constant changes in the tax base,” he says.

The notebook was the perfect premium for several reasons, Hummel notes. It wasn’t something someone would buy on their own, but when they received it, they’d think it was really cool. And, it was inexpensive enough that it could be sent to more than one person in a corporation, so several different buyers or decision influencers could be reached.

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“We might have four, five or six influencers in an organization, so we thought, let’s do something that will create a little office noise,” he says. “The tax manager will tell their co-workers, so it becomes a little experiential.”

Thomson Reuters uses direct mail at different points in the sales funnel. “It depends on the type of engagement we’re getting,” he says. “If we have a high value account that is showing tons of engagement but we’re struggling, we might use it to engage, both early and later in the cycle. We don’t want these pieces to be over used. We want to be intentional about when we send them.”