Free Marketing Tips From Drayton Bird
What Makes Some Marketing Managers More Successful Than Others?
Sep 3, 2009
Marketing gurus both offline and online have learned a lot from Drayton Bird, of whom the legend of advertising, David Ogilvy said: "Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world." As international Vice-Chairman and Creative Director, Drayton Bird helped O & M Direct become the world's largest direct marketing agency network.
Ken McCarthy, founder, The Internet Gazette, and organiser of the first ever conference on web marketing, in 1994 said: "Drayton's a genius you know. Seriously."
Drayton now runs Drayton Bird Associates, who work with many firms on direct marketing and other marketing matters. Here are some tips for marketing managers on how to run a successful business. This is the first one of the series of memos on direct marketing Drayton sent to all Ogilvy & Mather offices worldwide.
"When You're Up to Your Armpits in Alligators. . . it's Hard to Drain the Swamp"
"If you find what I'm about to suggest pathetically obvious, I'm sorry. Many of the things I'll put to you are. And the reason is simple. Although we may know things, far too often we don't do them. So here's something one of my clients does. They send out the same (not very brilliant) e-mail week after week after week.
Let me guess what you're thinking. Is it something like this? Isn't that far too often? And anyhow, if they sent out a variety of imaginative ones they'd do better.
Well, they do it for two reasons.
- Because it works. And it works because you never know when prospects will buy, so you have to keep plugging away.
- Because it's better than nothing. And they're so busy fighting alligators that they'd probably send out nothing if they weren't careful
I constantly see clients who spend weeks, even months, squandering priceless days and weeks over small details that will make little or no difference - when they should just get on with it.
As the French writer Voltaire, put it over 250 years ago, The best is the enemy of the good."
The majority of clients a copywriter comes across procrastinate too much when it comes to going ahead with a campaign. In the following paragraphs, Bird speaks of a client who chose to go ahead and why they became the leading firm in their field.
"1. They communicate more than their competitors. Once they have a prospect they keep everlastingly at that prospect. I once asked their marketing director how long they keep mailing and e-mailing people. "Until they give in," he replied.
2. They don't sit around wasting hot air on whether something will work or not. They get on with it."
Testing is Important In Direct Marketing
Ogilvy & Mather is known for its emphasis on testing. This is one of the reasons for its continued success. Testing not only builds the agency's reputation, it builds the client's business.
"The American expert Richard V. Benson said, "There are two answers to every problem. Answer #1: Test everything. Answer #2: Refer to answer #1." People test to find out whether one message will work better than another. But there is another, even simpler reason. It is to eliminate useless discussion. Why waste time? Let the customers decide for you!
I'll wager that if you communicate more often than your competitors, you will outdo them. Keep at it till it doesn't pay ... then give it a rest and try again.
There is a direct relationship between profit and communication. The more you tell the more you sell.
If you spend 5 minutes a day thinking of reasons to talk to your prospects and customers - things that might benefit or interest them (not you) - you will find it the best ROI you ever had."
The Foolproof Marketing Strategy - Constant Communication
Keeping in touch with clients determines the success of a business. And it does not matter if the creative used for communication is not brilliant. The important thing is building a relationship with customers. Drayton Bird should know. In November 2003 the Chartered Institute of Marketing named him one of 50 living individuals who have shaped today’s marketing; other names included Kotler, Peters and Levitt.
You may also like to read Free Copywriting Tips From Drayton Bird.
Note: This article is based on a memo from Drayton Bird, former International Creative Director and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather.
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