When you manufacture and distribute the leading cable for the broadcast industry and have over 90,000 media and entertainment professionals under one roof, it’s paramount to build excitement for your booth in advance. General Cable, a 165-year-old innovator of wire and cable connectivity and communications, recently used shaped direct mail to spur booth visits in advance of the National Association of Broadcaster’s annual trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We wanted to send out something that potential customers would be happy to receive, not junk mail,” said Grace Bishop, Marketing Coordinator with General Cable. “We were very happy with our shape and are considering using it for other applications in the near future.”
Studies show that shaped direct mail really stands out from its traditional counterparts in the mailbox and consistently gets double-digit response rates.
“While shaped mail is more expensive per piece than traditional mail,” explains Jim O’Brien, co-owner of Tampa, Florida-based ThinkShapes Mail, “when you evaluate the value and return on investment, clients find they’re sending less pieces and getting higher returns.”
The piece, which promoted the Gepco Brand purchased by General Cable in 2009, was targeted to broadcasting professionals who would be in attendance. It helped the Gepco name break through the clutter of more than 1,500+ companies vying for attention during this popular show.
“Shaped pieces, when sent in advance and handed out on the trade show floor, get kept, get remembered and get shared more than traditional pieces. It’s well worth the extra effort to put a shape into someone’s hands before and during a well-attended show,” said O’Brien.
