Our audience was tiny – just 120 individuals.
Who happened to be CEOs of the largest retail chains in America.
Our client was tiny too … not much more than a startup company in Mesa, Arizona.
Here’s the story:
Major software developer JD Edwards had conceived and built a ground-breaking enterprise-wide accounting and inventory software for use by Fortune 500 retail operations. They called it “OneWorld.”
Niches were left open for independent developers to fill. Our client was one such: creating a plug-in app (“SureConnect”) to create and print barcodes – a necessity for inventory and shipping, but not organically provided by OneWorld.
While there was no real alternative to OneWorld and its predecessor, World, both had the reputation of being notoriously buggy at the time – at one point almost prompting a class-action lawsuit from their users. World and OneWorld needed constant, unremitting service.
Reliance Software’s apparent objective was to expand the functionality of OneWorld, enabling giant retailers to generate barcodes via SureConnect.
In reality, this was just the camel’s nose under the tent.
Our client’s actual objective, as advanced IT professionals, was to acquire service and support contracts which they could provide for OneWorld at a higher level but lower cost than JD Edwards’ own service.
Our task was to figure out …
How to do this?
First, to penetrate the upper strata of C-levels at the head of national retail corporations, we had to devise a strategy that would get past the gatekeeper – often a barrier to otherwise well-executed marketing campaigns.
Next, since a plain presentation or even online demo would be unlikely to hold or even gain attention – software is after all pretty dull – we had to find some way to engage and capture the CEO’s own interest for a fair length of time.
Since almost all our targets, if not indeed all, were men, we could relate. Men love toys.And most men – especially those who can easily buy anything they want – enjoy surprises.
Most marketing people tell you they “Think Outside The Box.” Good for them. We don’t recognize a box.
So. Out we went to buy every red model Ferrari we could find, at about $12-$15 a crack. We needed 120, and managed to find just enough for everyone on our list, cleaning out every toy store’s red Ferrari inventory in the process. (Christmas was thin for toy Ferrari fans that year.) Each model car came on a little black stand for display which, as you’ll see, was perfect.
Mailing #1: First, we removed the stands from the toy cars, and the tires. (The tires?? Yes, the tires. [tyres, for our Commonwealth friends] )
The cars themselves we wrapped in tissue paper and placed in small Priority Mail boxes, hand-addressed, with CONTENTS: TOYadded in red. The sender’s name was not identified .
We figured that gatekeepers would probably not embargo what appeared to be a small personal purchase made by their boss – maybe a gift? Or from eBay or similar. We were correct.
The enclosed letter explained how an expensive machine becomes severely limited without a small, relatively inexpensive add-on.
Mailing #2, a couple of days later. A 6″x 9″ Tyvek envelope proclaimed “The missing parts you require are enclosed.” Sailing again past the gatekeepers, it contained five items. Among them, these:
- The four tires, in a little plastic bag
- A Q&A booklet about the simplicity and benefits of SureConnect. This also quietly revealed Reliance Software’s name for the first time.
A cover letter that said sure, you can change tires without an actual Ferrari mechanic. Likewise, you can expand your OneWorld functionality without the manufacturer’s involvement. (Here we snuck in the first hints about OneWorld service …)
Mailing #3, after a day or tow more. A padded 9″x 12″ envelope with the Reliance Software name and logo, a label that said “Support Package Enclosed” and a Priority Mail sticker.
Gatekeepers, recognizing the sequence, passed this third package through without question.
Here was the true reveal: inside, with a little screwdriver and an attaching screw, was the stand for the model car – the support.
- The cover letter clarified the metaphor: the breadth and depth of Reliance Systems Care, not only for SureConnect, but for the mother ship – OneWorld itself.
- An 8-page booklet reinforced the message, with client examples and reviews.
- Other inserts repeated and reinforced the elements from Mailing #2.
Finally, for extra brand reinforcement, we removed the toymaker’s logo from the stand and replaced it with the client’s own logo and URL. A permanent reminder.
RESULTS:
Financial press picked up and echoed the story at its peak (“Toy Ferraris Race to CEOs Attention in Software Campaign” type of thing).
Client principals gleefully told us their phones had not stopped ringing since the campaign ended, but refused to disclose the actual results, claiming confidentiality. However, within just a few months they moved to very much larger, very much swankier premises …
TAKEAWAYS:
- Because the target universe was so small, we were able to handle the entire operation, creatively and logistically, almost literally on our kitchen table – even though we were reaching out to the topmost levels of commerce. The “home made” look was part if its surprise appeal.
- Top-flight marketing campaigns don’t have to be expensive. They do have to be creative, with a clear understanding of their audience and objectves.
- My long-ago former boss, Leo Burnett, would say “Always reach for the stars. You may not quite get there, but at least you won’t come up with a handful of mud.”