To make an IMPRESSion or chase impressiONS?

This year marked fifty years since the moon landing and I am reminded of this famous quote.

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” John F. Kennedy - September 12, 1962.

Now while convincing someone to become a client isn't quite on the same level as getting to the moon using technology inferior to today's smart phones, it is still damn hard! We do however tend to have more than just the one competitor the Americans had in the 1960's trying to get there first! 

As I blogged back in September, mail volumes are down 50% today from their 2008 peak in Australia presenting an opportunity for those of you still active in that space. The move to email and display advertising has driven many Australian firms away from traditional forms of direct marketing with cost a major reason. 

First impressions are paramount in life and also in marketing. They demonstrate how highly you value your prospect plus your confidence that your product or service will be a game changer for their business or make their life better or easier in some way. 

Do you really think a display advertisement comes close to the impact of a tangible, personalised, relevant, well crafted, beautifully worded, correctly targeted, piece of direct mail?

 A display ad lost in a sea of other ads which are helping multi national corporations record astronomical profits, increase their grip over society while contributing the least possible tax they can within Australia. Probably not great for the long term job security of many readers of this blog!

Just like a fleeting one night stand (ONS), a display ad is gone before you know it while I've heard scores of clients discuss leads they received from mail-outs sent months or even years earlier.

While there absolutely is a place for display advertising, is putting all your eggs in that basket the right approach for your business?