North American Lubricants Uses Personalized Web Sites

    OAKLAND, Calif.--April 8, 2002--What's the latest in today's high-tech, high-touch direct marketing world?
    A personalized Web site for prospective clients.
    MCA Direct used the technique for North American Lubricants, Co., using an oversized four-color postcard and personalized Web sites to tell lube and oil change business owners how much they can save by switching to North American's bulk oil products. The response was three times the client's goal, said Jeff Tarran, president of MCA Direct.
    The mailing took advantage of eye-catching graphics and today's digital color printing technology, which allowed the prospects to see their names as part of four-color images on the front and back of the postcards.
    It then directed them to a personalized Web site, such as www.save-on-bulkoil.com/john.sample designed by MCA Direct's sister company, e-agency. The Web site invited them to spend 30 seconds using an online calculator to see how much they could save by switching to North American's products. In some cases, Tarran said, the potential savings exceed $100,000 a year.
    The use of personalized Web sites is effective not only because it can improve response rates, but also because it allows a company to capture information about prospects for its database. "We offered our prospects valuable information, and they in turn gave us their e-mail addresses, phone numbers and data about their volume of purchases," Tarran said.
    "We used this to develop a follow-up mailing targeting respondents who did not convert to buyers after the first mailing. We reminded them of how much they could save by switching to North American Lubricants, based on what they learned using their calculator, and again encouraged them to take action," he added.
    MCA Direct is one of a handful of companies using the new technology today, Tarran said. The cost of these programs starts at about $20,000, making it most practical for business-to-business sales and high-end consumer items. But once the programming and development costs are covered, the cost per unit drops dramatically as volume goes up, he added. Replacing the direct mail component with e-mail can cut costs even more.
    A travel company, for example, is using the technology to send previous customers photographs of a place they might like to visit. If people have been to a beach resort in the past, they will receive a mailing with a photo of another beautiful beach to consider for their next trip. A Web site will offer information on even more seaside resorts.
    "It's important to remember that the whole package -- not just the Web site -- has to be right," Tarran stressed. "If you don't have the right message when you mail or e-mail to prospects, you won't entice them to visit their personalized Web sites. You also want to think carefully about the information you provide on the Web site. The objective is to generate a response, whether it's a sale, an inquiry or any other action that moves the prospect closer to a sale."
    MCA Direct applies targeted direct response marketing strategies to clients' sales efforts through traditional and electronic media to bring about measurable results. The company has experience in a wide range of industries, including financial service firms, high-tech, telecommunications and manufacturing. Additional information is available by calling 510-208-5704 or on the Internet at http://www.mca-direct.com.

    Note: If you would like to see a personalized Web site, contact Jo Murray at 510-238-8430 or jmurray@mcanet.com. A photo of the postcard, specifically designed for print reproduction, is available for downloading at http://www.givememore.com/mca/mcanet.html.