Direct Mail Opens Doors, Generates Demand

Challenge

Wheatland Tube, a division of Zekelman Industries, was re-entering the mechanical tube market after pulling out three years earlier. The company needed to reintroduce their products to the industry in a way that would get the attention of busy general managers and purchasing directors. They came to us to help them develop a robust demand generation campaign.

In a market where a small number of decision-makers control most of the purchasing power, it was important for Wheatland’s re-entry announcement to have a powerful impact.

Strategy

As part of our overall demand generation strategy, we created a dimensional direct mail piece that took industrial product samples to the next level. The “talking pipes” mailer contained samples of Wheatland’s mechanical tubing with personalized speech bubbles telling the recipient, “We want to work for you,” and opened the door for a follow-up call. We sent the piece to a targeted group of manufacturers across the country, and within 48 hours of delivery, our sales team placed phone calls to set up appointments for the Wheatland sales team.

By humanizing the pipes, the mailer put a new twist on the request for a sales meeting, while making personalized service the center of the story. In an old-line industry, the fresh approach really stood out in a humorous yet professional manner. The product samples also served as a tangible proof point for the core message: Wheatland is back in the mechanical tube market and will work hard for your business. The combination of a memorable direct mail piece and an immediate appointment-setting call resulted in a highly impactful demand generation program.

Impact

Appointments were set with 39% of the recipients. Most importantly, 62% of all appointments resulted in a sale and the start of a new business relationship.

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