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A New Dimension for Website Promotions
November, 2000

By Robert M. Felber, MAS
President, Traymore Marketing

When launching a new website or driving traffic to your present site, nothing is more important than letting people know the site exists. And, one of the best ways to do this is through a highly targeted, "in your face" dimensional promotion campaign.

Never heard of a dimensional promotion? It's a mailing or package that has some height, width and depth. You mail it to customers or prospects as you would traditional direct mail. A bonus is something that rattles when shaken or simply has a lumpiness or unusual weight.

By highly targeted campaign, we mean your target list of recipients must be honed to reflect key decision-makers and those who may have a certain sphere of influence that can impact your goal.

Objectives. Bear in mind that your campaign may have several goals. Besides building traffic to your site, you may be playing a part in branding your company's image, impacting customer loyalty or setting the stage for a future sale. Dimensional promotions rise to the top of the daily mail and often escape the scrutiny of an executive's assistant. With the proper message affixed on an item, it keeps your domain in front of your target eons beyond that two-second banner advertisement you had such faith in.

When we launched our site (www.traymore.com), we mailed an oversize postcard with the copy "Open 24 Hours" with an all-night diner look. Besides the unusual size and graphic, our postcard had a screen cleaner sealed to one side (lumpiness!). As a bonus, when our target removed the screen cleaner, a graphic of our mascot was seen underneath and encouraged them to find the same graphic appearing randomly on our website to win a prize.

We had two website specific goals: initial traffic AND site penetration. The very next morning, those in the local market immediately started to hit the site and participate in the mascot hunt.

There are countless ways to be creative with your dimensional campaign. Can you use a theme from the website or an existing campaign? Can you get the target involved in the promotion by having them open an unusual package such as a can with a pull top lid? If you have the budget and the correct data, personalizing the promotion with your prospect's name will guarantee that your materials will not become dumpster food.

You cannot physically make your targets bookmark your site, but your materials can make a bold statement. Also, the imprinting of your cleverly chosen dimensional puts longevity on your side. To see some real life examples of dimensional campaigns, visit our website at www.traymore.com.

Traymore Marketing is a full-service advertising firm specializing in creating three-dimensional campaigns. The firm operates out of a century home built in 1873 on the town square in the city of Twinsburg, Ohio. Robert M. Felber, MAS is president of Traymore Marketing and a frequent presenter to business and professional organizations on dimensional campaigns.