Direct Mail Marketing Secret for Medical Device Manufacturers

How can you deliver a new, innovative experience to prospects and customers without leaving your office (or home)? While tradeshows have been rescheduled or cancelled, physical meetings are limited, and Zoom fatigue is setting in, maybe it’s time to go back to basics: direct mail. With a twist.  

One of my first marketing campaigns combined a snail-mailed Word merge with variable auto-generated websites. Each letter had a unique URL and website personalized with the prospect’s business name, address, and phone number. Elementary by today’s standards, but it was innovative back when it was launched two decades ago. I remember closing a few deals from that campaign. I also remember a prospect calling and threatening to sue us unless we took the website down. Valid point. We took the website down. 

Snail-mail worked then, and it works today. Especially now, with overall mail volume down and many brands shifting budgets to digital. Before email, our mailboxes used to be filled with postcards, letters, and ads. Then email came along. Do you remember the “You’ve got mail” jingle? That jingle, and the initial euphoria of email, evoked emotions of intrigue and excitement at the time. Now, it’s the opposite, “Oh look, more spam.”

Within a few short years, the tables turned. Email has become what real, tactile mail used to be. Now, it’s more exciting to check your mailbox than your email account. Well, maybe exciting is the wrong word, but there is definitely less competition in the box. Being an innovator at heart, I explored ways to execute a direct mail campaign with a digital spin.  

After months of searching, I found the answer: the interactive video card. It’s a mini-tablet enclosed in a sleek greeting card. It takes direct response mail to the next level. Tactical, audio, and visual—a true multi-sensory experience that is really exciting. And unique.  

The video cards can be customized with a brand’s identity, including graphics, video, and functionality. They are sent by First Class mail, and when opened, auto-play the brand’s video. Or a series of videos. Complete with interactive buttons and sound control. Perfect for complex medical devices, services, and other healthcare B2B sales efforts.  

In some campaigns, with video cards, direct response results have been as high as 10%. The card itself contains a call-to-action, as does the video. Beyond direct response, brand resonance is built through the multi-sensory experience. Something that can’t be done on Facebook, through email, or on websites. 

The best part? If customers aren’t interested, the video card can be enclosed in a postage-paid envelope and sent back to be reused. No cost to them, it reduces the carbon footprint, and cleanses the list. A win-win-win. I love digital marketing because it’s effective. That’s also why it’s so competitive. To stand out, try something different. Go back to basics, with a little digital love. 

Need help planning and executing your video card campaign? Schedule a 15 minute consultation to learn how it may generate results for you.