A DIRECT MAIL MODEL FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. Contents

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1 Contents Executive Summary Your Brand, Target Audience Needs, Messaging, and Look Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution WAVE ONE Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution WAVE TWO Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution WAVE THREE List Acquisition & Testing Printing & Lettershop Marketing Database & Campaign Analysis Down the Road 1

2 Executive Summary Getting prospects to listen to what you have to say is hard, in any business. Then, if you can get them to listen, you have to get them interested enough to consider a purchase. That's what makes qualified leads so hard to come by. Add the additional challenges of creating awareness in a new market, a crowded marketplace filled with "me too" messages, and a competitive economic climate. The pressure on the marketing department is enormous, but the budgets are not. We believe we can help you overcome these challenges and meet maybe even exceed your sales goals. Starting with an understanding of your various audiences, the first step is to craft product and corporate messaging that speaks to each constituent's "needsstate." We strive to make not only an introduction, but a connection, between you and your prospects. By doing so, your prospects are more likely to listen to what you have to say. Then, we need to present that message in an attractive, cut through the clutter way that gets the attention of the intended recipient, and elicits the desired action. We need to design a look and feel that reinforces both the message, and your brand as a whole. Thirdly, we must get the communication out to as many people as possible, and begin an on-going dialog with them. Although the messaging and look and feel that we create will be able to cross many media, a targeted, multi-wave direct mail and campaign is a great place to start. In order to achieve sales goals, we typically must reach a much larger number of names than your database likely possesses. That's why we believe strongly in 2

3 buying qualified lists, and maximizing our likelihood for success by testing their potency with smaller initial "test mailings." Realizing most companies budget sensitivities, we purchase fewer names, but contact them multiple times, using both and direct mail lists. As our efforts progress, we will be able to grow your database with prospects who desire continued correspondence. Our goal is to build a robust database, as well as your traditional direct mail database. We can then embark on permission-based marketing campaigns, a cost-effective and tremendously powerful marketing solution. The database becomes our most powerful marketing ally, and can give us rich information on each of your prospects. If we build it to do so. Building a discrete marketing database is an integral part of your marketing success. We start with imported data from sales systems that you may use (such as salesforce.com and NewWorld IQ) databases on a weekly basis, continually maintaining and cleansing your marketing database. We can build, host, manage and maintain a robust response management system that provides you with a wealth of information about your prospects, your campaigns, and your marketing ROI. Marketing ROI is what it's all about, really. If, through our efforts, we assist just one sale, you have begun to realize an ROI on your marketing investment. It will have been money well spent, because you get it back. And we can grow our marketing efforts and our partnership in tandem. The right message, the right creative, the right list(s), the right call to action. These are the ingredients in a successful direct mail campaign. 3

4 Your Brand, Target Audience Needs, Messaging, and Look Companies need a healthy balance between product and corporate messaging. In some instances, the product will take the lead, and in other instances, the company will. In all cases, we want people to make the association between the product and the company. Close collaboration is needed in order for us to craft and solidify your corporate and product messaging platforms. It is important to note that this work transcends the execution of the first recommended direct mail tactic. The messaging platforms established here will ultimately play-out in a variety of communications. In conjunction with your messaging, we develop a look and feel that "executizes" your communications and reinforces the messaging. The design direction will drive the creative development of future direct mail correspondence in both print and HTML executions. 4

5 Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution--WAVE ONE Copy to Sales Rep Wave 1 D.Mail Peer-to-Peer Letter - White Paper - Segmented Messages CxO VP - Web* - 800# * No Automated Personalized Thank You from Peer *Web - Download - Survey - Send info *800# - Mail offer - Sales call - it to me 5

6 Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution--WAVE TWO Sales Call CC to Sales Rep Personal Note & inexpensive gift (e.g. Starbucks gift cert.) - Web: - 800# Automated Personalized Thank You from Peer Wave 2 Survey Offer, e.g.: - Book - Harvard Biz. Rev. Reprint No No Wave 2 Mail Survey - Return Envelope Offer, e.g.: - White Paper - Harvard Biz. Rev. Reprint 6

7 Multi-wave Direct Mail Execution--WAVE THREE Personal Note & Starbuck s Gift Certificate No Wave 3 Web Seminar Invite Invite Via - Direct Mail - No 7

8 List Acquisition & Testing For the first wave, we recommend purchasing 5,000 names from three different list sources, for a total of 15,000 names. Our goals in the first wave are to test list potency and to acquire opt-in addresses for the second and third waves. Our list research and our selection criteria will mitigate the possibility of a "bad list;" if the initial lists are "good" we can then roll-out the program to the additional names. We may consider purchasing an opt-in list as well, in a small quantity (5,000) to test. Printing & Lettershop We can leverage some real economies of scale by printing larger quantities of "blank" standard mail elements (letterhead, envelope) up-front. We can use the quantity that we need for the first test mailing, customizing the messaging. Then, when we roll out the program to a larger group, we will have the blank templates all ready to text-print. We can also use the letterhead and envelope for the second wave, which means we will have to produce only the survey form and reply envelope. Marketing Database & Campaign Analysis Campaign response analysis and ROI assessment are critical benchmarks to help justify program expenditures and improve program success rates. The goal is to have quality data in and quality reporting/analysis out. While the concept is simple, it can be a challenge to implement, with the addition of the Web as a response vehicle. The key to a successful marketing database is to make sure that all response information is captured--including incoming calls to an 800#. capture can be accomplished through mail coding, response coding, vanity URLs, unique URLs for each list, and 800# data input screens. Boulanger embeds the appropriate response capture mechanisms into every communication we do, starting with the first direct mail campaign. 8

9 The following is a brief overview of the response management system we offer our clients. Our approach to the data collection process boils down to six key objectives: 1. Comprehensive response capture 2. Accurate campaign source attribution 3. Campaign results analysis reporting 4. Effective database integration (between marketing & sales databases) 5. Continual database update and enhancement policy 6. ROI calculation A marketing database can be as simple as a response management system and can increase in complexity to a system that creates and manages the marketing history of the contacts. We can build the response management aspect of the marketing database to include a range of functionality including: Tracking & reporting capabilities Audience profiling/intelligence Campaign management dash board Input for ROI calculation "Down the Road" As your business flourishes, we follow-through on the initial messaging and program work with additional tactics. These may include activities like: - A destination microsite that serves as a resource center for your customers and prospects, and positions you as a "thought-leader" - Print advertising that carries your message to a general audience - Media planning, to maximize your media spending with negotiated "value-adds" - Trade show support, including booth design, graphics, pre- and post-show correspondence 9

10 - Pre- and post-sales support materials, including relationship-building, dimensional programs to assist salesforce in closing their best prospects; postsales customer loyalty programs; post-implementation programs for users - Print collateral - Flash-based product demo The right message, the right creative, the right list(s), the right call to action. These are the ingredients in a successful direct mail campaign. The right message, the right creative, the right media the right call to action. These are the ingredients in a successful integrated marketing campaign. 10