2011 Silver Best use of door drops

Client Acxiom

What is wonderful about this work? We used door drops to drive householders to an online survey with a unique two-stage mechanic. The immediate CTA, instant gratification, and creative intrigue created consumer engagement. It provided a strong response rate and added 80% more new names to the database.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? We needed to reach new audiences to engage with Acxiom’s online data survey. Over the past five years lead generation and list building has mostly moved online. But to maintain reach, it’s important to find new consumers and build engagement and trust, while not cannibalising existing channels (like traffic from affiliates and banners). We recommended a self-qualifying two-stage campaign that’s been extremely effective in FMCG sampling, but never used for data gathering. Our test campaign selected homes nationally to ensure a representative response, and carefully planned targeting based on past performance, then modelled using geo-demographic targeting tools and broadband penetration. The door drop was the call to action on day one, with the incentive (a bag of Thornton’s chocolates) delivered on day two, once the consumer had filled out the survey online. The door drop coupled with the instant reward actively encouraged new names to sign up online, expanding the database.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? Door drops have proven effectiveness in driving footfall and as part of integrated campaigns, but it was unusual to use them to drive people to an online survey. So we needed an incentive for all participants: a free bag of Thornton’s chocolates fitted the bill. The creative treatment had to work hard too, so we started with an empty paper bag to build intrigue. It carried a bold image of the chocolate incentive, along with clear instructions on how to get it. The survey landing page had clear imagery and a clear call to action. A critical question was that of trust: the client isn’t a well-known FMCG brand, so we agreed that TNT Post be the brand on all collateral, as it’s known and trusted by consumers. That way, consumers knew they were on the right survey site, that their data would be secure and that their incentive would be delivered.

Results A strong response rate – and on analysis of the data collected, we added 80% more new names to the database. The incentive helped improve the quality of response too. This test campaign has been so successful that it’s currently rolling out to a further 1.6 million households, and has provided new names, expanding the database rather than just refreshing it.

Team Patrice Bendon, Kathleen Home, Alice Howse.