In early January of 2007 Acxiom Corporation (ACXM) , a global leader in interactive marketing services, asked the Sells Agency to create a high-end direct mail piece to aid in introducing Acxiom's products and services to a hand-picked list of Fortune 500 executives and their influencers within targeted industries. Example companies included: Coca-Cola, Enterprise-Rent-a-Car, Global Hyatt, Lincoln Financial and Cricket Communications.

Because the target audience was high-level executives who likely have their mail gatekeepers, the Sells Agency recommended a dimensional piece that would make it past this screening process and into the hands of the intended recipient. Using variable printing, unique recipient tracking codes and a strong incentive, the Sells Agency designed and oversaw production of a content-relevant piece that catered to these premium prospects. The structural mailer contained headphones that resided in custom die-cut foam. Also included was a reply card offering a free XM Radio* and three months of paid service to the recipient if they responded before the expiration period and spoke with an Acxiom sales associate.

In an effort to give the prospect their preferred response option, they were given the choice to call an 800 number, send back the reply card or visit a microsite developed especially for this mailing. The microsite contained additional information and the option to receive future information on Acxiom offerings, which 20% of respondents chose to do.

The dimensional piece was mailed on March 6, 2007. Within 48 hours Acxiom began to receive responses. By June 30, 2007, when the offer expired, Acxiom had an 8.5% response rate and had leads in every industry they targeted. In the end, the direct mail piece was credited as an instrumental piece in the sales cycle and had a 350% return on investment.

*Offer was prior to merger with Sirius Radio

Arkansas Tech University wanted to improve Tech’s brand awareness and image – ultimately leading to increased applications for admission. Target audiences included high school students and their parents, high school counselors and teachers, even Tech alumni and supporters. The message was a part of television spots, magazine ads, newspaper inserts, a redesigned website, event marketing and a public relations campaign. The result is that, since the beginning of our branding efforts, Tech has experienced exceptional growth in the number of students applying (up 15%), the number of freshmen admitted (up 20%) and, most impressively, in the quality of students seeking admission (average ACT scores for incoming freshmen have improved by 30%). Additionally, alumni donations have grown by over 300% in the past three years alone.

Conway Regional Health System asked us to improve the perception and image of the hospital within its five-county marketing territory. The purpose was to entice more consumers to prefer treatment close to home as opposed to driving to the larger healthcare market in Little Rock. The multi-media campaign included TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, outdoor and collateral. Benchmark and tracking qualitative research showed that, 12 months after this campaign began, Conway Regional’s image improved dramatically. Its designation for being the most preferred hospital increased by 42% having the best reputation for quality care increased 47% and having recent advancements in technology and equipment increased by 47%. In this same time period, the Health System’s revenues increased substantially.

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith learned that its long-time partner, a community-based hospital to which it is adjacent, would be opening its own rehabilitation services wing. The result would be the loss of the vast majority of referrals from the hospital, which at the time accounted for over 60% of total referrals.

HealthSouth contacted the Sells Agency to develop a comprehensive advertising, marketing and public relations campaign designed to position them as superior to other rehab providers in the region and generate new referrals from new sources through the Arklahoma region. The campaign included television, zoned newspaper inserts, outdoor boards, direct sales efforts, magazine and newspaper advertising and public relations efforts. Within six months, home admissions grew 133% and physician referrals outside of the adjacent hospital increased over 40%. The campaign had successfully altered referral patterns. Most importantly, HealthSouth revenues remained at the levels prior to the competitive rehab facility opening.

A few years ago TAC Air, a division of Truman Arnold Companies, one of the largest privately owned corporations in the nation, asked the Sells Agency to create an image campaign that positioned TAC Air as a leading FBO chain in the United States. At the time of this campaign request, TAC Air had limited locations throughout the South and Midwest region, along with limited resources for the campaign efforts itself. Knowing these obstacles, the Sells Agency decided to focus on TAC Air's quality and overall customer experience combined with "outrageous" claims on the creative itself of just how far they as a company are willing to go to meet their customer's needs.

From this thinking, the "For You, We'd Eat a Bug" campaign theme was introduced to the aviation industry. The promise, of course, was not TAC's consumption of an actual insect, but rather a drawing for a new Volkswagen Beetle at that year's NBAA event. The giveaway was promoted though cost-effective direct mail, print advertising, trade show displays and, of course, the Beetle itself was placed at all marketing events throughout the year. It was all done with a fresh approach to creative that didn't rely on the predictable standby's that filled the industry publications (i.e. pilots shaking hands with the ground crew, passengers handing carry-on luggage to ground crew while exiting aircraft etc.)

The response to the campaign was immediate. Key targets within the industry, such as pilots and schedulers/dispatchers took notice of TAC Air's marketing efforts and business offerings as other competition communicated in the same, stagnate, straight forward speak as they always had.

Through this effort, TAC Air, even with its limited FBO locations and budget restraints, began to see more traffic. This in turn produced more revenue and increased the notoriety of the chain. Just two years after these campaign efforts, a respected publication within the aviation industry, Professional Pilot, named TAC Air #2 on their annual "Best Of FBO Chains." An award never achieved by the company in its history. One year later they reached #1 status.

Today TAC Air continues to thrive in the aviation industry, maintaining its stronghold as one of the most respected FBO outfits in the country. Not only are they able to boast of their quality of service and customer experience but of its newly opened 12th location in the United States.

*Per July 200X and 200X issues of Professional Pilot magazine