During the week commencing February 24th our dynamic business development director, Graham Reed presented at the XMPie Global Conference in Dallas.
While he steadfastly refused to purchase a ten-gallon hat, his 3 workshops went down a storm.
We always use the physical in ABM, as it is an incredibly powerful medium that really speaks to the human spirit. Graham talked through this in one of his workshops, the ability for print to cut through the noise and really engage people at a deeper level.
Content aside (for now), print gives us something that digital can’t; a real anticipation that comes from the excitement of receiving a parcel, If you think about it, we’re hard-wired from a young age to love receiving presents, on birthdays and at Christmas.
And it’s actual., real, honest to God science!
When you receive a gift your brain’s reward centre kicks in, releasing that wonderful feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. If you then love what you received, then the “bonding” chemical oxytocin kicks in, which then triggers stress minimising serotonin. We could all do with more of that.
So what’s the point?
What’s the worst-case scenario here? It’s that you receive a gift and it doesn’t hit the mark, that missing dopamine shot is keenly felt, and will create a negative impression, not just a neutral one.
So the content of the gift is just as important, it has to be completely relevant to the recipient, which is why the physical channel works so well for ABM.
Which brings me back to the content part, gimmicky gifts get people’s attention but if they don’t get it, or it doesn’t offer real value you may miss the mark. A beautifully wrapped, well thought out report that helps them solve a business-critical issue, or raises awareness about a particular topic is so much better.
And it has to be in conjunction with other channels, but you know that.
Next time you’re running a campaign, think about the physicality of print can deliver real joy into people’s lives.
