Direct Mail Case Study - Sep07

Going direct for food 

As part of a global initiative, TNT embarked on a cause-related marketing campaign in Asia with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), aimed at raising awareness of the greatest logistics challenge of all - fighting world hunger.

By embarking on the campaign, TNT aimed to raise awareness of WFP and engage both its customers and internal audience of the global fight against world hunger. By engaging its customers TNT also generated increased loyalty and increased the intention to trade or re-trade with TNT. This campaign contained both an incentive to respond and an incentive to trade offer.

It was targeted at both existing and prospective customers, and with every registration to the campaign, customers received a WFP/TNT customer pack including a bag, wall chart and wristband.

For both groups of customers who traded over a specific three-month period, a percentage of their total spend was donated by TNT to WFP on their behalf.

The global funds raised helped more than 5,500 children through WFP's school feeding projects in countries such as Tanzania, Cambodia, Nicaragua, India and Indonesia.

In Asia, a total of 73,328 direct mail pieces were sent out over a three month period to Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

TNT wanted to emphasise the importance of corporate social responsibility throughout this campaign and the mail piece primarily focused on the corporate partnership with WFP and local support that TNT provides.

At the same time, the campaign also helped to communicate the strength of TNT's regional and global networks which supports their extensive range of time-definite services. This reinforced our position as an established global express provider.

There were two executions of the direct mail piece:

• Let's do it together...

Our customers, with TNT, can make the difference. This meant saying to customers that if we put our efforts together, we can make a difference to the people who need it.

• Help us... to help you so we can help others

If a customer trades with TNT, they help us, and we help them by providing the service they need and together we can help others who will benefit too.

Response for this campaign has been very positive. Globally, €140,000 (S$291,018) was donated by TNT to the WFP, of which more than €16,000 (S$33,259) was contributed by customers in Asia. This amount far exceeded the target set by TNT. Since 2002, TNT has been an active partner of the UN WFP.

Objective:

To raise awareness of WFP and TNT's partnership and engage both its customers and internal audience of the global fight against world hunger.

Approach:

This campaign contained both an incentive to respond and an incentive to trade offer.

Result:

We sent a total of 73,328 direct mail pieces in Asia and our customers in Asia donated more than €16,000 (S$33,259) to the UN WFP, far exceeding the target set by TNT. Globally the total amount donated was €140,000 (S$291,018).

 

Karel van de Pijpekamp

Regional sales and marketing director

TNT Asia