Direct mail case study: Travelling in style

After understanding the lifestyle of its target audience, Maybank decided on a travel theme for its new campaign which focused on customer lead generation. The campaign saw a promotion period starting from mid-January 2018 onwards.

This allowed new customers who applied and charged to their Maybank credit cards and/or withdraw from the CreditAble Account – a personal line of credit – within the first two months of approval, being eligible to receive a complimentary Samsonite Orfeo 69cm luggage worth SG$420. In terms of campaign channels, there was a mix of online and offline platforms chosen for their reach and effectiveness, including a six page direct mail insert in The Straits Times.

The creative concept of the direct mail was based on the central idea of travel, and the headline had two meanings where “perfect companion” referred to the luggage bag gift, as well as the features of Maybank’s credit cards designed to meet travellers’ needs.

The rewards and privileges for Maybank card members were featured in the direct mail, along with an application form and terms and conditions of the application. The credit card privileges featured mainly related to travel, dining and retail, and were carefully selected by the Maybank team to make the proposition more compelling for the target audience.

The privileges also served to remind existing Maybank card members that they get to enjoy discounts when they charge their spending to Maybank credit cards. The application form was also incorporated into the direct mail to increase the rate of conversion so customers did not have to go to another platform to sign up for the promotion.

In addition, Maybank also included complimentary business reply services to give customers convenience when they mailed back the application forms. This greatly contributed to the success of the direct mail campaign.

Together with newspaper inserts, the bank used billing statement inserts for StarHub and Singtel customers for potential customer outreach. This generated quality customer leads, achieved marketing objectives and created top-of-mind recall among newspaper readers.

Objective

To drive Maybank credit cards and CreditAble customer acquisition and create awareness of Maybank’s card privileges.

Target audience

Emerging affluent customers who are professionals and executives, especially those aged 25 to 40.

Results

The direct mail campaign not only garnered 100% more impressions on the campaign website, but also generated more enquiries at Maybank branches, along with positive feedback from customers.

The writer is Karen Low, head of cards, Malaysia and Singapore, community financial services, Maybank.

The Direct Mail Case Study is brought to you by Marketing Magazine in association with DMrocket.