PROJECT
Avnet "HP Is Listening" Dimensional Direct Mail

CHALLENGE/OPPORTUNITY
HP gathered a dormant customer list of IT professionals who had purchased a substantial amount of storage servers from HP, but no longer did business with the company. HP tapped Canyon client Avnet to help them reconnect with the prospects.

APPROACH
Avnet wanted these high-value prospects (mostly CIOs of Fortune 500 companies) to know that HP had implemented a consultative selling process whereby they listen to customer needs and build customized solutions based on those needs.

To accomplish this goal, Canyon sent a dimensional direct mail piece to this prospect list with the teaser "What's Inside Will Be Music To Your Ears" printed on the front of the box. When recipients opened the package, they found an iPod® Shuffle, engraved with "HP is Listening," and a card that said "listen to your favorite music with this iPod Shuffle. Then, let's connect so HP can start listening to your business needs." This premium item and fitting creative quickly conveyed the fact that HP wanted to listen to them and build customized technology solutions.

Also inside the direct mail package was a pocket folder that Canyon developed entitled "Connecting with you." This attractive folder contained a variety of literature about HP and a personal letter from a high-level HP executive inviting them to take another look at HP. This helped communicate the fact that HP wanted to re-establish a relationship with these dormant prospects.

MEASUREMENT
This project outperformed expectations. By calling ahead to make sure the prospect would be in the office, sending the direct mail package, and then following up with a telemarketing call, Avnet was able to set seven appointments out of every ten mailers. Two companies even had their entire Information Technology team at the meeting. One CIO that received the mailer said that she receives thousands of pieces of mail every year and this was the best promotional mailer she had ever seen.