I received a personalized direct mail piece the other day at home – nothing unusual about this, but it stuck out among the other pieces of mail in my hand. It wasn’t because of the product or the colors or some crazy shape. The reason I took a second look was that the image on the front of the piece was a nice little family, a nice home (none of which was actually mine) but the banner across the home said “Cleanest house in America: Lindquist Family.” Yes, my last name is Lindquist, I do have a home I share with my fiance and I am a clean freak. How did they know that? Well, they probably didn’t, but how great would it be to get a piece of mail from a company who SHOULD know you and is that personal?
This got me thinking…what if a bank or credit union were to send a personalized statement with something as simple as “Lindquist Family” or “Enjoy your summer vacation, Alicia.” It would make me look twice and indicate that they care about me, little ol’ Alicia Lindquist, as their member or customer. Simple customization is great – don’t get me wrong – I just think a small step further makes a large difference, especially if the bank is positioning itself as having close ties to the community.
Now…I’m going to check the mail and see what other treasures I can find…hopefully it isn’t just bills.
