Case Studies

Portman Building Society

Sector:
Financial Services
Objectives:
Portman's traditional mandatory customer communications, such as statements and newsletters, underwent a complete overhaul with the objectives of:

• Considering all customer communications as potential sales tools
• Reviewing costs of current activity and increasing efficiencies
• Maximising return on investment by engaging with the customer base
• Interpreting the new brand guidelines to refresh all direct activity

Strategy:
As always, our key focus was on Return on Inspiration. To achieve maximum results, we had to be canny with both format and content.
Our solution was to develop cost-effective formats and create VAT-free production solutions. We applied DM sales techniques to creative solutions and introduced cross selling for higher long-term rewards. We also used Portman's data to gain a closer insight into their audience and a more highly personalised approach.
Results:

• Switching from admin to DM generated long term profits from statutory mailings
• We reduced costs of maturity mailings by 50%, whilst maintaining customer value
• DM is now an integral part of long-term business strategy for Portman
• The DM role is expanding beyond customer communications into acquisition