Scott Christopher Homes of Distinction, a homebuilder in Holland, Mich., wanted a direct mail piece that would appeal to owners of million-dollar homes. Most of the company's success had resulted from referrals, but its new service, a maintenance and renovation spin-off called Surpass, needed to establish its presence. The homebuilder interviewed 25 firms before hiring Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Square One Design.
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Square One Design created four seasonal mailers for Surpass, a maintenance and renovation spin-off of Scott Christopher Homes of Distinction, Holland, Mich. Each mailer highlighted the home-maintenance necessities of that season by featuring a to-do list on the cover and emphasizing Surpass' capabilities on the interior.
First, Square One Design convinced the homebuilder to create a holding company, 110%, that would support Scott Christopher's existing business and its new subsidiaries. Then the firm began creating four seasonal mailers for Surpass. "They promoted the service and maintenance part of Surpass, which follows seasonal changes as do many maintenance needs," says Square One Principal Lin Ver Meulen, who oversaw the creative direction of the project. "So, we scheduled [the mailers] to sync up with the start of fall, winter, spring and summer."
The four mailers were sent to homeowners making more than $300,000 a year. Each mailer highlighted the home-maintenance necessities of that season by featuring a to-do list on the cover and emphasizing Surpass' capabilities on the interior. A handy, color-coded bar on the end of the 51/2 x 11-inch brochure denoted the season, and a perforated business reply card provided an easy way for customers to ask for more information or to be removed from the company's mailing list. "We helped them define their audience, buy lists and coordinate the mailing house logistics," Ver Meulen says. Square One Design produced approximately 5,000 first-class mailers per season, and the company took digital photos of the hammer, paintbrush, pipe wrench and pliers shown in each mailer. Grand Rapids, Mich., firms Commercial Printing (print services) and Kent Communications (mailing services) assisted with the project. All four pieces were printed on Cougar Opaque Smooth 100 lb. Cover.
"Our logic was that if we could build trust with new clients in the area of service and maintenance, that it would parlay into larger projects," Ver Meulen says. The promotion brought Surpass new customers, he says. Now, Surpass is displaying signs, which Square One designed, throughout the community, including at school athletic events. "The response was great, and people were hanging onto [the mailer] and calling months later saying they just couldn't throw it away," says James Shupe, Surpass' service manager. "It was amazing, the creativity and energy the Square One team brought to each meeting. It was as if their success would be judged by our success."
The total project budget was $17,000. The creative fee was $9,000. The project took 12 months to complete, from creating the holding company and naming all the subsidiaries to launching the direct-mail campaign. The following people contributed to the project: Lin Ver Meulen, creative director/Square One; Elena Tislerics, designer/Square One; Rachel Bockheim, print-production/ Square One; Kristin Bakker, copywriter/Square One; and Karin Lannon, freelance copywriter.
--Sarah Morton
Square One Design opened its doors in 1985, and today the firm has an impressive client roster, some of which are billion-dollar corporations. Although the firm is often part of long-term branding initiatives, Principal Lin Ver Meulen says direct mailers account for at least 25 percent of her firm's business. She offers these tips for making the most of direct mail:
