Get Them When They Need It

I have to say one thing for those direct writers—they sure do their market research homework. I recently moved to a new address, and no sooner had I finished putting in new shelf liner than I got a fat envelope in the mail called a “New Neighbor Packet.” It was stuffed with coupons for everything from subscribing to the local paper to ordering pizza to—you guessed it—getting new car insurance. “Welcome to the Neighborhood—GEICO is here to save you money, etc., etc.…”

Now, how did they know I was there? Are they in league with the Post Office? I threw away the flyer, but not without thinking that it would have been pretty convenient if I really had just moved from out-of-state, had just bought a car and was looking around to get coverage. It was a friendly approach to the ideal target: someone new to the neighborhood, not getting a lot of mail yet, with timely interest in the product.

But the thoughtful siege was not yet over. Included with the lease agreement I got from my landlord was a State Farm brochure about their renters’ insurance product. Essentially an endorsement from my landlord to all his tenants—pretty good placement on the part of State Farm.

Why did he choose to put the State Farm brochure in the renters’ packet? “They approached me,” my landlord said. “It looked like a good idea to offer to my tenants for their protection.”

Hardly direct mail, but definitely direct. They got me where they wanted me.

What does it take to target the consumer at precisely that point? Aside from quite a bit of dough, it takes some planning and some strategic alliances. Talked to any apartment managers in your neighborhood lately? It might be worth a shot.

Get to them when they need it. When I followed up and went to State Farm’s website, they had indeed thought of everything. A whole section focuses on life’s milestones. Getting married? Having a baby? Buying a house? State Farm and other big companies, such as Nationwide, have done a good job targeting these major life events. But there’s no reason smaller agencies can’t do it too, on a smaller scale, on their websites and in their day-to-day business.

The message? Be aware of your opportunities and capitalize on them. Then you don’t have to be an all-powerful State Farm or GEICO to get to where you want to be.