I am writing you in response to Barbara Canning Brown’s column, Speaking Directly, which appeared in the April 18 issue.
The editorial, which focussed on our recent Jaguar mailing, is based on incorrect assumptions and, as a result, the evaluation is flawed.
I would like to set the record straight.
The main premise of the editorial was that the mailing was targetted to women. Not true.
The mailing was targetted to ‘adults aged 35+ with annual household income in excess of $120,000.’ In fact, over 75% of the recipients were male.
The editorial incorrectly assumes that the use of the ‘romance’ strategy is a ploy to lure women into buying a Jaguar.
In reality, ‘romance’ is our brand strategy, which is designed to hone in on the unique love affair which exists between Jaguar owners and their automobiles.
This approach has been researched with consumers (male and female) and has been proven effective in the marketplace – Jaguar’s North American sales are up over 25%.
The editorial inferred that to respond to the mailing would probably result in an endless stream of Jaguar promotional mailings.
No, we always give people the choice to ‘opt-out’ of future mailings. This is both respectful and good business practice.
Ultimately, the consumer must be the final judge: this mailing was the most successful ever for Jaguar in Canada, and will yield an outstanding return on investment for our client.
Should you, or Ms Canning Brown, want any further information, don’t hesitate to call.
Martin Parizeau
Account Director
Ogilvy & Mather Direct
Toronto
