Ross Turney

Database Marketing Manager

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (cibc)

Cannot afford to miss:

How You Can Generate Double-Digit Response Through Media and Field Sales Integration

Monday, October 25, 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

I have circled about 10 different sessions, but if I had to pick one, it would be the one on media/field sales integration.

In our organization, our direct mail doesn’t work all on its own. Our activities are really designed to help complement the branch network.

We can’t function effectively from a customer perspective if we are doing our own thing and the branch people are doing their own thing.

When you are dealing with an organization that is a large as we are, with the number of employees and the number of branch locations that we have, a meaningful coordination of that activity is one hell of a challenge, but it’s also very important.

There are a lot of energies going to ensure that we are integrated as much as possible.

We work very closely with the lines-of-business product marketing people.

We try to identify direct response opportunities, as they fit into their overall marketing plan, and when it gets down to the implementation of those programs we do everything we can to make sure that program is integrated into the big picture.

Branches are sent copies of the direct mail packages. They are also advised in advance of a mailing that such a program is going out.

Our activities are integrated with all the other activities that are going on, be it print media, television, branch commun-ications and direct communications with the customer.

All that information is summarized in sales kits that go out to the branches and is explained during various sales-focussed marketing meetings that are held at district and branch levels.

So the way we are currently (integrating media and field sales messages) is effective, but I am not so naive as to believe we are perfect at it.

We always hear of the odd instance where something did not go well, where somebody didn’t get the message or they misunderstood the message, so if there is something in there that can help that process be more effective, I certainly want to know about it.