Today we’d like to introduce you to David Banko.
Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
If you ask my mother, I have been in the advertising and marketing business since birth. I have always had an interest in the creative marketing of products and services. After many years of gaining experience with many different advertising and media outlets, I started Loyalty Marketing Solutions in 2002 as a full service, direct response agency for small businesses in Atlanta and across the country.
In March 2006, DART Direct Mail division was officially launched to agency only clients who desired a better way to track their direct mail campaigns. We helped design and launch a call trackable technology and reporting system that could utilize both local and toll-free numbers that would have the ability to monitor each phone response from the campaign. This revolutionary technology helped take the mystery out of monitoring response and return on investment of an advertising campaign. The response to this was so successful, that the DART division officially started targeting mailing only clients throughout the country.
In July 2009, DART unveiled its printing website www.DARTdirectprint.com. DART direct print was created to give DART customers an opportunity to leverage DART’s high-quality printing capabilities for more than just direct mail. This website is the value priced, high end online printing website that is sure to be a big hit the printing world.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is never a smooth road, but then again, the best journeys are never without their struggles. The decision to move to a focused direct mail company from a full-service advertising agency was difficult and we lost several great employees. But it ended up being the right decision and led us to the great place we are now.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DART Direct Mail – what should we know?
We are specialists in helping business attract new business which in turns helps them grow through direct mail. We absolutely love the marketing challenge of best positioning companies in the minds of only their perfect potential consumers.
We are marketers at our core. And that is a key differential to others in this business. Most small and mid-sized business owners that are our clients need someone who is going to provide guidance on how best to maximize a campaign for them. As marketers, we are the ones who will not ask what the client wants, but tell them what they need to best accomplish their goals. This partnership approach is what fuels our success and is evidenced in our campaign process.
We first do the background research. We meet with the business, listen to what their problems are and what they are needing a campaign to do for them. We find out what makes them different from their competition and why their current customers come to them. We look at the demographics of their internal customers as well as the demographics of their target geography and discover what people are the best potential new customers for their business. We read their online customer reviews to spot trends, and then we start designing their unique campaign.
We custom create each mailing campaign that is designed specifically to put that business in an advantageous position in the minds of the consumers and only mail it to the mailboxes of people that best match who they are seeking. We print the mailing pieces on a high glossy stock and mail them to be in homes on the best days of the week.
Then, and this is the cool part, we track, record and monitor the response every day. Every single phone call they receive from our campaign is digitally tracked and recorded. We monitor the response to make sure they are getting what they need. And we make sure it is working and generating enough response for them. If it is not, we change up the program and make recommendations that include changing zones, changing the card and even reprinting if we have to. And many times, the client won’t even know it because all they are doing is answering their phones.
Does this whole process work? Absolutely.
We have now a 93% Renewal rate. That means after the first campaign, 93% of our clients renew with us. That is the statistic we are most proud of and in-turn will help us grow.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Our partnership approach is the key factor to our success. We really get to know each client and what fuels their success. And we love helping to be a part of that success.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1880 West Oak Parkway
Suite 103-2
Marietta, GA 30062 - Website: www.DARTdirectmail.com
- Phone: 770-428-8851
- Email: sales@dartdirectmail.com
- Facebook: fb.me/dartdirectmail
- Twitter: @DARTdirect
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