AMiable Solution #156: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 2

One of the biggest appeals of stamp collecting is its accessibility.  You could start and maintain a stamp collection without every spending a cent: you simply collect stamps off the mail you receive.

Some people are content to collect what everyone else has access to.  But some people are not.  Some people want the thrill of knowing they possess something unique, something rare.  They enjoy the feelings of exclusivity, which brings us to our second lesson from stamp collecting…

Rare is rewarding. 

Just as stamp collectors enjoy owning something that not many other people can, customers, donors, and members enjoy getting offers that are limited to a select group of people.

Referred to as “exclusivity” marketing, this strategy targets a specific segment of a market and offers recipients exclusive savings, limited-time offers, or limited-availability perks.

Why does this work?  Exclusivity marketing increases the value of your offer.  It makes your audience feel valued and appreciated and inspires customers to order, members to renew, and donors to donate.  Exclusivity marketing creates urgency and loyalty.

How can you create an inspiring and successful exclusive offer?  First, make sure you identify who qualifies for the special.  You don’t have to limit your special offer to one group.  You can target specific customers or specific areas of interest.  You must, however, make it clear why the recipient received this offer: customers with most frequency, biggest donors, “loyal” customers with the most years of business, etc.

Second, you need to make sure the carrot on the stick is real.  It must have real value, and it must be satisfying.  If it doesn’t, your customers will not only resent being tricked, but they’ll also reconsider any interest or sense of loyalty they had to your organization.

Unlike some of the rarest stamps, your offers don’t have to stick around for hundreds of years.  They just have to send the right message.

AMiable Solution #155: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 1

Stamp collectors have existed almost as long as stamps have.  How long?  According to The American Philatelic Society, more than 175 years: ever since Britain issued the first postage stamp, the “Penny Black,” on May 6, 1840.

What makes stamps so attractive to collectors?  How did stamps and stamp collecting become such a success?  This month, we’ll look at four lessons marketers can learn from the history and art of stamp collecting, starting with…

Make more than a product. 

Occasionally, the U.S. Postal Service creates what it calls a “semipostal” stamp.  These slightly more expensive “fundraising stamps,” as they’re also known, provide customers with something they need--a stamp--and something more universal and impactful--a donation to a good cause.

The Breast Cancer Research stamp was the first such stamp.  Issued on July 29, 1998, the stamp’s sales help fund both the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense.  As of December 2014, the stamp has raised more than $80 million for breast cancer research.

The Postal Service’s other currently available semipostal stamp, the Save Vanishing Species stamp, was issued on September 30, 2011.  The USPS’s fourth semipostal stamp, it has raised more than $2.6 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the Multinational Species Conservation Funds.

The lesson?  Think outside of your box: beyond your office, your building, your industrial park.  Creating a campaign, product, service, or offer that promotes awareness and support of a particular cause not only makes you feel good, but it also makes your customers feel good.  It creates hope for those affected by your chosen issue and better relationships between you and your market. 

Now that’s something worth collecting.