Communicating the Importance of Using Legitimately Licensed Software to the Graphic Design Community
The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the world's largest organization dedicated to eradicating software piracy. Through its public relations and advertising agency, the Business Software Alliance regularly turned to Marketry for assistance with challenging direct marketing campaigns.
Research performed by the Business Software Alliance found that some graphic designers using computer aided design software (created by Adobe, Bentley, and other companies) were not always concerned about using pirated software nor did they focus on having legitimately licensed programs or software products. The challenges were how to reach graphic designers, though which media, and how to craft a message that would convey the gravity of the issue without sermonizing. The public relations agency for the BSA contacted Marketry to help solve the targeting problem. A decision was made to use a multi-channel approach, using direct mail and permission-based e-mail.
Marketry provided list recommendations and set up the use of certain direct mail and permission-based e-mail list resources targeting carefully selected graphic design audiences. Dittus Communications developed flash-based creative that revolved around a character named Meg A. Byte, a designer who helped communicate the importance of using legitimately licensed software. A postcard was sent via postal mail and the flash based message was also sent via e-mail pointing recipients to a special website with more information.
According to the BSA, the campaign was extremely successful. Within one week of the campaign kickoff, the special website received over 65,000 hits, measuring a response rate of 18.5%. Visitor sessions averaged over 6 minutes. In addition, the campaign won a Mercury Gold Award for web-based campaigns.