Getting Personal with PURLs
Posted: Tuesday, September 14, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
This morning a group of us from the neighborhood gathered at the Oak Hill community center for a rousing hour of aerobics. Since most of us would rather have our teeth pulled without anesthesia than exercise, there was more effort on talking, less effort on exertion. Halfway through the session our fitness leader played Olivia Newton John's song "Let's Get Physical". Bernie Whitmore stopped dead in his tracks and yelled "AHA, that's it!"
Instead of "Let's Get Physical" Bernie decided to name his campaign "Let's Get Personal". Using PURLs was the way to go.
PURLs (or personalized URLs) are a marketing tool used by businesses that want to address an offer one to one. Used along with digital print and direct mail, PURLs direct the recipient to a landing page of a website designed just for him or her. In Bernie's case he knew the make, model and year of half the vehicles in town by either selling it to the townsfolk or repairing them. His database was full of information he could use.
The Montgomery family had a minivan that was nickel and diming them to death. He knew he had at least six new minivans on the lot that he could get them into without breaking their budget. George and Martha Singleton bought a new mid-size every three or four years and Bernie was sure the silver sedan in Row five had their name on it. Didn't Jasper Collins want to get rid of his SUV and purchase a pickup instead?
That is what a PURL can do. A businessman like Bernie can set up a landing page on a website that caters to an individual's need. As an example, a direct mail piece is addressed to the Singleton family and tells them to get online and type in WhitmoreAuto/SingletonFamily into their browser. When they do, lo and behold there is an ad welcoming George and Martha to Whitmore Auto's website. The advertisements shows information on all the mid-sized vehicles currently offered at Bernie's three locations. If they want to look at other models, links are provided to the main website.
The nice thing about using PURLs is that with little effort, Bernie and his marketing company can customize each piece mailed and track who decided to take a look at their site. Those that didn't come in to the showroom and look around can be sent a reminder a couple of weeks later.
With a spring in his step and fists pumping in the air, Bernie managed to get the rest of us stimulated too. Shouts of "Let's Get Personal" rang through the building and out into the parking lot. Our Wednesday morning aerobics class will be remembered by the community center staff for a long, long time after that spectacle.
Driving home in my five year old compact, I wondered what kind of vehicle Bernie has in mind for me. Can't wait to open my mailbox and find out.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)PURLs? Intresting .... Use it quite a lot, but never thought to call it PURL.We call them personal URLs or PURLS. What do you call them?Grace
This is an interesting idea, and I like the way you wrote this, Grace. Btw I just looked at your site, and clicked the just for fun button. It's hilarious. I especially love the antique for sale for lady with thick legs and big drawers!!Writing marketing articles doesn't make for the best read in the world but I'm glad you liked it. Aren't some of those things great? Trying to come up with more fun things to put on there for interaction. Got any suggestions? :)GraceThere has to be a place you can find them on the web. I'll have a look...Thanks! I'd appreciate that.
Hi Grace! A new thing for my knowledge library I bought from you, sales woman. Good information.CP
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