Referrals Lead to Success
The Client
Inland Cellular is a rural cellular communications company in Lewistown, Idaho, servicing southeastern Washington and north-central Idaho. Founded in 1992, the wireless provider offers quality local cellular service. Their goal is to provide customers with the friendliest, most complete customer service in the area while maintaining a local cellular service that is second to none.
The Challenge
Inland Cellular wanted to bolster subscription totals in order to generate additional sources of revenue. Together with EverView, they initiated a plan to distribute referral cards in the invoice packages containing a special incentive for new member referrals. The overall goal was to make an immediate and positive impact on subscriber totals through customer referrals. EverView had to ensure that the largest number of people possible was made aware of the program in order to generate the highest response rate. EverView believed that with a generous incentive, the only potential obstacle was a lack of customer awareness.
The Solution
The program commenced with three elements of the invoice package including EverView Envelope Messaging℠, EverView Dynamic Messaging℠ and EverView Inserts℠. The offer was included in customer invoices during one regular billing cycle.
The insert, printed and stuffed at EverView’s production facility, offered every customer a $25 credit toward the next bill with each newly referred Inland Cellular service subscriber. There was no limit to how many new members a subscriber could enroll and no limit to the number of $25 coupons redeemed.
The EverView Envelope Message alerted customers to the insert offer enclosed within the invoice, and for maximum impact, the message noted the $25 incentive. By not giving too many details on the envelope, the reader was enticed to look for the offer inside the invoice package and learn of the promotion.
Since this promotion was being sent to all customers, Inland Cellular placed a marketing message on each invoice. The message briefly detailed the referral program and the $25 credit incentive.
The campaign was repeated in subsequent customer billing cycles and was further bolstered by an in-store distribution of inserts at retail locations. It was also circulated in new member kits and mailed to all new Inland Cellular subscribers.
The Results
Subscriptions were offered in graduated term lengths for up to 52 weeks. The promotion netted a total of 80 new cellular phone service subscribers and generated a total of $8,640 in new sales. Sixty-four of the 80 new subscribers enrolled at the full 52 weeks.
Inland Cellular considered this promotion a great success and plans to repeat the campaign. The entire approach was effective in promoting the conversion of new customers to Inland Cellular. With a substantial $25 credit, it accomplished their goal of widespread notification. The idea was that if people were aware of the generous offer, they would respond. That’s why the three-tier approach was so significant. The invoice wasn’t just one opportunity to inform the recipient, it was three opportunities. Using the invoice they already mail out, Inland Cellular took advantage of the 95 percent read and open rate their document provided to reach the customer at three different points: through the envelope, the insert and the invoice. Messaging through these three elements required collaboration from departments from EverView to create the best opportunity for Inland Cellular.
