Case Studies
Sun Microsystems: A Touch of Glass Can Work Magic on the Bigshots
Published: July, 2010
Objective
To send a creative Direct mail invite to technology companies' top executives for Sun Microsystems' 25th anniversary event.
Approach
Sun extended its invitation via a classy martini glass, and this was specially delivered to capture the attention of the bigwigs.
Results
Sun received a registration response rate of 85% for the direct mail. More than 500 turned up for the event when Sun expected only about 200 guests.
Getting direct mail past the gatekeepers and through to the decision-makers is never easy. But Sun Microsystems showed how its creative direct mail – a swanky martini glass – was the perfect mix for attracting high-fl iers to its 25th anniversary event.
I am sure many marketers agree that it's never easy reaching senior executives. But they are the decision-makers you want to influence if you're selling major systems or services that will affect your business and their bottom line.
They have the power to make big purchase decisions or instruct the appropriate person to check out what you have to offer.
Everyone wants their ears and eyes, but they are protected by their gatekeepers – the assistants or secretaries who make sure junk mail never reaches their desks.
Courting these powerbrokers requires more than conventional direct mail. So what tricks can creative agencies call on to make sure mail gets past the gatekeeper, is opened by the right decision-maker and generates the intended response?
Well, it will take more than a fl at direct mail to convince the gatekeeper that the information inside is important enough to be passed on to the boss. Many corporate mailroom policies ensure direct mail that screams obvious junk sales content (usually with all the teaser copy on the envelope) will be tossed before it reaches the CEO’s office.
This means you should avoid the frivolous look-at-all-costs mail, and make it look more important than what it has to say.
Using unorthodox or attention-grabbing mail is the best way to escape the eyes of the gatekeeper.
A big box will look signifi cant and a small one exquisite, and if you make the package look important, exciting and glamorous and have it delivered straight to the senior executive, it may reach your intended target.
To help Sun Microsystems get noticed for its 25th anniversary event, Gosh used its marketing prowess with a creative direct mail.
Sun extended its invitation to the top brass of technology companies in town, vis-à-vis a martini glass, as a request for the invitee to toast the occasion. Gosh then had the swanky martini glasses priority delivered using an express dispatch team – another approach that increases the likelihood of the bigwigs opening the invitation.
The power of this mail was mainly its tangibility. The martini glass – at worst, a potential keepsake – helped pique the interest of these time-scarce senior executives, offering them a rare opportunity to relax and network with their peers during the corporate event.
Sun was handsomely rewarded with a response rate of 85% registering for the event.
While Sun only expected about 200 guests, more than 500 turned up.
At the event, the guests were treated to the world’s first virtual data centre – Project Blackbox was especially shipped into Singapore, making it the first pit stop in Asia.
The guests were given a special tour of this shipping container to witness the Sun’s innovation in the fi eld of computer, storage and network infrastructure.
No direct mailer is a means to an end. It is only the fi rst step of a long journey in converting the cold prospects into a warm lead.
But who says a direct mail has to always focus on the product?
It can be fun, creative and needs-relevant, so long as it is able to solicit the desired response.
While the martini glass had nothing to do with what Sun was selling in terms of its products and services, the martini glass direct mail nevertheless worked its magic, sip by sip, by attracting the top end of town who needed a bona fide reason for a happy hour they so desired.
- Kelvin Tan
- General Manager
- Gosh Advertising