TruGreen Kicks off Grass Scented Mail, DRTV Effort
TruGreen is hoping the smell of freshly cut grass scented postcards will entice homeowners looking for lawn care services.
The Memphis, TN-based firm has increased its mailings about 4% over last year, sending about 60 million pieces to heads of households across the country, with a concentration in southern states, says Philip Dobbs, CMO.
“With the scented grass piece we’re trying to connect emotionally with customers and one of the things that just about anybody can relate to is the smell of fresh cut grass,” he says. “We thought it would be fun to include that.”
Last year, direct mail response rates were up 15% compared to 2009, notes Dobbs, who hopes the new postcards will continue the upward trend.
Data from Experian was used for the mailings, which built models based on house file data to find heads of household. Recipients generally fall into the middle and upper income brackets. “And they are increasingly female,” Dobbs notes.
TruGreen is also boosting its DRTV efforts, running 30-second spots on national network news and premium cable TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN and Food Network. The spots feature the character “Bobby Sinclair, Neighborhood Lawn Kid,” and highlight the company’s overall offerings, as well as its new tree and shrub service.
The entire campaign will run through May, the period when TruGreen sells about 75% of its offerings, says Dobbs.
TruGreen is also getting some leads through Facebook and YouTube, but the majority of its business continues to come from direct mail and DRTV.
“We still believe in direct mail and are still investing a lot in direct mail,” says Dobbs.
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