So I came across an article on PharmExec recently that talked about AstraZeneca’s (AZ) early results from its “…latest integrated ad strategy, designed to tie direct-mail marketing to its online campaign using an innovative new gadget called a Webkey” (by Kyp Systems PLC).
Image from PharmaExec.com
…AZ conceived a plan using a small, dimensional mailer that includes custom art, risk/benefit information, and a USB device that pops out of the side of the mailer, much like a Swiss Army knife.
“…we are were faced with a cluttered marketplace in terms of competition, so we were looking for a way to break through and reach the healthcare professionals in a unique way,” said Michael Harpish, director of marketing at Digitas Health.
The Zomig package was sent to 400 targeted physicians in mid-June, and has seen a physician response rate of 11 percent. According to Gartner Research on Forbes.com, traditional direct mail has a response rate of 1-3 percent.
OK, the response rate looks really good compared to traditional direct mail campaigns, so I decided to look into more detail about this WebKey/iKyp thing. According to the iKyp webpage:
The iKyp webkey is a revolutionary new way to achieve your online objectives and drive traffic to your website. It provides a unique way of bridging physical media and the digital world. Using patented autolaunch technology, the iKyp webkey takes recipients directly to any destination webpage. All they need to do is plug it in to a USB port and the webpage will launch within seconds. That’s it!
Hmmm…Is it just me or does this device seem more novel than revolutionary? I mean, everything they desribe about the iKyp could be has been done using a CD-ROM, probably up to 5-10 years ago. Let’s see how the iKyp stacks up against the CD-ROM based on their basic list of features…
Autolaunch technology
- check (rememberAutorun.inf files on CD-ROMs?)
Direct to website
- check (see above)
Guaranteed to be virus free
- semi-check (as long as source is clean, no way to write to CD)
Grant access to exclusive web content
- semi-check (depends on how you program your CD)
Enables the creation of personalised content
- Not sure what this means? Cookies and tracking?
Works with any Windows based PC
- OK, they got this one beat…Usually CD-ROMs have Windows AND Mac apps
All in one integrated solution
- Not sure what that means (marketing-ese, I guess)
Prolongs customer engagement
- A USB device can do that??? Wow!
Now, I’m not trying to put down the campaign nor am I trying to suggest that the iKyp USB device is not a good way to market, but I do think that the article and the company have really hyped the iKyp beyond what it really is. For example, I think it’s a lofty claim for the president of Kyp to say:
“In today’s world, it’s not enough just to cut through the clutter and get someone’s attention,” Vastardis said. “It’s imperative that the target audience is engaged in a way that they become educated and empowered. Then you can elicit an intended behavior.
“While I complete agree with what he says, I don’t see how his little USB device can claim to “cut through clutter” and “engage, educate, and empower”, when compared to other forms of media.
True, I can see where the read/write nature of the USB drive could allow you to track the end-user experience, so that a personalized, continued “journey” can occur (rather than starting from the same point for everyone, every single time), but in terms of everything else, I believe it was already being done with previous marketing campaigns using CD-ROMs…Remember the mini-CD direct mail campaigns of the past?
I can only imagine that on the back-end, this system allows you to collect a bunch of data by connecting online with the company’s CRM system, which ultimately results in more efficient campaign management and ROI calculations, but that was being done with CD-ROMs as well.
So, my big question is whether the novelty of a USB drive is enough to sustain a higher response rate to a direct mail campaign or whether it could be explained by something as simple as a more targeted audience for this pilot – 400 is a relatively small number for a mail campaign. Furthermore, I bet the cost ratio for a CD-ROM compared to a USB drive is something like pennies to the dollar. And no Mac support? What’s up with that?
Perhaps I’m just making a much bigger fuss about this than I need to, but to me, it seems like the claim of a “revolutionary device” is a little over the top — it’s almost like calling a downloadable audio file a podcast 
.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Totally agree; the webkey is hardly revolutionary. In fact, when I was with the Boston office of DTAS 3-4 years ago, we pitched this same thing to another pharma client. If memory serves me, we dropped it in the end due to costs and the PC-only constraint (which can be especially problematic if you’re targeting an academic audience). Don’t get me wrong – I think webkeys can have a place, and I applaud their efforts at making the DM piece more interactive; I just which they talked more about the message/offer as that likely caused the high response rate, more so than the sheer novelty of including a webkey. I’ve also received more than one media kit from publishers in this manner, which is another nice use of the device.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Stephanie – thanks for your comment. Interesting to hear that you were doing this 3-4 years ago, when the cost per MB for USBs must have been A LOT higher. I agree – they hyped the device up so much that they missed the most important bit about the success rate. Media kits make perfect sense – maybe this will be the new portfolio format for people in the design world?