In an industry where most senior decision makers in B2B marketing are male – Lieneke Happel epitomises ‘girl power’. She’s self-assured and straight talking, combining candidness with an open-mind. Her insight and experience appear to rival that of other senior marketers, but it’s her feistiness and fun humour that picks her out from the crowd.
In an age when direct mail is going through an image crisis and channels such as social media seem the sexier choice, it’s surprising to hear Happel so enthused by the traditional channel. Okay – she’s obviously biased working where she does, but more than that it seems that direct marketing appeals to her matter-of-fact attitude to business where everything is about measurability. “It’s a Dutch thing,” she tells me of her pragmatism.
Happel reveals her advocacy for DM is because she considers it highly targeted and personal. This, she acknowledges, is important to consider with a time-poor business audience.
“Nobody has time in B2B. If you’re going to hit people with a message, you want to hit them with ‘This is what I can do for you’. You need a concrete message and offer, and DM does that,” she says.
Not surprising, therefore, Happel remains skeptical of social media’s role in the B2B space a channel whose ROI is notoriously difficult to measure.
“I am skeptical. In the end it’s about effectiveness. If it means that our customers want us to be in contact via social media and we get a response to it, then we will absolutely use it. If not, then no. If you can’t prove the effectiveness, why do it?” she pertinently asks, adding “For me, the jury’s still out.”
Empower and innovate
Despite this viewpoint, it’s not the case that Happel is unwilling to embrace new techniques or avoid social media altogether. She’s quick to point out that she champions innovation, an ethos she shares with the TNT Post brand, and indeed the organisation does conduct some social media activity.
In particular, Happel explains that she actively encourages her marketing team, wherever possible, to try out new things with social media, and to make decisions for themselves without the need to seek her approval or present a business plan. However, as ever with this astute marketer, it all boils down to solid results, “I say to my team, if you’ve got a good idea, just do it. Then prove it to me. But if you can’t, then don’t come back.”
Despite Happel championing DM, she alludes – on more that one occasion – that truly successful marketing involves a mix of channels – “the smart money for everyone is integration,” she says, adding “a direct mail piece followed by email or integrated into above the line media can really strengthen the proposition of a message.”
Campaign delivery
It’s a busy time for TNT Post as Happel reveals a number of ongoing and forthcoming campaigns. A campaign to introduce AdMail was launched in August this year to promote the new service, in particular its reduced cost delivery rates and best practice in data management. The campaign ties in with GreenPost – an initiative that encourages sustainability while offering businesses further cost reductions. Happel explains that both campaigns focus on communicating to customers the boost to businesses’ ROI by taking advantage of the new services. Multiple channels have been used to spread the message to a wide-ranging customer base, including large corporates such as Sky, BT and Barclays, as well as SMEs and public sector bodies.
Another campaign due to launch soon is aimed at the public sector, one of several specific sectors that TNT Post will be targeting over the coming year. The campaign was born after the Government’s latest budget announcement, and highlights cost-saving measures available to both the private and public sectors through TNT Post’s next day delivery service, FirstSort.
As the numerous campaigns indicate, Happel’s drive to raise DM’s reputation as a reliable, proven and effective channel is relentless. It’s for this reason that she recently suggested that collaboration within the industry to promote DM was a no-brainer. Commenting on a recent news story about TNT Post and Royal Mail, Happel insists that there are no “concrete plans” to formally collaborate. However, she does say, “It’s in both of our interests to make sure that direct marketing and direct mail are sustainable and proven effective. It’s in our interests to work together and stimulate the industry.”
With her ‘no-messing’ attitude and competitive drive, it’s evident that Happel brings team spirit to TNT Post. Her shrewd business sense is balanced with an outgoing and fun personality – exactly the kind of characteristics a DM organisation needs if it’s to prove its worth in the future.
