Money Mailer has been a leader in the direct marketing industry for more than 30 years. Money Mailer has enabled businesses to reach consumers wherever they are, however they like to receive savings. While their primary focus has always been direct mail and sending coupons through shared mail envelopes, the company has adjusted to the growth of technology and in the past year has implemented new strategies such as mobile applications and a new Facebook page where consumers can pull coupons directly from the page and recommend businesses they would like to see coupons from.
Dennis Jenkins is Money Mailer’s Vice President of Franchise Licensing and has been with the company since April of 2000. Prior to Money Mailer, Dennis spent five years as vice president of sales and marketing for American Security Distribution, one of the largest national distributors of security hardware. He has also held senior management positions with divisions of Beatrice and Black & Decker. Dennis has spearheaded two divisional turnarounds and been recognized for his ability to recruit top sales talent and develop innovative sales processes that produce superior results. He began his career with Procter & Gamble after completing his MBA at the University of Georgia. Dennis is married with two daughters.
Franchise Chatter (FC): For those unfamiliar, please tell us about the range of solutions you offer your advertising clients today?
Dennis Jenkins (DJ): It all starts with our oversized red, white, and blue envelopes. From there, our franchisees can offer placement on our world class mobile app and turnkey text message program, as well as MoneyMailer.com and our affiliate network of some of the most popular coupon sites on the web. Our advertisers are also placed on our Facebook page so that consumers can search for local savings while they’re on Facebook.
FC: How has your business model evolved as a result of advances in technology and social media?
DJ: Consumers today are always moving — picking up dinner on the way home from work or getting an oil change between the kids’ soccer games. Combine that with a resurgence in couponing, and consumers are looking for savings they can access when they’re away from home — at work or in the car. Things like our mobile app and a social media presence make it easy for us to put savings at consumers’ fingertips.
FC: How were you able to get your franchisees on board with the changes to your business model?
DJ: Our franchisees have been extremely supportive about the new solutions they can offer to their clients because they know that it makes them more effective. More consumers bringing more Money Mailer coupons into local businesses only makes them stronger.
FC: Can you describe the ideal franchisee for a Money Mailer franchise?
DJ: Our ideal candidate is someone who is outgoing, with a strong sales background and is not afraid to get out there and talk to small business owners. Our best franchisees take the time to learn the nuances of the community and can work with business owners to build a marketing plan that is custom tailored to meet their specific needs.
FC: What specific steps do your most successful franchisees take in order to build and grow their respective businesses?
DJ: The biggest thing a franchisee can do is build the right mix of local businesses for their consumers. Providing consumers with savings they can use every day helps our franchisees build a strong local awareness that helps them approach business owners.
FC: What are your thoughts on the proliferation of websites offering coupons, as well as group-buying sites like Groupon?
DJ: With so many consumers rediscovering couponing, there’s been a surge of new sites and models entering the space. What makes us stand out is our local content. Consumers know that when they’re looking for savings at their neighborhood restaurant or corner dry cleaners, they can look in the Money Mailer envelope, visit MoneyMailer.com, open the Money Mailer app or visit the Official Money Mailer Facebook page.
Group-buying sites have their place, and can be a useful tool to build quick awareness for the right type of business. But as a long term marketing strategy, they just don’t make sense for most local businesses. They’re built on aggressive discounts and revenue sharing models that leave just a small percentage of sales for businesses to cover all of their costs.
FC: Where do you see the direct mail industry headed in the next few years?
DJ: I think we’ll continue to see things move towards localization. People are busier than ever and no one wants to drive more than necessary. Saturation mailing still makes sense for the right situation, but even national brands are looking at ways to target homes around major retailers instead of just hitting an entire region. Local, small businesses are facing constant pressure to run as efficiently as possible and the ability to target their marketing on specific neighborhoods helps them accomplish that.
FC: Which profit center(s) do you see the greatest opportunity for your franchisees going forward?
DJ: The mailed envelope is always going to be our greatest opportunity. Mail remains an affordable, effective way to reach consumers because consumers like to get savings in their mailbox. And even as our mobile app and Facebook page gain more users, in most cases, a consumer’s first exposure to Money Mailer comes from the mail.
FC: What are your goals for Money Mailer in the next few years and how do you plan to grow your business?
DJ: In the next few years, we’ll see some maturation with some of the newer solutions we’re rolling out now. The mobile app will continue to grow into a pocket version of the local mailed envelope no matter where you are. And through social media, we’ll be able to have direct conversations with local consumers that will help us deliver more of the local businesses they’re looking for.
On the franchising side, we’ve got some really great markets that are available that would be a great opportunity for the right person — from local territories all the way up to entire markets.
FC: Is there anything else you wish to share about Money Mailer?
DJ: Money Mailer is at the forefront of one of the hottest industries. People have rediscovered their interest in saving money and with the advances in technology, we’ve been able to let consumers access the savings they get in their mailbox where ever they are.
To learn more about Money Mailer, check out their website and Facebook page.
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