Sales360 and CartoonLink Form Strategic Partnership to Serve the Automotive Dealership Market

METARIE, La., Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive direct mail provider Sales360 has just signed an exclusive agreement with Seattle-based CartoonLink, Inc. to provide a new line of mail products that feature the company's signature personalized cartoon creative approach.  CartoonLink founder Stu Heinecke, a Direct Mail Association (DMA) Hall of Fame-nominated marketer and one of The Wall Street Journal cartoonists, will orchestrate the new program with Sales360, bringing his unique bed of test experience in the use of cartoons in direct response marketing. Sales360 is an Automotive Direct Marketing Agency which prints over 10 million direct mail pieces monthly for hundreds of dealers nationwide.  The companies plan on bringing the same record-breaking results that mark much of Burst's and Heinecke's work for many of the world's biggest direct marketers, to the automotive marketplace.

"In our 30 years of testing, we have found cartoons are one of the most effective involvement devices in existence," explains Heinecke, who is also the author of Drawing Attention, a book that explains how to use the magic of cartoons in various business and marketing missions.  He points to the results of countless editorial readership surveys, which often show cartoons are the best-read and remembered part of magazines and newspapers.  "We often see people reacting to our mailings in ways that simply don't happen with other forms of mail," says Heinecke, "including treating our pieces as keepsakes and posting them to refrigerator doors for months or longer."  Heinecke asserts the kind of engagement generated by personalized cartoons often translates into stronger response and sales numbers.

"Stu already has a tremendous track record, having created record-breaking campaigns for Forbes, Time, Inc., AARP, Easter Seals, the NBA and more," adds Sales360 President Shawn Burst, "and we're already seeing great numbers in preliminary tests for dealerships."  But Heinecke warns, this is not simply a matter of slapping a few cartoons onto a mailing.  "This is very tricky stuff," he explains, "I seem to be the only person so far who has successfully defied the 'Don't use humor' decry from direct marketing experts of the past."  While Mr. Heinecke has amassed a large track record of successes with his use of cartoons, other direct marketers have failed to catch on, making him something of a celebrity in the marketing world.  "There's no one else like him," says Burst, "and Sales360 is the only way to get his expertise and content for automotive mailings."

Lasco Ford, who participated in a pilot campaign, attributed record-breaking results to the program. Sales360 targeted 5,000 Ford owners not in Lasco Ford's database and sent out a cartoon themed buyback offer. "We already mail our database monthly," explains Matt Lasco, General Manager of Lasco Ford. "We wanted to go out and gain new customers to increase our market share,"  said Lasco. The final tally of 29 cars delivered on 5000 pieces of mail was a pleasant surprise. Lasco has since signed up for a subsequent event in October.

Sales360 is opening the CartoonLink program with a series of buy-back and event-driven mailings through its dealer and reseller network.  For more information, visit http://www.sales360.net or call 888-593-9424.

Media Contact:
Shawn Burst
888-593-9424

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SOURCE Sales360