5 minutes with…Isla Munro

Name:  Isla Munro

Job Title: Managing Director

First job in the industry: I had a great first job as Marketing Officer at Edinburgh Napier University.  My role was to help recruit new students to the University and I had a lot of fun doing so through the creation of the University prospectus, and by organising open day events and arranging school visits and talks.  

Area of expertise: I have a solid marketing background which I have gained from working in professional services, property and marketing agencies. I love working on marketing strategy, especially as part of the customer journey and looking at creative ways to acquire and retain customers.

What do you love most about print media? The way you can make something feel luxurious and special. Print gives a real personal touch, and the advancements in technology and production mean we can do much smaller but more targeted runs which get great results!

What inspires you when it comes to direct mail? I love the challenge of budgets and making sure the spend goes as far as possible. Postage is always the most expensive part of a mail pack, but with our exclusive Royal Mail account we can help our clients save on that element. I enjoy working with the Dragonfly team on creative solutions and then weighing up print against digital spend. I love it when you compare a PPC campaign to a DM campaign... what gets you more for 50p? One click online which lasts seconds, or one personalised mail pack delivered into the letterbox of a prospect which stays in the home for, on average, 17 days.

What is the best thing about direct mail? There is something for everyone! No matter the size of your database or budget there is an effective DM campaign waiting to happen – it just takes some creative thinking and planning.

Is there anything about print that you think people would be surprised to know? There is a perception that print kills trees and is bad for the environment. Which is utter nonsense! We recently became members of Two Sides which is doing an amazing job to campaign against Green Washing. Did you know, only 8% of a tree is used for pulp, and European Forests have been growing by over 1,500 football pitches every day?

Favourite ad/marketing campaign? I love it when brands are reactive to current affairs or trends and can get online quickly. Royal Mail recently did it with the Woman’s Football and Nivea did it with the FaceApp