by Jennifer Grace
Baking is something that I hold dear. It is my favorite hobby. Pies, cakes, casseroles, it doesn’t matter; if it goes into the oven, I love to bake it. So today is rainy and a little on the cold side here in Maine and all I can think about is baking. Whenever I ask my family what they want me to bake, they say the same thing: chocolate chip cookies. I get it, everyone loves chocolate chip cookies! So here’s the deal, for all the bakers out there (and since I can’t bake because I need to write a blog for Deborah) I am going to share with you what I think is the best ever chocolate chip cookie recipe. Of course I do also need to write a relevant topic. So here it is.
How Making Chocolate Chip Cookies is Like a Direct Mail Campaign
Like anything else, but especially baking, print marketing requires the perfect mixture of ingredients and skill. You may get the ingredients perfect, but if you do not have the right temperature on your oven, the cookies will be no good. Sending out direct mail is much the same way. Why go through the steps to get a perfect piece, only to flop on your mail list, or your paper choice. There are so many variables to get a direct mail campaign perfect.
Plan Ahead When getting ready to bake your cookies, the first step is to preheat your oven and set the position of your racks. After that, you would want to line your baking sheets with parchment paper and get them ready for your cookies. When planning ahead for print, there are certain variables that should be completed before you begin. Such as:
- Gather your mail list
- Select your printer
- Decide what type of mail piece you want to send (catalog, postcard, brochure, etc.)
Mixing the Ingredients Once the prep work is done, the next step is to mix all of your ingredients. You want to make sure your ingredients are perfect. That means soft butter, eggs at room temperature, and so on. If you’re going to do it, do it right! Your ingredients should be separated, dry from wet. There should also be an order of which they get creamed together. Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, etc. Whatever you decide to do for your direct mail campaign, the ingredients should be mixed together in a way that renders effective for your audience.
- Decide who your audience is
- Find out what they like
- Mix the ingredients in a thoughtful and reactive way. Don’t’ be afraid to change the recipe to better fit the needs of your prospects (if your prospects like crispy cookies use white sugar/if they like chewy cookies, use brown sugar).
The point is, know your audience, know what they want, and create your ingredients based on what is best suited towards them. Do your research so you know what outcomes are created from each ingredient. We all have our preferences, find out what theirs is. You can do this by researching past buying behaviors, using cooperative databases, and surveying the preferences of your demographics. If you are selling business to business, study their brand ahead of time. Make it a point to understand the culture of the company.
Rolling Out the Cookie Dough Getting the Cookies Presentable
Here’s where all the fun begins! When rolling out cookies, consistency is key. You don’t want all your chocolate chips in one cookie and you don’t want different size cookies. In print marketing you want to be true to your brand and be consistent. This is where your presentation begins. Now that you did all of this work on selecting your ingredients, you should want to put thought into your presentation. Here is where you decide what kind of paper you want to use. If you are a high end fashion catalog, you probably won’t want to use a lightweight paper stock, etc.
- Decide what details best fit your marketing piece and company presentation
- Make sure that whatever presentation you select is appealing to your audience (a farmer might appreciate a nice recycled paper—or a giant chocolate chip cookie for a mid-day snack).
- Any personalization such as personalized ink jetting, URLS, dot whacks, coupons are all great finishing touches.
Cookie Tip: Use an ice scream scoop to get uniform cookie sizes. Once your cookie is rolled, split it in half and put it back together again so your chocolate chips show on the top rather than get glazed over with dough. Show ‘em what you got! Make them feel like they need that cookie.
Baking the Cookies While your cookies are baking, it’s important that they get switched out and rotated in between cycles. This allows them to remain consistent. You wouldn’t want one set dark on the bottom and the other dark on top. The same goes with your direct mail marketing.
- Don’t send out something that is not to par with your brand
- Be consistent with your mailings, most sales happen after a number of attempts
- Make sure your pieces are being quality controlled and that you are getting the service from your printer that reflects all of your hard work
Ask, Do They Like Your Cookies? The last and final step to baking cookies and your direct mail campaign is to test your response. Do they like your cookies? What could be done better or differently the next time? Document your findings and apply them to your next campaign. If you don’t get the response you were looking for, keep trying. Baking comes with practice, determination, and refinement. So does direct mail. So keep up the good work and enjoy the cookies!
For The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(I originally discovered this recipe in Baking Illustrated years ago)
Ingredients
2 cups (plus 2 tablespoons flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
(1 1/2 sticks melted butter
1 cup brown sugar (because I like my cookies chewy!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (real vanilla is better, but extract works)
1 -1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (I like chunks)
Directions:
Place oven racks to upper- and lower-middle position and preheat to 325 and heat the oven to 325. Use parchment paper on your baking pans for best results.
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl.
In another bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs. Mix. Add vanilla. Mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix. Add chocolate chips.
Try the trick recommended in the article. Use an ice cream scoop. You are looking for about ¼ per cookie.
Bake about 16 minutes (give or take depending on your oven) Don’t forget to rotate and switch your pans half way through!
Jennifer Grace is a proud to be millennial who works as a Sales & Marketing Specialist at The Dingley Press. Dingley specializes in catalog printing and Jen is lucky enough to be stationed in the manufacturing facility where the presses run 24/7. When it comes to print and catalogs, one thing is for sure, Jen does not lack enthusiasm. To read more of her articles you can check out Dingley’s blog site or connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
