A story of holiday magic was shared at the 2025 Women in Retail Leadership Summit during a panel discussion with Melissa Angus, Director, Marketing Solutions at LS Direct and Holly Klingel, Director of CRM & Loyalty at Balsam Hill.
The two companies partnered on a recent direct marketing campaign that truly “decked the halls” with success, according to Angus.
As Klingel explained, “Balsam Hill is the leading realistic artificial Christmas tree company and our purpose is to create joy together. You might have seen us in Hallmark movies, the Macy’s Day Parade, or as the official tree of the Detroit Lions.”
Balsam Hill is omni channel retailer that supports its DTC business across all major marketing channels: TV, email, programmatic, influencers, paid social, SMS and PPC, as well as catalog and direct mail.
Revamping an ineffective direct mail strategy
The company has a very successful catalog strategy in place, but its direct mail program needed to be completely revamped. According to Klingel, “Print breaks through in ways that can be harder for digital marketing. It also provides legitimacy for new and unknown brands.”
“I’d worked with LS Direct in my last three roles and knew I needed a partner with expertise in customer data, modeling and incrementality to turn around our direct mail program and also to gain the knowledge needed to build for future growth opportunities.”
>>Related: How Direct Mail Bridges Online and Offline Marketing<<
During the presentation, Klingel elaborated on what makes a great marketing partner.
“My litmus test is when it feels like a natural extension of our own team, a partner that treats our budget with as much care as we do. And not only in identifying opportunities but also being honest when programs aren’t appropriate and our marketing dollars would be better spent elsewhere. This basis of trust as a starting point has been the key to my most successful strategic partnerships such as the one with LS Direct.”
Starting with direct marketing basics
Balsam Hill and LS Direct began by determining what types of direct mail were most effective — retargeting site visitors, recent purchase thank yous, and/or event mailers to support efforts such as Black Friday or clearance sales.
And it all worked beautifully, according to Klingel. In a competitive holiday market, Balsam Hill achieved a 25% reduction in spend and a 14% increase in profit.
“We’re especially proud of the part DM played in changing the trend for new customers,” she explained. “They’re vital for a business with products last 10 years. This year was the highest increases we’d seen in years.
Data drives efficiency, lowers costs
Klingel also pointed out the importance of accurate data. In the past, Balsam Hill had many customers receiving direct mail pieces and catalogs at the same time, which led to double counting of revenue and inefficient spend.
“My goal was to drive incremental revenue and find pockets of opportunity for direct mail, as well as to identify customers that catalogs and other channels were missing. LS Direct had the modeling and analytical strength to quickly determine which customers to mail, so we were ready for a dramatic increase in investment during our peak selling season.
The result? More efficiency, with Balsam Hill catalog orders touched by direct mail reduced from 63% to 32% year-over-year. Klingel also reported a remarkable $27 ROI and a $9 incremental ROI.
Klingel also pointed to the importance of by LS Direct’s reporting capabilities. “Finding opportunity for profitable growth is the first step; but getting additional investment can sometimes be just as hard. LS Direct reporting makes it easy to share results and demonstrate additional opportunity to internal business partners.”
Direct mail anchors the omnichannel mix
For the holiday décor retailer, direct mail is here to stay. “It’s a measurable channel and a vital part of our marketing mix — a great complement to our other channels.
Catalog and direct mail do play a vital role in Balsam Hill marketing and will continue to do so in the future with the help of LS Direct, Klingel concluded. “It’s critically important to have a partner that is strategic and extremely analytic. So that your direct mail efforts are aimed at the right people and work in tandem with all your other channels.”
