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The Power of Mover Trigger Marketing Campaigns
Major life events, such as moving, can be big opportunities for brands — if they know when and how to act
According to Deluxe campaign data, more than 1.5 million consumers across lifestyle, household, and business-owner categories experience major life events each week that can trigger unique financial and purchasing decisions. These important events include getting married, expecting a child, preparing for a move, changing residences, and selling a house. Moreover, Deluxe data has found that approximately 1 million businesses each month reach an important milestone, such as relocating or expanding, that trigger similar purchasing opportunities.
"Trigger events" provide companies timely opportunities to build new relationships or expand existing ones by connecting with consumers and businesses that are on the verge of making important financial and buying decisions. By running trigger marketing campaigns, marketers can capitalize on those events to deliver highly relevant messaging and offers at moments consumers and businesses are likely to be receptive to them.
Simply put, a trigger campaign promotes a company's products or services to the right audiences at the right time, with relevant offers based on specific events. These campaigns leverage milestone moments to convert for immediate and/or near-future purchasing decisions.
Why Movers Are a Prime Trigger Marketing Audience
While all triggering events are significant moments in a person's life, moving is something that a large percentage of consumers do more than once. In fact, according to moving services company North American Van Lines, more than 25 million Americans relocated in 2023 and 30 million were projected to have moved at least once in 2024. They represent a valuable target market, as they are likely to engage with new brands and make substantial purchases within the timeframe leading up to, during, and just after their move.
Consider a homeowner listing her property for sale. She has probably researched which roofers, painters, or electricians to hire. Additionally, she has likely secured financing or obtained a new mortgage for when her current home sells and she purchases a new one. Once her home sells, she will likely buy moving supplies and items for her new home. In fact, existing homebuyers in their first year after moving spend more than twice as much on furnishings as nonmoving homeowners, according to the National Association of Home Builders. And first-time homebuyers spend even more. But home furnishings are often not the only items on these consumers' shopping lists. As these buyers or renters head to a new city or state, they might search for everything from healthcare professionals to service providers to retailers.
The moving journey is hectic, so trigger campaigns provide consumers with relevant offers while the need for goods and services related to relocating is top of mind. As a direct result, marketers who run trigger campaigns achieve greater return on their marketing investment than those running traditional marketing campaigns.
Necessary Elements for a Successful Trigger Marketing Campaign
Successful trigger marketing campaigns are built on the combination of comprehensive data and speed to market; these critical elements work harmoniously to drive effectiveness and ensure meaningful results.
1. Comprehensive data coverage increases response rate.
Marketers have long had access to mover data, but relying on a single source can be inadequate. Different data sources can report a mover trigger at varying times. If a brand depends solely on one data source, it risks launching its outreach too late. Potentially, this allows competitors to engage with those consumers weeks earlier.
2. Speed to market boosts revenue potential.
To adequately compete while targeting movers, baseline campaign elements need to be vetted and ready to increase the likelihood of success. The first step is identifying the most effective marketing channels for use (e.g., direct mail, email, digital outreach). Given the chaotic nature of moving, targeting multiple channels may prove most effective. Compelling messaging and relevant offers are prerequisites for converting movers into loyal customers; when aligned correctly, both can position a brand as a trusted ally during significant life change and generate substantial sales. Once those elements are ready for deployment, the second step is ensuring marketers can process and use mover data to activate a campaign quickly.
For Measuring Success, the Devil Is In the Details
The adage "What gets measured gets managed" rings true: Measuring the success of trigger marketing campaigns can help fine-tune strategies and amplify their effectiveness. There are three KPIs for marketers to consider.
- Conversion-rate analysis. It's important to understand how many consumers who received the marketing actually converted, which isn't always easy. Attribution needs to have a well-rounded, thoughtful approach to find all the conversions, not just those that may have come through a promotion or QR code. This data is vital to unlocking the full potential of a trigger marketing campaign.
- Cost-per-acquisition evaluation. If marketers analyze the cost of acquiring a new customer through trigger marketing and compare it to other efforts, it will provide them the data needed to make informed decisions about their marketing strategy. Evaluating the cost per acquisition by marketing effort can also help ensure investments are focused on the right marketing channels and tactics to maximize sales.
- Revenue/profit analysis. Return on ad spend is a powerful metric that reveals the revenue generated for every campaign dollar spent. Monitoring this profit indicator enables marketers to make better long-term decisions about a campaign's creative direction, spending, and timeline.
Trigger campaigns offer unique, powerful occasions for marketers to connect with consumers during critical life events. Those involved in a move represent an invaluable target market, with an increased likelihood of engaging with new brands and making substantial purchases. By implementing trigger campaigns for events like moving, and carefully monitoring KPIs to optimize effectiveness, marketers can reach consumers at the right moment, fostering long-term loyalty, driving significant business growth, and maximizing return on a company's marketing investment.
Deluxe is a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program.
