A start-up with a solid idea (and patent) that I was involved in early on was AmazingMail.com of Scottsdale, Arizona. It was created by a retired commercial airline pilot, John Lockhart. And what is AmazingMail, you ask? It is a high-quality postcard created from your computer and sent through the US Postal Service using mailing lists you create, upload or purchase from the company. It is also Patent No. 6732152, “Methods and apparatus for generation and distribution of surface mail objects.”
Lockhart was able to quickly create a buzz for AmazingMail as a personal tool for sending pictures and greetings, but that’s not where the potential big money was. That was recognizing AmazingMail’s flexibility as a business tool—and the simplicity of the product made it perfect for everything from vacation rentals to medical and dentist announcements and any direct mail campaign that needed quick delivery (an early adopter was a cable television provider who was able to increase demand for on-demand movies).
My engagement was through the public relations channel, from general interest to trade. A large PR agency had already attempted to pitch AmazingMail, but their emphasis on the online aspect was misleading; the ultimate product is a gorgeous personalized postcard. I made some inroads, but traffic at AmazingMail.com went through the roof after I landed Lockhart on the David Lawrence Show.
But it was comrade-in-arms George Eade who, upon seeing the product, said: “I’ll never send a Christmas card in an envelope again.” I believe the 2001 holiday season is the first time I sent cards using AmazingMail, and I continue to use them as a highly-targeted, highly-responsive direct marketing tool today.
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