That’s a nice assortment of pre-SHRM mail.

As someone who has been blessed to attend multiple of these annual extravaganzas of everything HR, I have gotten used to some of the mailings and the content they contain. Some vendors appear to use the same thing each year. For example, I can count on TalentSmart to have their shiny mailing envelope containing a mini flyer advertising the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0. It’s 50% off at their booth this year.

Each year also brings mail from institutions of higher education touting their Masters programs, law school, or even industry certifications like CEBS.  A new one for my noticing this year was from Houston Baptist University with their on-line Masters in Human Resource Management program.

One element that I have noticed before was a couple of exhibitors touting student loan debt management. I know this is a growing area of benefits that companies are exploring (adding to existing tuition reimbursement programs) as many of the new hires coming into companies have large amounts of debt. This, of course, could be another arrow in the quiver of talent acquisition in a challenging recruitment environment.

In this age of electronic communication and mass e-mails, some may think that sending a conference tease or booth invitation by “snail mail” may not be effective. I would argue differently. As our e-mail becomes overwhelmed with junk, spam, and other distractions, these pieces (when well designed) can prompt a look at something that an attendee hasn’t considered before. For me, this will be electronic document management. While we have one in place, I am hoping to see some upgraded capabilities. The folks at ColumbiaSoft will be first on my list as I peruse the exhibition for potential solutions. Why is that? Because their direct mail reached my office and caught my attention. While I LOVE e-mail, don’t discount the old fashioned method of marketing either.

Look at this pile of #SHRM15 vendor brochures!

One major vendor (who shall remain nameless here) even has the incorrect hashtag for the conference on their mailed postcard. Not a good way to engage!

The seven (7) that made me sit up and take notice are:

Halogen: I liked their “HR Brilliant” approach and the appearance that their entire campaign integrates with their booth theme and approach to engagement with the HR marketplace.

TalentSmart: Their small mailing came in a silver electro-blocking bag. They are promoting a book (Emotional Intelligence 2.0) that is available at a discount from their booth. The bag was eye catching and books typically catch my attention.

Berkshire: In what is perhaps the best integration of on-line and mailed promotion, Berkshire is promoting #AwesomeHR which is, of course, AWESOME! Love the positivity that they are promoting and the fact that they dedicated their mailing to this approach shows a level of digital marketing integration that doesn’t always show itself in the world of HR vendors (or even HR itself!)

Center for Creative Leadership or CCL: Although the mailing itself was not immediately attention seeking, I did like their integration with a Tuesday 7:00am session and their note that free coffee would be available. For those caffeine needing souls out there, this may lure them in!

IDVille: This mailing integrates a Twitter campaign asking attendees to tweet their secret identity to #IDVSHRM for a chance at some prizes. The use of social media with traditional marketing makes this another that got noticed.

Steve Gilliland: Steve (tweeting as @SteveGSPeaks) is well known by many in the HR community for not others “get his goat”. Well, the postcard from Steve invites attendees to find his goat, which is hidden somewhere in Las Vegas! Hints are to be provided both on-line and during Steve’s concurrent session. In addition to being a fabulous speaker, Steve shows he likes to have fun too!

LifeLock: The final piece I will feature is from LifeLock. This came in a typical interoffice envelope and has inside an ID card  belonging to “Sherman”  Return the card to their booth and receive a $10 Starbucks card.  Not only was this fun, but I am amazed at the expense put forth to send this ($2.54 per piece) and marvel at how captures a scenario that many of us in HR have dealt with, the missing ID.

For those attending, enjoy the conference, visit with vendors, and thank them for being here with us. Great conversations are there to be had and the resources are there for the asking!