How Sendoso's baseball-themed gifting campaign drove 86% webinar attendance

Field marketers know the challenge.
You can successfully drive dozens or even hundreds of registrations to a webinar - but getting people to actually show up? That’s the real game.

We set out to test a simple idea (and drink our own champagne along the way) by asking: How, if at all, does adding gifting to the mix change the webinar attendance rate?

From mailbox to live attendance

To promote the Own the Field: Knock Your Events Out of the Park with Sendoso webinar, we launched a two-part campaign designed specifically for field marketers.

The goal was two-fold:

1️⃣Drive attendance, not just registrations
2️⃣ Inspire marketers with real, actionable ideas to take into the field immediately

The strategy was also two-fold:

1️⃣Send a baseball-themed gift offer to spark interest
2️⃣Reward attendees with a post-webinar incentive

We paired the initial send with a follow-on experience, turning early interest into a clear incentive to attend live.

‍

The Experience

Part 1: We offered 429 field marketing contacts a custom “Knock It Out of the Park” kit, complete with:

• A branded baseball
• Cracker Jacks
• A ticket-style CTA to register and a second part gift offer.

The theme was fun (and punny) ... and very intentional. 

By tying the mailer theme directly to the webinar content, the experience was cohesive from start to finish. It added a layer of fun (and pun!), while also reinforcing our message in a purposeful manner, aligned with the value we were delivering.

‍

Part 2: Inside the kit, we included an insert designed as a mock event ticket that brought the theme to life in a tangible, memorable way.

The primary call to action was simple: Register. We ensured this CTA was clear and in a few places (see image above — QR code, for easy tracking + SCAN TO REGISTER and REGISTER NOW text below.

But — and this is essential for successful campaigns — we didn’t limit outreach to direct mail alone. Instead, we paired the personalized “Knock It Out of the Park” kits with email outreach and follow-up messages triggered through Sendoso delivery notifications.

Physical + Email + Delivery Notifications = Hybrid model 

Bonus: the ticket also introduced a second, fun, and interactive layer.

Attendees who joined the event live would receive a $50 ticket voucher, giving us the opportunity to “take them out to the ball game” (see image of ticket below)

This shifted the experience from a one-time touchpoint into a shared moment that went beyond the initial send, with a clear drive for action. 

In Sendoso’s Digital Fatigue Report, 40% of buyers reported zero fatigue with direct mail and gifting — making it one of the few channels that still consistently cuts through the noise.

‍

The Results

Of the 429 field marketing contacts who were sent the custom “Knock It Out of the Park” kit, 21% accepted the gift. In raw numbers, nearly 100 contacts raised their hand before the event even began.

‍

In addition to the physical mailers, we also cross-promoted the webinar to another 450 “high value” contacts, helping us scale reach beyond the initial send.

Combining those two efforts, our total webinar registration number hit 32% (~280 people).

As mentioned shared above, driving registrations is only half of the equation. Getting people to actually show up for the live event is next-level hard. For this webinar, across all registrants, we saw a 37% overall attendance rate, well within the typical range for B2B SaaS webinars (30-45%).

Now for the metric that blew us away:
86% of those who received the “Knock It Out of the Park” kit attended the webinar.

They didn’t “just register” ... they actually showed up, live, for the webinar.

When we isolate the non-gifted audience, the contrast is clear. The show rate drops to ~14%

Compared to the cohort that received the kit, that’s not a small lift. That’s a completely different level of engagement!

‍

Why It Worked

This wasn’t about sending “stuff.” Nope. The goal was to design a moment that moved people forward, creating a memorable, shareable experience that would make someone smile (and register for the webinar!).

We believe the following 4  things moved the needle towards success:

1. Incentive upon action: The gift created an immediate reason to engage.
2. Memorable, themed experience: The baseball concept was intentional and fun.
3. Guaranteed, no-strings-attached reward: No raffles, no uncertainty. Just clear value.
4. Connected, multi-touch journey: Each step built on the last to bring people to the event.

‍

‍

Gifting didn’t just increase interest; it drove follow-through.

In a world where inboxes are crowded and attention is limited (and digital fatigue is real), the campaigns that win aren’t just seen, they’re experienced. They draw feeling to your message and your brand. 

If you’re a field marketer looking to boost event performance, the takeaway is simple: Don’t just promote your event; create a moment that engages your audience and draws them to engage with your brand. 

With all that talk of the webinar, how about watching it? Check out the Own the Field: Knock Your Events Out of the Park with Sendoso webinar