The first recorded example of direct advertising
reputedly is from about 1000 B.C., when an
Egyptian landowner wrote an advertisement for the
return of a runaway slave on a piece of papyrus.
More recently: On July 26, 1775—while the United
States was still a colony—the job of U.S. postmaster
general was created and the position given to
Benjamin Franklin.
The communications world has changed radically
since colonial times, especially since 1971, when
the Post Office Department became the United
States Postal Service. But widely held predictions of
the demise of the printed word and of direct mail as
an effective promotional medium have not turned
out to be accurate. Direct marketing—specifically
direct mail campaigns—are still important ingredients
in an effective marketing mix. The reason has to
do with the many benefits afforded by this tried-andtrue
medium, especially because direct mail is:
Targeted. It allows the advertiser to focus on a
very specific audience.
Personal. Direct mail can address recipients by
name; messages can be tailored specifically for them.
Flexible. Mailings can be sent in a variety of
formats, such as letters, postcards, brochures and
even in 3-D containers that can accommodate product
samples or specialty items.
Tangible. Recipients can touch and interact
with a mail piece. It can be kept, displayed, shared,
circulated and referred to as often as needed.
Deliverable. Mail that is sent to a person who
is no longer at a particular company or home address
is often passed along to a replacement or current
occupant.
Refinable. Various components of direct mail
can be segmented and tested to find the best list,
offer, creative, timing, etc., and the winning combinations
can be rolled out to a wider audience for
optimal results.
Measurable. The results of a direct mail campaign
can easily be tracked by counting the responses
or inquiries it generates.
Cost effective. Because it can be targeted and
the waste rate is generally easy to manage, direct mail
can make advertising dollars go further.
Repetition & consistency
The advantages of a single mail piece can be compounded
when the mailing is expanded into a series
of mailers or a direct mail campaign. Multiple mailers
allow a message to be reinforced or a series of
related ideas to be presented; a campaign allows the
advertiser to use a cumulative approach to selling.
Alternately, sending multiple, single-topic mailers
can be a means of promoting an array of products or
services, one at a time.
A key element of successful direct mail campaigns
is repetition, and it is important that the
designer be sensitive to the value in leveraging a
company’s identity or brand. Generally speaking,
logos and tag lines should be displayed consistently
among mailers, and other ways of achieving continuity—
such as font and color use—ought to be
considered as well. Although it is important to be
consistent, care should be taken to avoid being boring
or predictable within a campaign.
7 success factors
The strategy used in putting together a direct mail
campaign can be as important to its success as the
design and copy. Details such as the number of
pieces in a series, the range and variety of shapes
or sizes of the components, the lag time between
successive mailers—all of these and more factor in
to the response rate. Here are seven success factors
that, when properly addressed, will increase direct
mail response rates:
1. How many? While there is no set rule for
the number of pieces that constitute a good
campaign, two or three mailers seems to be a
reasonable amount for a short-term program. Some
products—such as high-ticket items or goods with
a long sales cycle—may lend themselves to a more
extended schedule, such as a year-long monthly
mailing. Remember that a campaign may only be as
strong as its weakest component, so if adding one
more mail piece to a series feels like a stretch—or
the concept just isn’t flowing—you may have already
found the optimal number of pieces.
2. How often? The timing of the arrival of each
mailer is probably as important as mailing
frequency. In general you will want to space
mail drops to be close enough together that preceding
mailers will be recalled by the recipient, but not
so concentrated or clustered as to become annoying
or seem overly extravagant or anxious. In instances
where the objective of a campaign is to quickly generate
excitement and attention, a succession of mailers
sent within a short time frame can be effective. If
the mailers are for items or services that are seasonal,
clustering during a particular time frame often makes
sense. The cost of postage is typically a consideration
in determining how often mailings are sent; while
first class postage costs more than standard mail, it
also takes less time to deliver to recipients, which can
impact a project’s timeline.
3. In what order? For some products, a
“buildup” approach works best. This may
mean messages accumulate to reinforce each
other and lead the recipient to a desired action or
conclusion. A buildup method might also mean
that the campaign itself is designed to crescendo at
its conclusion. For example, in a three-part mailing,
an initial, simple postcard may be followed by a
more elaborate pop-up piece and conclude with an
interesting box mailer. This tactic creates anticipation
and can generate a spike in response rates as
the program moves forward. For other campaigns, a
reverse order might make sense, where an especially
striking or innovative mailer is sent first and is followed
by pieces that serve as reminders or as a means
of extending the interplay between the sender and
the recipient.
4. Flat or 3-D? The type of mailers deployed
in a campaign will be driven in many cases
by budget. Three-dimensional mailers and
those that feature a lot of special effects can cost
more than a simple postcard or flat mailing, but
dimensional mailers frequently yield greater results.
One consideration in deciding whether to choose a
3-D design format is the target audience. In a typical
business setting, some ordinary envelopes might not
make it past a secretary, but when a package arrives it
could receive special treatment, granting it a greater
likelihood to reach a decision maker.
5. How much variety? This too can be a decision
that is influenced by budget. A good
campaign can be built using a variety of
mailer shapes and sizes but is sometimes expensive
since print economies—such as printing the program
on one run—might not be possible. On the other
hand, an effective campaign can be created out of
nothing more than a simple series of clever postcard
mailers, as evidenced by some examples shown in
this article. Some very effective campaigns have also
included a multimedia approach: for example, a
mailing that drives the recipient to a website or is followed
up with an e-mail.
6. Which response mechanisms? Depending
on the objective of the mailers, the inclusion
of a response device can alternately be
unnecessary, a good idea or absolutely essential. If
the sender does not want or need to engage in an
exchange with the recipient—for example, with a
campaign whose only objective is awareness—no
sender contact information would be incorporated.
On the other hand, multiple response mechanisms
are vital in instances such as catalog sales campaigns.
In these situations, providing the options of telephone,
fax, e-mail, business reply and web contact
info is not just logical, it’s crucial.
7. What about a teaser? Some effective mail
campaigns have been built around giving
incomplete information or only parts of a
message initially. Others work by sending half of a
gift—such as one glove or a single bookend—with
a message indicating that the missing component
will be sent in exchange for the recipient completing
a certain action. Care should be taken when
using this approach to avoid irritating or annoying
the prospect.
SIDEBAR: Getting a Stamp of Approval
Different mailing requirements are
in effect for different classes of mail.
Check with the U.S. Postal Service to
see which regulations apply to your
mail pieces based on the class you’re
planning to use in your mailing.
- Have prototype mailers
approved by the post office’s Mailing
Requirements department before you
print.
- The size, shape, weight, direction
of folds and placement of colors
on the mail piece will determine postal
costs. If your final mailer changes from
the initial concept, you—or your client—
could end up spending more
than planned on postage.
- If you’ll be working with the
actual mail drop yourself, you’ll want
to know that proper addressing allows
mail to be processed quickly and
more efficiently. Destination addresses
should be in uppercase letters, include
no punctuation and be formatted with
a uniform left margin. The last line of
the address should include only the
city, state and ZIP code.
- It is recommended that the
sender’s name and address, including
ZIP code and country of origin, be
shown in the upper left corner of the
address side on all mail. This ensures
that an undeliverable item can be
returned to the sender.
All U.S. mail must meet these
standards:
Thickness—Not less than 0.007 in.
thick. Pieces that are ¼ in. thick or
less must be at least 3-½ in. high, 5
in. long and rectangular in shape.
Combined length and girth—Not
more than 108 in. Parcel Post may not
exceed 130 in.
Weight—Not more than 70 lbs.
Postcard Rate Dimensions:
Minimum: 3-½ in. high by 5 in. long
by 0.007 in. thick.
Maximum: 4-¼ in. high by 6 in. long
by 0.016 in. thick.
Recommended
resources
Successful Direct
Marketing Methods,
Seventh Edition,
by Bob Stone and
Ron Jacobs, $59.95,
McGraw-Hill
The Complete Guide
to Direct Marketing:
Creating Breakthrough
Programs That
Really Work, by Chet
Meisner, $24.95,
Kaplan Business
Direct Marketing:
Strategy, Planning,
Execution, by Edward
L. Nash, $59.95,
McGraw-Hill
Response: The
Complete Guide to
Profitable Direct
Marketing, by Lois K.
Geller, $35, Oxford
University Press USA,
www.amazon.com
http://www.usps.com/directmail—These web
pages, sponsored
by the U.S. Postal
Service, are devoted
to direct mail and
include vital information
and tips for direct
marketers.
