Send your Valentine's Day cards and letters early, folks

Sorry, USPS - I can't make it. Thanks, but no thanks.

USPS sent me an invitation to attend their Eastern Area Periodicals/Standard Focus Group Meeting ... an event slated for February 9 (which is today) on letterhead dated January 20 (which was last month) and with an RSVP date of February 3 (which was last week) - which arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

Hello.

Not to bash the service that I have relied so heavily upon for my career dollars over the past 20 plus years ... but when the venerable service touts the safety and security of "ye ole' snail mail" over e-mail (as in their "A refrigerator has never been hacked" commercial), they forgot to compare speed and timeliness.

And it's a shame, too, because I would have liked to attend that meeting.

Ironically, on the very same day that the aforementioned meeting invitation arrived in my box, USA Today runs a front page article entitled "Anything good in the mail?", with the more telling (albeit biting) subtitle that reads, "Postal service may be near its end as e-mailing grows and mailboxes just fill with 'junk.'" The paper's page one part of the story may spell all doom and gloom, but page two of the article gets all teary-eyed on us and spends a full five columns recounting the history of the U.S. Mail - from colonial times up to today, ending with a poignantly romantic story about a college student whose boyfriend was a medic in Afghanistan and sent her love letters in the mail. A quote in the article goes on to say, "'Nothing better may carry and connect sincere hearts...than a travel-worn letter with you name and address, handwritten.'"

Aw, so sweet.

So this year when I send my Valentine's Day cards and letters, I'll be sure to send them well in advance. Like tomorrow. Wait, is that enough time? (Counting on my fingers ... six days, minus Sunday, five days ...) Yeah, that should do. Least any hearts be broken. Unless, of course, I decide to e-mail or tweet my love and save the stamps. But a stamp is forever, if it's a forever stamp, that is.

Maybe I'll crash that USPS meeting today.

Nah.

Auto Dealerships Try to Outdo with Bells and Whistles

Bells and whistles - that what we direct marketers call snazzy formats and tipped on do-dads that you might find on a direct mail package. They're usually rather costly but can have a great ROI if they bump up response. Case in point ...

Two auto dealers send similar mailings to me on the same day - what are the chances of that happening? It may not seem too unusual until you look at the actual mailers ...

This one is from Peruzzi Nissan.

Hey, that's a real key tipped on the piece. Wow! And a scratch off. Double wow!

This one is from Dieckhaus Buick.

That's a real key tipped on the piece. And a scratch off. Semi-yawn. I've seen this trick before! Oh, wait - this one has more pages. It's like a newsletter. Hmmm. Interest piqued. AND there's a check inside - "Customer Down Payment Assistance - Pay the sum of:  ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS AND ... 00/00." You may have me at varoom.

Bells and whistles be damned. Too bad I am not in the market for a new car. Those keys are not cheap to put on a mailer. For high-end products like cars, the cost to put something in the mail with a real key can be worth it if it bumps up response.

So I wonder which of these mailers outperformed the other? Is this something new for auto dealerships to send mailers with car keys tipped on? Have you seen it before in your mailbox? Inquiring minds want to know.

What NOT to do in Direct Mail Creative

Double window envelopes - the kind that have a window in the upper left corner for the sender's information to show through, plus a window below it for the recipient's information - are pretty generic. They can be blank (just stock paper with no teaser copy printed on the envelope) and used by any sender and sent to anyone, so long as the sender's logo and recipient's addressing information are positioned to show through the windows properly. So this envelope says to me "generic."

And the teaser copy "This is not junk mail" says doodly-squat. In fact, that's a generic teaser. Could be used by any company. This is not junk mail? Yes, it is.

Worse yet, CLEAR - the company that mailed this gem of a direct mail package - is a wireless internet service that's trying to make a name for itself, and this isn't the way to do it in direct mail. So my message to them is: "My dear CLEAR, you can gain a stronger foothold in the marketplace with a clearer message on your envelopes about what you have to offer, rather than hyping what you're not. I mean, you're not the unVerizon or the unComcast, are you?"

Let this be one small lesson to direct marketers in "What NOT to do in Direct Mail Creative."

Until next time ...

Do Not Bend

The "Do Not Bend" caption on a direct mail envelope is something we marketers have been using for years. And it's good to see it's still in use - a tried and true line of copy that's more curiosity provoking than warning.

Recently, these two samples arrived in my mail - each bearing the same "Do Not Bend" teaser copy. Reading the cautionary words, the recipient is made to believe that there's something delicate inside that could be harmed by bending - a photograph perhaps? We often use this line of copy when there's a membership or plastic card inside the package - to allude to the thing of value without showing it and heighten the curiosity factor. What's inside the envelope? In these two cases, nothing so worthy of the "Do Not Bend" line, such as a membership card or photograph. Just magazine subscription renewal forms - BUT the cautionary line of copy DID get me to open the envelope, and that's half the battle in direct mail.

Now, if they'd only make me reply!

Selling Auto Insurance The Hard Way ... Like Nationwide

It goes like this:

1) Send a direct mail package to people who don't have your coverage, like the one above, which I just received from Nationwide. (Getting people to switch is hard.)

2) Try to get me to switch without a "savings" message in the main headlines. 

As I said, getting people to switch their auto insurance is hard. BUT getting people to switch without a promise of how much they can save is even harder. So don't put any promises on the envelope. Don't even allude to the fact that I can save money by switching, like Nationwide.

After all, sometimes it's hard to quote an exact amount. So why bother? All the other auto insurance companies who say you can save say things like "drivers who switched saved $375 on average."* (Notice the "*" after the statement; it always has to be footnoted with the actual survey information, to back it up. If you don't have this kind of back-up documentation for a savings statement, you can't make one. Simple as that.) 

GEICO doesn't even have to quote a specific dollar amount for their savings promise. They just show a stack of bills with eyeballs on top of it, and say "this is the money you could be saving" if you switched to GEICO. We get it. Saving money motivates us. That's why people switch to GEICO. And you need to motivate people out of inertia if you want to get them to switch.

Ok, so ...

3) IF I happen to open the envelope, tell me I've been "4 GIVN," like the Nationwide mailing above. For what I've been forgiven, I don't know ... but since I was not born yesterday, I have a suspicion that you're talking about forgiving me for my bad driving record. After all, everyone knows that a bad driving record could drive up my insurance rates. 

The problem is ... I don't have a bad driving record. I, in fact, have a great driving record.  So you must be mailing to a lot of the wrong people and working with a bad list. I should be on the "good drivers" list. 

But back to the point of all this. Nationwide is trying to sell auto insurance the hard way ... so this is permissible. Nationwide, you are forgiven.

Oh, and 3a) Did I mention this mailing with it's message of forgiveness has a somewhat religious tone to it? Here's what Keywords, a blog has to say about that... and apparently this kit from Nationwide is not a new mailing. Someone got it back in February of this year. So it may be working if Nationwide is still mailing it now, in May. 

4) Make your call to action real small, like Nationwide did. Don't put the number to call big and bold on the piece. Like maybe at top of the letter or the bottom of that nice blue band on the left side. But leave lots of room for three local agents to list their names, addresses and phone numbers at the bottom. Maybe I'll call one of them. Or maybe not. I can't decide who to call. Forgive me for my indecision!

Life Comes at You Fast(R) - that's the Nationwide campaign slogan. And this mailing is going in the trash even faster. Better luck next time, Nationwide. At least with me. 

Through the mailbox ...

Watch the Pitney Bowes video posted on this link to see how people sort your direct mail.

The video was produced by Creative Concepts (PR, Marketing and New Media Solutions), with offices in NYC and Connecticut.

Posted using ShareThis

... because it's nice to share!

In My Mailbox: Selling Cancer Insurance

Cancer insurance is - for some reason - a tough sell. Maybe it's because people who have a major medical health insurance plan or Medicare feel they're already covered by their primary plan - so why buy an additional policy? Maybe it's because people don't like to think about getting cancer and buying an insurance policy specifically for that "dread disease" is spooky. If I knew the exact reason, I'd be able to figure out a way to overcome the sticking point and I'd be an expert in selling cancer insurance. But truth be told, I can only speak from experience in having written some cancer insurance direct mail packages over the years and have received a few in the mail. In fact, the other day, I received such a package from Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. Here's what they sent ...

Outside Envelope: 6 x 9 with two die cut windows. The top window shows a mysterious code (the piece code from the application) and the words, "Please Reply Today!" The bottom window has my address area showing through it. The Mutual of Omaha logo and return address are in the upper left corner, and the package uses a standard PRSRT boxed indicia for postage in the upper right corner. 

No teaser copy or sales pitch on the front of the envelope. No promise or benefit. 

On the back of the envelope is big, bold copy about  "easy ways to apply" (by phone, online, or mail) and a blurb to "See how supplemental cancer insurance can pay you thousands of dollars over a lifetime! Details inside." (Ick. Who wants a lifetime of cancer? I know the headline doesn't mean that - it means over the course of your lifetime, you may develop cancer and then collect benefits through the plan - but that subhead's a little misleading, don't you think?) 

Once inside the envelope, I pull out the addressing vehicle - which is the application. Boring. No sales pitch. No teaser copy. It just says "Application For Cancer Insurance" in big, bold type at the top, and I see the monthly rates on the application ... $5.95 for individual, $11.90 for family. Ok, not too expensive. 

Where's the letter? There are three pages nested behind the application. The main letter is chock full of old-fashioned courier font type, so much so that I miss the words "Dear Cynthia" on it and think the whole thing is out of order, and I start reading a second letter. Which is ok. The second letter has a compelling message. It pushes the need for this supplemental coverage whether you have major medical insurance or Medicare. 

Back to the main letter - now that I finally have the pages in order. It gives me three reasons to apply: a stat regarding the likelihood that I will get cancer in my lifetime, the medical cost of cancer treatment being very expensive, and the fact that this cancer insurance will pay a lot of money for a small monthly premium should I have a claim. Plus, there's this really cool thing that's buried in the third point (maybe it should have been a fourth point - it seems worthy enough) ...

"Once you are approved for coverage, a donation will be made on your behalf, at no additional cost to you, to the John Wayne Cancer Foundation which helps support cancer research."

Why didn't you say so first? This is big. Major. A really cool thing. I love it!

That MIGHT make me buy this insurance. Why isn't it the big idea, the concept, more upfront, highlighted?

Well, then there's the brochure (pictured above).  Lots of "Pays for... Pays for... Pays for..." on the cover - but no dollar figures. Why? No mention of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation donation either. Again, why? I have to open the brochure to see that that plan "Pays $50.00 a day..." for this, "Pays $1,000.00 for that," and "Pays Up to $800.00..." for something else and so forth. Where I was taught to sell insurance, we'd put those dollar figures on the brochure cover. And there's plenty of room on this cover for those amounts, so I'm a little perplexed. Don't these folks want to sell this coverage? 

Further into the brochure, now the inside spread, there's still no mention of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. And the individual and monthly rates are pre-printed, which leads me to wonder why the letter was nested behind the app. and personalized?

Onto the back cover - finally, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation is mentioned, buried in body copy. No headline pointing it out. I only see it because I am looking for it in regard to this post.

So how to know if this package does well in the market? The only way for me to find out is to wait and see if MofO sends it to me again. If I get the same package next year, I'll know it did well. For now, I'll keep this one in my files.

In My Mailbox: Fundraising DM Done Right

This is supposed to be the season of giving, and when it comes to direct mail success for fundraisers, this package (shown above) from Carson Valley Children's Aid has a lot going for it to make givers give, despite the current brrrrrrrr climate of government bailouts and a dwindling Dow.

From the get ...

(1) It immediately acknowledges that the recipient 

previously gave a gift.

- AND -

(2) it creates a sense of urgent need.

The outside envelope of the Carson Valley Children's Aid package immediately acknowledges the fact that I am a previous giver with the line, "Please help us again this year." This reaffirms the affinity between the recipient and the organization. Remember, your best prospects are your previous supporters.

The line above that says, "A tough economy is even harder on our children" - helping establish a sense of urgency and the need to act again, NOW.

So I open the envelope. Then ...

(3) It shows how my gift benefits the children 

with a concrete example.

A two-panel, 3-color insert in the package tells the story of a boy named Dakota, one of the organization's "Rapid Service Response Success Stories."  It goes on to describe the Rapid Services Response program, which is designed to prevent placement of children into the child welfare system by increasing parents' and caregivers' abilities to provide safe, nurturing home environments. 

Additionally, a 14" sheet titled Annual Report and Donor Recognition is nested behind the letter/reply form and compares 2006-07 revenues to expenses, as well as the number of families and children served in 2007-08, which crystalizes the organization's need for continued support into the new year. 

So I blog about it ... and pull out my checkbook.

The Carson Valley Children's Aid package was created by a varied team of direct marketing professionals, including Topak Marketing, Inc.'s Linda Brignola-Braverman, Jim Shire of Pyramid Graphics and TTMS' Jim Capanna.

Kudos!

Today's Guest Contributor: Joe Niewierski with 10 Direct Mail Tips For Results!

Today's guest contributor is Joe Niewierski of Postcard Mania, here with this article to help you create winning direct mail.

10 Tips To Get Results in Direct Mail

Don't want your direct mail to end up in the trash with the rest of the unread mail? These 10 tips will help you get the results you want ...

1. A clear, bold headline. On the envelope or front of the mailer there should be one central message. The best way to achieve that is with a bold, clear headline that's not cluttered up with other text. A good guideline is to have the headline fill up at least 15% of the front of the mailer.

2. A graphic that supports the message. The graphic should be easy to understand and add to the message the headline is trying to convey. For instance, if you are trying to get people to list their home you would want to show a home with a SOLD sign clearly visible out front. That graphic reinforces the message more than a simple picture of a home.

3. Color that pops. Make the headline and other text stand out by using a color that stands out from the background color. When you look at the card, ask yourself, "What do I see first?" If your answer isn't the headline, you might want to tweak the colors.

4. Subheads that lead into text. If you have a couple of paragraphs of text with no lead in, there's nothing to entice people to actually read the copy. A subhead will give people a place to start reading. If you have only a 100 words or so you may be able to get away with it, but if the text gets any longer than that the average reader will want to have some guideposts along the way.

5. Benefits, benefits, benefits. One of the biggest errors people make in advertising is stating features, rather than benefits. For example, never assume recipients know what benefit can be derived from a lower interest rate on their mortgage. Let them know how their monthly payments will go down.

6. The offer. An offer is always a good idea and should represent a specific reason to call now, such as "Limited supply" or "Interest rates are climbing."

7. Your company name and logo. Although this needs to be on the mailer, it shouldn't overshadow the offer. Customers care most about what you can do for them.

8. Call to action. Tell prospects exactly what you want them to do. "Call today for more information" or "See us online" are two of the most common desired actions.

9. Contact information. Provide your name, phone number, and Web address directly following the call to action. Whatever you ask prospects to do, give them the means to do it easily.

10. Return address. A return address ensures you'll get returned mail from the post office and sends a message that you're an established professional. People feel better knowing the company they're dealing with has an actual location.

About the author: Joe Niewierski, the VP of Marketing & Promotion at PostcardMania, became a published writer after graduating with a BA in Advertising from the University of South Florida. Using a powerful, yet simple, extremely cost effective way of communicating with customers has earned PostcardMania Inc Magazine's recognition as the nation's fastest growing direct mail postcard marketing firm with a $22,000,000 revenue run rate for year 2007. Today, PostcardMania employs 160+ people and prints 4 million and mails 2 million postcards representing over 350 business, finance and industrial clients each week. Visit www.postcardmania.com.

Dear Investor: A Day Late and A Dollar Short

In yesterday's mailbox, I received this direct mail package from Ameriprise Financial offering me a FREE planning guide, "What you need to know before you retire."

The letter begins, "Dear Investor: What does your dream retirement look like?" Well, I've been looking at a LOT of CNN recently, and your mailing, my dear Ameriprise, appears to be... a day late and a dollar short. I guess you had no way of knowing that the market would tank so badly when you put this baby to bed. Quite frankly, I can't imagine ANY investment or retirement planning mailing doing well this week.

What I need to know before I retire isn't in the FREE book they're giving away, at least not according to what I'm hearing in the news. What I need to know is probably inside a crystal ball ... and I haven't received any direct mail packages selling that ... yet.

I'm interested to know - what's in your mailbox lately in regard to financially-related products and services and how are you reacting to it?