Temple University's Latest Fundraising Effort

Is it me, or does this email sound - at first - like it's coming from a student who is hearing disabled? Here, let me "read" it to you - since the above image is way too small (or click on the image for a larger view):

Dear Ms. Maniglia,

As a current Temple University student, I use many different types of technology and campus resources to enhance my education. Of them all, one of the most important is the headset I use as a Temple Telefund caller. My headset allows me to call alumni, parents and friends to encourage the Temple community to stay involved with the university.

I have been trying to contact you from the Telefund, but have been unable to reach you. As a student with a part-time job, I completely understand how busy life can get. If you could spare just a few minutes the next time one of my peers or I call, we can share campus news with you, update your information and let you know about great ways you can stay involved at Temple.

We look forward to speaking with you during this year's Telefund!

Sincerely,

Marquis
Temple Student Caller

All gifts made to Temple through December 31, 2009 will be credited toward Access to Excellence: The 125th Anniversary Campaign for Temple. Learn more at www.temple.edu/accesstoexcellence.

Temple University · 1938 Liacouras Walk · Philadelphia, PA 19122 · (215) 204-1001 

tupledge@temple.edu

I had to read the opening paragraph about three times for some reason. Clever copywriting in that it could possibly "trick" some people into donating, thinking they are helping the hearing disabled. But also potentially misleading and capable of pissing off potential alumni donors big time.

The problem is a disconnect between the first sentence and the second - and probably the third sentence too. And maybe the rest of the letter. The copy doesn't say how the headset and the Telefund enhance the student's education. I don't really care if the headset is important to the student, unless of course he or she is hearing disabled. Maybe he or she is? I'm feeling sort of guilty for not answering their calls lately...

There's no mention in the letter about a donation (unless you count that little footnote at the bottom), just about "ways I can stay involved," and all I'm being asked is to spare a few minutes to talk to this student, who will no doubt be wearing his or headphone - which somehow enhances his or her education.

I must tell you - actually I CAN'T tell you - how many calls from Temple University I've received in the past month that we haven't answered because they invariably come while we're enjoying our dinner.

Sure, I've received great fundraising efforts from Temple in the past, like the one where they tipped on a HUGE magnet (the thing must have been 5" x 5") to the inside of a cool brochure. And I've given in the past ... which is obviously why they keep hounding me now. But this email and their persistent calls have me, well, confused and miffed.

Sorry, Temple - better luck next fundraising drive. You can call me mean if you want to.

Old Navy Newspaper Insert - NOT For Dummies

Someone had to do it.

Remember when Walmart started using Walmart employees - instead of professional models - in their circulars? Of course, lots of companies use their "own people" instead of hiring talent for ads. (Who can forget the famous DRTV ad,  "I'm not only The Hair Club President; I'm also a client"?)

But Old Navy is taking things to the next level and using dummies (or supermodelquins, as they call them) in this week's circular. Behold ... 

I haven't stepped into an Old Navy store lately (and not sure that this circular will compel me to do so - although 2-for-$5 flipflops in an array of wild colors are a bargain, they're bad for my arches). But I wonder if Old Navy actually has such lively looking mannequins in their storefronts? 

While the circular features dummies, the concept is super smart - with headlines similar to what you might find in People, OK! or any gossip magazine. (For example, "They do what we do; these storefront celebs aren't so different after all," and "Even supermodelquins display less-than-perfect poses.") The circular dishes with the latest on Eva, Kimmy, Wesley, Amy, Michelle and there's even a dog named Parker. Looks like they're carrying over the concept online, too.

With the aforementioned 2-for-$5 flipflops, $19 "women's perfect khakis"  and $5 women's tank tops, this interesting take on circular advertising is likely to draw crowds in for the store's FUNdamentals sale, which starts today. One can only hope, given the state of the national economy.

The cover for this Old Navy circular says it is the Premier Issue. And I'm actually looking forward to seeing next week's installment, if only to find out what happens to supermodelquins Eva and Kelly. At least I won't have to read all about it while standing on line at the supermarket ... 

Sneak Peek

Here's our new ad - soon to appear in the 2009 Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA) Member Directory, sharing space with one of my design resources.

DMers: A Few Questions for 2009 - and a couple of newsworthy tidbits

Not on the blog roll yet, but should they be? Check out these top ten blogs in 2009, according to Direct Marketing Observations' Marc Meyer. (I just added one to my blog roll.)

Is this BizReport DM forecast coming true - or too early to tell?

What key steps should big companies be taking to be more effective with their marketing in a recession? See what The Direct Marketing Voice has to say on the subject.

-- Tell 'em The Copy Grove sent you. --

And in today's news:

Amex is paying cardholders to close their accounts. Only a limited number of cardholders will get the offer - pay off your account and close it, get $300. Not bad! Discover, here they come! Discover has a better rewards program, anyway, in my opinion - but hey, in this economy, wonder how long those rewards are going to last?

And how about Tropicana scraping their new OJ carton design (launched last month) because of public outcry? Who needs focus groups when you can have a true test in the marketplace? What Tropicana is doing right: Listening to its market and reacting. Better to get rid of the unpopular cartons NOW, before the company loses market share. 

Are you blaming your tools?

I met cartoonist Mick Stevens way back in 1997 in Philadelphia at a book signing. The book was "e-mail.this.book!" - wherein "Today's most talented cartoonists celebrate the fun and foibles, the delights and dangers, the quirks and quarks, of life in Computerland," complied by The Cartoon Bank and published by Alfred A. Knopf,  Inc.

In the almost 12 years that have past, computers, software and the Internet have changed dramatically to help make it easier for us to enjoy a somewhat hassle-free experience as we create documents, e-mail away, blog and generally twitter about our daily business and personal life.

But I love this signed cartoon by Mick Stevens, which depicts a writer who is seated at a desk, presenting his work to his editor or publisher and attempting to blame the glitches in the manuscript on his computer software. 

A good craftsman never blames his tools.

And funnily, there is a tie in this to Lincoln's Birthday. And I quote: "The most inspiring characters in history have been those who met their destinies without complaint, whose moral polarity enabled them to see opportunity where others saw only obstruction. The life of Abraham Lincoln is an example of the higher attitude toward events. Lincoln never quarrelled with conditions, though by all worldly standards there was ample occasion for it. He did not complain that good books were difficult to obtain, nor that light from oil lamps made reading impossible. If necessary, Lincoln read by light from the fireplace, whenever he had a book to read, and valued his schooling the more for its hardships. The Light that shone from his own illumined soul more than compensated for the darkness arising from events." This from Kernels of Wisdom, THEOSOPHY, Vol. 38, No. 11, September, 1950, which I just stumbled upon in a quick little Google search.

Isn't the Internet wonderful? How it can not only help tie people together but also ideas. Instead of blaming your tools, use them to the max. Find new ways they can help you achieve your goals. Explore their capabilities and learn about the tools in YOUR toolbox. There may be a few you haven't even touched. 

Fidelity Investor's Quarterly Magazine Cuts Back

These days, it seems every company is cutting back somehow - from service hours to packaging to staff. With that in mind, this month's Fidelity Investor's Quarterly issue is all about helping investors put their personal economy back in order and restoring financial confidence in the market, with headlines like "Don't let tough times derail your retirement," "Why the Democrats' Victory May Be a Win for Investors," and "Finding Shelter in Stormy Markets." 

As I was flipping through a copy of it, I noticed that the magazine's pages were thinner than previous issues. A sure sign of the times. Cutting back paper costs conserves marketing dollars. One thing you have to be wary of with thinner paper, though, is how much ink coverage you have on the pages and show-through issues, as well as page creasing that can occur during freight when the pieces are stacked in boxes and delivered from printer to post office. Quite a few pages in the new Fidelity magazine had those creases. Oh, well. It's a small compromise for cost-effectiveness, I guess.

On the cover, I noticed a "Read us online" slug on the masthead. I wondered: how long had that been there? Was it on previous issues or is this something new? Onto the inside, the editor's letter elaborates ...

"Special note to readers:  This will be the last print edition of this magazine. Beginning in May, it will only be available online. To receive the magazine electronically, please visit Fidelity.com/email and provide your email address. We look forward to bringing you a robust and engaging online reading experience."

Don't you just love those buzz words "robust" and "engaging?" And of course, it will be an "experience" to read the online magazine. Anyway, smart move on Fidelity's part. Environmentally smart and money-smart. 

We've already seen the demise of Domino magazine last month. How many other publications will shut down? Going online is a paper savings to be sure, but there still are many costs associated with pulling together a "robust and engaging" online magazine - writers, designers, editors and more to pay. Still, it's nice to see that Fidelity isn't panning their Investor's Quarterly magazine altogether.

Got a lot of money? Don't know what to do with it?

Buy a town. Not just any town - Garryownen, MT, "one of the most historic sites in Custer Country and a 'must see' for those interested in ... the history of the American West," according to the Custer Battlefield Museum. It's actually for sale ...

As far as space ads go, this could be a little better with:

a) a more "robust" and "engaging" headline

and

b) body copy in upper and lower case, versus all caps which is hard to read.

The layout is OK, resembling a "Wanted" poster, which would no doubt appeal to history buffs and people with a love for the Old West. Anyway, imagine owning this town where The Battle of Little Bighorn began. It would be like owning Gettysburg, PA. 

Wonder how much it's going for???? Have a good weekend all.

Talk to Your Blog - Web Sites You Can Use

What if you just have to post something on your blog, Twitter feed, or to do list - but for some uncanny reason, you just can't get online? (Maybe you broke your typing or texting finger ... or your Internet connection is down.) You could call a friend - or your secretary - and get your post up via dictation. But not too many people are good at shorthand these days and well, it's just too old fashioned. OK. Is there another option? 

Sure there is - Jott! Sign up for a free account at their web site (do it now, before you break that typing finger or the Internet goes down), and Jott can turn your voice message into text and post it for you. From what I hear, Jott's speech-to-text application is surprising accurate and easy to use. Gives new meaning to the phrase "phoning it in." If you try it, tell me how you like it. Me? @TEDOTD (shorthand for "at the end of the day"), I'll stick to typing it in myself.

Fewer Mail Days Mean ... What For Direct Marketers?

If you're a direct marketer, by now you've probably already heard the news ... that the postal service may cut a day and deliver mail only five days a week, not six. (If not, you can read more about it on Washington Post.com.) Turns out by cutting a day back in mail delivery times, the government may be able to save a whopping $3.5 million a year. Good way to make up all that bailout money! (Interesting factoid from washingtonpost.com: In 1912, the post office switched from delivering mail seven days a week to six, after pressure from Christian groups to eliminate Sunday delivery.) I'm thinking this will mean more leeway with mail drop-dates and when we have to get stuff to the printer's - IF we can get Sunday and Monday off, it'll be like have a long holiday weekend between the rush to release art files. You?

NY Credit Unions Put People Over Profit in Ad

With banks losing a lot of credibility over the past few months due to the mortgage debacle, why aren't more people flocking to their local credit unions?

CreditUnionsFORYOU.com isn't missing a beat and begs the question with this ad, shown on the left, which appeared recently in the NY Times. This ad spells out the New York credit union credo of local, not-for-profit financial institutions that are owned by the people who use them - New Yorkers, their customers - not shareholders. 

People who are "looking for a safe and secure financial institution they can trust" are urged to click on the CreditUnionsFORYOU.com web site to learn more.

The tagline written at the bottom of the ad sums it all up very nicely with the words, "Credit Unions. Open To You. True to You." 

If you want to read more about Credit Union marketing, check out this web site and poke around. Some interesting stuff there. And to find a credit union near you, you can click on the CreditUnionsFORYOU.com web site or click here.

Tips to create catchy phrases used in marketing materials

Funny thing. On January 21, someone "Googled" the keywords, "tips to create catchy phrases used in marketing materials," and landed on my blog. 

(This tidbit of information, by the way, came to me via Google's "Dashboard Analytics" service, a service which happens to be free to blogspot.com users.) 

Anyway ...

Not sure if that someone found what they were looking for - however, what a great idea for a post! So thanks for the idea whoever you were. And should you happen to come back anytime soon, here are a few tips to help you out.

1) Catchy advertising phrases are often spin-offs of common colloquial phrases, cliches or popular slang.

It's easier to remember a new phrase if it's like one you already know very well. Examples:

Trans World Airways once used the slogan, "Sight for Soaring Eyes" - a spin-off of the cliche "sight for sore eyes."

Consider the Ralston Purina Pet Food slogan, "All you add is love." How close is that to words in the Beatles popular 1960s song, "All you need is love"? Or Nortel's slogan, "Come together" - compared to the Beatles line, "Come together, right now ... over me"?

Geek Squad used "I heart nerds," which is a twist of the "I heart ____(anything - fill in the blank)" colloquial phrase. That phrase, by the way, became insanely popular following the "I love NY" tourism campaign which began in 1977, with a red heart transposed for the word "love" in the logo version.

Apple Computers used "Think outside the box," a phrase that was extremely popular in the business world in the 1990's. Taco Bell changed it to "Think outside the bun." 

Syntel used "Consider IT done," a phrase we all know - but changed the "it" to "IT" (eye-tee - as in "Information Technology").

And don't forget Morton's Salt - "When it rains, it pours." A great slogan because damp weather often makes salt hard to pour out of the salt shaker. 

2) When in doubt, rhyme.

Click here for a FREE online rhyming Dictionary, if you need help. Then you can create slogans like:

"Once you go Mac. You'll never go back." - Apple Computers

"Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, CoverGirl" - CoverGirl

"Once you pop, the fun don't stop." - Pringles 

"Ore-Ida! It's all-righta!" - Ore-Ida

"Leggo my Eggo" - Eggo Waffles

3) Compare and contrast.

"Pork, the other white meat." - Pork council

People were shunning red meat when this slogan came out, so white meat was something people WANTED. And the thing that came to mind mostly when you said "white meat" was chicken, not pork ... thus the slogan's effectiveness.

"The uncola" - 7-Up

What you don't want - cola. What you do want - 7-Up?

Kind of sounds like an "uncool" soda, though - but hey, the brand went with this in the 1970's anyway. 

"We're number 2. We try harder." - Avis

People love underdogs. 

Well, I could go on and on - but I've got work to do. So I'll leave you with my best advice ...

Just look at a bunch of famous slogans - you can find long lists of them online. And do a little "deconstructive" thinking about them. What makes them catchy to you? Does it sound like something you've heard before? Does it rhyme? And start noticing trends in slogans - how one famous slogan does something similar to another famous slogan. Count the number of words, the way the slogan plays with spelling or punctuation, and see if you can spot trends.

In the early 2000's, it was popular for companies to have taglines that were three words, each followed by a period, like:

"Live. Laugh. Love."

or

"Experience. Strength. Reliability."

Yawn.

What's. Funny. Now. 

A reverse trend. People have started writing like this in their own non-commercial communications. I've. Seen. It. On. Many. Blogs. 

Neat.

Hyundai's Assurance of "Certainty in uncertain times" brings to mind REPO MAN

If you've been watching any TV lately (who hasn't with the recent inauguration?), you might have seen the new Hyundai commercial, touting the car company's latest twist on the old fashioned warranty, a new assurance program. 

It's the Hyundai: Lose Your Job, Return Your Car campaign, as reported on The Huffington Post. And you can also read about it here. 

What do you think - car marketing genius in a horrendous economy OR automaker suicide? Maybe they should do this with home sales ... Century 21: Lose Your Job, Return Your House. (Wait, don't they call that foreclosure?) 

When you get into the details of the new Hyundai Assurance program, which attempts to give you some sort of "break" if you can't afford to keep your car, you might be thinking repo man. Who knows if other car makers will follow suit?

Cataloger Sends Greeting Card to Spur Post-Holiday Sales

When this arrived in the mail, I sensed a card was inside. Lo and behold, it was a card, sent by a company I have ordered holiday gifts from every now and then - The Vermont Country Store. Perhaps you've received one of their famous catalogs in the mail. 

Nevertheless, there's nothing like getting a holiday card in the mail AFTER the holidays. Call it a belated holiday card. I was thinking, boy - this is LATE. OR maybe it's a thank you card ... 

Sure enough - that's what it was, a thank you card, along with a nice little offer for FREE shipping. Nice touch and great marketing.

Copy Note:  The gracious letter inside the card invites the reader to check out their "new winter offerings." It might also have been a good idea to also suggest checking out items to help me get ready for the spring, if I'm note ready to "buy now" - like handy cleaning aids, linens to refresh my home's look, and so forth; after all the free shipping deal expires March 31st. 

Well, keep those cards and letters coming. 

Quotes For This Day of Service

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN:
Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.

CONFUCIUS:
He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.

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.