Oops: 6 Tips to Avoid Direct Mail Gaffes

Have you ever received a piece of mail that prompted you to think, “Oops! I wonder what they were they thinking when they mailed me this?” My first tip for avoiding these direct mail blunders is to put yourself in the shoes of the person receiving your mail. Do this and you’re almost guaranteed to avoid the following problems. Timing Is Everything This past Nov. 24—the day before Thanksgiving—I received two different holiday gift catalogs already proclaiming, “It’s not too late—Christmas delivery guaranteed!” and, “There’s still time to order!” With Christmas more than a month away, the “It’s not too late” message is one I expected a week or two before Christmas, not in November. It made me think the mailers had made a mistake, or these particular catalogers required more time than their competition to ship. Any way I looked at it, from this consumer’s perspective it didn’t make sense. Tip: Even though you’re creating copy and mapping out mail plans months prior to the actual mail drop, consider when your message will appear in readers’ hands and the context in which it will be read. Time Is Running Out … or Is It? There’s also the matter of offer expiration dates and how to use them to achieve your marketing objectives. Recent OfficeMax mailings left me wondering what this marketer was thinking when it sent me the following offers. In November, I received a savings card good for $10 off a purchase of $30 or more (potential 33 percent savings) with an expiration date of Jan. 8, 2005. I hadn’t used the first card when, a few weeks later in December, I received an even better deal. It was an in-store savings card good for $10 off a purchase of $20 or more (potential 50 percent savings) with an expiration of Feb. 5, 2005. Both cards were valid for an overlapping period of about 30 days, and the latter was a better deal with a smaller minimum purchase. Tip: When testing offers, don’t overlap expiration dates. It will skew results and compromise test validity. Is Postage an Investment or an Expense? Thanks to privacy protection legislation, we are bombarded with mailings and hand-outs reminding us of privacy rights and company policies—particularly from financial service and health-care providers. As a consumer, I understand the reason for the concern. However, as a marketer, I am surprised and disappointed at the ineptness with which many companies share their policies. For example, I recently received a double-window #10 envelope with the return address of Paul Revere Life Insurance Co., an insurance company with which I have no coverage. Inside were two pieces of paper. The first was a privacy policy brochure from New York Life—a company with which I do have coverage. Paul Revere was not among the “family of New York Life companies” listed on the back of the brochure. The other 81⁄2˝ x 11˝ sheet had my name and address and the Paul Revere return address on it, but the remainder of the sheet was blank. There was no letter of explanation for anything in the envelope. New York Life (or was it Paul Revere Life?) invested 20 cents in postage, then ignored the opportunity to make it a meaningful and positive customer communication. Tip: Whenever you invest in postage, make the mailing a marketing investment as well. Even though this particular mailing was most likely a mandatory communication, it missed the opportunity to leave a positive impression with a paying customer. “Here is the Information You Requested” This statement is extremely powerful for: 1) getting your mailing opened, and 2) reminding your reader of his or her interest in you, your products or your services. While I normally use Lands’ End as an example of how to do things right, this time it missed the boat. I called Lands’ End requesting a color swatch for navy leggings. I received the swatch, but it arrived in a generic Lands’ End envelope. Because I didn’t remember requesting the swatch, and the outer envelope had no teaser, I came within seconds of trashing it without opening it. Fortunately, I did open it, and the color swatch matched what I needed, so I placed the order. But if I hadn’t opened the envelope, Lands’ End would have invested in sending the swatch and missed getting the order. Six little words: “Here is the swatch you requested,” could make all the difference. Tip: Don’t assume your customer or prospect will remember requesting a sample, swatch or information kit. Always put a teaser on your carrier envelope or box as a reminder. Personalize With Caution Beware of how you draw inferences from customer data, and how you use the information to drive creative. If your assumptions aren’t on target, the impact of your mailing will be lost. Case in point: Prior to last fall’s annual DMA convention, I received a postcard with a headline asking, “Patricia Friesen, Why isn’t Pat Friesen & Company exhibiting at The DMA Annual?” So far, so good. My name and the name of my company were both spelled correctly and, no, I had not reserved a booth. The copy goes on to warn me, “These competitors have already booked their space.” What followed were the names of three exhibitors supposedly in my line of work. However, I’m still trying to figure out what data in my DMA membership file (yes, I am a dues-paying member) lead the DMA to believe I’m in competition with the Educational Coin Co., a numismatic marketer. Tip: Use data to personalize your message only if you’re confident the appeal you’re making will be perceived as accurate and compelling. One Last Tip I received a 6˝ x 9˝ mailing from UPS shortly after I opened a UPS business account, however the outer envelope made no mention of this. Inside were three pieces—an oversized reply envelope, an 11˝ x 17˝ addressing piece which folded twice, and an expensive insert “gizmo” with a wheel that turned to display various “drop off” options. The letter—which theoretically explained the reason for the mailing—was buried (folded) inside the addressing piece. I didn’t see the letter until I fully opened the 11˝ x 17˝, which I didn’t do until I started writing this column. Also hidden inside was a new customer survey. The great irony is that the theme of this mailing was “convenience,” and nothing about the mailing was convenient for the recipient. Tip: Don’t expect your reader to spend more than two or three minutes with your mailing. Write and approve copy for scanners, not readers. If someone does read every word you write, consider it a bonus.

Performance Marketing

Oops: 6 Tips to Avoid Direct Mail Gaffes

Pat Friesen

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Pat Friesen