A well-executed cartoon can intrigue potential donors right into your direct-mail package.

By Stu Heinecke

Cartoon cautiously
When experts advise against the use of humor, I’m actually in partial agreement. As direct marketers, we’re trained to do certain things that work against us when applied to the use of humor.

One of the worst mistakes you could make is to treat the cartoon as a branding element or a device to express an offer. The cartoon needs to focus entirely on the identity of the recipients and what is true for them. It should never be about your brand or the great deal you’re about to offer them. That’s true for any mailing, in any mission.