Two Premium Response Boosters

It’s through constant testing that we’re able to separate the winning packages from the losers.

But with so many ideas, what truly constitutes effective direct-mail creative? And why does one package soar while others sink?

The answer to effective creative is always in the results. The stats of any particular package will reveal whether a concept worked or not. Across the board, however -- no matter the package -- premiums generally seem to give packages a boost. Here are two tried-and-true premiums that work continuously, while others have come and gone.

1) Name labels. Name labels consistently perform well for one main reason: It’s a useful gift that donors value. But they’re not just a free token of appreciation; donors also like name labels because it’s a great way to indirectly spread the word that they support a particular organization.

Labels also are an opportunity for nonprofits to expand their brand. When the donor sticks an address label on an envelope, the logo (and its message) has the potential to touch a whole new constituency. And when combined with two or three premiums -- say a notepad and/or bookmarks -- the response rates of a name label package likely will increase because of an even higher perceived value.

2) The check package. For several years, check packages have performed well because the perceived value of the check is right in front of the donor. Although it has the potential to backfire with some donors -- e.g., those who view the check as wasting the money they’ve previously donated -- check-package response rates, similar to name labels, increase when one or more premiums accompany it. In mailings for some clients, response rates have reached nearly 13.5 percent using this method. What’s more, despite possible grumblings from concerned donors, typically only 1 percent of those who receive a check package actually cash the check.

Michael A. Knipp is a chief copywriter/editor for Crofton, Md.-based nonprofit direct mail consultancy Creative Direct Response. He can be reached via www.cdr-nfl.com