Direct Mail

Sometimes in direct mail, it’s not just what you say but how many different times and ways you say it that gets the message across to recipients. That’s not to say that a brief, well-written letter won’t do the trick, but when financially do-able, more elements (touch points) within a mailing — each one reiterating your message in a different way with a different graphical mix — can help break through the message-screening filter of most consumers/donors. This mailing by the International Rescue Committee does a great job of mixing simple and high-gloss elements, and reiterating its message in a variety of ways. To start,

It’s trending up, not down. I recently attended a parent’s meeting at my church to discuss future activities for my teenage son’s youth group. Now stick with me -- this actually addresses an important issue for all fundraisers. The youth minister in charge of the group was outlining what would be happening and casually said, “The kids want the annual calendar and notices about events sent to them by (snail) mail. So please look out for any church envelopes addressed to your son or daughter, and please pass them on.” I, the bored parent who was struggling to keep my eyes open, was instantly awakened by the

There’s a lot going on in this mailing from Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, but it’s safe to say it works for the organization, as I’ve seen this package or versions of it in the mail for a few years now. In last week’s “Direct Mail Spotlight,” I talked about the World Wildlife Fund’s use of tried-and-true response boosters, and Missionary Oblates employs quite a few in this campaign, as well. Time-sensitivity and both a freemium and premium offer are communicated on the 4-inch-by-9.5-inch outer envelope. One premium — “genuine Lourdes water” — is described, while the other — an Our Lady of Lourdes

It’s not every day someone sends you underwear. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of fundraising packages I receive annually, this one from the Southwest Indian Children’s Fund is a hands-down standout.

I have bins full of T-shirts and umbrellas and fleece blankets and teddy bears and all sorts of pens and pins and what-nots in addition to heaps of non-premium mail. But until that fateful day, no one had ever sent me underwear.

The Vermont Foodbank is the only food bank in the state of Vermont. For years, CEO Deborah Flateman says, it had relied on volunteers to produce its acquisition and renewal mailings in-house. The pieces themselves were inexpensive, consisting mostly of a letter with the organization’s letterhead and simple reply elements.

This mailing from the World Wildlife Fund caught my eye because it’s simple, and efficient in its use of some key direct-mail response boosters. The face of the 4-inch-by-9.5-inch outer envelope shows a four-color photograph of a tiger with the teaser, “Who’s Watching Her Back?,” and on the back is response-booster No. 1: a time-sensitive premium offer that reads, “Respond within 10 days to get your choice of three WWF Gund plush animals! See inside for details …” Inside the carrier is an 8.5-inch-by-14-inch, double-sided letter with a detachable reply device at the bottom. The letter is printed on yellow paper in typewriter font and

I’ve seen this mailing from the National Audubon Society in the stacks of mail I’ve pored through each month since taking on the task of writing this feature more times than I can count. And every time, it’s stands out because it makes joining the National Audubon Society seem like Christmas all over again. First, the 6-inch-by-9-inch full-color, glossy outer envelope announces that inside the mailing are details about a free bird feeder, and displays a picture of said gift. The 5.5-inch-by-8.5-inch reply slip features a detachable, cardboard, personalized temporary Audubon membership card. Copy next to the card informs recipients that a gift of as

Ever see a spotted outer envelope? I hadn’t until I came across this mailing by Jewish Children’s Fund in our Who’s Mailing What! Archive. The 4-inch-by-9.5-inch, white carrier is speckled with beige spots and includes the teaser, “Ever see a spotted zebra?” above an illustration of a zebra with spots. The outer sets up the theme of this mailing: A zebra with a spotted coat is something you’ll never see, but a Jewish child without a coat is common. In fact, it’s something you easily can find in New York, where JCF is headquartered. The 8.25-inch-by-10.75-inch letter is spotted, too, and lays out its purpose

This package from the Parents Television Council uses urgent, motivating copy to rally constituents. Enclosed in the 4.5-inch-by-10.25-inch carrier printed on brown paper bag-like material is a four-page, 8.75-inch-by-10.75-inch brochure that holds a petition, a two-page content summary of the “explicit” content in the TV show “Rescue Me,” and a reply form. The petition to elected representatives demands “Cable Choice,” which would allow households to opt-out of receiving channels that they feel have indecent programming. The content summary includes partial transcripts of the first four episodes of the 2006 season of “Rescue Me.” A caution at the top of the summary reads, “CAUTION: This material

Whether professional writers generating grant applications, direct-mail copy and annual reports or just authors of everyday memos, all of us have been plagued by writer’s block.

Writer’s block is something that I consistently battle. As a copywriter, the author of frequent memos and proposals, and, in this case, the writer of a magazine column, I constantly find myself facing the mental brick wall that brings the flow of writing to an abrupt halt.