This document summarizes key points from a presentation on direct mail creative rules and testing formats. [1] It discusses how offers need to be compelling and tailored to the audience, and how benefits should be focused on what matters most to recipients. [2] Creating urgency, value, and targeting the right audience are also important drivers for direct mail success. [3] Different formats like boxes, self-mailers, postcards and letter packages are reviewed, highlighting when each works best and examples of effective creative executions.

1. Welcome to the DMA’s
Creative Certification Course
Part Two
Creative Rules
that Work for Print
Slides 62-123
Thurs., Oct 18, 2012 ; 8:30am - 12:00pm
Presented by
Alan Rosenspan &
Carol Worthington-Levy

2. New control
by CWL TEAM
A DM package
We were not able to
talk them into an
offer
62

3. Next control
by CWL TEAM
A DM self-mailer
tested with and
without an offer.
But the offer sucked.
63

4. “Offers don’t work for us”
Correction: bad offers don’t work.
Or
Offers don’t work if the audience is wrong/
Mailing list is bad
Is a cheap electric BBQ fork that’s been out on the
market for a few years a good offer? Ecchh!
NEXT slide: the offer that won (Thanks to Alan!)
64

5. 65

6. 66

7. 67

8. Key Driver #2
IT MUST BE
ALL ABOUT BENEFITS
68

9. “The customer or prospect doesn’t
give a damn about you, your company
or your product.
“All that matters is ‘What’s in it for me?’”
— Bob Hacker
69

10. Determine your main benefit
• Definition of feature and benefit
• A feature is what your product is or does
• A benefit is what it does for the user
• Advertisers sell features; people buy benefits
• All benefits are not created equal
70

11. Why does anyone buy these products?
Product: Product:
Gasoline Washing Powder
Features: Features:
Poisonous, Powdery, granular,
smelly, comes in a
expensive. box, poisonous.
Benefit: Travel! Benefit: Clean clothing
(You’ll feel clean and fresh)
71

13. You can turn almost
anything
into a benefit
(How about the high price of a Porsche?)

14. 74

15. 75

16. The Incredible Pencil Test
How many features and
benefits can you think of for
an ordinary #2 pencil?

17. Ranking your benefits
 Is it unique?
 Is it important to your market?
 Is it believable?
 Is it a personal benefit?
77

18. Key Driver #3
IT MUST
ADD VALUE
78

19. If the only time I ever hear from your company
is when you want to sell me something…
…then I’m not sure I want to hear
from your company

20. • Add valuable information
• Add tips or advice
• Add something that helps them
• Add something they didn’t expect
• Add entertainment

25. 85

26. Turn your direct mail package
into a fortune cookie
Something that people just
can’t wait to open

32. Key Driver #4
IT MUST
HAVE URGENCY
92

33. And in this uncertain economy…
 People are deferring purchase decisions
Why do I need it has become:
Why do I need it now?
93

34. Create urgency now!
 Tell people what will happen if they don’t respond
 Give them a deadline…
 Use urgent language
 Consider a fast 50… but never honor it
94

35. 95

36. Psychology studies show…
People are more motivated by fear of loss
than by the prospect of gain
96

37. 97

38. Key Driver #5
IT MUST
BE TARGETED
98

39. 99

41. 101

42. 102

43. 103

44. How to Evaluate
Direct Mail
104

45. Choosing the right format
• Choice of formats:
• Boxes
• Self-mailers
• Postcards
• Letter packages
• Testing is essential
• Change is good
105

46. Self mailers
 Why do so many companies use them?
 Easy to do, less work
 More graphic, more fun
 Usually cheaper
 When to consider a self-mailer
 A simple message or offer
 As part of a continuity program
 When you have no time
 When you have many classes or seminars
 When you expect a low response rate
 unqualified list
 If you do decide to use a self-mailer…
 Be careful about the BRC
 Test against it
106

47. Postcards can pull
 They must be visually-oriented
 They must be single-minded – almost like a tiny
billboards
 Use them strategically
 Use unusual size or shape postcards
 www.shipshapes.net
107

48. 108

49. 109

50. 110

51. 111

52. 112

53. Carol’s favorite postcard:
the ‘don’t let this happen to you’ approach!
• For a
proofreading
service
113

54. You can Bet on a Box
• It has a 100% opening rate
• It gets a lot of attention - almost like a gift
• It forces you to be creative
• It will be the most memorable mailing the person
receives that day
• It doesn’t matter what you put in the box…
114

55. …if you do use a box
 Your company name must be prominent
 Nothing perishable or fragile – unless that’s
the point
 Don’t just do half the job – include a letter, a
reply device, a strong offer….
115

56. 116

57. 117

58. 118

59. A slight diversion by Carol…about
dimensional packages
• “They” say that boxes ONLY work for B2B –
that it’s too expensive for consumer mailing…
• Here is an exception to that rule
• It also brings up the old adage,
if you don’t ask, you won’t get…
119

60. Finding our way to the big idea…
• Isuzu was introducing a line of vehicles
under the title, ‘Ironman’
• These were a few different models, so
we couldn’t concentrate on one
specific market
• Brainstormed around “Ironman” and
then someone said,…
“I wish we could send them a
running shoe in the mail to
highlight the Ironman competition!” …
120

61. Isuzu Ironman dimensional package
• Highly cost
effective
• Beat a flat direct
mail package in a
head to head test
• Incredible ROI
• It led to new
profitable
relationship with
Reebok
• Winner National
Postal Forum
award
Elements: outer box, letter, brochure, reply form, offer
121

62. One more: an
amazing idea
for a box pkg.
A collapsible box
that slips under
the door…
“Breaking into your
apartment may be
easier than you think!”
122

63. Back to Alan:
The Letter Package
• Elements include:
• Outer envelope or OE
• Letter - usually personalized
• Brochure
• Reply device
• Extra enclosures
• Usually outpulls other formats (except boxes)
• Always outpulls self-mailers
• Still allows for creativity and flexibility
123