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Stimulate Response | Personalization
| Involvement Techniques
Direct mail gives you the option of using many
different incentive techniques. You are not limited on space as you are in space
advertising and broadcasting. This leaves the possibilities open to your imagination.
Some areas that are necessary to consider are discussed below.
Stimulate Response
The message about the offer must be perfectly
clear and should lead the reader to making a response decision. The response
action should be made as easy as possible for the respondent.
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Some elements that make the response
action easy to complete are:
- Clear instructions
- Adequate space to fill in information
- Pre-addressed reply cards or envelopes
- Prepaid postage
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The response piece should have enough of a message to stimulate response
on its own. Add incentive for fast returns, such as additional discounts
for quick replies, or use expiration dates. If the reply is requesting
confidential or personal information, it is best to supply a return
envelope rather than having the response piece be a self mailing card.
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If the reply piece is the first thing seen by
the recipient, emphasize the offer's positive aspects and hide the negative
elements, such as price. If it isn't the first thing seen, be sure to clearly
indicate how to find it. Give it a distinct name or description when mentioning
it in the other direct mail pieces.
Personalization
Computer sorted data can be used for a mailing
so it can be personalized according to demographic, geographic or psychographics
data. A different letter or offer can be sent on a related subject to a sorted
group of people.
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Some forms of personalization are listed below.
- Name reference by inserting the recipient's name and/or address
into the body of the letter.
- Name reference by inserting the recipient's name and/or address
on the reply card.
- Name reference by inserting the recipient's name into the message
on other inserts.
- Applying the recipient's name and address on the delivery envelope.
- Letters printed with a personalized message that relates to a targeted
group.
- Versioned inserts sent to different lists or different segments
of a list.
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Personalization is applied by ink jet, laser and
electrographic processes. It can be accomplished on the press as the pieces
are being printed, or offline in a separate process. The process used will depend
on the form of personalization being produced and your manufacturer's capabilities.
Some manufacturer's can do the entire process but many times the services of
a mail house are required.
Involvement Techniques
There are many items you can add to your direct
mail package to encourage the recipient to open it and read the message enclosed.
Making the elements visible to the recipient before the piece is opened will
increase the chances of getting their attention.
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Some items that can be used are:
- Checks
- Rebates
- Coins
- Stamps
- Membership cards
- Stickers,
- Gift certificates
- Discount cards
- Gifts, such as seed packets, note pads and product samples
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Techniques, that require an action be performed, are effective in getting
the recipient involved. Some of the techniques used are:
- Scratch 'n' sniff areas
- Rub off inks - revealing a message
- Punch out flaps
- Punch out tokens
- Repositionable stickers
The techniques above can stimulate the recipient's
interest in taking the steps to complete the offer response.
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