One word: Boring.
I hate to generalize, but most of the direct mail produced in Canada today - is boring. And it would not be surprising to hear your donors are bored of it too.
I hear from charities all the time "Our donors are conservative, they like it like this and we don't mess with it." More often, it is the charity (or people working there) that like it like that and don't want to rock the donor boat. And I appreciate that - dollars are getting harder and harder to come by - but you may find by shaking things up a little - good things may happen.
Every few weeks when my mother-in-law comes for a visit she brings a big envelope or small box - chock full of direct mail from all over the country. She is "Jane Donor" - fits the description perfectly. 99% of what she brings me are #10 outer envelopes, white stock, with a window, with the logo in the top left corner and the return address on the back flap, a white#9 Business Reply Envelope, with Canada Post art (with maybe a "Thank you!" in the top left corner) and a 8.5" x 14" letter/coupon.
99%.
So I recycle those. I look at the one or two that do something different. Anything!
Look at this way - if you arrange the furniture in your living room and don't touch a thing for a year or two - someone could move a picture frame to the other side of the room - and you would instantly know that something was different - it's not a whole new room - but it is different and you do notice. Direct mail is about getting noticed - standing out...
If you or your agency is producing the same mailing over and over - please move some furniture!
Agree? Disagree? Let me know by sending me your comments.
John
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1 comment:
I couldn't agree more. Most of the direct mail I receive drops straight into the recycling bin. Very occasionally I'll get something that stands out and compels me to open it. Usually I need some sort of 'call to action' on the outside to even get to the inside.
Great blog by the way!
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