tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61446089311232452402024-02-07T19:35:38.092-05:00Mail That FailsExamples of and lessons from communications that neglect basic direct marketing Best Practices.Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-23852942139510124012023-12-04T21:20:00.002-05:002023-12-20T11:22:01.429-05:00GE: UltraFast Postcard Fail<div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;">I recently received a postcard from GE that merits several Fails for Content. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o2wQQa4ujmIVi72AOHAZOc_xDCb_j2N7G1LYP634Kv4Xl1dDBcT6iMnYvdkHgjeVt3XUan4BCXTn0k1uCSBt8unnk-rwNRZ6Iu9qJ-QGrZO-3eRkgDKZIATfOFr34dKsER5QrYmy-4_3oRTS3tsZRWAUlwezeq-M_3Zt6tg6M2x1FK-6EXZcagtrP5xZ/s2443/GE%20front.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="GE One And Done" border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="2443" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o2wQQa4ujmIVi72AOHAZOc_xDCb_j2N7G1LYP634Kv4Xl1dDBcT6iMnYvdkHgjeVt3XUan4BCXTn0k1uCSBt8unnk-rwNRZ6Iu9qJ-QGrZO-3eRkgDKZIATfOFr34dKsER5QrYmy-4_3oRTS3tsZRWAUlwezeq-M_3Zt6tg6M2x1FK-6EXZcagtrP5xZ/w640-h390/GE%20front.png" title="GE Ultrafast Combo" width="640" /></a></div><br />The front shows an androgynous person in a high-end walk-in closet doing laundry. She is smirking at her laundry machine while either preparing to put towels in or recently having removed them. "This is not just laundry," cries the headline, "This is One & Done."<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcdUPhS3zqxGwUb0kH_vp8uTqo9A_NO0XrlspMJxHzBr5hLlnda9-okAab1DLcef5EiA0Fu6qc64EaW3Sxw61n3Wi2le-lKaRWShiKE2YYFfRGNTA1JzFz3MTioCySMpzrVEn1PZJ0L60EOISiT6nb11cnnDy3zF8PMCav5xpS_O1kEA-UMP5zb1VXUOu/s2502/GE%20back%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="GE One & Done Wash & Dry" border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="2502" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcdUPhS3zqxGwUb0kH_vp8uTqo9A_NO0XrlspMJxHzBr5hLlnda9-okAab1DLcef5EiA0Fu6qc64EaW3Sxw61n3Wi2le-lKaRWShiKE2YYFfRGNTA1JzFz3MTioCySMpzrVEn1PZJ0L60EOISiT6nb11cnnDy3zF8PMCav5xpS_O1kEA-UMP5zb1VXUOu/w640-h378/GE%20back%202.png" title="GE Ultrafast Combo" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the address side is a picture of two laundry machines -- presumably run by an app. There is very little copy on this side, only, "Wash + Dry with the UltraFast Combo," with a <a href="https://www.darwill.com/effective-direct-mail-cta#" target="_blank">Call to Action</a> to visit a specific appliance store.</p><p>As executed, this postcard has <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">multiple Fails</a>. Let's break down why it was a waste of money.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Confusing Audience</i></h4><p>The front of the postcard shows someone in a combination utility room and expensive closet, with more athletic shoes than you can count. The room looks pretty expensive, like it is in the house of a one-percenter. It certainly doesn't look like this is a typical personal using a typical machine. So a typical consumer might look at the person and room and think they couldn't afford whatever the postcard is advertising.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Misleading Product</i></h4><p>The address side shows not one, but two machines, visually suggesting that this is a washer-and-dryer combination set. It isn't, through, the picture is actually of two of the same <a href="https://www.geappliances.com/ge/connected-appliances/ultrafast-2-in-1-washer-dryer-combo" target="_blank">one-piece washer/dryer appliances</a> -- one has a <a href="https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-Laundry-7-RightHeight-Riser-GFR0728PTDS" target="_blank">stand</a>. A typical consumer would have to look and think hard to recognize this, but they wouldn't bother. They'd likely look at the postcard fore about three seconds, then toss it.</p><h4><i>Uncompelling Benefits, No Urgency</i></h4><p>The communicated benefits appear to be the ability to wash and dry by using an app. Maybe that's enough to motivate a consumer to visit a website in the comfort of their own home, but it is not compelling enough to get a consumer to schlep to a store. After all, this is a low-interest category for a major purchase. Why not include an offer, such as $100 rebate for this $2,899 machine if the consumer brings in the postcard within 30 days? Even a modest incentive with a reasonable offer expiration date supports some action.</p><h4><i>Incorrect Location</i></h4><p>Finally, this postcard gets the store location wrong. The Hoing's Appliance location near me is in Forest Hills, not the Bronx physical address shown on the postcard. In fact, the web address on the postcard is for <a href="https://www.honigsappliance.com/" target="_blank">Forest Hills</a> location, while the <a href="http://www.honigsappliancecenter.com/" target="_blank">Bronx location</a> has a different web address.</p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lessons:</i><br /></span><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Explain your product. Clearly communicate its benefits.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Support your mail with online content to explain your product benefits.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Give the customer a reason to take action soon.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When directing a customer to a physical location, share the nearest location.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Check every URL listed in your mail.</span></li></ol></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Forest Hills, Queens, NY, USA40.718106 -73.844846914.390291835082358 -109.0010969 67.045920164917646 -38.688596899999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-8078050846765559222023-09-29T08:35:00.007-04:002023-09-29T08:41:19.471-04:007-Eleven: Wing Wednesday After Dark<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Last Wednesday, I received this email from <a href="https://www.7-eleven.com/">7-Eleven</a> touting “Wing Wednesday” with an
offer for cheap wings. Is this Mail That Fails?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With a subject line of “It is Wings Day, my Dudes,” it seems
like there is a special price on wings that particular day. That impression is
bolstered by text saying, “Celebrate with some wings for less.” <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrUpeROmrY2xCokI0xf1kdpZjGiNtPRGeshM_M1hYc9neZhu__vdhiqar54BjO7xx7D1daoMDRKS3DJB5Z2Yk5I5vLcg0LWMURBtHWK5CVDhS_Iex5mQL3yGdqbSnrsB-ta5PXXjPAS9ojm_FWql3CT0FC6QjrBibASbiaOazaLMX1mFcP7g8uWpNu2Hh/s832/wings%20p1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="7-Eleven Wing Wednesday" border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="714" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrUpeROmrY2xCokI0xf1kdpZjGiNtPRGeshM_M1hYc9neZhu__vdhiqar54BjO7xx7D1daoMDRKS3DJB5Z2Yk5I5vLcg0LWMURBtHWK5CVDhS_Iex5mQL3yGdqbSnrsB-ta5PXXjPAS9ojm_FWql3CT0FC6QjrBibASbiaOazaLMX1mFcP7g8uWpNu2Hh/w550-h640/wings%20p1.png" title="7-Eleven Wing Wednesday email page 1" width="550" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO209ldw3UY-xbjq0QHH4JD8QZLSqVpiBRXYD2sGitH3n2uCf8UwCJL27QMnmd143RpXAttbuma2pf5v15OeOkgEpv-mptVITbBO8k_7p2G0VaIcD-04JQeJA_kOXnD-cpOyOcKLU1Yxr8wigSMImjqyxsVCFrUhqOmynTwasDJlwxVZaH6jWNZZpBikjw/s692/wings%20p2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="7-Eleven Wing Wedensday" border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="692" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO209ldw3UY-xbjq0QHH4JD8QZLSqVpiBRXYD2sGitH3n2uCf8UwCJL27QMnmd143RpXAttbuma2pf5v15OeOkgEpv-mptVITbBO8k_7p2G0VaIcD-04JQeJA_kOXnD-cpOyOcKLU1Yxr8wigSMImjqyxsVCFrUhqOmynTwasDJlwxVZaH6jWNZZpBikjw/w640-h589/wings%20p2.png" title="Wing Wednesday email page 2" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wing Wednesday email</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Plus, the picture prominently displays, “WING WEDNESDAY” in
the background and body copy touting, “You made it mid-week!” These both suggest
that the 5/$5 Bone-in Wings is available only on, well, Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the email was sent to me at 10:25 pm on Wednesday, and
no matter how much I might love wings, that seems a bit late in the day to be prompted
for a mid-week wing order. So is this a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html">Fail for
Timing</a>? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe not. Down in the Disclosures, we learn that the wings
offer is valid “thru” 1/9/24. So, it appears that I could enjoy these 5/$5
wings on a Thursday or on any other day over the next few months. Perhaps this
is a bit of a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html">Fail for
Creative</a> because it might mislead readers into thinking the offer is valid
only on Wednesday -- putting a damper on responsiveness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, is 7-Eleven using <a href="https://grammarist.com/spelling/through-thru/">“thru” rather than
“through”</a> to be informal and relatable? I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Align the timing of your emails to your message.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Consider when and where it is appropriate to use informal language.</span></li></ol><p></p><p></p><br />Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972812.402541463821152 -109.1622228 69.023009136178842 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-79173821903190932462023-08-30T20:39:00.002-04:002023-08-30T20:39:31.520-04:00Numerix: Your Excitement Is My Boredom<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I recently
received a B2B email announcing “exciting news,” and it piqued my interest in
all the wrong ways -- meriting a </span></strong><a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Content</a><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and perhaps even for
Targeting.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><strong><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrkZTQyOjEP1Yhk2ZdU-Hus7NzURgJUPitdhHrIx-jH1YDvNVEIl9N2LByB5FnLr3U_Y0JpKjOWMMdTJXyPbVqJ8o6K_HSxmTUNQppEZrm4dmFjwzWqDLRFNFk3TEzmR_KmSwTKyZIFCHU0iMKrGaCfNUgRrPc0HGX3hiriwm1kw7WXWfXSdjDDP6yVU6/s797/Numerix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Numerix PolyPaths Announcement" border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="796" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrkZTQyOjEP1Yhk2ZdU-Hus7NzURgJUPitdhHrIx-jH1YDvNVEIl9N2LByB5FnLr3U_Y0JpKjOWMMdTJXyPbVqJ8o6K_HSxmTUNQppEZrm4dmFjwzWqDLRFNFk3TEzmR_KmSwTKyZIFCHU0iMKrGaCfNUgRrPc0HGX3hiriwm1kw7WXWfXSdjDDP6yVU6/w640-h640/Numerix.png" title="Exciting News from Numerix" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></strong></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">First of
all, the email is from someone at <a href="https://www.numerix.com/" target="_blank">Numerix</a> I
don’t know and who I’ve never met, contacted, or connected with, and at a
company I’ve never heard of. Yet this person sends me an email that opens with “Exciting
News.”</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Then, the email
uses so much financial jargon that even I can’t figure out what it means -- and
I work in the financial industry. What does Numerix do? What can it do for me
or my employer? I don’t know, but I guess the acquisition helps them address a
bunch of stuff I don’t care about.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I guess
this is exciting for Numerix but, without any value proposition, this is simply
a press release with several typos.</span><br /><br /></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></span></i></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do not assume your reader knows your company.</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do not assume your customer understands your jargon.</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Avoid acronyms.</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Use every sales and promotional contact to reinforce your value proposition.</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Proofread your communications.</span></span></strong></li></ol><p></p><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-56534969422473614432023-06-05T19:50:00.000-04:002023-06-05T19:50:17.440-04:00Hey Abbott! I Wish I Knew Why You Missed Me<p>I recently received this email from <a href="https://www.abbott.com/">Abbott</a>, the makers of <a href="https://www.mynavica.abbott/">NAVICA</a>. It merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html">Fail for
Content</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQET0vW_-z85lXTH-pZcgyTtWzvlm9EIvVtgytSAptvgL9D-ccJy1V57KOn81Q1aVr6t6GJHAq85RzaQyU8GPJefUhZ9FJlZH3viFV3YikY92ANz75f2OOTlYGpIJiUQFRyYBAEDSufZuAxs0SKtVV8ruPFcZKyyciMLUW0p8CLcWuvXnVBNHk0PTPgg/s905/NAVIA%20Email.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQET0vW_-z85lXTH-pZcgyTtWzvlm9EIvVtgytSAptvgL9D-ccJy1V57KOn81Q1aVr6t6GJHAq85RzaQyU8GPJefUhZ9FJlZH3viFV3YikY92ANz75f2OOTlYGpIJiUQFRyYBAEDSufZuAxs0SKtVV8ruPFcZKyyciMLUW0p8CLcWuvXnVBNHk0PTPgg/w476-h640/NAVIA%20Email.png" width="476" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal">The email explains that it has been almost a year since I
logged into NAVICA, and my data will be deleted after a year of inactivity.
What it doesn't explain is what NAVICA is or why I may have had an account. I mean, if I haven't logged in for a year, would I remember what it is?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm glad that my data won't be lingering around Abbott's database
forever; however, it would have been useful to explain why the information will
be deleted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here is a potential opening paragraph rewrite:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hello,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It
has been almost a year since you last logged in to NAVICA, the leading digital
platform for supporting COVID-19 testing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To
ensure data privacy, we have a policy of deleting customer data after one year
of inactivity. This means that, if you do not log in to your account by
<date>, your account will be deleted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><i><br /></i></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><i>Lesson:<br /></i></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p>Explain your product in every communication, even a customer service communication.</o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-36317260431214172922023-05-25T08:04:00.002-04:002023-06-02T22:07:50.661-04:00Chart House: Mom doesn't like it when you're late<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This email from Chart House restaurant merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Timing</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOVDgie25muqBDH60zim4W0iUZ-diPAtkEv41gBQuraz1XlPbxTV1ihxJrFMzsABDuR_ZhDKfPl9EIL8eXO-OL7Ij0oUcZGS4uIrbp_jaFakgGwmRnQ5NmEoT5hS2FYgutsYxPMMbD2iYFK6903a4pXwJjjwkpwDYwcuPNFRo7ifB06Kb7crJDNePDQ/s905/Chart%20House.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOVDgie25muqBDH60zim4W0iUZ-diPAtkEv41gBQuraz1XlPbxTV1ihxJrFMzsABDuR_ZhDKfPl9EIL8eXO-OL7Ij0oUcZGS4uIrbp_jaFakgGwmRnQ5NmEoT5hS2FYgutsYxPMMbD2iYFK6903a4pXwJjjwkpwDYwcuPNFRo7ifB06Kb7crJDNePDQ/w476-h640/Chart%20House.png" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Offer for May 8 - 14<br />Sent May 14, 3:05 pm</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />If someone takes their mother out to dinner, they plan ahead. It is not a spur of the moment decision. The email should have been sent on May 7 or 8.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span>Lesson:<br /></span></i><span>An offer for Mother's Day should be sent days prior to Mother's Day, not on Mother's Day afternoon.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Atlantic City, NJ, USA39.3642834 -74.422926611.054049563821152 -109.5791766 67.674517236178843 -39.2666766tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-13435711478214409352023-03-07T20:22:00.001-05:002023-06-02T22:07:31.743-04:00Celebrity Cruises: Too Many Emails! <div style="text-align: left;">I've written a few times about Celebrity Cruises' spray & pray approach to email. In 2018, during the weeks leading to a cruise, <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2018/03/celebrity-ship-came-in-but-it-wasnt-mine.html" target="_blank">I was bombarded with emails selling future cruises</a>. The following month, I shared how <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2018/04/celebrity-cruises-my-ship-comes-in.html" target="_blank">they had emailed me again and again</a>. Later in the year, <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2018/10/celebrity-cruises-will-209-emails.html" target="_blank">I counted more than 200 marketing emails from them</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv0dHsBSSk6utvkOFHWiRy9Gz5_631qIn2hy9DNv7LgHypKZmgYnVxWIVst61K-_kgjgbVDqrk8hgLHT9neyUdiGJU331qzv3UI_M2rASWkB3SW-pZ7lmyfT5o-D2UcqanZe4RWRASfUy1rqkMhhbglx2SQX2gQfXaNWHKJHogwSYj8HT_n7HJqcjkg/s1701/celebrity%20list.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Celebrity Cruises" border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1701" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv0dHsBSSk6utvkOFHWiRy9Gz5_631qIn2hy9DNv7LgHypKZmgYnVxWIVst61K-_kgjgbVDqrk8hgLHT9neyUdiGJU331qzv3UI_M2rASWkB3SW-pZ7lmyfT5o-D2UcqanZe4RWRASfUy1rqkMhhbglx2SQX2gQfXaNWHKJHogwSYj8HT_n7HJqcjkg/w640-h308/celebrity%20list.png" title="200 emails in a month from Celebrity" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many Celebrity Cruises emails,<br />so little time to read them</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I thought this type of bombardment was a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Targeting</a>. Maybe I was wrong, because they still appear to be taking the approach -- hitting me with 19 emails within a week.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Between March 1 and March 3, Celebrity sent me 10 emails. Eight of them were upsells for my upcoming cruise -- drink package, specialty dining, professional photos, WiFi, etc. Perhaps they could have spaced these out at bit? Maybe? Please? One of the 10 emails was for a semi-annual sale; the other was for cruises to Alaska. If that isn't spammy, I don't know what is. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">None of these emails conveys emotion. How about at least one email that might convey excitement? Maybe open with, "We are very excited to have you abord the Celebrity XXX on XXX. Here are some things to know as you prepare to check in." Perhaps give a reminder to, you know, not forget your bathing suit. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't simply ignore all these emails. One of them is germane to understanding what I need to do to check in and ensure a smooth embarkation process. So, that's one functional email and 200+ that are not useful. (There might be a second important email in the bunch, but I can't find it.) It's like that Beastie Boys song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhqyZeUlE8U" target="_blank">They can't, they won't, and they don't stop</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe when it comes to future sales marketing and upsell, less isn't more in the cruise industry? I don't know! I do know that, by the time I arrive to check in for my Celebrity sea cruise, I'll already feel salty.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span>Lesson:<br /></span></i><span>Direct marketing isn't only transactional. It's about building a relationship that improves the customer experience. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-76493232823620398412023-03-07T20:20:00.004-05:002023-03-07T20:20:54.870-05:00AAA: You're in the Driver's Seat<div style="text-align: left;">This recent email from <a href="https://northeast.aaa.com/" target="_blank">AAA Northeast</a> merits a quick <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Content</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The Subject Line opens with "You're Cash Back is waiting for you." It should open with "Your Cash Back is waiting for you."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATMzyE1adHdoEKcRZxLRPhFjLFs6ZwJh-zCY2cUmvD08WxcElPkFQeiUu9kfNiQzLz3XvsGP-xLKo2kxqnb6Rv8gkVtQ6E2Nb4h3Vl4mx2mCBwHA2XlGGs0EAj3SpmIuTxfC2ib-S9L8iFZrj3SInAmVLbhBL9ktjbCmBbQcvsjqglSR_wrL_PoEArg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="764" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATMzyE1adHdoEKcRZxLRPhFjLFs6ZwJh-zCY2cUmvD08WxcElPkFQeiUu9kfNiQzLz3XvsGP-xLKo2kxqnb6Rv8gkVtQ6E2Nb4h3Vl4mx2mCBwHA2XlGGs0EAj3SpmIuTxfC2ib-S9L8iFZrj3SInAmVLbhBL9ktjbCmBbQcvsjqglSR_wrL_PoEArg=w640-h308" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your email starts with "You're"</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lesson:<br /></span></i><span style="font-size: large;">Proofread every aspect of your marketing communications including the Subject Line.</span></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-56744081848547590782022-11-10T07:31:00.003-05:002022-11-10T07:31:59.283-05:00Dunkin' Rewards: America Runs on Loyalty Programs With Correct Information<p><a href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en" target="_blank">Dunkin'</a> recently overhauled their <a href="https://news.dunkindonuts.com/news/dunkin-rewards" target="_blank">Dunkin' Rewards loyalty program</a>. <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/10/10/dunkin-donuts-rewards-program-customer-backlash/" target="_blank">Some regular customers are not pleased</a>. Coffee rewards that used to be available after spending $40 on coffee now require at least $50 in spend. The program has also become more complex, with a different points earning formula, monthly boosters and <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/did-dunkin-get-it-wrong-with-coffee-discount-loyalty-shakeup/635311/" target="_blank">a greater emphasis on food</a>. With greater complexity comes greater risk of error.</p><p>I would describe myself as an occasional coffee achiever. <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2021/06/dunkin-donuts-what-is-in-a-name.html" target="_blank">I might stop for coffee early in the morning when walking the dog</a>, but not that often. I currently have 257 points according to my app -- not enough for one free coffee.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzZpPJXfQQqmund_vxTj8inKu1v9m7qmQ26jvg0TGNRscyU84ztRLmIj3bxGfN8mzN-Lt8Yzl17-hJahzDUbgDyY0IGV5_67igrloPBcLlJ5ypw6vuz8vA8DGBRYWP_EpK-EbuPXBEMSTz8Jmq34HKkkRsGRjExmXC8Fjn0YhLAf4qsQ51yNP8bgY9Q/s1693/points%20status.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="1143" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzZpPJXfQQqmund_vxTj8inKu1v9m7qmQ26jvg0TGNRscyU84ztRLmIj3bxGfN8mzN-Lt8Yzl17-hJahzDUbgDyY0IGV5_67igrloPBcLlJ5ypw6vuz8vA8DGBRYWP_EpK-EbuPXBEMSTz8Jmq34HKkkRsGRjExmXC8Fjn0YhLAf4qsQ51yNP8bgY9Q/w270-h400/points%20status.png" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot showing I have 257 points</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>So, imagine my surprise when I received this email. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6UtF0Pz26M-lvIaWVB18zZVeeSScu7Jru8KPT1BECtOZREQFv3AcR1IqpZDAbBGCEfIen-Skw9WBMOZNOI0sEqcMAVfJolff5wnfIeyOx7fsEsURlPPLx9ooz9gjJrfjj9nHcRvkV7Tr69LQp8q5JfKHz-WKkmlfRCVbz0kd7TXw58bw4hRgYmPK5w/s872/DD%20Points.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dunkin' Rewards Loyalty Email" border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6UtF0Pz26M-lvIaWVB18zZVeeSScu7Jru8KPT1BECtOZREQFv3AcR1IqpZDAbBGCEfIen-Skw9WBMOZNOI0sEqcMAVfJolff5wnfIeyOx7fsEsURlPPLx9ooz9gjJrfjj9nHcRvkV7Tr69LQp8q5JfKHz-WKkmlfRCVbz0kd7TXw58bw4hRgYmPK5w/w494-h640/DD%20Points.png" title="Dunkin' Rewards Loyalty Email with error" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Points amount email<br />34,438 points = almost 69 free coffees!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The points value in the email is not only incorrect, it is outrageously wrong. Why would anyone hold on to 34,000 points?</p><p>In a prior role, I worked on a loyalty program mailing that included a mention of a customer's point balance. Here are some of the quality control steps I took:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Verified output data against source data</li><li>Verified lettershop proofs against both source data and output data</li><li>Requested manual review of customers with points balance more than two standard deviations above the mean against source data. </li></ol><div>Perhaps Dunkin' skipped step 3 above. What they could have done is ask themselves something along the lines of, "Who in the email communication appears to have enough points for more than 10 of the top points item? Should that really be the case?"</div><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lesson: </span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When sending personalized information, verify the accuracy of all variable data including outliers.</span></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972812.402541463821152 -109.1622228 69.023009136178842 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-2942950645344846492022-10-10T20:21:00.003-04:002023-12-01T07:19:35.457-05:00PenFed Credit Union: What's the Point(s)?<p> A couple years ago, <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2020/07/penfed-credit-union-not-military-precision.html.html" target="_blank">I wrote about a credit card solicitation I received from PenFed Credit Union</a>. It took some serious sleuthing to understand why I would be eligible for membership. Since then, I've received a few others from <a href="https://www.penfed.org/" target="_blank">PenFed</a>, including this one for a PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Card.</p><p>I received this mailing as someone who isn't a PenFed member, isn't a member of the armed forces, and is someone who knows about PenFed only because of writing this blog. The letter includes a paragraph explaining that I need to become a member to get the credit card. So, it's probably safe to conclude that the mailer's target audience is who don't know much about PenFed.</p><p>Their recent solicitation is again pretty typical for a mid-tier credit card provider: window envelope; letter with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Box" target="_blank">Johnson Box</a>; clear Call to Action; <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/schumer-box.asp" target="_blank">Schumer Box</a>; brochure insert; and required credit prescreen opt-out notice. Let's break it down.</p><p>The window envelope is clearly branded. Unlike the one from two years ago, this one does not have a <a href="https://www.liveabout.com/zinger-teasers-for-direct-mail-fundraising-2502104" target="_blank">teaser</a>. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFVg0sgLFpT7HkdtBRuOS4z2TARDzia43_St6jdNpGH5QQWP5DijKfdUASGZgUUzU2ZZrPLiPSEqVPIbsChYVoBBvffG0RyMYv7XCUwlUXqDEcYSlRKnlladryizHuxAA7JqhjOtdge-ASQlRFUOuF15m5vgBDZQmuy6pUMr41CQfJhYM1o4vLYrM-w/s1889/OE.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Envelope" border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1889" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFVg0sgLFpT7HkdtBRuOS4z2TARDzia43_St6jdNpGH5QQWP5DijKfdUASGZgUUzU2ZZrPLiPSEqVPIbsChYVoBBvffG0RyMYv7XCUwlUXqDEcYSlRKnlladryizHuxAA7JqhjOtdge-ASQlRFUOuF15m5vgBDZQmuy6pUMr41CQfJhYM1o4vLYrM-w/w640-h282/OE.png" title="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Envelope" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The personalized letter opens with a straightforward Johnson Box message: Earn 15,000 points when you spend $1,500 in the first 90 days. Nice. The letter opens by communicating a benefit that the rewards card works with my lifestyle. I can earn bonus points by doing what I do. I can get 5x points for filling my car's tank -- or even charging my EV, so forward-thinking! -- 3x points for food shopping or eating and doing other everyday stuff, and everyday 1x points for all those other purchases. The points accrual rates are reinforced in the right margin. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5vkFH7clDkrUCZwRhn_EVbxeXEPdr492u7alLiHmegFIzKzGcZuJQKH_a3If7Cttcy1_d70kVOL1Qn9tY9rYkufB6-7aGbOcPlzcKtG3pk8n_L_HoaIwvC-BhaNy-4yd1DaEBzEO1NsMyY5BXvqnyoz9jBJIrQ3fdpPD9j58-P4Bjyx_2NmVqi-r5Q/s2154/Letter%20front.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Letter" border="0" data-original-height="2154" data-original-width="1626" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5vkFH7clDkrUCZwRhn_EVbxeXEPdr492u7alLiHmegFIzKzGcZuJQKH_a3If7Cttcy1_d70kVOL1Qn9tY9rYkufB6-7aGbOcPlzcKtG3pk8n_L_HoaIwvC-BhaNy-4yd1DaEBzEO1NsMyY5BXvqnyoz9jBJIrQ3fdpPD9j58-P4Bjyx_2NmVqi-r5Q/w484-h640/Letter%20front.png" title="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Letter" width="484" /></a></div><p>The letter closes with an explanation that I need to become a PenFed Credit Union member to get the credit card. It's a simple process, so all I need to do is scan the QR code or go to their website to get started.</p><p>The back of the letter reinforces points accrual and compares it to other credit card providers that offer points, then reinforces the Call to Action. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMRfkirOnRA72OuBSmcQZlogQ6_ir67SPZviu6o7rZ8pl1tJ_ZHJMLiVPBuuyxlAqyccxzPE-JwwVuG3yGkImiczt9hgKNrBvKE3lzXD4sI5v-YVYOrNQnKPPKIvDnTrqDy2qgc88_QqHqc8C5itjwaSN9eOGRsAKheRbl0yhnbaImWt7FRCE1HTIKA/s2146/Scan_20221010%20(9).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Letter" border="0" data-original-height="2146" data-original-width="1670" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMRfkirOnRA72OuBSmcQZlogQ6_ir67SPZviu6o7rZ8pl1tJ_ZHJMLiVPBuuyxlAqyccxzPE-JwwVuG3yGkImiczt9hgKNrBvKE3lzXD4sI5v-YVYOrNQnKPPKIvDnTrqDy2qgc88_QqHqc8C5itjwaSN9eOGRsAKheRbl0yhnbaImWt7FRCE1HTIKA/w498-h640/Scan_20221010%20(9).png" title="PenFed Credit Union Credit Card Offer Letter" width="498" /></a></div><p>The points proposition is reinforced with a <a href="https://www.uspress.com/page/benefits-of-using-tri-fold-brochures-marketing" target="_blank">tri-fold brochure</a> reinforcing points accrual rates. It also communicates some secondary perks such as Tap to Pay and Fraud Monitoring, but mainly it's about how all those points can really add up -- and the Call to Action is reinforced yet again.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1eELpApVqR7HG0-tyrhyDqHKRB8Vnto-JIwqUKLGsBAiTl4JY6hx5PVpJ9Zg6Pb2zdba9jLHuUYub99g67OJpvy0vmRyKVx5EuDbKeln0qxqkTjJEVpw7YnUyhzjz96-TLzpladUZEpfSHEGaNAd03Ho1cXwXAdsP3IAyDx_sREM8FtPSxQUdKPHYQ/s1646/brochure%20cover.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="738" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1eELpApVqR7HG0-tyrhyDqHKRB8Vnto-JIwqUKLGsBAiTl4JY6hx5PVpJ9Zg6Pb2zdba9jLHuUYub99g67OJpvy0vmRyKVx5EuDbKeln0qxqkTjJEVpw7YnUyhzjz96-TLzpladUZEpfSHEGaNAd03Ho1cXwXAdsP3IAyDx_sREM8FtPSxQUdKPHYQ/w179-h400/brochure%20cover.png" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brochure Cover</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRX5UYysb9-XqjzdbW-Whp1rJHbbOoJZfUneZbMOBYeRNcsmdk1YEW_38CR6xo5KC-Um44RGNao9fTWpEg1CaHgc1_7BQK-JypxxeVe-FXwT1B5xKtEIZLx4eXR8ckG4Wtc_beNwb1HWFAUaXrsi_IToY0fjNdbZTgfwHV7PR8PRXdpaLH-5gZoPKzA/s1634/brochure%20inset.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="742" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRX5UYysb9-XqjzdbW-Whp1rJHbbOoJZfUneZbMOBYeRNcsmdk1YEW_38CR6xo5KC-Um44RGNao9fTWpEg1CaHgc1_7BQK-JypxxeVe-FXwT1B5xKtEIZLx4eXR8ckG4Wtc_beNwb1HWFAUaXrsi_IToY0fjNdbZTgfwHV7PR8PRXdpaLH-5gZoPKzA/w181-h400/brochure%20inset.png" width="181" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brochure inset<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77IQK6hVzLxWcPKIaMCuygG_P2hlxbF5W2lG-jSdX_u8f5qZ1hrM6qNeN1nlPsTXU9edjxsQq9gtPYOTlW6Cq57OpfzeNOWApa5x5E6tJ-5JlL4LtnITtobpSxtglbaXxyBUjO7HY77kZerCBiAR_OHGfIECqfjVobnU5FHoMWLw-KAuqriHiTAKDSw/s2209/brochure%20inside.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="2209" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77IQK6hVzLxWcPKIaMCuygG_P2hlxbF5W2lG-jSdX_u8f5qZ1hrM6qNeN1nlPsTXU9edjxsQq9gtPYOTlW6Cq57OpfzeNOWApa5x5E6tJ-5JlL4LtnITtobpSxtglbaXxyBUjO7HY77kZerCBiAR_OHGfIECqfjVobnU5FHoMWLw-KAuqriHiTAKDSw/w400-h297/brochure%20inside.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brochure inside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvtukPZPJD2ZMtFucjcH7v0-yQnEqLxNL1SRtMh6FcuQYQGQf3BagcU0GRoUF2Ne4-1AAv-kmx6kficrMuZkUzORvug719kjlRPZnHlmS3WmM26qCatn3uOM0utqeZyLyV7j9tFcs2OXGMVX8H2apTJZXDdkV6G4bMNaBSY6L592WdXotrroTZ8Ek-w/s1638/brochure%20back.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="746" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvtukPZPJD2ZMtFucjcH7v0-yQnEqLxNL1SRtMh6FcuQYQGQf3BagcU0GRoUF2Ne4-1AAv-kmx6kficrMuZkUzORvug719kjlRPZnHlmS3WmM26qCatn3uOM0utqeZyLyV7j9tFcs2OXGMVX8H2apTJZXDdkV6G4bMNaBSY6L592WdXotrroTZ8Ek-w/w183-h400/brochure%20back.png" width="183" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brochure back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The letter package also includes the legally required Schumer Box and accompanying language disclosing the card product's terms.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAV7x9JBaG3L08tS9qA-8YYJswqMKLNLWhzUw2kQ0odPPooA-aycvNu2BlhztYDHg03QxwhVweqakPMFOOCzQPHeeao56iFBed-i8qOjMxL_5-8lUxXZIC5H0_ODb2zs3Uwm5OGP4A4zj5be8yb2F2hE5QLzSHEXr4yRVi35ZQni_fzxYoK-rOlJBMg/s2186/disclosure%20front.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2186" data-original-width="1698" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAV7x9JBaG3L08tS9qA-8YYJswqMKLNLWhzUw2kQ0odPPooA-aycvNu2BlhztYDHg03QxwhVweqakPMFOOCzQPHeeao56iFBed-i8qOjMxL_5-8lUxXZIC5H0_ODb2zs3Uwm5OGP4A4zj5be8yb2F2hE5QLzSHEXr4yRVi35ZQni_fzxYoK-rOlJBMg/w311-h400/disclosure%20front.png" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit disclosures, including Schumer Box</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div> The back of the disclosures page is blank.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QndUjCZmkzCkbfb1tf85t_x2m6nd9c20w7DUeTOoXwwL3-o6aQ7dM0XN9QuEyRkDGMrvYwH573ACR9zFa615oeZ6AQ-sXSb8K93jpyZnfP8BilDAIS5FWCOy-jCaxLHyahwEOY1A6Z_86QVzuTno3XT8TXwwECQDhV173JJb0ivc4SAxSuttYSThLA/s2214/disclosure%20back.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="1677" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QndUjCZmkzCkbfb1tf85t_x2m6nd9c20w7DUeTOoXwwL3-o6aQ7dM0XN9QuEyRkDGMrvYwH573ACR9zFa615oeZ6AQ-sXSb8K93jpyZnfP8BilDAIS5FWCOy-jCaxLHyahwEOY1A6Z_86QVzuTno3XT8TXwwECQDhV173JJb0ivc4SAxSuttYSThLA/w303-h400/disclosure%20back.png" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of credit disclosures page (blank page)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>This isn't a quite a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>; however, there are some improvement opportunities: </div><p></p><ul><li>Consider an enticement for the prospective customer to open the envelope. There should be an envelope teaser that would motivate the recipient to open the envelope. Given that the target audience is non-members (e.g. do not have a relationship with PenFed) this is more important than usual. (The "You're Pre-Approved" message in the standard size window is easily missed.)<br /><br /></li><li>Since the audience is non-member who don't know them, PenFed should introduce itself. Maybe PenFed has strong brand recognition within the military community; but, since I also received it, they are presumably also soliciting new customers who haven't served. Consider using the <a href="https://www.penfed.org/about-penfed" target="_blank">Who We Are content from the website</a> and include it on the back of the required disclosures sheet, or squeeze a message in the letter or the brochure. <br /><br /></li><li>Share the value of points. There is plenty of space allotted to points accrual, but nothing about how the points can be used. Explain if points can be used for travel, cash back, donations to the <a href="https://www.uso.org/" target="_blank">USO</a>, or something I might enjoy. Also, the lack of quantification of value can be suspicious. Perhaps that 15,000-point intro bonus is worth less than the 10,000-point bonus with the compared-to American Express EveryDay Credit Card -- or perhaps it takes 20,000 points to get a shiny nickel. </li></ul><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></p><p></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: large;">Think about your target audience. If they are not current customers, help them get to know you.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When soliciting prospective customers, include a conspicuous teaser message to give them a reason to open your envelope.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Communicate benefits. Points are not a benefit. They are a vehicle of earnings toward a benefit. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Paper is expensive. Don't waste any. Leverage blank space to sell some more.</span></li></ol>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Queens, NY, USA40.7282239 -73.794851613.219946404579083 -108.9511016 68.23650139542093 -38.6386016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-66670274230431389592022-07-23T09:13:00.001-04:002022-07-23T09:13:14.494-04:00Jockey: Late Recognition Of Getting In My Pants<p>After months of COVID lockdown and isolation, I was finally going to set foot outside of Queens. My wife and I arranged for a weekend getaway upstate at a bed-and-breakfast with plenty of ventilation, air filtration and outdoor seating. It was our anniversary and, pandemic or not, we wanted to make it special. </p><p>We brought masks, gloves, sanitizer, and more sanitizer. I packed a rag and Lysol disinfectant just to give our room a once-over when we arrived. We brought packaged food in case the nearby restaurants were too busy. After confirming all the details and driving north for a few hours, I realized had I forgotten my mother's advice: <i>Always pack clean underwear. </i>Sorry, Mom!</p><p>I discovered a <a href="https://www.jockey.com/shoppingguide/storelocator" target="_blank">Jockey outlet store</a> near our B&B. It had reopened from COVID lockdown the day before our trip. So, on our anniversary, we stopped at the store for a couple pairs of jockeys. The store manager, also wearing a mask and plastic gloves, understood that I wasn't familiar with the brand and helped me pick out something comfortable in my size. </p><p>The manager apologized that not all price tags were up to date as the store was shorthanded and had just reopened. No worries, I said; just ring me up. She asked to put me on the email list with an offer of an instant discount on my in-store purchase. I agreed, providing my email address.</p><p>That was two years ago. I haven't purchased anything from Jockey since then. (The underwear is fine; I simply don't need any more.)</p><p>In May of this year, I received an email with a Subject Line of "<b>Thank you for joining Jockey Rewards!</b>" </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SVz4uIB6p7Ru1YyMmjuAGO8UGVwkCMnf6oRULkZ720zHD4h9N5HyLNzSr-HZxrZd9MCE45_Nxg0QUjiAEA3RqwX2VwISKtYdLzGPP650vXeGBf5yY98hbm3vx5FusjUY0RqvvpdMKLToieag-XE-MoKHww-bjscFPrKFlByOiOZGWEFQDf-KGI2FXw/s759/Jockey%20p1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New Jockey Rewards" border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SVz4uIB6p7Ru1YyMmjuAGO8UGVwkCMnf6oRULkZ720zHD4h9N5HyLNzSr-HZxrZd9MCE45_Nxg0QUjiAEA3RqwX2VwISKtYdLzGPP650vXeGBf5yY98hbm3vx5FusjUY0RqvvpdMKLToieag-XE-MoKHww-bjscFPrKFlByOiOZGWEFQDf-KGI2FXw/w568-h640/Jockey%20p1.png" title="New Jockey Rewards Introduction Email 2022" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRZBvtiopUuw2E5OWkOKVe74u46v5la25C4AyEz8GCOA-Jcy1VDbxB2vsY-Gl4CJFpaLm1QyJNd3L3yvL5RioWW7v2kNJWnMfE3GGSgukKO0zTzbiE9FBkNnM4lgQURG-o3jnaH0iI1nGaTyJhn0GoZoMXPSfN9Hp9tXvrz-8pUVE1GTgnd9bXiNXnA/s764/Jockey%20p2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New Jockey Rewards" border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRZBvtiopUuw2E5OWkOKVe74u46v5la25C4AyEz8GCOA-Jcy1VDbxB2vsY-Gl4CJFpaLm1QyJNd3L3yvL5RioWW7v2kNJWnMfE3GGSgukKO0zTzbiE9FBkNnM4lgQURG-o3jnaH0iI1nGaTyJhn0GoZoMXPSfN9Hp9tXvrz-8pUVE1GTgnd9bXiNXnA/w564-h640/Jockey%20p2.png" title="New Jockey Rewards Introduction Email 2022 page 2" width="564" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVSN6Lbew1tRwmroEBc44j14WTaEPPN-BO06YveBIbAnsXS6dUAk6Q-PgA9UUKnVZYKFiiz545n0hAhH-vxWkqqRWO_sotYCZdSmap7uIndGnj2nChzr9XbWGbtT69t_8PD5r1oSyTnlSMORYKYGuhpGgmU8Z_l0HOISwYk1LnzL6FjSmRAZfGy4xNg/s835/Jockey%20p3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="New Jockey Rewards" border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVSN6Lbew1tRwmroEBc44j14WTaEPPN-BO06YveBIbAnsXS6dUAk6Q-PgA9UUKnVZYKFiiz545n0hAhH-vxWkqqRWO_sotYCZdSmap7uIndGnj2nChzr9XbWGbtT69t_8PD5r1oSyTnlSMORYKYGuhpGgmU8Z_l0HOISwYk1LnzL6FjSmRAZfGy4xNg/w516-h640/Jockey%20p3.png" title="New Jockey Rewards Introduction Email 2022 Page 3" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jockey Rewards Introduction Email, May, 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>The wording of that subject line makes it seem like I recently joined the <a href="https://www.jockey.com/rewards" target="_blank">Jockey Rewards</a> program, which is not the case. Perhaps giving the manager my email address in that outlet store two years ago had enrolled me in an older version of the program and I had now been auto-enrolled in the current program. This supposition is based on the answer on the <a href="https://www.jockey.com/rewards" target="_blank">Jockey's reward program FAQ</a>:</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj67DOlTE_8B8lmg45RgGlvNagVKmoAOvOLzUF6yI8aBkfjk6kl9XCHjMJSaMC8HhDzjqx8KvNB1_94Ec02yv8o1QQidezLqG4QhpZmH4TjIca4LTI_uvTIsBU23lUa9BCnn_DxJRgJJ4TgLa2XVSHxx_rzvlgePXNO6dHYKIyWZWWexL_DZFwdNrnhSw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jockey Rewards FAQ" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="1052" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj67DOlTE_8B8lmg45RgGlvNagVKmoAOvOLzUF6yI8aBkfjk6kl9XCHjMJSaMC8HhDzjqx8KvNB1_94Ec02yv8o1QQidezLqG4QhpZmH4TjIca4LTI_uvTIsBU23lUa9BCnn_DxJRgJJ4TgLa2XVSHxx_rzvlgePXNO6dHYKIyWZWWexL_DZFwdNrnhSw=w640-h155" title="Jockey Rewards Explained" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First FAQ at jockey.com/rewards mentioning "new and improved rewards program"</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So, the program is "new and improved." OK. Perhaps. But since I hadn't just joined the program, better subject lines would include:<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Welcome to the new Jockey Rewards!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>We've improved Jockey Rewards!</b></span></p><p>Other than the confusing subject line, the email is nicely done: on brand, communicative, friendly and persuasive. Overall, the email doesn't deserve a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>. Perhaps it merits a C+.</p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lesson:<br /></span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Your subject line should be relevant to your customer.</span></p><p><br /></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Queens, NY, USA40.7282239 -73.794851612.417990063821158 -108.9511016 69.038457736178856 -38.6386016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-78699621843910136772022-05-25T19:49:00.001-04:002022-05-27T12:04:03.673-04:00PayPal: Where $1 Cash Back For Every $20 Spent Is Less Than 5%<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since last July, <a href="https://www.google.com/finance/quote/PYPL:NASDAQ?window=1Y" target="_blank">the value of PayPal stock has fallen by about 75%</a>. While many analysts are discussing the company's "fundamentals" and suggesting at what price to purchase the stock, I'm staying away for a different reason -- because they often produce Mail That Fails. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My first post about <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/home" target="_blank">PayPal</a>'s several Fails was in 2011 when <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2011/10/paypal-great-for-payments-fail-for-mail.html" target="_blank">they mailed me a shoddy credit offer</a>. There are a few more, including a recent one about <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2021/11/PayPal-needs-to-cross-sell-Venmo-better.html" target="_blank">a confusing and poorly targeted Venmo offer</a>. Now, add to my list of <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/search?q=Paypal" target="_blank">PayPal Fails</a> this offer of "$1 cash back for every $20 spent at restaurants." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvU4Z-qoW5FDwwyXFuA-TwNrZHFULtcFg1QC2Iqdm54r80zVy4egAkYBHLpUuy4pbzrpoj6VwhlMVXmi1BontzuGLJ4loppt5nwKjEdSE1di_mIniauomAww9gtr8goVZOY8_5u5vGHk7uxr9cheTWoG7oagG0Is0CV4VINEFFmxalYodaVXQyzzS8Q/s871/Page%201.png"><img alt="PayPal Restaurant Rebate Offer - May, 2022" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvU4Z-qoW5FDwwyXFuA-TwNrZHFULtcFg1QC2Iqdm54r80zVy4egAkYBHLpUuy4pbzrpoj6VwhlMVXmi1BontzuGLJ4loppt5nwKjEdSE1di_mIniauomAww9gtr8goVZOY8_5u5vGHk7uxr9cheTWoG7oagG0Is0CV4VINEFFmxalYodaVXQyzzS8Q/w494-h640/Page%201.png" title="PayPal Restaurant Rebate Offer - 5/22" width="494" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xnGasTtBV7RFzcroIcBYZiT85i0J1HDYsU1_bGMrVTmjZJ6RlD0FcxpC_bmk1uJ5ECI-OFT_XxXFMW2wN6DlyiXXKAdUvA18FjIh121bwqfyqAUXyM796JjWPzNvdT_lDxgyIeQxvMHM5Auvcl5d8YPwI_fwbrAolHgKLZ8HQ4D0_dmN25z9nwjVAQ/s871/Page%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PayPal Restaurant Cash Card Offer - May, 2022" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xnGasTtBV7RFzcroIcBYZiT85i0J1HDYsU1_bGMrVTmjZJ6RlD0FcxpC_bmk1uJ5ECI-OFT_XxXFMW2wN6DlyiXXKAdUvA18FjIh121bwqfyqAUXyM796JjWPzNvdT_lDxgyIeQxvMHM5Auvcl5d8YPwI_fwbrAolHgKLZ8HQ4D0_dmN25z9nwjVAQ/w494-h640/Page%202.png" title="PayPal Restaurant Cash Card Offer - 5/22" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTIAvjiifJf1-DFKcDkCO5ELEUbH7PDnYh7_o2F8PA0KRfw18fj1GWiiX6rlUGrGUWTV5X0N6mn8lzyo0CccXsFDGYZZDUu9ilh67pg3ac52sI4sooSfWV1-dzfZADVagPGtkTouvFCXjkAuxsclNXGSqAqslqKFAPo6ViSu69uVN0NIVU2XWkvIwkw/s853/Page%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PayPal Restaurant Rebate Offer - Disclosures" border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTIAvjiifJf1-DFKcDkCO5ELEUbH7PDnYh7_o2F8PA0KRfw18fj1GWiiX6rlUGrGUWTV5X0N6mn8lzyo0CccXsFDGYZZDUu9ilh67pg3ac52sI4sooSfWV1-dzfZADVagPGtkTouvFCXjkAuxsclNXGSqAqslqKFAPo6ViSu69uVN0NIVU2XWkvIwkw/w504-h640/Page%203.png" title="PayPal Restaurant Card Card Offer - Disclsoures" width="504" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKpii3KvKOaZvyofHXBsL42A4iJYXLHjxRO8FBzUijEhWuvMkd9MivScA_FT4LqFDan_f70XiOeWHYYI57_Gljf3EDK70dAs7YyQOxPRezRBubYj_g9L_MP5WEgWyavGN1OINz1OkzODfGRtZFa8cId3XTtuJzA2hftycLk8DLptFrgtrfghBOIPjFw/s796/PAge%204.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PayPal Restaurant Rebate Offer - More Disclosures" border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKpii3KvKOaZvyofHXBsL42A4iJYXLHjxRO8FBzUijEhWuvMkd9MivScA_FT4LqFDan_f70XiOeWHYYI57_Gljf3EDK70dAs7YyQOxPRezRBubYj_g9L_MP5WEgWyavGN1OINz1OkzODfGRtZFa8cId3XTtuJzA2hftycLk8DLptFrgtrfghBOIPjFw/w542-h640/PAge%204.png" title="PayPal Restaurant Cash Card Offer - More Disclosures" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PayPal Cash Card Restaurant Rebate Offer<br />Received May 9, 2022</td></tr></tbody></table></div></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scanning the headline might make you think that going out to lunch four
times -- spending $25 each time with your GooglePay app to use your PayPal
balance for those lunches -- would earn you $5 cash back ($100 divided by $20
equals $5). But you'd be wrong…twice. The offer requires me to first request a
PayPal Cash Card, then receive it in the mail and use it at a restaurant. All
within 5 weeks of first receiving the offer – some of which is spent waiting
for PayPal to process my request for the card. That's a lot of effort and a
short window of opportunity for a small benefit, e.g. a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Offer</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">PayPal could have easily avoided this by using a rolling offer expiration date. For example, PayPal could require the customer to request the card by a specific date, but then give the customer a reasonable amount of time to use the card after activation, say, 60 days. That would be clear to explain and fair to the customer -- unless, of course, the intent is to make imply the offer is more generous then it actually is.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which leads me to the actual offer value. I read through the disclosure text a few times, and I'm pretty sure that cash back offer is on <i>a per-transaction basis</i>. So, while each purchase of $25 would be worth $1 cash back and a $100 dinner might net $5 cash back, four lunches adding up to $100 would be worth only $4 cash back. If I'm right, this is a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Offer and Content</a> for being misleading. If I'm wrong, it is a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Content</a> for lack of clarity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another Fail for Content lies in the disclosures. It appears this disclosure was rushed and not proofread. Take this paragraph, for example:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="pp-sans-big-regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0c0c0d; font-size: 13px;">"</span><b style="color: #0c0c0d; font-family: pp-sans-big-regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Eligible Purchase(s)</b><span face="pp-sans-big-regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0c0c0d; font-size: 13px;">": Eligible Purchase is defined as every $20.00 USD spent in-store or onlineusing the Card and finalized by the merchant during the Offer Period (defined below) in thefollowing category: restaurants (according to the Merchant Category Code (“MCC”) assigned byeach merchant, their processor, and the credit card networks. Only acceptable MCCs for this offerare 5812 and 5814). PayPal is not responsible for assignment of MCC codes. As a result, Reward willnot be awarded if the MCC code assigned to a particular merchant does not fall within a restaurantcategory, even if you believe that the merchant is a restaurant. Eligible Purchases do not include:(1) purchases that are marked as “pending” in your Card account as of the end of the Offer Period,(2) purchases made at eligible merchants using a third-party delivery service (3) ATM transactions,(4) gift card purchases, (5) any purchase or portion of a purchase that involves a payment methodother than the Card, or (6) in-store cash withdrawals/cash back.</span> </span></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spaces are missing
between words. The punctuation is inconsistent. Some numbers in parentheses have
spaces before them; some do not. There’s also a missing comma after
"service" in the last sentence. </span></p><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>There are references to "e-mail" in some paragraphs and "email" in other paragraphs. According to grammarly.com, <a href="https://www.grammarly.com/blog/spelling-e-mail-email" target="_blank">both are correct as long as you use it consistently</a>. PayPal is not being consistent.</span><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These types of possibly misleading offers and unclear communications suggest to me that PayPal's leadership is spending their marketing dollars without full consideration of what they are doing and how they are doing it. As a stockholder, that would frighten me. As a customer, that also scares me a bit. If I can't expect to get a clean offer and clear communication, should I really be trusting PayPal to keep my personal information secure?</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Clearly communicate your offer.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Allow your customers adequate time to respond to your offer and benefit from it's value.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Proofread your entire communication, including your disclosures.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Your customers' trust is potentially built or destroyed by every communication.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The debate between "e-mail" and "email" isn't over, but at least pick a side.</span></li></ol><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-1309862337591884422022-05-15T12:31:00.000-04:002022-05-15T12:31:48.996-04:00Pacific Magazine Billing: Even a Scam Can Be Mail That Fails<p>Remember the good ol' days when penny candy was only $5 a pound? Back then <a href="https://ew.com/" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a> actually published an issue every week. </p><p>Those good ol' days lasted until about three years ago. In August 2019, Entertainment Weekly went monthly -- lasting only until the April 2022 issue before <a href="https://comicbook.com/irl/news/entertainment-weekly-print-magazine-shut-down/" target="_blank">ceasing print publication</a> for good. Ah, well, I used to enjoy reading their "<a href="https://ew.com/tag/the-must-list/" target="_blank">Must List</a>" on the subway.</p><p>About six weeks after EW's last issue, I received this envelope package from Pacific Magazine Billing. (Normally, when I first mention a company, I include a hyperlink to the company's website; however, there is no website to be found.) </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ln1s6hD1dSLBhmnE5vbsH3Zj_L9tU4J4BSZUBIlykj8d-rD5rQbCmGhtZipBKTTh-A9feufnI-8OS9m1AfvKEoNTIQ1z1ZDnMxtIpkLoMKCbMO6zqlg5V5UJV2iRW5OiWEFI1isH2DSoniMI-goyiYaFC4kPH--_QfNXZt-fgSi-uf0awQn24ehMkQ/s1267/form%20front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pacific Magazine Billing not-a-bill for Entertainment Weekly" border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1267" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ln1s6hD1dSLBhmnE5vbsH3Zj_L9tU4J4BSZUBIlykj8d-rD5rQbCmGhtZipBKTTh-A9feufnI-8OS9m1AfvKEoNTIQ1z1ZDnMxtIpkLoMKCbMO6zqlg5V5UJV2iRW5OiWEFI1isH2DSoniMI-goyiYaFC4kPH--_QfNXZt-fgSi-uf0awQn24ehMkQ/w640-h276/form%20front.png" title="Pacific Magazine Billing not-a-bill for Entertainment Weekly" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67K-S-Z6d0IhTpedLrvI6K5tXx9kBe22BEzyiF5AUbh_NfK8RB8OsOlHM2zbOWqvU9nAdtS4-vluSi8-CWCIIb91t9cj6ppEEHaUErNIY7na873-Fkf8gGJyEMtMhSU3evlNadWPBhxZsc2OF4xjNsW86RgH2b9thUsr4CuYDShC8xHIfzMuS9fkJBA/s1260/form%20back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pacific Magazine Billing not-a-bill - EW Back" border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1260" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67K-S-Z6d0IhTpedLrvI6K5tXx9kBe22BEzyiF5AUbh_NfK8RB8OsOlHM2zbOWqvU9nAdtS4-vluSi8-CWCIIb91t9cj6ppEEHaUErNIY7na873-Fkf8gGJyEMtMhSU3evlNadWPBhxZsc2OF4xjNsW86RgH2b9thUsr4CuYDShC8xHIfzMuS9fkJBA/w640-h278/form%20back.png" title="Pacific Magazine Billing not-a-bill - EW Back" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not-A-Bill for cancelled publication</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The "NOTICE OF RENEWAL / NEW ORDER OFFER" was for two years of Entertainment Weekly for the low, low price of only $99.95. The Terms and Conditions call out that this is "just an offer and not a bill ..." but it sure looks like a bill. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjc80Tylc4wWFrNZ3C9RL92SdOQQLyzrGvWM1CKEXYsGs0yL0KXCxkgzE-_mRD89ZzbZsi13MPeMworB_p5bj2-bT1Wm7W3PfFK1XylTFEnvMbhQwGxboDcmFW84LFtvXBttslDueUUAL6J6srQgrkHU92ytChHm2wegGeFo0WepSNUlvTm_r5LeCxA/s1452/OE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1452" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjc80Tylc4wWFrNZ3C9RL92SdOQQLyzrGvWM1CKEXYsGs0yL0KXCxkgzE-_mRD89ZzbZsi13MPeMworB_p5bj2-bT1Wm7W3PfFK1XylTFEnvMbhQwGxboDcmFW84LFtvXBttslDueUUAL6J6srQgrkHU92ytChHm2wegGeFo0WepSNUlvTm_r5LeCxA/w400-h169/OE.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer Envelope<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pB1944b7VgDe3wQKHS8frMjqy2CprEZkru3vfMwwJba2cBJoPojnKjmCC0tK06GI1H2RQrKWZA9HvVgS2V916yc3kdnzLasJs99JspYC-31qIpK5hO1gzOrTe2YmEP75b9Y13kyjM39gGfd-hqulfVMeoCt5OpxjnIUJNAgBKoemRiV30tlo96fYWg/s968/BRE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="968" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pB1944b7VgDe3wQKHS8frMjqy2CprEZkru3vfMwwJba2cBJoPojnKjmCC0tK06GI1H2RQrKWZA9HvVgS2V916yc3kdnzLasJs99JspYC-31qIpK5hO1gzOrTe2YmEP75b9Y13kyjM39gGfd-hqulfVMeoCt5OpxjnIUJNAgBKoemRiV30tlo96fYWg/w400-h224/BRE.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Simple Reply Envelope</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>A lot of sites declare Pacific Magazine Billing to be a scam such as <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-marcos/profile/magazine-sales/pacific-magazine-billing-inc-1126-172011569/customer-reviews" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.scampulse.com/pacific-magazine-billing-llc-pmb-reviews" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://boingboing.net/2022/04/18/pacific-magazine-billing-sent-me-a-bill-for-a-magazine-i-dont-subscribe-to.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/338855" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://ngmintlsubs.nationalgeographic.com/solo/ContentPage?pagename=Important-customer-alerts" target="_blank">here</a> and -- well, you get the idea. Sometimes a scam is a scam but might still be legal. I don't know; I'm not a lawyer. I do know that a scam mail package is naturally a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>. But this package isn't only an apparent scam; it is <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Timing</a>. I mean, it is pushing for a subscription renewal for a defunct publication. </p><p>Alas, I "Must Not."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span>Lesson:<br /></span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">If you are going to scam, scam smartly. </span></p><div><br /></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-53470668506594646132022-05-04T19:44:00.000-04:002022-05-04T19:44:51.828-04:00Fidelity Rewards Visa: Bonus Offer Improvement <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2022/03/fidelity-rewards-visa-offer-nothing.html" target="_blank">I recently wrote about a confusing email offer</a> from <a href="https://www.fidelity.com/cash-management/fidelity-visa-signature-card" target="_blank">Fidelity Rewards Visa</a> with a complex bonus statement credit for a specific category of purchases and a failure to reinforce it's basic product benefits. It merited a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a> and potential Fail for Offer. <div><br /></div><div>About six weeks later, Fidelity sent a new and better executed offer to the same person.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMJGFM_WpvP7gCwB-tdTD7KKPSAyayKmnoYE6Y9OzV1-TTaYOzHhUddqWook0H9irUjjkE4-8qBOh_NWXMcgKpWre1XTkMVvBWzqw_CzBygVoB-5_PnwJGHuwoBKKguqYENt34YG_gW31YNhQwGuau7A2AH2TVmxegsyAmne12ZghEdgD5byBoQ0rTg/s904/Fidelity%20Rewards%20II%20p1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fidelity Rewards Visa Bonus Offer" border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="699" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMJGFM_WpvP7gCwB-tdTD7KKPSAyayKmnoYE6Y9OzV1-TTaYOzHhUddqWook0H9irUjjkE4-8qBOh_NWXMcgKpWre1XTkMVvBWzqw_CzBygVoB-5_PnwJGHuwoBKKguqYENt34YG_gW31YNhQwGuau7A2AH2TVmxegsyAmne12ZghEdgD5byBoQ0rTg/w494-h640/Fidelity%20Rewards%20II%20p1.png" title="Bonus Points for Online Purchases" width="494" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldPJKt9YLXYyyK65-G30nSsrtDXGrboyIbOgrC85WGWETE6lfeYtJqzDn7i_u70WmbizVVq-Q5jxN2KFQKT22jwkfWY9x6WJr8tBRlELRMV--8Ffjrap1V6We4Bp3Mwxx248BVzOPTRkJ36I6FjWel94Y6hsuhGOYzE2bfGx06z9AMbo2m253j2RGJQ/s808/Fidelity%20Rewards%20II%20p2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fidelity Rewards Visa Bonus Offer" border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="699" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldPJKt9YLXYyyK65-G30nSsrtDXGrboyIbOgrC85WGWETE6lfeYtJqzDn7i_u70WmbizVVq-Q5jxN2KFQKT22jwkfWY9x6WJr8tBRlELRMV--8Ffjrap1V6We4Bp3Mwxx248BVzOPTRkJ36I6FjWel94Y6hsuhGOYzE2bfGx06z9AMbo2m253j2RGJQ/w554-h640/Fidelity%20Rewards%20II%20p2.png" title="Bonus Points for Online Purchases" width="554" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The offer is straightforward and simple enough to explain to my mother: Earn 3 points, rather than 2, for every dollar spent online through May 31, 2022. Unlike with the previous email, there's no minimum spend level, and the email clearly explains the $25 incremental rebate cap using icons and simple language to support communication clarity. Below the three icons, the email reinforces the basic product benefit, specifically that the bonus is in addition to the 2% cash back already available for all credit card purchases.<div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, the email still has one issue. To enroll in the offer, the recipient has to click on the "Enroll now" link in the email then enter a promo code (which may be unique to the recipience, so it's blacked out here as potential <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/privacy-training/what-personally-identifiable-information" target="_blank">PII</a>). The code is 13 digits, which is a lot to enter. In user experience jargon, the need for a customer to enter a long code adds traction to the enrollment process.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, how could Fidelity Rewards improve this email even more? If the promo code is unique to the customer, perhaps Fidelity could offer1-click enrollment, as other companies do. If it is not unique, why make the promo code so complex? Fidelity could go with something easy to transpose, such as "OnlineBonus22."</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Your offer should be simple to explain.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to reinforce your basic product benefits.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Take as much traction as you can out of customer enrollment -- the easier for customers, the better.</span></li></ol></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Queens, NY, USA40.7282239 -73.794851612.417990063821158 -108.9511016 69.038457736178856 -38.6386016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-81116656138413426552022-04-04T15:45:00.004-04:002022-04-06T06:28:39.189-04:00Fidelity Rewards Visa: Offering Nothing for Something, or simply unclear?<div style="text-align: left;">The Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card offers a 2% rebate on purchases. Their <a href="https://www.fidelity.com/cash-management/fidelity-visa-signature-card " target="_blank">product home page</a> touts, "Earn <i>unlimited</i> 2% cash back on everyday spending." So, why are they are sending emails to existing credit card customers offering a "2% statement credit, up to $25?" To me, that sounds like a limit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCJb_boBPLdU_cHm6vAPfe_tqQNnI4Hlyd2vJcDNHE1EY01hye1XANpSmvAwUIS-9S_EqFxK15nFUcHK0iXF_0jOFjFmZ5kn-ZYZ1PIf9oKlEyt0asvLO0qjNsjgUFE0C8B6EHnPGrwnxy5hAB2ekQhkwyoNv-3fr6qNFn6b5pzNeBwvbHuU4edp-4g/s786/page%201%20rev1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fidelity Rewards email with Home Improvement Offer" border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="623" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCJb_boBPLdU_cHm6vAPfe_tqQNnI4Hlyd2vJcDNHE1EY01hye1XANpSmvAwUIS-9S_EqFxK15nFUcHK0iXF_0jOFjFmZ5kn-ZYZ1PIf9oKlEyt0asvLO0qjNsjgUFE0C8B6EHnPGrwnxy5hAB2ekQhkwyoNv-3fr6qNFn6b5pzNeBwvbHuU4edp-4g/w508-h640/page%201%20rev1.png" title="Fidelity Rewards email with Home Improvement Offer" width="508" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeOyIjjaWE5Tjn9QNujbP0zqNp2SVkC9qaoUaQIZG2Z7jEwSGeNBc4SkjQQ9BJdStqU4mZ9XqcpbJxPdVSUcOWFNy2YPtwbB1NbRdAbDy6VRp5zfM_Bma1X3O-hISfpaOwyivFkg_N6gepUZc_PA8tkbY9g4jWCsZdifQ7Blz6Cll76ICx5wMqgG4YuA=s889" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fidelity Rewards Card Email with Rebate Offer" border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="692" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeOyIjjaWE5Tjn9QNujbP0zqNp2SVkC9qaoUaQIZG2Z7jEwSGeNBc4SkjQQ9BJdStqU4mZ9XqcpbJxPdVSUcOWFNy2YPtwbB1NbRdAbDy6VRp5zfM_Bma1X3O-hISfpaOwyivFkg_N6gepUZc_PA8tkbY9g4jWCsZdifQ7Blz6Cll76ICx5wMqgG4YuA=w498-h640" title="Fidelity Rewards Card Email with Rebate Offer" width="498" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The email headline reads, "Earn up to a $25 statement credit." The offer appears to be an opportunity to earn a 2% statement credit if a customer spends at least $200 at a Home Improvement or Lawn & Garden store, with a maximum statement credit of $25. <i>Huh? </i>So, if a customer spends $180 at Lowe's, the customer gets nothing? And if the customer spends $2,500 at Home Depot, they get effectively a 1% rebate? This seems like eating a doughnut hole. Spend too little and there is no benefit; spend too much and the benefit is diluted. Is this a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Offer</a>, or just strange?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But what about that 2% rebate that is supposed to be available for everyday spending on that very same card? The email doesn't speak to that at all. This merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a> because the email does not explain that the statement credit opportunity is incremental to the 2% rebate. The headline could have read, "Earn up to $25 more when you spring into home products." Or the body copy could have read, "In addition to the rewards you already earn, enjoy an additional statement credit up to $25 when you ..." Then there could be an implication that the effective customer rebate could be as high as 4%.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lessons:</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Your offer should be simple to explain and allow customers to easily benefit.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to reinforce your basic product benefits.</span></li></ol><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Updated 4/7 to remove additional PII from email.</span></i></div></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Queens, NY, USA40.7282239 -73.7948516-28.686984744581466 145.58014839999998 90 66.8301484tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-90164639643736460132022-03-06T14:06:00.003-05:002023-02-11T14:38:44.949-05:00BCHP: A hard-to-find doctor for my non-existent child<div style="text-align: left;">When someone asks me if I have children, I sometimes joke, "None to my knowledge." In that context, when I receive a postcard asking me, "Looking for a pediatrician or pediatric specialist?" I have to wonder if someone knows something I don't.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe I <i>do </i>have a child. Maybe my wife has a bun in the oven. Or maybe the reason I received this postcard is less dramatic <span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">–</span> that the postcard from <a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/bchp/about" target="_blank">Boston Children's Health Physicians</a> (BCHP) merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Targeting</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's set aside for the moment the fact that I do not have any offspring and break down the postcard's content.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrByKDV2dPrIm4uC8Lgv8X2VFjZFA0QR1psKXYuU22LipmYF0pVh_zCg2fg353zSVi6UaCprd2ll9Trfj_Msyvx7MQeRHBzEBJcwG2UBSxV0tDm_K6BgS0w0TlxJ3yzjXxFMqz1pohKk53_m_VsPjMPV1HAys_HPgDI11oClSzWwHi5KQ1Yjw0jxBX3w=s1254" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Boston Children's Heath Physicians" border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1254" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrByKDV2dPrIm4uC8Lgv8X2VFjZFA0QR1psKXYuU22LipmYF0pVh_zCg2fg353zSVi6UaCprd2ll9Trfj_Msyvx7MQeRHBzEBJcwG2UBSxV0tDm_K6BgS0w0TlxJ3yzjXxFMqz1pohKk53_m_VsPjMPV1HAys_HPgDI11oClSzWwHi5KQ1Yjw0jxBX3w=w640-h410" title="Pediatric postcard" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy is happy with her healthy baby.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The front of the postcard simply suggests that I choose Bost Children's Health Physicians. It doesn't suggest <i>why</i> I choose one of their doctors. What makes their physicians desirable? To put it in marketing terms, what is BCHP's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_selling_proposition" target="_blank">unique selling proposition</a>?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJHFudaaQxd6gzQZw7pUhjYC1EOzpU1-h0Dom7S8LGLTNhWeCDLOxWwFRDZhDWcsWyOcHkeR3elScarMMzd1h7_NaYljpLr0o9_8NWkF6DVVxhCrqlENfEom6wKCSLSZgmOlMPwvNW3l9pT5hpKE6qSBsMTWDGhMS0jr19SVBWpD6C9sSft0kNd6Qjdw=s1251" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BCHP Boston Children's Health Physicians" border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1251" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJHFudaaQxd6gzQZw7pUhjYC1EOzpU1-h0Dom7S8LGLTNhWeCDLOxWwFRDZhDWcsWyOcHkeR3elScarMMzd1h7_NaYljpLr0o9_8NWkF6DVVxhCrqlENfEom6wKCSLSZgmOlMPwvNW3l9pT5hpKE6qSBsMTWDGhMS0jr19SVBWpD6C9sSft0kNd6Qjdw=w640-h424" title="Address side with useless map" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where is Forest Hills, Queens?<br />Not in the area shown on the postcard.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The address side of the postcard includes a minor sales
message that supports the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_to_action_(marketing)" target="_blank">Call to Action</a> – to “find the expert care your
child needs to grow and thrive.” And the postcard displays a map that appears
to show the locations of doctors. There is an arrow pointing to the map,
reading, “<span style="color: #4472c4; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Find a pediatric
provider in </span><span style="color: red;">your </span><span style="color: #4472c4; mso-themecolor: accent1;">area</span>” with emphasis on “your.” Quick takeaway: most of New
York City doesn’t even appear on the map.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> <div>Maybe there is a provider near me, but how would I know?
Rather than communicating how to find the provider – and placing it next to the
Call to Action to do so – there is a bunch of white space below the map. The
response method is on the other side of the postcard…well, sort of.</div><div><br />Buried on the bottom right corner of the picture of mom and
her smiling baby is a URL leading to the <a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/bchp/" target="_blank">Boston Children’s Health Physicians home page</a>. Somewhere on that home page is information that supports the
postcard’s messaging, but it isn’t easy to find. The QR code doesn’t lead to
the same page as the URL; it leads directly to the <a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/bchp/practices" target="_blank">practice locator page</a>.
And the placement of the QR code (within an image on the opposite side) is a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>.<br /><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpClKeERdrjHHU-pRXDvvqOOaTBET5JZq4axMGmruEFxT9qGnu23uduvwbnwdtojx5kFu2XsFUXnq7oYMb70rStIZStAaheeQh-Pjn88WUEK97a1D1ze24lwXaYh0e6cWLaOReswPmxxr9C_UfH2JoJVSY7F6t6cXhtcItSy_OQUA7ZB4f4h2MJvT3Zw=s2160" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BCHP Boston Children's Health Physicians" border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpClKeERdrjHHU-pRXDvvqOOaTBET5JZq4axMGmruEFxT9qGnu23uduvwbnwdtojx5kFu2XsFUXnq7oYMb70rStIZStAaheeQh-Pjn88WUEK97a1D1ze24lwXaYh0e6cWLaOReswPmxxr9C_UfH2JoJVSY7F6t6cXhtcItSy_OQUA7ZB4f4h2MJvT3Zw=w160-h320" title="Mobile Location Finder" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BCHP locations not quite near Queens</td></tr></tbody></table>Let’s get back to finding a provider in my area. I tried the
QR code on my smartphone. It indicated that the nearest practice was in
Bardonia, NY.</div><p style="text-align: left;">As the crow flies, the distance from <a href="https://www.distance.to/11375,Forest-Hills,NY,USA/Bardonia,Town-of-Clarkstown,NY,USA" target="_blank">Forest Hills, Queens, NY to Bardonia is about 27 miles</a>. As
the parent drives in traffic, however, it is <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/GoP5C96exB4bSuc3A" target="_blank">two toll bridges and typically an hour drive or longer</a> with a sick or tired child in the back seat. (That
assumes the parent has a car. After all, this is New York City.) This long
distance to a physician confirms that the postcard was poorly targeted geographically – another Fail for Targeting.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Returning to the caption below the map, what is a “pediatric provider?” Why use that kind of industry jargon when the front of the postcard uses “pediatrician” and “pediatric specialist” while the address side of the postcard cites having 55 “practices”? Why throw yet another term out there? I realize I’m not a parent but, if I were, wouldn’t I want to find a “doctor” for my child?</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div>IMHO, this postcard does not
really support Boston Children’s Health Physicians. It is poorly designed,
written, and targeted.</div><div> <br />Finally, unless there is a back-end method in place for
tracking response to the individuals being mailed, this isn’t direct marketing
– it’s mailed advertising.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lessons:</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Vet your data sources to target matching demographics.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Just being available is not enough. Even a medical practice needs a differentiator.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The means of following through on a Call to Action should
be located close to the Call to Action, and easy to find.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Vet your physical targeting to people who can easily get to your physical business or medical practice.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">If your Call to Action includes a web site, don’t just list
a home page. Use a direct URL that aligns with the Call to Action.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Apply jargon consistently using terms your customers understand.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Even a postcard for a medical practice should include some
method of tracking results.</span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Edit 2/11/23: Removed reference to company that sent the mail per request of a person working at that company. </span></div></div></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Forest Hills, NY 11375, USA40.7245678 -73.845765812.414333963821157 -109.0020158 69.034801636178855 -38.689515799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-88813555322843910052021-12-16T20:11:00.000-05:002021-12-16T20:11:28.901-05:00Athletic Greens: Landing page does not work outFor more than a decade, I've written about the four pillars of a successful direct marketing campaign: Targeting, Offer, Creative and Timing (TOCT). But there is something that binds these pillar together: Execution.<div><br /></div><div>If you properly thought through your TOCT and planned your work, execution is working the plan. To execute successful, everything should work the way it should.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which brings us to <a href="http://www.athleticgreens.com" target="_blank">Athletic Greens</a>. I recently received this <a href="https://www.formaxprinting.com/blog/2016/08/direct-mail-lingo-what-is-a-self-mailer#" target="_blank">self-mailer</a>:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzq_H5XAxop6blnimKQWooRGs7ptkjVX1gyE-YhTTAphUrMw4KFjkJE1Xjmf6PSMgyQZVKOPl5cCKAI2mPRkvvtvXw6z7vBeu6itIk4HSMP7p4qZeATjFs8j5G0Hq3zzH1U5D8PIsDyYletQGmoG5vgmv8SqgmTcCSb4xQiNqJknR2fhKnEkwlCDhOEA=s2546" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" border="0" data-original-height="2546" data-original-width="1646" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzq_H5XAxop6blnimKQWooRGs7ptkjVX1gyE-YhTTAphUrMw4KFjkJE1Xjmf6PSMgyQZVKOPl5cCKAI2mPRkvvtvXw6z7vBeu6itIk4HSMP7p4qZeATjFs8j5G0Hq3zzH1U5D8PIsDyYletQGmoG5vgmv8SqgmTcCSb4xQiNqJknR2fhKnEkwlCDhOEA=w414-h640" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover panel</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxv_fOvdDi0Vm-1QY1Zz5ZEC-CHm9ReNKG1b3HYPLov-qG0ml9AzT5JbOQG1Q6Xc6kColX-UDHlfkrV-lKUikmmf-Wjgd0BasjRePhY6jatMqjgWys-LFux99RS6QkyW7dBbRlYs5GXAEee3ynZztbdSGvuax-Ab2U0puQ8gc8O8FtarL4Rv4RNZSG4A=s2549" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" border="0" data-original-height="1647" data-original-width="2549" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxv_fOvdDi0Vm-1QY1Zz5ZEC-CHm9ReNKG1b3HYPLov-qG0ml9AzT5JbOQG1Q6Xc6kColX-UDHlfkrV-lKUikmmf-Wjgd0BasjRePhY6jatMqjgWys-LFux99RS6QkyW7dBbRlYs5GXAEee3ynZztbdSGvuax-Ab2U0puQ8gc8O8FtarL4Rv4RNZSG4A=w400-h259" title="Self-Mailer for Athletic Greens subscription" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Address panel, with offer URL</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWb8Wgyf7K8vrTjsZQXlqcghuPgxph8kLr5uilmoqeyWwbKqFOmvowwrbNPnBvSQVOG_9e72Kr5BuBX2t_69B0YlhRLRomysUrjotdixc-0eRL2AkcQ_70vjc37Kqds8e_u-0OLryqm8tosNY1g-_sZGgsHnNG3EC5k1jy1ph-qKVOkmKVKBCykGw40g=s2546" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" border="0" data-original-height="2546" data-original-width="1630" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWb8Wgyf7K8vrTjsZQXlqcghuPgxph8kLr5uilmoqeyWwbKqFOmvowwrbNPnBvSQVOG_9e72Kr5BuBX2t_69B0YlhRLRomysUrjotdixc-0eRL2AkcQ_70vjc37Kqds8e_u-0OLryqm8tosNY1g-_sZGgsHnNG3EC5k1jy1ph-qKVOkmKVKBCykGw40g=w256-h400" title="Athletic Greens Inside Panel" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside panel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig0jdKrNliCjzgKBKpcIgvBqtcIeLLAcoZL77ci01HkekjsO68ozh18lfUqYiNuZpHzlGxohKMIxEsbW2JsqA32e6PMLJpSoXToHgr023ZklpTzo7aQdOWTdzpiQmrLKhYYytvG3iFtAkCP9x2xm6c1agkyldnrlWsgISkW-p8J2F7zzY-pxevcQGSkQ=s2545" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" border="0" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="1591" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig0jdKrNliCjzgKBKpcIgvBqtcIeLLAcoZL77ci01HkekjsO68ozh18lfUqYiNuZpHzlGxohKMIxEsbW2JsqA32e6PMLJpSoXToHgr023ZklpTzo7aQdOWTdzpiQmrLKhYYytvG3iFtAkCP9x2xm6c1agkyldnrlWsgISkW-p8J2F7zzY-pxevcQGSkQ=w250-h400" title="Athletic Greens marketing mailer" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sales panels</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCpLEUHYA96SFVjO7Gj7nbCuKAEP93JsboJfSVGar4CG4LYXhYzJ9-7vdKt7k5kga3Pnd6CoCJpGeCsyzYFqDupKprJ43AW-6PbWUgVLIXEugPSfcSPkcv5Z7KM0bruTsLYHMRg6tj7z8xPtWYQ-JRFlk6hwbjJLfWV6Qf-3LHOSvneoPxcMuHEY7Z4A=s3300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCpLEUHYA96SFVjO7Gj7nbCuKAEP93JsboJfSVGar4CG4LYXhYzJ9-7vdKt7k5kga3Pnd6CoCJpGeCsyzYFqDupKprJ43AW-6PbWUgVLIXEugPSfcSPkcv5Z7KM0bruTsLYHMRg6tj7z8xPtWYQ-JRFlk6hwbjJLfWV6Qf-3LHOSvneoPxcMuHEY7Z4A=w400-h309" title="Athletic Greens marketing mailer" width="400" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div>Creatively, this is quite a good piece for the category. The paper stock is thick, making it stand out in the clutter of mail. The message are simple and straightforward. The Call to Action is to subscribe to receive dietary supplements by visiting <a href="http://www.athleticgreens.com/startag1" target="_blank">www.athleticgreens.com/startag1</a> and taking advantage of an offer for new customers. When I tried it, the URL did not work. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRKIFAaqZ8aAfgFId8hDHdhitUimhY6b2toj1UbpdQpZV-h3tmjRbOXVCs_UHhgqz7LViM6qb9uzUQIeyQZS3ts70RBXNKVtcGrQsfjkPAwR9HNalZx8gcUmxFx0WBMJ6yBfK_Y31-KXp/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Athletic Greens" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRKIFAaqZ8aAfgFId8hDHdhitUimhY6b2toj1UbpdQpZV-h3tmjRbOXVCs_UHhgqz7LViM6qb9uzUQIeyQZS3ts70RBXNKVtcGrQsfjkPAwR9HNalZx8gcUmxFx0WBMJ6yBfK_Y31-KXp/w595-h640/image.png" title="Athletic Greens Non-Functional Landing Page" width="595" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Non-functional landing page</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div>Because the landing page was non-functional, this otherwise compelling self-mailer merits a Fail for Execution. If customers can't get the offer they were promised, why would they trust the product?</div><div><br /></div><div>And it's not like a prospective customer can easily call to take advantage of the offer. The self-mailer lacks a phone number. Sure, there is one on <a href="https://athleticgreens.com/customer-service/en" target="_blank">a page buried in the web site</a> (888-390-4029), but that is listed as "Customer Service." Are there no salespeople available? I believe this approach of mailing an offer without a phone number as a secondary call to action is pennywise and pound foolish. It may merit a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I received the self-mailer 10 days before Christmas, a time when people are thinking about indulging for the holidays, visiting family and friends, and end-of-year financial activities. A typical mailbox is full of charity solicitations, catalogs and holiday cards. Is this really a time to mail an offer related to personal self-improvement that attempts to motivate people to change their dietary habits? I think no, and that this could be a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Timing</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>If I planned this campaign, I would have timed the maildrop with an in-home date three weeks later, e.g., the first week of January. I would have also tested the landing page before mailing.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">When you include a web address on your solicitation, make sure it works.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When using snail mail to sell your product, don't assume people will go online to response. Include a phone number in your Call to Action.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Carefully consider the impact of seasonality when timing your mailing.</span></li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-46459126506931519542021-11-30T21:32:00.001-05:002021-11-30T21:32:35.522-05:00PayPal: Venmo $10 Giveaway Email Lacks Explanation or Focused Targeting<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This recent email
from <a href="http://www.paypal.com" target="_blank">PayPal </a>trying to cross-sell <a href="https://venmo.com/" target="_blank">Venmo</a> merits <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fails for Creative and Targeting</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHly4WngDx2tvNovObr50f__XLsGvmRBZbmmCuiU0mN6BXMw1OUpZU5oaIbL25ChmhFtck8970UsqHNKbDops2b57jDWgId0A5LM57ZgdFkXRtYuzicq0_d_YlJtfkVxL2MYdrIRtTqayG/s871/paypal+venmo+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PayPal Venmo $10 Offer" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHly4WngDx2tvNovObr50f__XLsGvmRBZbmmCuiU0mN6BXMw1OUpZU5oaIbL25ChmhFtck8970UsqHNKbDops2b57jDWgId0A5LM57ZgdFkXRtYuzicq0_d_YlJtfkVxL2MYdrIRtTqayG/w494-h640/paypal+venmo+1.png" title="PayPal offers $10 to new Venmo customers" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enrollment offer email, sent to long-term<br />Venmo customer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The email offers
me a straight cash bribe (or, as we say in marketing, an </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incentive" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">incentive</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">) to sign up
for Venmo. The Call to Action is to click on the “Claim Your $10” link that
will bring me to the below landing page.</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEVogAA6S75hm2kwYSk34lD2kGmFUmgwPHCQCm8FDt81o2VXUX1yb2jTSCT8hv63TglNrO3YBkRbHUWeEisZBifoZzR1MDWJScWQZokgNQoWK8kjDBhxLWy7774YxPu4WBhgpgr3IcbiP/s871/Venmo+Landing+Page.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Venmo $10 Offer Landing Page" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEVogAA6S75hm2kwYSk34lD2kGmFUmgwPHCQCm8FDt81o2VXUX1yb2jTSCT8hv63TglNrO3YBkRbHUWeEisZBifoZzR1MDWJScWQZokgNQoWK8kjDBhxLWy7774YxPu4WBhgpgr3IcbiP/w494-h640/Venmo+Landing+Page.png" title="Venmo $10 Offer Landing Page from PayPal email" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing page<br />lacks explanation of Venmo product features or customer benefits</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The landing page
reinforces the incentive and discloses information about fees -- and allows me
to sign up for Venmo and verify my phone number.</span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what is
Venmo? Neither the email nor landing page include a product explanation.
Simply put: If someone hasn’t used Venmo -- which is, after all, the kind of
person the email is targeting -- they would have no idea what it is
or why they should provide their mobile number to get $10. Both the email and
landing page should include benefit statements or at least some brief sales
messages.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, in fact, I
know all about Venmo. I’ve been using it for a long time, long enough for
Venmo’s parent PayPal to know that I am an active customer. That is why I give this a Fail for Targeting. There is no value in sending a new customer acquisition
offer to a long-term active customer like myself. Communications like this can
make customers question the strength of a brand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of
brand, why doesn’t PayPal put its name behind Venmo -- at least on this
marketing email? For customers who haven’t heard of or used Venmo (like the
ones targeted by the offer), including phrasing such as “backed by PayPal” or
“a PayPal service” would at least lend some credibility to the product.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This isn’t the
first time PayPal has offered me an incentive for something without
explanation. <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2020/10/Pal-Honey-missing-key-ingredient.html" target="_blank">Last year, PayPal sent me an offer for Honey that lacked a product value proposition</a>. Nor is this the first time that PayPal has demeaned its
brand with <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2011/10/paypal-great-for-payments-fail-for-mail.html" target="_blank">shoddy</a> <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2015/11/paypal-still-shoddy-after-all-these.html " target="_blank">marketing communications</a>. These communications can implicitly
send a message to customers that PayPal doesn’t have its act together, which
could lead to decreased trust and decreased use. Is this a company to trust with cryptocurrency purchases?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes
marketing managers are so obsessed with their products, they forget the basics. That’s why they need to take a step back, review lessons like
the below, and avoid sending Mail That Fails.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Lessons:</i></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Explain what
it is you are selling and why it is beneficial.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Extend your
new customer offer only to potential new customers.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If selling an
affiliate service, consider explaining the relationship with the affiliate.</span></li></ol><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-76879622232638326362021-10-25T21:09:00.000-04:002021-10-25T21:09:42.877-04:00DoorDash: No Sleep till Queens ?!?<p>We live in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens" target="_blank">Queens</a> -- a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boroughs_of_New_York_City" target="_blank">borough of New York City</a>. It is also it's own county. It is not like any other borough or any other place in the world. </p><p>So to suggest that we live in nearby Brooklyn is like someone suggesting San Francisco-based <a href="https://www.doordash.com/" target="_blank">DoorDash</a> is actually in Oakland -- sure, it's nearby, but it's a different world.</p><p>I ordered from DoorDash once, although I'm not sure when or why. Maybe it was to take advantage of <a href="https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/article/Chase-Partnership?language=en_US#ChaseSapphireReserved" target="_blank">a credit card offer</a>, or perhaps it was that time last year when my wife and I really, really wanted a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_Puss" target="_blank">Carvel ice cream cake</a> but didn't feel safe taking the subway there in the middle of a pandemic. Regardless, that one order was enough to be added to their email marketing list.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTnZ2BJc6bBV5s1CkcOTuxQDXqQod9lx2TgR6IOpz1L-KWIuQJ_GM5uPzaausSJ4rlBUbJzQqN49Qfo5NxM0SBcvLQZj0kgd2XOOpsA3IKOXML4j0QmstC8mCaX9hPZ9Vwxpti4upIGBj/s864/Doordash+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DoorDash email to Queens customer touting Brooklyn" border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTnZ2BJc6bBV5s1CkcOTuxQDXqQod9lx2TgR6IOpz1L-KWIuQJ_GM5uPzaausSJ4rlBUbJzQqN49Qfo5NxM0SBcvLQZj0kgd2XOOpsA3IKOXML4j0QmstC8mCaX9hPZ9Vwxpti4upIGBj/w493-h640/Doordash+2.png" title="Mail That Fails" width="493" /></a></div><p>DoorDash knows where I live: firmly in a Queens zip code. So, the only reason to send me an offer email with a Subject line of "Hey, Brooklyn" is to want to get a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>. Brooklyn is a nice borough, but to suggest that we live there is insulting to those of us who can walk to the World's Fair Site or the <a href="https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/" target="_blank">Louis Armstrong Museum</a> -- or can brag they live in the same borough where <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/nyregion/newyorktoday/spider-man-queens-brooklyn.html" target="_blank">Peter Parker grew up with his Aunt May</a>.</p><p>But, to suggest I live in Brooklyn? Ouch! Not even a month of free pizza could get me to say, "<a href="https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2016/05/25/heres-where-brooklyns-unique-fuhgeddaboudit-oy-vey-signs-come-from/" target="_blank">Fuhgeddaboutit</a>." I'm going to just leave this picture here.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC7pGniQSeL0eHUFX86CqyAJf5AzDUy1ipRopOLBO8Nembs1WogEe50J4Y6Z73KI3J4PY9PuuZ8EURZgAJMG-Ebc_MUZyjyI1XHHaHB-fpxMJhUj8be_W-wan7jXT1XIexmNHdtPm9C6l/s720/fall+in+love+with+queens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC7pGniQSeL0eHUFX86CqyAJf5AzDUy1ipRopOLBO8Nembs1WogEe50J4Y6Z73KI3J4PY9PuuZ8EURZgAJMG-Ebc_MUZyjyI1XHHaHB-fpxMJhUj8be_W-wan7jXT1XIexmNHdtPm9C6l/w640-h480/fall+in+love+with+queens.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span>Lesson: <br /></span></i>If you want to appeal to your customers based on locality, make sure you get their location right.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0Queens, NY, USA40.7282239 -73.794851612.417990063821158 -108.9511016 69.038457736178856 -38.6386016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-12045285353198490802021-10-11T08:54:00.003-04:002022-04-06T06:30:17.683-04:00Hooters: Timing and Grammar Matter<p>This birthday email from <a href="https://www.hooters.com/" target="_blank">Hooters</a> merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Timing</a> and a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>. </p><p>The email informs the recipient that he has "10 Free Wings (Birthday)" and that his offer will expire in "1 days."</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1DJAWtCwCweCOy15qSLPOxPlQFBScZHYlewSKzbKecNPoMiHFu08PsGObUIFLeVTC3zG1oCyFqbxqMM2OFbA52NluI-Zh5O6mhFPnhg39t2nARM18tWnuj7_Vo8yC2d_GCWnIokuiVcM/s917/Hooters.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hooters Birthday email - after the fact" border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="761" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1DJAWtCwCweCOy15qSLPOxPlQFBScZHYlewSKzbKecNPoMiHFu08PsGObUIFLeVTC3zG1oCyFqbxqMM2OFbA52NluI-Zh5O6mhFPnhg39t2nARM18tWnuj7_Vo8yC2d_GCWnIokuiVcM/w532-h640/Hooters.png" title="Hooters Birthday email - late" width="532" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooters Birthday email<br />arrived well after the birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The recipient's birthday was in late August. He did not receive a communication about his free wings prior to his birthday or on his birthday. The first time he found out he had the opportunity to have free <a href="https://www.mashed.com/150335/the-truth-about-hooters-famous-wings/" target="_blank">Hooters wings</a> served to him (presumably by a "<a href="https://www.hooters.com/hooters-girls/" target="_blank">Hooters Girl</a>") was on September 20 -- one day before the offer expired. </p><p>The opening of the email reads:</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just a friendly reminder that your 10 Free Wings (Birthday) is about to expire. Come in and redeem your offer before it expires in 1 days.</span></p></blockquote><p>This brief paragraph would read better as:</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just a friendly reminder that your 10 Free Wings offer for your birthday is about to expire. Come in and redeem your offer before it expires tomorrow.</span></p><p></p></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">One might joke about the sentences being written by a Hooters Girl, </span>but that would be insulting to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/celebrities-who-worked-at-hooters/celebrity-lists" target="_blank">smart women who take the job</a>. Regardless, it appears to me that the sentence was written by a someone using rudimentary <a href="https://msutexas.edu/adminfinance/_assets/files/Account-Managers/mail-merge-tutorial.pdf" target="_blank">mail merge</a> software. The first sentence identifies the type of free offer in parenthesis. The programming of the second sentence did not take into account that the number of days may be a singular number. </p><p>Let's hope the wings are better than the grammar. </p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Recognizing a customer's birthday is a useful way to engage a customer, but only if properly executed.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When using numerical values in your communications, make sure to account for values that are not plural.</span></li></ol><div><br /></div><p></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-15341873477906226912021-08-26T08:09:00.000-04:002021-08-26T08:09:02.010-04:00Hard Rock Casino: Guns N' Rose ?!?The <a href="https://www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/" target="_blank">Hard Rock Hotel Casino</a> recently sent this email about upcoming entertainment that included a band called "Guns N' Rose".<div><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoCEE366JCfigw9PEoMJD_utjBTvGmeFHsz2nXBpZaYlhWDzpen-_L6vqfpo9UoYzpNy_f2W6D2PhINhOsjqV-X-0uwbq2KeSgznZF9RxgSWikshKA1a92FXYqiDF5ns-OwtH2VlIx3_r/s922/Guns+N+Rose.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hard Rock Hotel & Casino email for Guns N' Roses" border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoCEE366JCfigw9PEoMJD_utjBTvGmeFHsz2nXBpZaYlhWDzpen-_L6vqfpo9UoYzpNy_f2W6D2PhINhOsjqV-X-0uwbq2KeSgznZF9RxgSWikshKA1a92FXYqiDF5ns-OwtH2VlIx3_r/w494-h640/Guns+N+Rose.png" title="Guns N' Rose email" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Email from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>, but no worries -- the band is going to make up for this <i>faux pas</i> by playing their new song "Sweet Children of Ours."</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lesson: </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to thoroughly proofread your communications, including the email Subject Line.</span></div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-27651052963977520582021-08-14T10:12:00.002-04:002021-08-14T18:54:49.218-04:00Freshly: Referral Offer Freshens Up<p style="text-align: left;"> A couple months ago I wrote about <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2021/05/freshly-freebie-sharing.html" target="_blank">a referral offer from Freshly that merited a Fail for Creative</a>. Last week, <a href="https://freshly.com/" target="_blank">the company</a> sent me a similar offer and, from a creative and user experience standpoint, it is an improvement. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLZ4towTx7qo21Tww5_E4iXf5UJElnd4TpwOxfWSQldAiDMMSPrs7zPccLV9OiRUSXQmri_2c5HCyB46y_-N12dHrBemvWua4HYOUHPV1x_Hi4OISDHWOrm44eW0So9HIzr8V1VPjzq8r/s851/email.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Freshly Referral Offer" border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="647" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLZ4towTx7qo21Tww5_E4iXf5UJElnd4TpwOxfWSQldAiDMMSPrs7zPccLV9OiRUSXQmri_2c5HCyB46y_-N12dHrBemvWua4HYOUHPV1x_Hi4OISDHWOrm44eW0So9HIzr8V1VPjzq8r/w486-h640/email.png" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly email</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">This email is personalized, addressing me by name. Although it positions the referral offer as something I had "earned" (which feels a bit gimmicky), the email does recognize both my purchase history and enthusiasm for the product. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Rather than the previous mailing -- which provided a code to share but without adequate instructions about how to use it -- this email offers a simple link with a Call to Action to "<span style="font-family: courier;">Send a Free Box.</span>" That seems easy, and needs no special codes. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The landing page includes a 3-step, easy-to-understand process for the customer to follow to give a friend a free week of Freshly. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp-CovW7YRS0DSbc1Csak7zssBFMQkF-ZpTAYwkJqTawiqbj1tg99ihcxaVGaAQT2SNy_wlAjPXhX7oWGrEg0_VKn6pggl5vTEnCfixIF87HSKGXYoFVqUyfwdAIBryefwPwRd3VbgsPX/s922/referral+page.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Freshly Freebie Box Landing Page" border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp-CovW7YRS0DSbc1Csak7zssBFMQkF-ZpTAYwkJqTawiqbj1tg99ihcxaVGaAQT2SNy_wlAjPXhX7oWGrEg0_VKn6pggl5vTEnCfixIF87HSKGXYoFVqUyfwdAIBryefwPwRd3VbgsPX/w494-h640/referral+page.png" title="Freshly Freebie Box Landing Page" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Referral offer landing page</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;">The input fields are clear. The email message and subject lines include stock language with an opportunity to personalize. That's almost as flexible as switching next week's meal from the Cauliflower Shell Beef Bolognese to the Indian-Spiced Chickpea Curry Bowl.</p><p style="text-align: left;">One element included in the May email that is lacking here, however, is an expiration date. Instead, the email body copy mentions "<span style="font-family: courier;">... and will expire unless you share it soon ...</span>", while the disclosure reads, "<span style="font-family: courier;">Freshly reserves the right to modify, replace, or cancel offer(s) at any time</span>" -- a statement that lacks a sense of immediacy. This is not a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a> but is an improvement opportunity. Even if this referral offer is intended to be evergreen, I would include a soft expiration date using language such as "<span style="font-family: verdana;">... so send a Freebie Box in the next 7 days and give the gift of better meals made easy!</span>"</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqel5pndfGQ_WJpSkaOjd9WiKHuzkWabnpBFCS6ohMzyGtWvmIqOgS5D0EOUc_4ZrF6SnJD3e6q0o88Zkv-kdFmgtT403vS90dKehkShVq6Ieb7s1J9Zal3AQviISCWgLcXOcsp4DaXuZw/s677/thank+you.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="677" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqel5pndfGQ_WJpSkaOjd9WiKHuzkWabnpBFCS6ohMzyGtWvmIqOgS5D0EOUc_4ZrF6SnJD3e6q0o88Zkv-kdFmgtT403vS90dKehkShVq6Ieb7s1J9Zal3AQviISCWgLcXOcsp4DaXuZw/w320-h316/thank+you.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Referral offer Thank You page</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">Lessons:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Referral programs are a useful approach to allowing your customers to be your advocates.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When you want your customers to do something, take all the traction out of the process.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">If your offer does not have a expiration date, at least suggest a timeframe for the customer to take action.</span></li></ol></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-55803146833501253582021-07-25T18:47:00.000-04:002021-07-25T18:47:36.347-04:00Sorry, I’m late to ask for your vote<p style="text-align: left;">In New York City, our primary election for local offices took place on June 22, with early voting taking place June 12 through June 20.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVZyWQPvL3CCFsrLMdBvq2O1WEj1zPZhU9luSHh5_S6v7ocvqAxV5yvb0urlO200y5FTZK9UWMQ_Cx2VLp6zYj3Zf15TTgjoJPqxIHboQkEnC5Ajx9T3d-L-kvenOee0H9NMhUQwCOt_B/s2048/Stringer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVZyWQPvL3CCFsrLMdBvq2O1WEj1zPZhU9luSHh5_S6v7ocvqAxV5yvb0urlO200y5FTZK9UWMQ_Cx2VLp6zYj3Zf15TTgjoJPqxIHboQkEnC5Ajx9T3d-L-kvenOee0H9NMhUQwCOt_B/w640-h480/Stringer.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stringer should have been ready and in the mail before Day One</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I received eight oversized postcards from political candidates between June 23 and July 6. A couple of them are shown here. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3bXNG6_QWofQa2FQmiR8YcFZALp0ojDWmecHQ0G62u2RDgAE8KB2Jyz-JYioWLWfePNMWtu3FhU6l89ToXWGlX4Vv0aLjbsglMQw2I4Hg_v6QeJKAn1fBsSGf8HiVjvTsYNPUNvvvudy/s2048/IMG_20210716_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="2048" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3bXNG6_QWofQa2FQmiR8YcFZALp0ojDWmecHQ0G62u2RDgAE8KB2Jyz-JYioWLWfePNMWtu3FhU6l89ToXWGlX4Vv0aLjbsglMQw2I4Hg_v6QeJKAn1fBsSGf8HiVjvTsYNPUNvvvudy/w400-h216/IMG_20210716_0001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This postcard arrived on 6 days after the election, e.g. it is trash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;">These are <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fails for Timing</a>. I want to say, "Sorry, New York City does not offer <i>late </i>voting."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lesson:</b></span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">When producing mail for a political candidate, mail early and mail often.</span></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972812.402541463821152 -109.1622228 69.023009136178842 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-31093958837602422852021-07-16T15:05:00.006-04:002021-07-16T16:54:35.820-04:00Mr. Cooper Renovates His Mail <div style="text-align: left;">Last year, <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2020/08/mr-cooper-needs-to-clean-up-his-act.html" target="_blank">I wrote about a direct mail letter from Mr. Cooper offering a home mortgage</a>. It was a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a> for several reasons. This letter avoids those mistakes and, in fact, applies some smart direct mail marketing tactics.<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFUXZatgW4s6R-7EIyfj_SoFTuK1e7-0dAicup-QJCW7qYdzhbTmGULN7WTCA6vDLsfESJpVeKgpYGUONRqQ6faCB905mEJlE7BMvmvY5KuOmguuESA4dzV7eyri2VZw5FKhwaOl8r5w9/s2048/Cooper+2021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mr. Cooper Mortgage Offer" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1583" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFUXZatgW4s6R-7EIyfj_SoFTuK1e7-0dAicup-QJCW7qYdzhbTmGULN7WTCA6vDLsfESJpVeKgpYGUONRqQ6faCB905mEJlE7BMvmvY5KuOmguuESA4dzV7eyri2VZw5FKhwaOl8r5w9/w494-h640/Cooper+2021.jpg" title="Mr. Cooper Mortgage Invitation to Apply" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Cooper<br />Invitation to Apply letter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Johnson Box describes the sales proposition and includes a clear Call to Action. Below it, the headline "Buying a Home Soon? Here Are 3 Reasons to Prequalify with Mr. Cooper" supports the Johnson Box and teases a reason to take action. The body copy supports the headlines by communicating those three reasons to take action. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The letter goes on to make reference to <a href="https://www.mrcooper.com/buy_sell/real_estate_rewards" target="_blank">Mr. Cooper Real Estate Rewards</a> and offers a brief statement that explains the benefit. It closes with a Call to Action to "Call today to prequalify," with an attempt to overcome inertia by explaining that it is fast, simple and totally free.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the close, there is a modern twist on the classic P.S. with yet another Call to Action. It reiterates the action requested of the reader -- prequalify for a mortgage -- and how to do it -- call a phone number or visit a specific website. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the consumer financial industry, this type of letter is an "Invitation to Apply" for credit, while the letter I reviewed last year is considered an "Presentation of a Prequalified Offer." The later requires many disclosures such as a big box on the bottom of the front page with <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/prescreened-credit-and-insurance-offers" target="_blank">opt-out language</a>. the result is that it is easier for an Invitation to Apply letter to appear clean. Still, that doesn't excuse the mistakes in Mr. Cooper's letter from last year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons:</span></i><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Have a clear Call to Action and offer. Communicate it multiple times to encourage action.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Proofread your communications for language and grammar. </span></li></ol></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-16109892904072715292021-06-09T19:59:00.003-04:002021-06-09T20:12:18.820-04:00Charity Mail Deluge <p>When COVID hit last spring, I thanked God that I was fortunate enough to stay healthy and safe when so many people here in NYC were infected. I wanted to give back but, like many others too frightened to help in person, I chose to donate money. I donated to several charities, including some I had not given to before. That was April, 2020.</p><p>Then, starting in October, 2020, this happened:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvN5Trr93Lzjs5nQLKXdfQ-6z60Hm_oLU1lGRebCvzQclRs7Q50HSwOe-fkczFexqemjuC3AgUt9xC-wzrl6arLEvosuUdnRxuS3gLKeLdpQvHIuY5mVh9QtsjW2_mbh5MmJJRSmOLtxv/s2048/Charities.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="102 Charity Solicitations" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1584" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvN5Trr93Lzjs5nQLKXdfQ-6z60Hm_oLU1lGRebCvzQclRs7Q50HSwOe-fkczFexqemjuC3AgUt9xC-wzrl6arLEvosuUdnRxuS3gLKeLdpQvHIuY5mVh9QtsjW2_mbh5MmJJRSmOLtxv/w496-h640/Charities.jpg" title="Charity Fundraising Non-Profit Mail Deluge" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">102 mail fundraising solicitations<br />October - December 2020</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I received 102 mailed fundraising solicitations from charities to which I had never donated. Most of them were related to feeding people -- in Africa, South America, and Manhattan. Others were for: environmental causes; providing medical care to people in faraway lands; building houses; preventing people from being born with disabilities; helping people born with physical disabilities, orphans, wounded veterans, Native American children, Native American senior citizens, "inner city children" who can't afford a Catholic education, and one that appeared to have something to do with housing recovering drug addicts in hotels.</p><p>Many of the classic direct mail fundraising techniques are included: <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blind_envelope" target="_blank">blind envelopes</a>, pictures of children near death; envelope teasers reading "URGENT NEED NOW", "EMERGENCY APPEAL" or simply "PLEASE"; envelopes a layperson might think had been hand-addressed and stamped; tear-jerking letters; promises that my donation would be matched by a mysterious benefactor; business reply envelopes; blessings by nuns; Christmas cards; a decade's supply of return address labels; pens; baby socks; and so on. If you have created or supported direct mail fundraising solicitations, you know these packages.</p><p>It appears to me that one or more of the charities that received money from me in spring 2020 chose to make some more money by including my name on a rentable mailing list. I was included on a <a href="https://www.ourcommunity.com.au/marketing/marketing_article.jsp?articleId=1655" target="_blank">Hot List</a> of new donors or a timely "COVID Giving List" of sorts.</p><p>There is a part of me that feels negative about this experience. I could go into a <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rant#:~:text=1%20%3A%20to%20talk%20in%20a,rant" target="_blank">rant</a> about how the federal government subsidizes charities with lower postage rates, or how many of these organizations are charities in name only because they pour more money into soliciting donations than they do actually supporting their supposed cause. But, hey, that's the nature of the medium.</p><p>(Personally, I'm a bit disappointed at myself. I typically research charities, preferring to contribute to those that have low administrative costs and can demonstrate how they are effectively using the money given to them. I didn't fully vet the three that potentially had actualized additional funds from my proactive donation. That's my personal lesson today.)</p><p>I looked back at my donation history and narrowed down the list of charities that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHXTG-FZiR0&t=10s" target="_blank">broke my heart</a> to three. I won't name them here, but I know who they are and I know I will never donate to them again. That type of charity merits a type of <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for List</a>.</p><p>Direct response marketing guru <a href="https://chiefmarketer.com/dma-hall-of-fame-member-joan-throckmorton-dies" target="_blank">Joan Throckmorton</a> taught me something I wish I had recalled last year: When doing business with a new organization, consider using a fake middle initial. When you see that middle initial show up elsewhere, you know where it came from. So, that's my direct marketing lesson today.</p><p>OK, that and including baby socks in your fundraising solicitation is pretty crass.</p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Lesson:</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you want to see how information about your personal activity is shared and sold, use a fake middle initial. You have 25 of them to work with, so go at it.</span></p>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972813.204497804579077 -109.1622228 68.221052795420917 -38.849722799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144608931123245240.post-29591049896082684952021-06-03T06:30:00.002-04:002022-04-20T08:13:20.002-04:00Dunkin': Everything is Direct Marketing, including my name<p>How do we define "Direct Marketing?" Let's look at the definition from <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/direct-marketing.asp" target="_blank">Investopia</a>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="SourceSansPro, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111111;">Direct marketing consists of any marketing that relies on direct communication or distribution to individual consumers, rather than through a third party such as mass media. Mail, email, social media, and texting campaigns are among the delivery systems used. It is called direct marketing because it generally eliminates the middleman, such as advertising media.</span></p></blockquote><p>Put it simply, direct marketing is any direct customer communication. In that context, my communication with <a href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en" target="_blank">Dunkin Donuts</a> Customer Service merits a <a href="https://www.mailthatfails.com/2009/10/why-does-mail-fail.html" target="_blank">Fail for Creative</a>. </p><p>Last month, I noticed that, for the first time since COVID hit over a year ago, my favorite Dunkin' was open at 5:00 am. The next morning, I tried to advance-order a cup of joe; however, according to the app, the location did not open until 6:00 am. I spoke with the manager, who explained he had been trying for a week with "headquarters" to get the app updated with the correct hours. </p><p>I wrote an email to <a href="mailto:customerservice@dunkinbrands.com">customerservice@dunkinbrands.com</a>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-size: small;">Hi,</span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I am a DD loyalty club member: [redacted]</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My favorite DD is [redacted]</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I walk my dog at 5:30 am each day. This location is open; however, I cannot place a mobile order because according to your app, it does not open until 6:00 am. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I confirmed this morning with the owner/manager that the location is open on weekdays at 5:00 am.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My request to you is to update the hours on the app so I can place the order ahead of time and grab the order quickly without having my dog wait too long for me.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thank you,</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Marc Davis</span></div></blockquote><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">It was a friendly email with a minor request to improve my customer experience. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Five days later, I received a reply:</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Dear Mark,</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Thank you for taking the time to contact.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I apologize that your store was closed when you placed your On-the-Go order! We can definitely assist with getting crediting [sic] this transaction for you. Can you please respond with the order number of the transaction that you wish to be credited for? If you have previously sent a screenshot of the order, please respond with the order number from the screenshot, it assists us in locating the transaction faster for you.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">We are looking forward to serving you again soon.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Eliezer</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Support Center Coordinator</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Case #[redacted]</span></p></div></blockquote><p style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Huh, what?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Dunkin's reply had ignored pretty much everything I wrote. My issue wasn't about an unfilled order, and I wasn't requesting a credit. It was about updating a local store's hours on the app -- and they had ignored that, too. It was as if Eliezer had only scanned my email. </span><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And why did Eliezer misspell my name? I can understand misspelling 'Marc' if I had called Customer Service and provided my name, but they had it in my email. All it would have taken to spell my name correctly was copying & pasting it from the email.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Direct Marketing Association Hall of Fame member <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Direct-Response-Advertising-Recognize/dp/0139606343" target="_blank">Joan Throckmorton</a> once taught me that a person's name is the most important word on a letter. She was right. I hate seeing it misspelled, yet that is what Dunkin' did. <br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I bit my lip about that last part and responded:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"></p><p></p><div style="background-color: white;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">I did not request nor do I see a need for a credit. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">My request is for your app to be updated so that I can place an order on your app for [redacted] when it opens at 5:00 am on weekdays.</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Thank you, </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Marc</span></div></div></blockquote></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;">The reply came the next day.</div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Hello Mark,</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your experience at the <span class="il">Dunkin</span>' restaurant in [redacted]. We are sorry that you had a bad experience and will alert the franchisee and our field operations team immediately to let them know what happened.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">We want every restaurant experience to be a great one and would like to have this experience addressed for you as soon as possible. We take guest satisfaction seriously and hope you’ll give <span class="il">Dunkin</span>' another chance.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Thanks again for taking time out of your day to let us know.</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Eliezer<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Support Center Coordinator</span></p></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Case #[redacted]</span></p></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The reply increased my disappointment: Customer Service was blaming the store even though my unpleasant experience wasn't because of franchisee or from field operations; it was because of the corporate app and Eliezer. </span></p><p style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The store hours on the app were updated, but I had a bitter taste in my mouth that wasn't from coffee. I guess Dunkin' can bake the donuts, but cannot adequately read customer emails.</span></p><p style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The Starbucks on my dog walking route is also open early. Despite <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/EKZdIXV" target="_blank">memes like this</a>, Starbucks has never misspelled my name. Just sayin', Dunkin'.</span></p><p style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lessons:</span></i></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Every customer interaction is marketing. Every direct customer communication is direct marketing.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">When your customers correspond with you, fully read the communication and reply appropriately.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Always spell the names of your customers correctly.</span></li></ol><p></p></div>Marc Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09113188290066261470noreply@blogger.com7New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972813.204497804579077 -109.1622228 68.221052795420917 -38.849722799999995