In mid-November, I received a solo mail letter from Geico offering a "Free housewarming gift". There were a few problems with this. I had already been in my home for six months. Creatively, it is exactly the same as the letter I received in August which arrived after three months at my new address. The only differences between the two solo mail packages were the line breaking in the third paragraph and that the first one included a code above my name in the address field.
It appeared to be odd to reference the fact that I received moved in a mailing that arrived three months after I settled in at a new address, so it is even more odd for the exact same mailer to arrive another three months later. If the message is off mark the first time, wouldn't it be even more off the mark the second time?
I was ready to give this a Fail for Timing when I noticed in the mail six-month renewal notice from my current auto insurer. Auto insurance policies typically have six-month terms. Could Geico have intentionally timed the mailing to coincide with my policy renewal? If so, Geico should reference the competitor's bill rather than resend the same out-of-date message. That would be a Fail for Creative.
Regardless, I love those gecko return address stickers.
Lesson: If you are timing your direct communication based on an event, reference that event. If you missed the event by months, don't even mention it.
Examples of and lessons from communications that neglect basic direct marketing Best Practices.
1/08/2011
1/02/2011
Alamo Insiders is driven
Outer envelope front |
Outer envelope back |
Letter |
The letter opens with a note of appreciation immediately followed by an explanation of two of the program's features -- deals and value. The benefit of 10% off rates is clearly communicated in the sidebar. The letter mentions that "it's fast and easy" to get going, which it is because it is fast and easy for a recipient to quickly scan or completely read the letter. The letter includes a polite close and a reinforced call to action in the P.S.
There is nothing in this mailing to suggest a Fail. This is Mail that Sails. It effectively utilizes its new customer List, beneficial Offer, on-brand Creative, and terrific Timing. It is worth showing here as a contrast to the oversized Amtrak mailing that took months to mail. If you are responsible for recurring customer revenue, which method would you use to welcome a new customer to your program: A mailing that was simple and arrives quickly or one that is more grandiose and arrives long after the customer had his/her first experience with your company?
Lessons:
- Reinforce your brand in your direct communications.
- Integrate your graphics and communications style online and offline.
- Reach your new customers quickly after their first experience with you to reinforce your relationship and encourage more purchases.
11/03/2010
Mail Early, Mail Often, and Don't Fail
The 2010 election is behind us, so it's time to share some lessons about failed political mail.
As with direct mail used for marketing purposes, political mail can Fail for List, Creative, and Timing. An example of a Creative Fail is when the wrong message is conveyed to a constituency, as with Al Edwards in Texas earlier this year.
On election day, I received this self-mailer supporting a proposition on the Houston, Texas ballot:
The message is clear, friendly, and persuasive. So why the Fail? For List. It was mailed to me in Arlington, VA, presumably because I used to live in and was registered to vote in Houston. However, my voter registration moved to Virginia more than six months ago. Given that they were mailing close to the election date, the people behind the mailing should have dropped anyone that might have voted via absentee ballot as well as those who cannot legally vote in Houston.
As with direct mail used for marketing purposes, political mail can Fail for List, Creative, and Timing. An example of a Creative Fail is when the wrong message is conveyed to a constituency, as with Al Edwards in Texas earlier this year.
On election day, I received this self-mailer supporting a proposition on the Houston, Texas ballot:
The message is clear, friendly, and persuasive. So why the Fail? For List. It was mailed to me in Arlington, VA, presumably because I used to live in and was registered to vote in Houston. However, my voter registration moved to Virginia more than six months ago. Given that they were mailing close to the election date, the people behind the mailing should have dropped anyone that might have voted via absentee ballot as well as those who cannot legally vote in Houston.
Here is an easy Fail for Timing:
This oversized postcard from the Chris Zimmerman campaign arrived on November 3, the day after the election. The use of black copy over dark backgrounds such as in the "Supporting our environment" box makes some text unreadable. This is sadly typical of quickly produced political direct mail, not exceptionally bad enough to call it an outright Fail.
Lessons:
- Send your political mail only to people who can vote for your election when they still have the opportunity to choose how to vote.
- Use adequate color contrast to ensure people can read your message.
11/01/2010
Amtrak's fulfillment mailing: Delayed
Outer envelope front |
A delayed welcome mailing or new customer greeting will make an initial positive perception sour.
Outer envelope back |
Lesson: When you have a new customer, greet that customer right away while the introduction to your product or service is fresh in your customer's memory.
rewards card carrier & info |
card carrier flap |
10/17/2010
Save the Date, or Save the Fail?
This self-mailer from BJ's Warehouse promotes the opening of a new warehouse store. This is actually the third in a series sent to the area. The first was a postcard with an offer to sign up for the club in advance of store opening. The second was a similar postcard. The third: this self-mailer.
The 3-panel roll-out effectively communicates that BJ's Warehouse Club is going to have a grand opening celebration. It gives the reader a reason to visit during the opening weekend, reasons to become BJ's customer, and leverages a co-promotion with MasterCard. It conveys a sense of excitement and savings.
So, why a Fail for Creative? The self-mailer does not mention the specific date. It mentions that the opening is "This Weekend", but who knows if that was the weekend of October 9th, the weekend of the 16th, or perhaps the weekend of the 25th?
The self-mailer arrived in my neighborhood on October 12, the day after Columbus Day and a Tuesday. Was it possible that the mail arrived late and the opening was missed? One neighbor thought that was the case, while another neighbor guessed that because the new location was not mentioned on BJ's store locations page, that perhaps it had not yet opened.
Turns out, they were both right. The store had a soft opening in early October as well as an official opening in mid-October. Although it was not clear on the mailer which day it occurred, the Grand Opening celebration and MasterCard drawing for Washington Redskins tickets was on Saturday, October 16.
BJ's was fortunate that the mail arrived and timing was properly managed, but made the mistake of assuming that consumers knew that and also read their mail on a timely basis. They should remember that some people let their mail stack a few days before reading.
Lesson: Even when timing arrival of your mail with precision, clearly communicate effective dates of your promotion.
The 3-panel roll-out effectively communicates that BJ's Warehouse Club is going to have a grand opening celebration. It gives the reader a reason to visit during the opening weekend, reasons to become BJ's customer, and leverages a co-promotion with MasterCard. It conveys a sense of excitement and savings.
So, why a Fail for Creative? The self-mailer does not mention the specific date. It mentions that the opening is "This Weekend", but who knows if that was the weekend of October 9th, the weekend of the 16th, or perhaps the weekend of the 25th?
The self-mailer arrived in my neighborhood on October 12, the day after Columbus Day and a Tuesday. Was it possible that the mail arrived late and the opening was missed? One neighbor thought that was the case, while another neighbor guessed that because the new location was not mentioned on BJ's store locations page, that perhaps it had not yet opened.
Turns out, they were both right. The store had a soft opening in early October as well as an official opening in mid-October. Although it was not clear on the mailer which day it occurred, the Grand Opening celebration and MasterCard drawing for Washington Redskins tickets was on Saturday, October 16.
BJ's was fortunate that the mail arrived and timing was properly managed, but made the mistake of assuming that consumers knew that and also read their mail on a timely basis. They should remember that some people let their mail stack a few days before reading.
Lesson: Even when timing arrival of your mail with precision, clearly communicate effective dates of your promotion.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
BJ's Warehouse,
creative,
MasterCard
9/30/2010
Should PetSmart's Fail go to the Dead Letter Office?
When I received this self-mailer from PetSmart on September 21, I planned to post it as a quick Fail for Timing. The coupon redemption period from a consumer standpoint is only 12 days. The address panel includes a request for in-home delivery 8/30-9/1, which suggests that the Fail might belong to the USPS for slow delivery. The holiday mailing season has yet to start, so why would mail arrive this slowly?
Then I noticed that it was addressed not to me, but to Jazz, my dead dog. Jazz was truly man's best friend. He thought that every stranger was a friend he hadn't met. I met more than a few nice people with him along. Jazz barked only at mylar balloons and enjoyed playing with squeaky toys. He passed away about 18 months ago at a fair age of 14.
When I received a similar mailer about a year ago, I called PetPerks to inform them that my dog died. The customer service person was sympathetic when he said he would remove Jazz from their files. And yet, I received another birthday card 12 months later.
I adopted a different dog several months ago through a PetSmart adoption program. Buddy is a perky, friendly dog and enjoys coming to the office with me. I updated my PetPerks file in July so they know about Buddy, including his birth date and how I discovered him at a PetSmart. We'll see if I get a birthday card in May for my living dog to go along with this one for my dead dog.
In addition to ensuring that records are properly updated, perhaps PetSmart should consider setting an age when the pet should not receive direct communications, or perhaps send an occasional e-mail to cusotmers requesting that information about their pets be updated on their PetPerks profile.
Lessons:
Addressed to Jazz c/o Marc Davis |
Then I noticed that it was addressed not to me, but to Jazz, my dead dog. Jazz was truly man's best friend. He thought that every stranger was a friend he hadn't met. I met more than a few nice people with him along. Jazz barked only at mylar balloons and enjoyed playing with squeaky toys. He passed away about 18 months ago at a fair age of 14.
Great festive creative |
I adopted a different dog several months ago through a PetSmart adoption program. Buddy is a perky, friendly dog and enjoys coming to the office with me. I updated my PetPerks file in July so they know about Buddy, including his birth date and how I discovered him at a PetSmart. We'll see if I get a birthday card in May for my living dog to go along with this one for my dead dog.
In addition to ensuring that records are properly updated, perhaps PetSmart should consider setting an age when the pet should not receive direct communications, or perhaps send an occasional e-mail to cusotmers requesting that information about their pets be updated on their PetPerks profile.
Lessons:
- Be sure your customer list is up to date.
- Consider when it is time to purge old data and focus on current data.
9/20/2010
Don't trade with this Fail
A lack of personalization suggests a lack of interest in your customer. In a face-to-face sales environment, a good salesperson knows the customer's name before trying to sell a product. The same premise applies to direct marketing. Effective direct mail almost always starts with "Dear Marc Davis." or at least "Dear" followed by the first name of the customer.
In snail mail, the right personalization can mean the difference between effective mail and junk mail. With e-mail, the same premise applies except that the common term is spam.
This e-mail from Online Trading Academy easily merits a Creative Fail for bad personalization. Leading an e-mail with "Dear [INSERT FIRST NAME]" is worse than no personalization at all. Would you trust these people with your investment dollars if they cannot figure out how to call you by name?
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
creative,
Online Trading Academy
9/13/2010
Sudhoff Properties: A real estate agent should know the address
This real estate agent from Sudhoff Properties sent an e-mail with a header of “Address Change”. However, there is no message text – not even an explanation of what changed. Was it the e-mail address or new address? Would you trust this person to sell your home? Not with a Fail for Creative.
Lesson: When sending an e-mail to your customers, be sure to have not only a relevant header but also a relevant message.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
creative,
Sudhoff Properties
9/10/2010
Late Furniture
This self-mailer from Bassett Furniture arrived Tuesday, September 7. Easy Fail for Timing. The sale ended the day prior to the mail's arrival.
The mailer includes a request for arrival between 8/30 & 9/1, so either the mail was sent late or the USPS was delivering slowly.
On the other hand, it was targeted well, as it was sent to a prior customer.
The mailer includes a request for arrival between 8/30 & 9/1, so either the mail was sent late or the USPS was delivering slowly.
On the other hand, it was targeted well, as it was sent to a prior customer.
Labels: direct marketing, direct mail, e-mail
Bassett Furniture,
timing
9/06/2010
Don't bet on this Fail
My neighbor received a self-mailer from Resorts. It appears they are giving away a laptop complete with a Windows 7 “Operation” System. Fail for Creative.
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