your direct mail
 |
| start here |
| getting going |
| the theory |
| the factors |
| what we do |
| practical |
| Factor 39: number of inserts |
This issue is generally known as Interference, and deals with the concept that it is possible that the inclusion of an extra item in a piece of direct mail can effectively reduce response rates rather than enhance response rates. On a trial mailing to 500 addresses selected from our target list at random I sent a covering letter, and a two colour A4 folded to A5. We got a 1% response rate, which was ok. On the same day we mailed another 500 addresses in exactly the same way, but behind the 2 colour leaflet we added a third item - an advert for a report. Response rate dropped to 0%.
This was wholly unexpected - we never imagined that the advert for the report - which itself had already sold quite well using this advert - could destroy the sales level totally.
The oddity is that when the advert for the report went out on its own we got 3% sales of that.
The main advert, which went to administrators in schools, advertised a one year course costing £800. The report advert featured a report on one element of the course, and cost £49.
Of course, I can make up possible reasons for the interference by the third item of the second, but none of them sound very convincing to me - but something in that 3rd page made those we mailed reject the offer in the first two pages.
Whatever the reason, even if we could discover it, it would probably be specific to this promotion. The main thing is that here is absolute proof that when sending out several items at once, it is quite possible for an item further down the pack to interfere negatively with an item at the top of the pack.
We only discovered this by testing - had we not tried with and without the 3rd item we would never have known and never have guessed - we would have put the 0 response down to the first two items in the pack, not to the interference of the third.
I certainly learned a big lesson here.
Free analysis of your mailshot This article is written by Tony Attwood, Chairman of Hamilton House Mailings Ltd. If you would like to discuss the writing or design of your mailing campaign, or indeed a single mailshot, with Tony, without cost or obligation, just call 01536 399 000, or email Creative@hamilton-house.com You can also send Tony a copy of your latest advert and he will call you back with his thoughts on how your response rate could be raised - again without cost or obligation.
|
