The Line-Up

This week, B Direct received a mailing that was eerily familiar. The simple self-mailer came from production company EU Services, and included a conceptual (and internally rhyming) teaser: "Have you met Ben, Jen & Sven?"

     The cover or art side lined up the three aforementioned "Ens" for us with their individual cries for "Help!" And "SOS!" And "Mayday!"

     We were intrigued. Who were these people and why were they in distress? Since the self-mailer was a simple 8.5 x 11 piece, folded once, we were just a couple of dots of fugitive glue away from solving the mystery.

     Here's what we found:

     Lo and behold! Ben, Jen and Sven are all facing direct mail challenges that — surprise! — EU Services can help them with. Ben needs a new control package. Jen wants something fresh that won't rock her budget. And Sven received an executive edict to add three new test cells. EU Services to the rescue.

     After reading the three customer scenarios, we were encouraged to go online to see how each story ends. We were also offered a "no-hassle 30 minute consultation" if we were "one of the first 50 to respond." Positioning what is probably a sales call into a limited offer is smart ... if it works. But, it's not exactly "an offer you can't refuse."  Including a campaign URL is also a good idea.

     Not including an 800-number? Not so much.

     I mentioned that the package looked familiar and a quick search through our agency archives explained why. Here's a piece for NEDMA from many years back:

And another one, for printshop Alphagraphics:

     We applaud the conceptual approach, using engaging customer stories, humor and a nice touch of empathy. The layout is less than inspired — especially going to a creative audience. (BTW, we're allowed to say this, because we've "been there, done that" ourselves.) The offer's not as strong as it could be. And, there's only one-way to respond. With these mixed reviews, the b's at B Direct are giving the piece a neutral thumb, neither up nor down, kind of horizontal. With a few easy creative tweaks, we think the piece could be a winner.

Book 'Em, Danno

     It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and you know what that means. Fires in the fireplace. Choirs in the choir-place. And, printers sending customized swag to the agency.
     A few days ago, B Direct's Senior Art Director received not one but two personalized datebooks. The packages were similar. An oversized window envelope:

A personalized long-format letter that included an order form:

A prepaid business reply envelope:

And ... the piece de resistance freemium gift item, a genuine personalized datebook:

     The package above was sent by a company called Myron. It's certainly competent and observes a lot of direct mail best practices, even including some printed FAQs on the back of the letter (a nice way, perhaps, to avoid some incoming telephone calls):

     At B Direct, we are not in the market for personalized datebooks, but there's no reason we wouldn't order them from Myron if we were.
     On the other hand, the package that arrived the same day from Myron's competitor Amsterdam contained a fatal flaw. It too had a window OE, a letter with reply slip, a BRE. But, the datebook was personalized incorrectly:

The agency is imprinted as:

B DIRECT MARKETING

COMMNCTIONS

Clearly, Amsterdam purchased the agency's name from some list that uses a fairly awkward abbreviation for the word "Communications." Ouch.

     What is the most precious word in any language?  A person's name. What is an almost equally valuable word to a business owner? The company's name. These are important details to get right.

     If you're going to do creative VDP (variable data print) personalization, please make sure you have the recipient's name spelled correctly.

     If you're going to invest in customized incentive items, be sure that the company's name is correct — and complete — in your list.

     The b's at B Direct give Myron a thumbs-up ... and Amsterdam a thumbs-down.

It's Hard to Resist Don Draper

     From day one, AMC has used social media and viral marketing to help spread the word about its critically acclaimed series Mad Men. From avatars to apps, quizzes and cast Q&As, there have been seemingly countless ways to engage with the mad men and women of Sterling Cooper (now, Sterling Draper Cooper Pryce).
     Real-life ad agency days aren't quite as stylish, sexy or carcinogenic. So, we were thrilled to receive an email today with the subject:

Mad Men | Which of Don's Women are You?

     How could we resist?

     The body of the email, complete with a dashing photo of Mr. D and all of his conquests, invited us to click through. Love the second part of the headline: "Answer Just Seven Questions and Find Out!" Great way to encourage participation. Sure, you may be reading this while you're at work, but you can take a break for seven little questions.

     The quiz is quick and fun, humorously written and reminiscent of the show. (Oh, and for the record, the Queen B is a Suzanne.) Once, you have your results, you're invited to play again or to share via Facebook or Twitter.

     Mad Men doesn't start up again until after the holidays. But, engaging promotions like this one keep it top of mind for all of the (opt-in) "maddicts" out there. It's also a great way to promote AMC's other products.

     The b's at B Direct give this email campaign a thumbs-up. Or, we would if our hands weren't already full of martinis and cigarettes.

One Small Package, So Many Things Right

     "Prost!" It's Octoberfest time, and the b's just received invitations to a party at Hannaford & Dumas, a Boston-area printshop. These neat square mailers arrived last week. Each just 5" x 5" in size but packing a lot of promotional punch.

     With all of the invitation information on the outside, one might worry that the package wouldn't be opened. No worries. We could tell that there was something inside the sleek little piece and our curiosity was piqued.

     Sure enough, along with RSVP information, we found a CD.

     These folks did so many things right, it's easier to list them than to write full paragraphs:

• Square package stands out
• Typography-based graphic reads "cool" to art director audience
• Stamps.com stickers beat pre-printed indicia (although a traditional USPS stamp might have been better)
• Copy is super quick — just the facts, ma'am
• Sending a CD adds "freemium" excitement
• Letting us know right on the disk that it's only "about 2 minutes" is very smart
• Video is clean, quick and persuasive
• And, an Octoberfest party is so much more appealing than a press tour

     Well done, Hannaford & Dumas. The b's at B Direct not only give this invitation a thumbs-up, but we are going to consider you the next time we have an appropriate print project. "Zum Wohl!"

Get the Picture ... or Not

     At B Direct, we get a lot of direct mail inviting us to various area galleries, openings and artists' receptions. This week was no different. This oversized postcard arrived from the Art Institute of Boston, a local school that we have supported for years.
     

     The front (or art side) of the card had a bright blue field of color with all the logistics we needed: exhibit dates, reception information and the theme. It was the school's Centennial Faculty Exhibit. We flipped the card over and found more of the same with the addition of the gallery's address and phone number.

     Um ... something was missing. Can you guess what?
     This is an invitation to a photography exhibit. So, where is the photography? Dudes, you are promoting an event that is all about images. Where are the images?
     At B Direct, a lot of our clients are marketing invisible products like data storage. Even so, we make it a point to include some pictures. People look at pictures first. And, we're guessing that there are probably some pretty fantastic pictures that could have been used to market this event. What a waste.
     Sorry, but the b's at B Direct are going to give this one a thumbs-down. (Get the picture?)

Artistic Direct Mail

     When we design direct mail packages for clients, we often try to come up with something that the recipient will hold onto. We can do this through creative personalization, by including something informative or useful, or simply by coming up with a format that is so cool the person who receives it simply can't throw it away.
     A few days ago, the Queen B received a smart little package that is still sitting on her desk. Here's what it looks like:

     The outer envelope is fairly straightforward. It comes from the Tufts Art Gallery and a teaser along the bottom alerts that the package contains an invitation to a September 11th event. A quick note on the placement of the teaser: you can see that a USPS bar code is interfering with the artwork. Putting the message above or along the left hand side of the address would have avoided this. 
     However, this is a minor grievance when followed up with the abundance of colorful content we discovered inside:

     A bright yellow belly band contained four cards, each depicting the work of a particular artist featured in the gallery event.

     The backs of the cards gave quick biographical statements and, again, encouraged our attendance at the opening event. Each felt like a miniature work of art, and the overall effect was, well ... effective. Having experienced a taste of the upcoming exhibit, we were definitely intrigued to learn more.
     Best of all, four days later, the cards still haven't been thrown out. And, the event is written, in ink, on the Queen B's calendar.
     Our only other bit of constructive criticism (aside from the observation about the teaser placement on the envelope) is that the piece would have benefitted from a reply device. A simple one- or two-color additional insert could have accomplished multiple things: collected email addresses, provided a URL for additional information, served as an event reminder to slip into a wallet or pocket, offered driving directions or coordinates for a GPS.
     Overall, however, the art enthusiast b's at B Direct give this direct mail work of art a big thumbs-up!

To Fee or Not to Fee

   We clicked on an Aer Lingus banner ad this afternoon that promised us low fares to London. 

     It brought us to a web page that listed sample fares from Boston, Chicago and New York.

     The fares did look pretty good (not cheap, by any means, but easily half the going rate these days). But something else caught our eye:

In the upper right of the page, Aer Lingus was promoting its "Total Pricing" policy. It promised "No surprises" and that "Our fares now include all taxes & fees." We liked this idea! Too often, you select a fare only to find that the actual price you pay is tens or even hundreds more when airport fees and taxes are included.
     Imagine our surprise then when we scrolled down and found the following disclaimer copy:

     Since you may not be able to read the screen grab, here's what we learned:

* Terms & Conditions

Fares are per person, round-trip including carrier and government imposed fees and taxes including the September 11th Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement originating at a U.S. airport. Fluctuations in exchange rates may affect some taxes and fees.

Additional Fees:

Fares are an additional $20 each way when traveling Friday through Sunday. There is an additional $20-$40 each way surcharge for fares purchased at an Aer Lingus airport ticket counter or through (800) IRISH-AIR.

    So, apparently their "No surprises" policy is only good four out of seven days a week. Too bad. The $2.50 fee that's included is considerably less than the $20-$40 fee that is not. Bit o' bait and switch, mate?
     If you can really (really, really, we mean really) live up to a "No Hidden Fees" policy, by all means do promote it. If you can't, then by all means ... don't. Thumbs-down from the b's at B Direct I'm afraid.