Direct Mail as a Political Campaign Marketing Tool

Find out what role direct mail plays as a political campaign marketing tool.

"To the Order of" cries one envelope. "To be opened by Addressee only" cries another. "Personal information" peeps through the window of yet another.

Direct mail--or junk mail--as most of us call it, has grown into an industry that generates more than $350 billion a year in sales and hits Americans with an average of 1.7 pieces of mail every day.

Just the volume of mail alone has made consumers less receptive to it. Mailers, including political candidates, are finding it difficult to make sure their pieces get opened. An estimated 75 percent of all direct mail ends up in the trash can--unopened.

But don't get me wrong--direct mail is a great political marketing tool.

Richard Vigurie, a pioneer conservative, once said, "Direct mail is like a water moccasin--silent, but deadly."

You choose who you reach, unlike television and radio. And you control the message; the press or face-to-face conversation does not filter direct mail pieces. Results are measured more accurately, as the return envelopes track how much each person has contributed.

To use direct mail most effectively, candidates are going to new lengths of creativity to gain attention. And much of this creativity has moved from the copy to the outer envelope or carrier itself.

Direct mail can be seen as pieces of art. The envelope is initially what the readers sees when it's pulled out of the mailbox or is laying on the kitchen counter.

Pique their curiosity with your envelope. As a direct mail writer, you are in the business of competing for the reader's attention.

Color and size are the most basic way to get their attention. Here are some ideas that will liven up your envelope.

Change the size of your standard envelope. If you have used a number 10 envelope in the past, try using a 6-by-9 or even a 9-by-12. I've found that 9-by-12 envelopes are getting opened and responded to much better than the standard envelope.

Use color. The "brown craft" envelope is still a good choice to use. Because of its deep yellowish color, it conveys importance and officialdom, as it's akin to a government delivery.

Remember who your audience is. The person who responds to direct mail is usually at least 55 years old. If your audience is a conservative mature consumer, you are probably not going to want to use a hot pink envelope, on the other hand, this might work great if you're mailing the 20 something crowd.

Direct mail designers follow trends with the colors they use. They test one color against another with the same mailing just to see if a purple envelope gets better response than "brown craft." Fifty percent of the list gets a "brown craft" and 50 percent get a purple envelope.

Conduct a test of your own. Watch your mailbox for the next 30 days for colored envelopes. If you see a certain color being mailed to you on a rather consistent basis, it probably means it is working for the pros in direct mail houses, and it might be worth trying yourself.

Postage is another way to give impact to the envelope. First class is always preferable and always gets better returns. I have done mailings that have three commemorative stamps on the envelope and then four more on the reply envelope. It conveys a personal touch. Like one letter being written to one friend, not 10,000 of their best donors; and it always gets better response.

What if you just can't afford first class? Easy; make it look like it's first class. I am mail-shopping an eight-page letter, with three bulk non profit stamps on the envelope. It's then sent through our inkjets and given a cancellation mark over the stamps. The package would have cost 83 cents going first class, but we spent under 20 cents sending it bulk. It's getting a bulk price and a first class look at the same time.

Another recent trend is to use a faux stamp with a bulk stamp. You can have a stamp made to order with your association's emblem or, a logo, even your photograph. It carries no monetary worth to the post office, but it gives your envelope that highly personal look that makes it stand out in the big pile of mail on your countertop.

Fonts play an important role in whether an envelope is opened or not. I use Courier New 12-point on most of my envelopes that are for fund-raising mail. It is easy to read, and it conveys simplicity and a high degree of personalization.

Take it a step further through in personalization. Computerized printing technology makes it possible to make addresses and letters look handwritten when they are not. You can now have your own handwriting printed out via laser or inkjet in various colors.

So to get your mail to the next level in getting it opened, try dressing up the envelope. If people judge you by your appearance initially, why should not they judge your mail the same way? Try making it look friendly and highly personal, like you are sending one letter to a really good friend.

About the Author
Todd Meredith is co-owner of the Direct Mail Marketing Group, a Herdon, Va.-based direct mail firm founded in 1987 that works for political and non-profit clients. He works with more than 40 members of Congress, associations and various charities.

BY TODD MEREDITH