Cadillac Service Direct Mail Envelopes

I’m always happy to see a LinkedIn post that aligns so well with my thinking about the value of direct mail. But when that post also turns out to back my recent personal experiences, it’s even more meaningful.

It was written by John Lepp, partner at Agents of Good, an agency that helps nonprofits tell their stories. He has over 25 years of experience in fundraising and marketing, and his book, Creative Deviations, is one of the must-read guides for people who create mail because it’s based on actual campaigns.

So on LinkedIn the other day, he offered two ideas about using envelopes that I’ll try to summarize:

1. Because a small percentage of donors account for a large percentage of money raised, give them “the Cadillac service” - an imposing envelope, and other touches like “lots of personalization.” This gets your campaign noticed.
2. Envelopes that dominate the mailbox send a subconscious signal to the donor that they are very important because of the apparent cost of the mailer.

The entire post is here and is well worth reading along with the discussion in the comments that it sparked.

Since my elderly dad broke his hip in three places last month, I’ve been looking at his mail while he recovers. It seems like every day, as the holiday and end-of-year giving seasons approach, a dozen envelopes from nonprofits arrive in his mailbox. With few exceptions, they’re pretty much the same paper grade, same basic letter-insert-reply form-BRE #10 format, same … everything.

One of the great things about seeing so many actual mail campaigns over the years, as well as looking at so many samples, is that there are so many capabilities to produce mail that makes a bigger impact on audiences.

Think about the possibilities:

• Variable data printing (VDP) images, headlines, ask strings
• Embossing and debossing
• Trailing-Edge Die Cuts (TED-C)
• Soft-touch, reflective, glitter, or raised coatings
• Fluorescent or reflective inks

Or maybe it’s an oversized envelope. Or heavier stock paper.

After one large donation, my dad got a signed thank you letter with a print of a recent web article on that organization’s local impact. It was mailed First Class in a #10 with a Pitney Bowes SendPro printed stamp … which costs 4 cents less than the usual 78-cent rate.

To the donor, an embellishment, larger size, or other touchpoint raises the bar and says: “You’re special - important - select - exclusive.”

The point is that you don’t have to roll out to everyone. You can test which audience segments to target for recurring giving, special or capital campaigns, membership upgrades, and so much more. Mid- and high-value donors get the same mail as everybody else and want to feel … wanted. Tell them that you see them and appreciate them for their heart and their generosity - and then show them.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.