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So, what’s working in today’s mailbox?

Dear Freelancers,

In the 20 years I’ve been in this business, I’ve probably lived through 3 recessions. And I’ve learned not to worry too much, because the pattern has always been the same:

Postal rates increase: stop mailing.

Get six month sales figures. Note decline in sales and profits. Solution: start mailing.

Postal rates increase again: Use cheaper formats. Inundate readers with the exact same type of package until response rates decline.

Solution: begin creative marketing.

This is true of what’s happening today. A little over a year ago, before all hell broke loose in the economy, postage rates increased. What did that mean for marketers? The 8 x 10” magalog was dead, and the smaller 6 x 10” digest was in.

Now, prospects are being inundated with digests…and response rates are going down.

Sure, you can blame some of this on the economy. But another important reason is this: people are so used to seeing digest and “bookalogs” they’ve turned a blind eye. So these formats are no longer working like they used to.

So what’s a marketer’s next step? Clients have definitely cut back mailing schedules and on testing new creative. So should they concentrate on the internet? You save on postage and printing costs. And you can track response rates a lot sooner.

Only problem? My clients tend to market to people in their 60s, many of whom don’t own a computer. As a result, their online marketing efforts didn’t live up to their expectations.

But savvy marketers tell me that you want to get noticed in the mailbox, bigger is definitely better. As a result, they’re mailing tabloids and 9 x 12 packages—and wouldn’t do it any differently.

Now I haven’t seen 9 x 12 component packages since the early 90s. And tabloids have been few-and-far between. However, these particular clients say that while larger formats are a lot more expensive, they get a lot more attention. As a result, response rates are high enough to offset the higher production costs.

Another benefit? A larger size promotion means the body type is bigger, too. So it’s much easier for older people to read. Smaller sizes mean smaller type, and if your prospect can’t read it …well, you get the picture.

Have these clients “tested down” to other formats? Indeed they did…even tried wacky ways to save on postage by mailing the promos in half or in thirds so they could mail at a cheaper rate. But in the end, the bigger format usually won.

What does this mean for you? Valuable knowledge that you can use for your clients – and even in any mailings you may use to promote yourself or even your own products. In economic downturns, creative marketing is key. Not only does it get noticed – it gets results.

Until Next Month,
Donna Doyle (along with Beth Erickson and Victoria Rosendahl)
The 3Chix