Monday, January 15/07
In my last posting, I mentioned that Readers Digest had tried to entice my wife into entering their contest by saying she was a "potential finalist to win an instant $500,00.00." Obviously that was just a warm up.
A few days ago she was mailed the most elaborate package I've seen in years.
The front of the 9X12 envelope features a green and black sticker stating that, "The contents have been sealed and dispatched under supervision to ensure compliance with all entry deadlines." Translation: someone ensured that the envelope got licked and mailed.
There's a tracking number plus a red and blue sticker with a bar code, urging the recipient to open the envelope asap. The back has "Tamper Proof. Open Here" stamped on it 7 times. But that's just the beginning.
Inside, there's a 2-sided Statement with lottery numbers, confirmation of the amounts of money she can win (remember – she's a "potential finalist"), instructions and a guarantee.
There's also a double-sided letter personally addressed to her.
Then there are two faux cheques and the coolest thing of all – a credit card sized, holographic Prize Decoder Card. I'll get back to that in a minute. First, I must tell you about the return envelopes. That's right – plurual.
One of the BREs is for those who say, "NO". The outer flap urges you to not say 'no'. If you're unconvinced and lift the flap to mail your refusal to them, there's a message from the Circulation Director telling you that, "You could be throwing away the chance for thousands of dollars..."
The second BRE is for those wise folks who decide to enter the contest. It's flap tells you how to use your Decoder Card.
You're supposed to hold it against masked-out sections of the BRE to see whether you might win a car. Sure enough, the Decoder Card just happens to indicate that my wife is eligible to win the most expensive car or $35,000 cash. Talk about an involvement device!
As they say in infomercials, "But wait. There's more!" The package also includes a four-colour brochure about the special gift that's, "Yours to keep, FREE, with our thanks!"
Magazines lead the direct mail field into the 20th century. It looks like they're out to strut their stuff in the 21st too.
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE
There's a charity that I've known about for years. Every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter they send out unaddressed flyers asking you to help feed the homeless at $2.59 per meal.
Last week I received a #10 envelope featuring a skyline silhouette, what looked like the sender's name, a teaser and a photo. I was trying to figure out what business the sender was in when I stumbled across something amazing buried in the skyline...the charity's logo!
I couldn't believe it. This mailing bore as much resemblance to their flyers as I do to Anna Nicole Smith.
Inside there was a donation form, a BRE and an 8-page newsletter. As I browsed through the newsletter, I discovered that the organization, which I'd always thought got by on a budget of about $200 a year, is being supported by some of the biggest companies in the province. They've got to be pulling in millions of dollars a year.
Why do I say this is a bad thing? Because they've destroyed their previous image of being a hard-working organization in desperate need of every penny a donor can spare. To me, it looks like they're so rich I feel like applying for a handout from them myself.
PLUS...if you're proud of your organization, you don't bury the logo on the envelope. PLUS...you don't use your organization's acronym in a prospect mailing headline unless it's commonly know by that name. PLUS...you don't send a fundraising package without a letter. PLUS...you don't try to entice donation dollars by bragging about how wealthy you are.
I'm delighted that this non-profit is doing so well. But a lot of other charities are knocking on my mailbox, giving me the impression that they're in more urgent need of donation dollars. So they're the ones that will get the bucks from...
Dr. Bob
b_knight@telus.net
A few days ago she was mailed the most elaborate package I've seen in years.
The front of the 9X12 envelope features a green and black sticker stating that, "The contents have been sealed and dispatched under supervision to ensure compliance with all entry deadlines." Translation: someone ensured that the envelope got licked and mailed.
There's a tracking number plus a red and blue sticker with a bar code, urging the recipient to open the envelope asap. The back has "Tamper Proof. Open Here" stamped on it 7 times. But that's just the beginning.
Inside, there's a 2-sided Statement with lottery numbers, confirmation of the amounts of money she can win (remember – she's a "potential finalist"), instructions and a guarantee.
There's also a double-sided letter personally addressed to her.
Then there are two faux cheques and the coolest thing of all – a credit card sized, holographic Prize Decoder Card. I'll get back to that in a minute. First, I must tell you about the return envelopes. That's right – plurual.
One of the BREs is for those who say, "NO". The outer flap urges you to not say 'no'. If you're unconvinced and lift the flap to mail your refusal to them, there's a message from the Circulation Director telling you that, "You could be throwing away the chance for thousands of dollars..."
The second BRE is for those wise folks who decide to enter the contest. It's flap tells you how to use your Decoder Card.
You're supposed to hold it against masked-out sections of the BRE to see whether you might win a car. Sure enough, the Decoder Card just happens to indicate that my wife is eligible to win the most expensive car or $35,000 cash. Talk about an involvement device!
As they say in infomercials, "But wait. There's more!" The package also includes a four-colour brochure about the special gift that's, "Yours to keep, FREE, with our thanks!"
Magazines lead the direct mail field into the 20th century. It looks like they're out to strut their stuff in the 21st too.
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE
There's a charity that I've known about for years. Every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter they send out unaddressed flyers asking you to help feed the homeless at $2.59 per meal.
Last week I received a #10 envelope featuring a skyline silhouette, what looked like the sender's name, a teaser and a photo. I was trying to figure out what business the sender was in when I stumbled across something amazing buried in the skyline...the charity's logo!
I couldn't believe it. This mailing bore as much resemblance to their flyers as I do to Anna Nicole Smith.
Inside there was a donation form, a BRE and an 8-page newsletter. As I browsed through the newsletter, I discovered that the organization, which I'd always thought got by on a budget of about $200 a year, is being supported by some of the biggest companies in the province. They've got to be pulling in millions of dollars a year.
Why do I say this is a bad thing? Because they've destroyed their previous image of being a hard-working organization in desperate need of every penny a donor can spare. To me, it looks like they're so rich I feel like applying for a handout from them myself.
PLUS...if you're proud of your organization, you don't bury the logo on the envelope. PLUS...you don't use your organization's acronym in a prospect mailing headline unless it's commonly know by that name. PLUS...you don't send a fundraising package without a letter. PLUS...you don't try to entice donation dollars by bragging about how wealthy you are.
I'm delighted that this non-profit is doing so well. But a lot of other charities are knocking on my mailbox, giving me the impression that they're in more urgent need of donation dollars. So they're the ones that will get the bucks from...
Dr. Bob
b_knight@telus.net
posted by DoctorBob | 5:15 PM
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