BACK AGAIN+2 TALES+UN
BACK AT IT
Yes, the holidays are over and the new year is in full swing. So it’s back to my regular Monday blog. Thanks for returning for my first posting of ’08.
A TALE OF 2 GREETINGS
Before Christmas, I received standout holiday greetings from two companies I’m familiar with.
The first was from Billy Sharma of Designers Inc. Inside his 5-3/4 X 4-1/2 outer envelope was a letter and a 2-1/2 X 4-1/4 envelope. Inside it, was a magnifying glass with a message about it being compliments of Billy. His letter extended holiday greetings and explained how the magnifier was a symbol of the past, present and future.
My reaction? I thought it was thoughtful and innovative.
The other mailing, similarly sized, was from a printing company – a greeting card with my name featured on the front and inside. I was quite pleased to receive it…until I saw the back of the card.
It bragged about how the card had been personalized using their new high speed colour laser printer. That left me with two questions.
First, what were they doing including a sales message with their supposedly nice Christmas greeting? Second, and even more puzzling, why were they telling me that the card really wasn’t personalized…that it was produced by some cold machine?
Judgment: While Billy’s mailing was symbiotic, the printing company’s was parasitic. Yea to the former, boo to the latter.
UN IN BED WITH AMAZON
A reader recently sent me a self-mailer from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). I was particularly interested for two reasons:
1) I wrote a number of fundraising packages for them when they were a client of an agency I’ve freelanced for
2) The mailer didn’t arrive via the mail – it was enclosed with a shipment of books from Amazon.com
I’ve ordered books from Amazon but have never received any promotional materials from either a commercial or non-profit organization. So maybe it’s something new. In any event, it’s quite an intriguing concept.
I just wonder how much UNHCR had to pay and, also, whether Amazon customers will be ticked off because they were sent the appeal, with the customer paying the freight.
If you know anything about it and whether it’s working, someone would love to hear from you. His name is…
Dr. Bob
symbiomarketing@telus.net
Yes, the holidays are over and the new year is in full swing. So it’s back to my regular Monday blog. Thanks for returning for my first posting of ’08.
A TALE OF 2 GREETINGS
Before Christmas, I received standout holiday greetings from two companies I’m familiar with.
The first was from Billy Sharma of Designers Inc. Inside his 5-3/4 X 4-1/2 outer envelope was a letter and a 2-1/2 X 4-1/4 envelope. Inside it, was a magnifying glass with a message about it being compliments of Billy. His letter extended holiday greetings and explained how the magnifier was a symbol of the past, present and future.
My reaction? I thought it was thoughtful and innovative.
The other mailing, similarly sized, was from a printing company – a greeting card with my name featured on the front and inside. I was quite pleased to receive it…until I saw the back of the card.
It bragged about how the card had been personalized using their new high speed colour laser printer. That left me with two questions.
First, what were they doing including a sales message with their supposedly nice Christmas greeting? Second, and even more puzzling, why were they telling me that the card really wasn’t personalized…that it was produced by some cold machine?
Judgment: While Billy’s mailing was symbiotic, the printing company’s was parasitic. Yea to the former, boo to the latter.
UN IN BED WITH AMAZON
A reader recently sent me a self-mailer from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). I was particularly interested for two reasons:
1) I wrote a number of fundraising packages for them when they were a client of an agency I’ve freelanced for
2) The mailer didn’t arrive via the mail – it was enclosed with a shipment of books from Amazon.com
I’ve ordered books from Amazon but have never received any promotional materials from either a commercial or non-profit organization. So maybe it’s something new. In any event, it’s quite an intriguing concept.
I just wonder how much UNHCR had to pay and, also, whether Amazon customers will be ticked off because they were sent the appeal, with the customer paying the freight.
If you know anything about it and whether it’s working, someone would love to hear from you. His name is…
Dr. Bob
symbiomarketing@telus.net
posted by DoctorBob | 1:52 AM
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