BAGGED + WHY SUBSCRIBE + MY BAD
LUNCH BAG ENLIGHTENMENT
Last week I received something unusual – a brown paper lunch bag as addressed mail.
On the front was the teaser, “What are thousands of Canadian kids afraid of at lunchtime?” And there was the logo from the Canadian Feed The Children people.
Inside, were a donation form and BRE, and a two-page letter explaining the problem of poverty-stricken schoolchildren not getting the nutrition they need. Nice work!
TIP: Plenty of nonprofit organizations have strong cases to make. But if you can find a relevant way to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to hit prospects with a one-two punch: your case for donating…plus the added benefit of the cool factor.
And no matter how serious the subject manner, people like to be impressed, intrigued or sometimes even entertained a little.
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Business Week magazine sent me a white #10 envelope, using a label for the addressing information. Not too impressive.
There was a BRE within the outer envelope and an 8-1/2 X 11 sheet featuring a perforated order form. Above the form, they listed what I could receive and how much it would cost me.
To say I wasn’t as excited as I’d been over Feed The Children’s lunch bag would be an executive-level understatement.
The deal sounded pretty good, though. I could get 5 reports along with a 50-week subscription for just $35 vs the cover price of $335.52
I’m familiar with Business Week so I was able to make a halfway intelligent decision. But what about recipients who don’t know the mag? How could they possibly tell whether they’re getting the deal of the century or being invited to squandor their money?
TIP: Don’t presume that everyone’s familiar with your product or service. There are new consumers coming along every day who may have never heard of you. Err on the side of providing additional info even if it’s wasted on the majority of people. Or at least feature your web site URL! (Business Week didn't.)
MY BAD
Last week I questioned ING Direct for requiring my social insurance number. It turns out that financial institutions need it if you’re opening up an interest-earning account, so they can prepare a tax form.
But that still doesn’t explain why they insisted that I tell them my occupation. Prospects want to know why, especially the one named…
Dr. Bob”
symbiomarketing@telus.net
Last week I received something unusual – a brown paper lunch bag as addressed mail.
On the front was the teaser, “What are thousands of Canadian kids afraid of at lunchtime?” And there was the logo from the Canadian Feed The Children people.
Inside, were a donation form and BRE, and a two-page letter explaining the problem of poverty-stricken schoolchildren not getting the nutrition they need. Nice work!
TIP: Plenty of nonprofit organizations have strong cases to make. But if you can find a relevant way to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to hit prospects with a one-two punch: your case for donating…plus the added benefit of the cool factor.
And no matter how serious the subject manner, people like to be impressed, intrigued or sometimes even entertained a little.
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Business Week magazine sent me a white #10 envelope, using a label for the addressing information. Not too impressive.
There was a BRE within the outer envelope and an 8-1/2 X 11 sheet featuring a perforated order form. Above the form, they listed what I could receive and how much it would cost me.
To say I wasn’t as excited as I’d been over Feed The Children’s lunch bag would be an executive-level understatement.
The deal sounded pretty good, though. I could get 5 reports along with a 50-week subscription for just $35 vs the cover price of $335.52
I’m familiar with Business Week so I was able to make a halfway intelligent decision. But what about recipients who don’t know the mag? How could they possibly tell whether they’re getting the deal of the century or being invited to squandor their money?
TIP: Don’t presume that everyone’s familiar with your product or service. There are new consumers coming along every day who may have never heard of you. Err on the side of providing additional info even if it’s wasted on the majority of people. Or at least feature your web site URL! (Business Week didn't.)
MY BAD
Last week I questioned ING Direct for requiring my social insurance number. It turns out that financial institutions need it if you’re opening up an interest-earning account, so they can prepare a tax form.
But that still doesn’t explain why they insisted that I tell them my occupation. Prospects want to know why, especially the one named…
Dr. Bob”
symbiomarketing@telus.net
posted by DoctorBob | 2:11 PM
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