To Print Or Not To Print
posted by Action Envelope at 6:25 AM
THAT IS THE QUESTION
There are a few schools of thoughts about whether or not to print envelopes when they’re going to be used for direct mail marketing. A discussion about what gets an envelope opened generates some serious chatter from all sides. So what are they saying? And what do you say?
The “use a blank-faced #10, without an organization’s name on it” group believes that this method is the one sure-fire way to get your envelope opened. And if it’s hand-written, all the better. The icing on the cake in this instance would be using a first class postage stamp instead of a meter or a printed indicia. These believers are confident nothing stirs one’s curiosity more than the unknown, but with a personal touch.
Then there are those who espouse the “billboard” theory. The thinking is, if you’re offering a benefit inside, talk about it on the outside. Some say that teaser copy doesn’t have to be limited to just one line of type. Nor does it have to be restricted to just one side. An envelope has two sides, and you never know which side is going to land on the table when you bring in the mail. Pizzazz is key according to these folks.
Still others believe “being the odd-man out” works better than anything else. Find an envelope that’s still considered a standard size, but not your old standby. These folks firmly believe that the one envelope that sticks out around the edges when all the mail is piled up, is the one that will get recognized.
This of course, leads by natural extension to the “colored envelope” group, who love the envelope that gets recognized just because it’s completely different from the plain white one that occupies most of the mail pile. This colored cousin is obvious just because it “is,” with or without printing, with or without size variations. Instant diversification.
What it all boils down to is that each opinion is valid and has worked for its proponent, or they wouldn’t be so excited about it. Everyone agrees however that you may have the most amazing letter in the universe, written by an incredibly talented dynamo, that once read is guaranteed to bring you earth-shattering results. But if nobody opens the envelope, it doesn’t get read.
So, what’s worked for you? Got any sure-fire recommendations? How do you make the decision? Do you mix it up, or stick to the tried and true? Let’s hear from you.
There are a few schools of thoughts about whether or not to print envelopes when they’re going to be used for direct mail marketing. A discussion about what gets an envelope opened generates some serious chatter from all sides. So what are they saying? And what do you say?
The “use a blank-faced #10, without an organization’s name on it” group believes that this method is the one sure-fire way to get your envelope opened. And if it’s hand-written, all the better. The icing on the cake in this instance would be using a first class postage stamp instead of a meter or a printed indicia. These believers are confident nothing stirs one’s curiosity more than the unknown, but with a personal touch.
Then there are those who espouse the “billboard” theory. The thinking is, if you’re offering a benefit inside, talk about it on the outside. Some say that teaser copy doesn’t have to be limited to just one line of type. Nor does it have to be restricted to just one side. An envelope has two sides, and you never know which side is going to land on the table when you bring in the mail. Pizzazz is key according to these folks.
Still others believe “being the odd-man out” works better than anything else. Find an envelope that’s still considered a standard size, but not your old standby. These folks firmly believe that the one envelope that sticks out around the edges when all the mail is piled up, is the one that will get recognized.
This of course, leads by natural extension to the “colored envelope” group, who love the envelope that gets recognized just because it’s completely different from the plain white one that occupies most of the mail pile. This colored cousin is obvious just because it “is,” with or without printing, with or without size variations. Instant diversification.
What it all boils down to is that each opinion is valid and has worked for its proponent, or they wouldn’t be so excited about it. Everyone agrees however that you may have the most amazing letter in the universe, written by an incredibly talented dynamo, that once read is guaranteed to bring you earth-shattering results. But if nobody opens the envelope, it doesn’t get read.
So, what’s worked for you? Got any sure-fire recommendations? How do you make the decision? Do you mix it up, or stick to the tried and true? Let’s hear from you.
