News
 9
Tips to Make Dimensional Mailers Stand Out
By Mike Maguire
The average executive can receive hundreds of pieces
of mail per week. In volume like that, a dimensional
package helps your mail stand out. When you decide
to go dimensional, keep these nine tips in mind.
1. Think it through. An effective direct marketing
campaign is a combination of smart strategy, good
objectives, innovative creative, a great offer,
solid data and an effective delivery format. If the
format works well, you are positioned to hit a home
run.
2. Determine your purpose. Certain market segments
have been particularly successful in utilizing
dimensional mail, including automotive, fundraising,
financial and pharmaceutical. The most common
application is for new-product launches and
hard-to-reach targets. Dimensional materials get
passed around and create the excitement necessary to
get all parts of the marketing channel moving.
3. Check your data. This is probably the most
critical aspect of any dimensional marketing
program. Spend the time and money here. If you can’t
be confident in your data, don’t do a dimensional
program.
4. Think ROI. Carefully set ROI goals create the
means for tracking the campaign’s effectiveness
early on. Evaluate and compare the value of the
relationship you are seeking with the lift in
response rate you hope to gain and the incremental
cost of a dimensional package. Run the numbers and
make sure they work.
5. Consider the costs. A dimensional piece costs
more to creat than a flat piece, but few spend
enough time evaluating postage, one of the biggest
cost factors. Maximize postal efficiency from the
very beginning of the design process.
6. Test the package. There’s no substitute for a
test mailing to make sure your piece will survive
the rigors of the postal stream. Test with the
actual paper stock and you’ll be using and the
actual premium enclosed. And be sure to test it
against a control. Yes, it is more expensive and
time consuming to test a dimensional package, but
it’s usually worth it.
7. Consider the recipient. Protect your graphics,
messaging and the overall appearance of the package
by shrink-wrapping or using a protective sleeve.
Also, be mindful of the finish. Shiny finishes like
glossy UVs are beautiful and protective, but they
also are fingerprint magnets.
8. Make sure it’s worth it. The item or offer you
are delivering must be special enough to meet or
exceed the expectations created by the package. If
not, your target will be disappointed, and then so
will you.
9. Integrate. The days of mailing a dimensional
piece solo and hoping for the best are over.
Marketers can leverage the effectiveness of
dimensional packaging by integrating any or all of
the direct marketing tools available to them –
email, Websites, traditional direct mail, phone
follow-up, sales call follow-up, or multiple wave
mailings. Integrate and succeed!
--- Mike Maguire is CEO of Structural Graphics, a
designer and producer of high-impact dimensional
marketing solutions.
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