News
 Dancing
Tweak to Tweak
By Lee Marc Stein
When you have a control package that’s performing
near or on budget, you may not want to risk testing
a completely different approach. You should,
however, test “tweaks” to the control package that
have the potential of generating small increases in
response/profitability. Theoretically, a series of
successful tweaks will add up to a major improvement
in your program. Want to know what they are?
There is a danger in tweaking. It results from not
understanding the difference between a tweak and a
substantive (and possibly damaging) change to the
control package.
Here’s an example from the world of publishing. The
control package is comprised of a promotional outer
envelope, four page 8½” x 11,” four page full color
brochure, lift letter, response form with offer
labels, and BRE (Business Reply Envelope).
OE (Outer Envelope): The control has a teaser on the
front that says “What if _______ is good for you?”
If you change that to read “Is ______ good for you?”
that’s definitely a tweak. If you move copy about
the Free Issue from the back of the envelope to the
front, that’s a tweak. If you change the background
color of the envelope, that’s also a tweak. You are
not dancing tweak to tweak if you take the question
off the OE and use assumptive copy – e.g., “A free
issue of XYZ Magazine is awaiting your
confirmation.”
Letter: After the Johnson box, the control letter
answers the question posed on the OE, then provides
a series of bullet points covering benefits,
specific content of the magazine, and subscriber
benefits. It also includes testimonials. If you
change some of the bullets relating to content (to
update them) and the testimonials (you believe you
have stronger ones), these would be considered
tweaks. If you change the opening and not answer the
question on the envelope, that is much more than a
tweak. What if you change the Johnson box
completely, but leave everything else in the control
alone? I would contend that’s a tweak as well, but
it’s certainly open to debate.
Brochure: If you change the magazine cover you
depict on the front panel of the brochure, that’s a
tweak. If you decide to use a lifestyle shot instead
of a magazine cover, that’s more than a tweak. On
the inside spread, if you update photos and content
descriptions, those are tweaks.
Response Form: If you change what the response form
is called – say “Free Gift & Issue Certificate” vs.
“Free Issue Certificate” – that’s a tweak. If you
remove the two pressure sensitive labels to be
placed on the return portion, or add a third label
that says “Maybe,” that’s a significant break.
The point here is to understand what a control
package is and what the implications are when you
make changes.
Often, marketers look at control packages and
perform tweaks without reason and without testing.
Recently, the mailer of an assumptive control
package (which I did not originally write) asked me
to supply a “much stronger” last paragraph to the
letter. I do not think the mailer realized that this
request moved the paragraph completely away from the
tone of the rest of the package. There was not
enough quantity involved to test this change. Why,
then, risk what this faux tweak might do to
response?
Sometimes what you think is a tweak turns into a
significant change. Years ago, I handled Hanover
Fire & Casualty Insurance. At a focus group, I
learned that prospects used the term “Renter’s
Insurance” rather than “Contents Insurance.” We
changed that one word – classically a tweak – in
subsequent mailings without testing it and response
shot up dramatically.
---Source: Lee
Marc Stein is an internationally known direct
marketing consultant and copywriter. He can be
reached at 631-476-5395 or www.leemarcstein.com.
|
|
|
Melissa Data
|
 |
| Enhance your
website, software or database with
easy-to-integrate data quality programming tools
and web services. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Save money on postage using leading
mail preparation software and other
direct marketing products. |
|
|
|
|
 |
Update & standardize addresses and
find out more about contacts in your
database.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Find new customers perfect for your
business with our online and
specialty mailing lists.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Locate the business information you
need such as ZIP Codes, address
verification, maps.
|
|
|
|
|
