News
 Open Secrets: A Refresher Course
By Elaine Appleton Grant
At a time when the corporate world seems
increasingly obsessed with digital solutions,
legendary direct marketer Ernan Roman has some
compelling news for brands: Recipients actually want
your traditional mail.
Roman says that prospects and customers have been so
overwhelmed with e-mails in recent years that the
deluge has turned off many of them. It has also made
them more receptive to mail.
“This started four years ago, and it has reached a
crescendo over the last three years,” says Roman, a
35-year marketing veteran who heads Ernan Roman
Direct Marketing in Douglas Manor, N.Y.
Of course, despite the good news that customers are
asking for your mail, you still have to persuade
them to open your envelope. To help you do this,
Deliver® Magazine, a publication of USPS®, turned to
Roman and fellow direct marketing legend Herschell
Gordon Lewis, who started his career making gory
films like “Blood Feast” and “2000 Maniacs” before
turning to ad copywriting. Not surprisingly, both
men know how to get attention.
Here are a few tips they have for those trying to
capture mail recipients’ eyes:
Understand what mail is good for. Make sure
recipients are expecting something they can use.
Customers of Roman’s clients tend to prefer direct
mail for important communications “that are relevant
to the preexisting relationship,” says Roman. He
adds that “the customer is going to get cranky if
you start chopping down trees for a message that
doesn’t have substantial value.”
Fulfill personal requests. Use preference
information from opt-in campaigns to your advantage
on the outside of the envelope. For
instance, Roman’s company recently completed a
campaign that encouraged viewers to name their
favorite TV programs during the opt-in registration
process. Using the consumer provided information,
Roman segmented the company’s list and sent
personalized promotions to the fans of various
shows.
Keep the envelope clean. Generally, when
sending high-level business information, keep your
envelope simple — an address, a restrained logo and
a personalized return address are all you need.
Don’t muck up the envelope with extra text, big
logos or artwork.
Help recipients make quick decisions.
If the product is relevant, but a commodity, says
Roman, informational graphics and copy can help
recipients prioritize the mailing’s importance:
“We’re saving them time by letting them know about
the product or offer on the outside of the
envelope.”
Use the right words. Many overused words
insult recipients’ intelligence. Lewis eschews the
words “free” and “personal,” which, at best, have
little meaning — and at worst, incite consumers’
cynicism and even anger.
Avoid the “bulk-mail” effect. Lewis
recommends doing whatever you can to ensure that
your envelope doesn’t look like one of millions,
whether it’s an unconventional font or an
eye-catching color.
In this age of consumer-driven marketing, there’s no
one-size-fits-all strategy that always will or won’t
work. You have to know your consumer well before you
splash the envelope with promotional copy — or not.
---Source: USPS® Deliver®
Magazine September 2008 issue (www.delivermagazine.com).
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