The Cost of Aesthetics – What Kind of Message is Your Direct Mail Really Sending?
Last week, I came across an interesting showcase post over at AllGraphicDesign.com, entitled “Best of Self-Mailers & Direct Mail Campaigns : Inspiration for Graphic Designers”. This post contains a number of samples of different direct mails pieces, many of which are highly innovative and/or creative. If you’re working at all in direct mail, you should definitely check it out. There is some really inspirational material there that could certainly fuel the creative fires for your next DM project.
One thing I definitely noticed about all these designs, though, was that they likely all come with a significant price tag. The various mailers certainly looked pretty slick, but it was also obvious that they came with rather significant production costs! Take this one for example:
There are huge costs involved with this kind of a piece. The cardboard stock will surely be more expensive than traditional paper, and though I can’t say for certain how much the cutting process would cost, there must surely be a significant level of investment.
On the other hand, I have read several articles which suggest that the best way to approach a direct marketing piece is to keep it simple. I’ve even heard it said that, to achieve success in direct marketing, we should actually make pieces “ugly.”
Is anyone else seeing a disconnect here? It’s no wonder that some mailers are left feeling a little confused about how to approach their campaign. Well, today, I want to dig a little deeper, and see if we can’t straighten some of this stuff out to some degree.
First, I think it’s necessary to establish just what is meant by the term “ugly”. Somehow, I don’t think that, in this context, the term is meant to describe something that is visually repulsive (at least to non-designers). It just makes no sense to alienate the recipient with a hideously unattractive design. Rather, I think that the term probably refers more to concepts of being “unpolished,” without all the refinement and alignment of a professional designer.
(Ouch – as a designer, I admit, this is difficult to swallow. My designer’s instinct tells me refine and align everything)
Why might this be of benefit? Well, consumers are clever people. When they get your direct mail piece, they read more than just the headlines and copy. They read the entire message that your piece is sending. This includes things like your design, your packaging, the tone and level of your copy. Many also see dollar signs. Is the piece obviously expensive to produce and mail? How will that perception affect your overall response?
If you’re a charity or non-profit, the response to such a piece could actually be much more negative than you might expect. Expensive looking pieces from charities can turn some potential supporters off, by giving the impression of being irresponsible and wasteful in spending. Most people want to see as much of their donations as possible go to meet the actual needs they are supporting, not towards marketing and administration. As such, a highly priced direct mail piece (or even a piece that is perceived as being highly priced) could have a profoundly negative impact.
The same could be true of any industry where cost is an issue. An expensive mailing piece can often suggest (even falsely) and equally expensive product or service. If your business is built around providing products or services at inexpensive and affordable prices, then an expensive direct mail piece could send the wrong (or at least a mixed) message.
On the other hand, though, some people are looking for high quality and/or luxury products or services. Some people want to buy from the best store, purchase the highest-end products and deal with the most elite service providers. They may be willing to pay more for higher quality, for a proven track record or even just for prestige.
If this is your target market, then chances are that you will want to consider a higher end direct mail piece (possibly to a smaller, extremely targeted list), in order to support your image as a highly quality or luxury retailer or service provider. In this instance, some of the inspiration from the “Best of Self-Mailers & Direct Mail Campaigns : Inspiration for Graphic Designers” articles may be more relevant to you!
The important thing to remember is that your message is comprised of your entire piece, not just the headlines, copy and call to action (though, of course, those are important). The form and packaging of the piece need to support the message itself and, by extension, reflect the basic values of your brand or organization. This means taking a good hard look at your target audience and working to determine what level of packaging and design would best support your message in their eyes.
This, of course, can also involve extensive testing. In the end, though, it should be worth it, by helping to clear up the mystery of which road you should take when approaching your direct mail – cheap and cheerful (as we like to call it) or something more elaborate (and usually more expensive). Both have their place, and both can work for you. It’s up to you to choose.
