7. What are some of the best sources of ideas for new direct mail formats? Name them and describe in your own words. Which source(s) do you believe would be the most fertile?

Sources of Format Ideas Direct mail graphic designers do not have to work in a vacuum: sources of format inspiration are readily available. Maintain Sample Files First, and most basic of all, become an avid direct mail consumer yourself. This need not be costly, if you get into the habit of making as many necessary personal purchases as possible via the mail you receive (responding online is fine). Order products from companies in all price ranges selling clothing, home items, electronics, sporting goods, food, office supplies, and other goods frequently offered by mail. Answer inquiry ads for high-ticket items like automobiles, and for intangibles like insurance and mutual funds. Join book and music clubs, and sign up for a continuity series of products such as a box program. Subscribe to a wide variety of publications: specialized subscriber lists often are rented to firms with direct mail offers. When you doso, mail will roll in from all over the country - not just from the firms you patronize, but from the companies that rent their mailing lists. Perhaps your company or agency already cultivates an organized file of competitive materials, commonly called a swipe file. If not, start your own, and categorize it by product type or format-whatever you find most helpful. Talk With Vendors Involving those who sell you paper, both sheet-fed and Web printing, and computer and lettershop services should yield you a constant source of format ideas. As these vendors add new equipment and applications to their plants, they will enthusiastically share the news with you. They should also be eager to show you innovative packages and concepts that they have completed for others, once they are in the mail and in the public domain. Remember also the benefit of showing your vendors your new concepts before the exact size and specifications are set. By shaving a fraction of an inch here and there, or changing the materials slightly, vendors may be able to save you enough money to make Read Books and Trade Publications, Look Online, and Attend Shows Books such as this one will give you an overall understanding of the basic direct mail formats, and some ideas for additional sizes, enclosures, and refinements you might consider. Online and print trade publications offer news about production methods and successful packages that may fuel your creativity. Many publications also highlight award-winning packages. And since most direct marketing awards are given for bottom-line performance rather than pure creativity, such noteworthy applications may be well worth considering. Many freelance copywriters and graphic designers maintain Web sites where they showcase their direct mail success stories, including visuals of the formats and copy and sometimes even specific results. If you meet or read an article written by-a creative you admire, check to see if they have a Web site you can learn from. Finally, visits to international, national, and regional direct marketing shows may help stimulate your creativity as you chat with vendors in their display booths and attend talks on creative and production-related topics. Update your Software Knowledge As direct marketing creative expert Marc Ziner notes, "Because our field has skewed so dramatically toward electronic and computer-based production, creative people will be wise to seek training in systems software, word processing, and graphics applications." Knowing and using the latest software programs will help make copywriters and graphic designers more open to new techniques and formats for direct mail, and quicker to understand how technology can be applied for creative breakthroughs and cost savings. The Outer Envelope Studies show that your prospect may consider your direct mail package for only a second or two before deciding whether to read it immediately, save it for later, or dispose of it. Your choice of size, paper, graphics, and message will help the prospect make a decision on whether to open the envelope. Check the Web site of MackayMitchell (www.mackavmitchell.com) for a good overview of technical considerations and terminology for direct mail envelopes. Here are some of the factors to consider in designing an outer envelope. Standard or Custom Sizing The most common direct mail envelopes are \#10 (standard business outer envelope size), 69 or 912, but many other sizes are acceptable to the post office: square, oversized, European-sized, monarch, invitation-look, etc. Larger sizes like 912 often require extra postage, however: keep abreast of postal regulations to avoid a surprise upcharge. Selecting a common-sized envelope generally saves money: always check with your envelope vendor when designing a custom piece to make sure it can be manufactured at an acceptable cost. Odd-sized envelopes may prove to attract more attention than predictable-looking ones, and sometimes an outer envelope is chosen to complement the sizes of pieces that will fit inside. It may well be worth a test, however, to see if a unique envelope with a premium price justifies its cost compared to a standard-sized envelope and package with the same graphics and message. Materials Because most direct marketers have their envelopes manufactured from scratch, they have the same wide range of paper and print options that are available for brochures or letters. For last-minute or small-quantity jobs, you may choose to overprint a stock envelope, which will limit your selection of papers and your ability to decorate the envelope. Paper availability often is an issue, so to maximize your options for envelope paper and printing, work with experienced envelope vendors and plan to order early. Check your sample files for an overview of the types of envelope materials available: everything from simple wove and kraft paper stocks to elegant parchment and laid finishes, coated papers for four-color printing, foils for attention-getting effects, and even see-through plastics. Considering environmental factors, many direct marketers are opting for recycled envelope stocks printed with soy-based inks - both for their own corporate citizenship and to make a positive impression on customers. Closed Face or Window The traditional direct mail envelope usually featured a window showing through to an addressed letter or reply card. This method made it possible to both address and personalize the mailing with only one piece in the direct mail package having a label or computerized address. It was, however, an immediate "tip-off" to consumers that they had received a commercial direct mail offer. With today's many options for computer personalization of multiple pieces in the same direct mail package, many marketers are opting for closed-face packages that more closely simulate personal business correspondence. If you invest in a closed-face package, be sure that the other elements of the envelope maintain this personalized one-to-one look: use a stamp or postage meter instead of a printed indicia, and avoid promotional teasers or graphics. Teasers Versus Plain Outers While many direct marketers swear by colorful, decorated envelopes and envelope teasers that entice the prospect to look inside, others point to test results that show the same or better performance from packages with plain outer envelopes. A teaser tells the prospect that this is a direct mail offer. It should help lure the prospect inside with the promise of a special offer, free gift, intriguing information, or the answer to a question or group of questions. Sometimes a teaser makes a statement and then trails off, enticing the reader to look inside for the rest of the message. Some marketers have tried beginning the letter on the outside of the envelope, then continuing the story inside. Resist the temptation to disclose too much with your teaser: this may prompt the prospect to make a decision on your offer without even looking inside. Not all teasers require words. Sometimes it is enough to place a logo or motif on the outer enve- lope. The prestige of a designer's logo, or that of a European sports car, might be sufficient to entice aficionados inside an envelope. Cat lovers will probably open an envelope that features a feline. A single or secondary teaser could be a window with a die cut that shows through to a picture of the product or a premium. Involvement Devices on Envelopes If your budget permits, you may consider testing yeso/maybe stickers or other involvement devices on the outside of the envelope instead of inside on the reply form or letter. Another interesting test is to tip the lift letter onto the back of a 912 envelope instead of inserting it inside: this serves to summarize the offer and challenge the reader to look inside, asking "what have you got to lose?" Corner Card The corner card is the return address that appears at the upper left of the front of your envelope. The return address may also appear at the upper middle of the envelope's back. Usually this will be your own return address, but you might also consider having the corner card list an endorsing organiza- tion or an individual. This has been done successfully in fund-raising efforts with packages that appear to come directly from celebrities or political figures. Indicia or Postage An easy and cost-effective way to affix presorted standard postage is to preprint the indicia right on the envelope, but this is a dead give-away of a direct mail solicitation. As an alternative, consider using a postage meter, which gives the look of a regular business mailing even if it displays the presorted standard postage amount. There are also presorted standard rate stamps, which may be costly to affix, but provide a personal-letter look. Recipients probably won't look closely enough to note that the amount of postage on the stamp is less than the first class rate. To speed your mailing and provide the ultimate in the appearance of personal mail, however, consider testing first class mail to see if the extra postage costs are justified for some very well-targeted offers. The Letter Because it takes the place of the face-to-face salesperson, the letter is the most essential piece in any direct mail package. Unlike a brochure or reply device, the letter can sometimes stand alone and still make the sale. So important is the sales letter that Richard S. Hodgson wrote what is now a classic book on the subject: The Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters of All Time. Hodgson suggested using this book as an idea source to see how top writers tackle challenging assignments. The book contains some of the most famous and responsive letters in the history of directmarketing, as well as tips from renowned letter writers including Bob Stone, Victor O. Schwab, Ray W. Jutkins, Herschell Gordon Lewis (who wrote his own helpful how-to book called Sales Letters That Sizzle), Don Kanter, and Hodgson himself. The Hodgson book also contains scores of examples from the "pros" on ways to start and close letters effectively. This volume is highly recommended as a howto guide for new direct marketing writers and designers, and as a source of reference and inspiration for veterans. The key to successful letter writing is in creating a personal "me-to-you" communication. Thus the writer and designer of any direct mail letter must immerse themselves not only in product background, but also in knowledge and understanding of the target audience. You must know their hopes, fears, and aspirations ... what kinds of messages stir their emotions and entice them to buy. To get on the right track, study psychographics, material from the database, and customer service communications with your firm. Read the comments customers make on your Web site about your products and services, and check out what's being said about your products and services on blogs and via social media. Find out what magazines your target market reads ... what television shows they watch ... what Web sites they frequent. .. whom they admire. Walk in the shoes of your target market to prepare yourself for effective communications. Read over past letters that have been the biggest sales winners with the same target audience. Once this careful preparation is done, you will be ready to consider specific elements such as these in the development of your direct mail letter format