David Ogilvy famously claimed, “Direct Mail: my first love and secret weapon.” Increasingly, I hear marketer’s claims that direct mail is DEAD. Humbug I say. I am, of course, biased after 20+ years in the direct marketing business.
No doubt direct mail’s role as a mass medium for credit card solicitations has dwindled, thankfully. But what has always made direct mail so powerful is the connection of the written word: personalized, tailored, individual. Direct mail, when done right (and it rarely is), is like a love letter. I can think of few examples. Drayton Bird’s classic letter for American Express that begins “Have you ever paid a little more for a better seat at the theatre and thus enjoyed a far more memorable evening?” is one. In fact, it’s a three-page letter that worked for what seemed like decades attracting new Cardmembers to the American Express franchise.
Gone are the days when we, Twittering, texting, Facebooking consumers that we are, will stop to read a piece of personal correspondence on paper (much less write one. Even a Thank You note would be nice). Gone are the days of ink and parchment. Even pulp fiction and literary classics are an easy 30 second download with the Wi-Fi enabled Kindle 2.
Maybe direct mail is dead. Or, so I thought until I received a letter from my old friend Johnnie Boden. I actually know Johnnie and worked with him back in London in the mid 90’s when he was really getting his catalog business going. Because of this, his letter did speak to me differently. I could hear him as I read the letter. Even so, the honest, sincere – dare I say – humorous – tone shone through and made a connection. So much so that I read the entire letter. Every word of it!
You see, direct mail works best when it is written by a person, not a corporation. This letter uses all the DM tricks like the big $20 voucher with bright colors and made up terms like “Quick Service Number” so they can track me, but make me feel important. It even the uses of the word “Free” at least three times.
But, it also employs the key ingredient of the Boden Brand: wit and charm. Combined with brevity on one page, it’s a winning combo. In the opening paragraph Johnnie informs me that he’s “been hopping from foot to foot like an incontinent uncle waiting for that elusive first order.” He then acknowledges these are indeed “grey and miserable times” (I appreciate the dose of honesty) and asks for the order.
He writes, “It’s been colder than a polar bear’s toenails, and houses are now worth less than a packet of chips, but that’s no reason not to look fabulous. It’s time to just say ‘Sod it’.” Spoken like a true Englishman. He even uses the adverb “sartorially” which is an early 19th Century word relating to good tailoring. When was the last time you received such an erudite piece of direct mail that also contains colloquial vulgarities like “sod it”?
It worked for me. And this is my point. If you want to succeed in personalized communications, know your audience and know your voice. Don’t be afraid to proclaim your undying love for your customer or share common trepidations that will connect you with your audience. It’s even acceptable use words that others may not know. If the letter is good and genuine (as opposed to attorney-speak and pompous), the reader may even look the words up (online, of course). Hopefully they will buy something at best, or at least tell a friend (on Facebook) and perhaps even Blog about it. Too often the humanity of today’s direct marketing communications (and this includes email) is over thought by marketers and lawyers afraid to expose any “personality.” I suppose the worry is that being oneself, warts and all, might offend a small few with disregard for potentially connecting with the many more who care.
So check out Johnnie’s clothes. Sartorially speaking, they’re nice threads. www.bodenusa.com
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