2011 Trend of the Year: VDP on the March!
by Ethan BoldtAt the Who's Mailing What! Archive, we're always on the lookout for the latest big trends that affect mailers. After looking at data from the beginning of 2009 until nearly the end of 2011 (until October), it became clear that the personalization/VDP (variable data printing) trend is not going away. Companies and organizations are using prospect data in order to personalize their mail more than ever.
In 2009, 28 percent of mail pieces were personalized, but that jumped to 34 percent in 2010 — a 21 percent increase. 2011, meanwhile, demonstrated that that increase was only the beginning, as seven of the 10 months recorded had even higher VDP usage, with February and May both recording 41 percent of efforts using VDP.
Think about that for a second: 41 percent of all mail using VDP is a stunning figure, as it represents another 21 percent increase from 2010 and a whopping 46 percent jump from 2009 levels.Percentage of Personalized Mail in 2011*
Jan. - 37 percent
Feb. - 41 percent
March - 38 percent
April - 33 percent
May - 41 percent
June - 39 percent
July - 38 percent
Aug. - 33 percent
Sept. - 34 percent
Oct. - 36 percent
* This data is derived from the Who's Mailing What! Archive and extends to October 2011.
The Best in 2012 Election Mail
by Paul BobnakThere's a lot at stake in the 2012 elections besides the obvious prize — the White House. So we here at DMIQ decided to look at the direct mail sent out by political campaigns in 2011, to see what's working and what may be ahead in 2012. And why not? We've had a long history covering the direct mail of political campaigns.
Beginning way back in 1984, the second-ever issue of our predecessor newsletter, then titled Who's Mailing What!, featured a critique of Republican efforts by liberal fundraiser Roger Craver. The first part of his "Dollars For Democracy" article still resonates very strongly today in its section "Why People Give to Politics." (If you'd like, just ask and I can send you a PDF of it in its entirety.)
To summarize his analysis, political direct mail contributors are not the "fat cats" who expect favors or budget earmarks in exchange for money, but "donors of principle." These are people who don't need to be persuaded about the rightness of a candidate, party or issue, but can be motivated to donate by a mailer's copy and design.
According to Craver, the best direct mail packages are those that include one or more of these factors in how the copy is written:
a) a sense of mission or challenge;
b) a sense of selectivity, or exclusivity that flatters the recipient;
c) a sense of urgent need that gets the contributor to give ASAP; and
d) a sense of continuity and effectiveness that acknowledges the power of the opponent but also reassures victory if a donation is made soon.
Direct mail efforts logged by the Who's Mailing What! Archive were evaluated based on a variety of factors, including how well they embodied Craver's criteria, and appeals to the main emotional copy drivers (fear, anger, greed, flattery, salvation, envy, guilt). Package design, impact on the tumultuous political year, and longevity were also considered.
The four best were profiled in separate articles: Tea Party Patriots control, Democratic Party of Wisconsin's recall effort, Obama for America launch package, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee's membership upgrade.
Naturally, not everyone is going to agree with our choices, so please feel free to talk about it in the comments below, and perhaps offer your own selections. As the year progresses, we will post additional articles about what campaigns and interest groups are up to, and what can be learned from them.
Paul Bobnak is the research director of DirectMarketingIQ. Reach him at 215-238-5225 or pbobnak@napco.com.