Mailings

In the space of just a few days, I got three different magazine subscription offers, boom, boom, boom, and thought I’d share my thoughts. First, this short-and-sweet offer from Dog Fancy. The main piece is what I think of as a “two-thirds” mailing, because instead of being 11″ long like…

This mailing is a solid example of, first, the importance of having your demographics straight. I got this mailing from Sports Illustrated, offering me a subscription. Now, since I’m not exactly a sports fan, their number one mistake is that the odds of me deciding to take a subscription are…

I liked this offer from TIME magazine. First, it’s simple. No crazy bells and whistles, things I need to check or fold or tweak or poke or circle or tear. Okay, the reply portion is the bottom third of the letter and needs to be torn off, but that barely…

Well, this looks important. It even says so. “Important Notification for New Jersey State Residents,” right there on the cover. I’d better hurry and open it! So, I hurriedly tear off the perforated sides … because that’s always fun … and this is what I see. An offer for books.…

I recently received a copy of Food Network magazine–to which I tried a trial subscription a year ago–with this letter pasted to the cover. “Important Subscriber Notice” is emblazoned across the top, with a warning that, “This is a reminder that your current subscription term is ending, but as a…

Let’s take a look at another direct mail I received recently, this time for a magazine subscription. Like the last one, I consider this to be “sneaky.” First, it looks a lot like an invoice, even though I’ve never subscribed to Good Housekeeping magazine–or even read it, so far as…