MarketingDoctor.tv
Direct Mail And Charities
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Marketing professionals have always questioned direct mail’s effectiveness. Nothing new here! But recently The Chronicle of Philanthropy picked up on a study that seemed to show that direct mail appeals are losing their clout! Of course, in the same breath they note that the direct mail decline is part of an overall decline in fundraising and, not only that, if you read the article really carefully you see that where specific charities and areas of giving are growing so is the effectiveness of the direct mail campaigns. (For kicks, check out this followup on how philanthropies are coming under fire for not being “green” enough in their direct mailings.) Will they ever learn? |
It’s simple when you remember that marketing is the new advertising. In this case, what direct mail is really all about is targeting: delivering the right message to the right people and reinforcing the additional promotional tactics that you must use if your campaign is to be effective. My advice to the “charitables“ who are whining about direct mail effectiveness is to try marketing! Use direct mail in addition to advertising on the Internet, public relations, sales promotion, et cetera to augment their direct mail efforts. Oh, BTW, Wal-Mart is no dummy when it comes to marketing. They decided to use a direct mail campaign to win over locals when they wanted to open a new store. That’s because their direct mail piece mattered to the people who got it! Yes, it’s easy when you keep marketing in mind!
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