Rule #1 of Direct Mail: Get the mail opened.
We’ve known for years that using large window envelopes leads to higher mail open rates. That’s why most of the direct mail campaigns we do for schools make use of a 6 x 9 large window envelope which allows the creative as well as the school branding to show through.
The December issue of USPS’s Deliver Magazine has another case study to prove our conclusion.
The Wilderness Society — a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit — adopted the larger windows for its bimonthly donor recruitment package, which it mails 2 to 3 million of annually. It now places the traditional single envelope used for the prospecting piece inside another envelope with an oversized window. And donors have taken notice.
When the double-envelope approach was tested against the single envelope, the oversized-window piece produced a 35-percent higher response rate, according to Robin Hickman, the group’s director of membership services. She adds that a subsequent test also generated a higher response rate, proving that doubling your efforts really can pay off.
If you want to see a boost in your mail open and resulting response rates, try a large window envelope for your next campaign and see what kind of lift you get.
My name is Ryan Erisman and I'm a founding team member at Replay Marketing. This is my blog about college sports and alumni marketing.
