Mail Stream: A Report on Incoming Direct Mail

Easton Press

 

Since the events of Sept. 11, countless American-themed products have made their way to the marketplace. While sentiments such as patriotism and compassion have formed the crux of a great deal of creative copy, mailers by-and-large have avoided incorporating the stark visuals associated with thetragedy. Easton Press, in a #10 package for a book entitled One Nation: America Remembers September 11, 2001 (produced in association with the editors of LIFE Magazine), chooses not to shy away from such imagery. Instead, pictures relating to that day are featured prominently throughout the package. Given the book's intention of serving as a historical record, the use of this imagery is both fitting and necessary. The outer envelope is adorned with a black and white version of the book's cover photograph, a silhouette of the World Trade Center set aside the Statue of Liberty. Inside the package, the images are more sobering, with visuals of the impact and subsequent collapse of the Twin Towers, as well as scenes from a New York Fire Department funeral. The book is priced at $69.75 plus $5.25 shipping and handling, expensive compared to other mail order solo book offers, but on par with merchandise found in Easton Press' catalogs and continuity programs. The fee is payable in two installments of $37.50.

West Elm
West Elm, the highly anticipated new catalog from Williams-Sonoma, launched recently offering stylish home merchandise. Designed to appeal to a more price-conscious consumer than the company's Pottery Barn line, the new book portrays itself as "value with laid back style." Including a variety of householdstaples, West Elm's Summer 2002 catalog features products that are part spa and part modern design intended to help customers "relax, feel safe and warm…lounge with special friends and celebrate who you are." Bedding, kitchenware, floor coverings, window coverings and lighting solutions (with candlelight being the preferred light source for West Elm homes), make up the majority of goods featured. A certain emphasis is also placed on its chair and bed selection, which is made mostly of wood or wicker. Along with plenty of items under $20 suitable for gift giving, products range in price from $19 for a five-piece flatware place setting to $699 for a hardwood table and four-chair combo. Customers are directed to call West Elm's toll-free number or visit its Web site to place orders.

Fix6
Fix6, a new appliance repair and replacement service by GE Service Management Inc., uses a brief but effective mailing to introduce its brand of major household appliance insurance. The no-nonsense 6" x 9" package starts with a personalized one-page letter describing the annoying breakdownscenarios that are easily alleviated with program enrollment: "What if… Your washer or dryer stopped working tonight? …your refrigerator has died?" But the highlight of the mailpiece is a Q&A brochure whose front cover presents the six major appliances protected in the service program with swinging doors that reveal the expensive reality of appliance breakdown: "The average labor cost for appliance repair is $75 per hour. A typical new washing machine costs $300-$500." For $19.99 per month, the service program repairs or replaces any brand of the 6 major appliances --washer, dryer, dishwasher, built-in microwave, oven/range/cooktop and kitchen refrigerator -- without additional parts or labor charges. Repairs are performed by GE-authorized technicians and replacement brands include GE and other models. Coverage becomes effective 60-days after enrollment and continues until plan cancellation or non-payment of the monthly charge. Responders call a toll-free number for more information or enrollment.

The direct mail pieces appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by Paradysz Matera, New York, through its online competitive direct mail and e-mail tracking tool MarketRelevance located at http://www.MarketRelevance.com/newsletter.cfm.