[Re: Loose Cannon: White-Letter Day, Direct Newsline, March 7, 2005]:
“The anonymous outer envelope’s era has passed. It is time to remove this particular device from a direct mailer’s arsenal.”
Richard, you’ve hit the “Bulls Eye” this time!
God bless you.
Gary Jentoft
Executive Manager
The Professional Photographers of Washington, Inc.
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Yeah, I hate those [plain white envelope direct mail pieces] too. Maybe you should respond and tell them you’d really like to go to their seminar, but do it anonymously. Return their stuff with no way to know who you are or to contact you. Heh heh.
No, but seriously… do you ever feel the urge to contact a company that does something foolish and give them your opinion? Sounds like that company could really use some advice.
Your column makes me laugh… but most importantly makes me *think.* Keep up the good work, it’s one of the pieces of email I look forward to receiving every week.
Chellie Young
National Account Manager
Direct Response, Inc.
Omaha, NE
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Rage? The fact is this direct marketer GOTCHA. Period. You opened it. This marketer bought a list and you were unlucky enough to be on it. The tactic worked. You opened it. The rage is self-directed because you opened it. The question I would ask is: would you have opened it if there was a company name and address on it? To what degree would having the name of the company lessen the chance of the envelope being opened?
Consumers and B-to-B people are so buried with solicitations, DMers are forced to resort to such tactics. That’s why there were 25 new messages on my e-mail this morning (received since 6PM Sunday evening) and only six of them were business related.
Bart Foreman
President
Group 3 Marketing
Wayzata, MN
Network
