Bagging the Brown Bag

The grocery-voucher and trucking-voucher appeals were mailed as co-controls last year. The average gift for the trucking voucher has risen a few dollars each month mailed, Shoemaker says, and it’s now become the new control.

A2H is testing the art on the trucking voucher to see which pulls better response: an illustrated truck or a picture of a real truck. The organization also is developing new packages that are more hunger-themed and more in line with the A2H mission, rather than the logistics of delivering the food, Shoemaker says.

Constant testing and beating already strong mailings has created a coffer of campaigns to which A2H can return when fatigue does set in, she adds.

“What is nice is that the minute we see some fatiguing on [the trucking-voucher mailing] or if that average gift starts to slide or the high-dollar ask does start to spook people, then we’ve got another piece that’s ready to go and still providing great results,” she says. “It’s just nice to have a toolbox of appeals to choose from when we’re planning any acquisition campaign.”