What's Hot, What's Not in Direct Mail for 2014

What’s hot

• Building stronger relationships with donors — retention and cultivation!
• Planning for postage savings opportunities. The USPS Mail Incentive Programs for 2014 are still pending USPS and Postal Regulatory Commission approval. Each offer has unique qualifying criteria with most available to First Class, standard and nonprofit mailers. Discounts range, but many offer 2 percent postage savings. Encouraging campaign integration, the proposed Mail and Digital Personalization Promotion incents mailers to connect print with Web and/or mobile experiences. Suggested promotions are scheduled throughout 2014, with details found here.
• Increased versioning/segmentation and personalization beyond RFM — e.g., tailored messages specific to giving groups, interests and preferences. These approaches range from the simple male- vs. female-centric address label design to language announcing once-a-year mailings “as requested” and to special callouts recognizing unique milestones, anniversaries and levels of commitment.
• Faster and more variable printing. Digital printing to support “on-demand” testing and high-quality, four-color ink-jet capabilities are just two ways to support the testing of images and messaging without the cost of plate changes.
• Synchronized media campaigns — using full-service Intelligent Mail Barcode data including delivery trends and in-home dates to trigger well-timed integrated marketing communications: e-mail announcements of pending direct-mail communications, direct-mail follow-ups, phone calls, fulfillment support, website lead cultivation and timely acknowledgments.
• Increased engagement and cultivation strategies — scoring donor engagement/loyalty. Creating opportunities for donors to share their preferences in “their” words — through surveys, petitions, bouncebacks and “their vote.”
• Quality … and quantity — more frequent and personal touches: member/sponsor cards, thank-yous without an ask, handwritten acknowledgment notes, special event and holiday greeting cards, postcard updates.
• Extraordinary storytelling — sharing organizational experiences to inspire action. Engaging the senses and bringing the story to life through the choice of textures, color, images and format.
• Scorecards — providing a measure of success through infographic summaries, special reports and performance benchmarks.
• Mission-focused thank-you gifts — calendars, frame-worthy photos and certificates, notecard sets, notepads, educational booklets, bookmarks, address labels, and honor cards.
• High-dollar formats — special delivery, RSVP-style formats for loyal segments with the emphasis on special recognition and creating opportunities for increased levels of commitment.

What’s not