Taking Control: KCET Staying Top of Mind — and Mail Pile

The “Action Needed!” copy on the outer, as well as the “To” and “Re” copy, command attention and give the mailing a clear purpose.

And in terms of design, the oversized poly address window is a more cost-effective option than the Post-it note, while still garnering attention.

“I think the whole outer envelope and its design and simplicity really increase the open rate of the envelope,” Scheib says, referring to the “urgent message” appearing through the window, the action-needed copy on the outer envelope and the yellow paper.

And the winner is …
The action-needed acquisition package is averaging a 0.61 percent response rate, with an average gift of $39 and $299 raised per thousand pieces mailed after five campaigns. It marks an 80 percent increase in dollars raised per thousand pieces mailed a $4 increase in average gift and a 35 percent lift in response rate over the prior control.

The action-needed package sent to deep-lapsed donors pulled a 0.65 percent response to the control’s 0.47 percent response to the deep-lapsed list. In August, KCET tested a greater discount — a $25 membership as opposed to $29 — in the mailing sent to the deep-lapsed segment. Newman says this discount increased response but resulted in a dip — of more than $15, Scheib says — in average gift.

“Overall, the cost to re-acquire the lapsed donor at the original discount was more effective,” Newman adds. KCET is in the process of acquisition price-point tests, “testing a lower and higher discount offer to ensure that we’re utilizing the most efficient ask string,” he says.

The organization also wants to attract the attention of a slightly younger demographic than PBS’ typical viewer, a female 65 years and older, through targeted programming and Web initiatives.