Direct mail packages: design that sells

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Oct, 1988 by Elaine Tyson

Direct mail packages: Design that sells I don't hear much discussion these days about effective design for circulation direct mail packages. Maybe that's because "excellent design" in a direct mail package calls attention to the magazine being promoted, rather than to itself.

Good design works to get prospects to open your package, to read the copy, to make them say, "Yes! Enter my subscription--NOW!" In this respect, the designer is as much a salesperson as the copywriter.

Copy must be written before a package can be designed, but copy and art work together to create direct mail packages that get loads of profitable responses. Despite their diversity, well-designed direct mail packages have some elements in common. Let's take a look at some of them.

1. Visual presentation gets envelopes opened.

Good envelopes get opened. Badly designed envelopes get thrown out with the garbage. The way your envelope looks determines, to a great extent, the success of your mailing. there are lots of design tools available to get your direct mail package noticed. Envelope size, color, art, die cut windows--even the kind of postal indicia you choose--all play a part in capturing a prospect's attention. You have about three seconds to grab your prospect by the nose and lead him inside the envelope. The envelope should work exactly like a strong headline for a space ad. Designers know this, which is why good ones push clients to do something different--something unexpected.

Good envelope design means knowing some envelopes have to shout to get attention and others need to whisper. The best designers never stop worrying about the package envelope. If the envelope doesn't do its job, the money spent on the rest of the package is wasted.

2. The 'kiss' school of design makes order cards work.

Unless you're designing a sweepstakes package, a magazine subscription order card works best if you keep it simple and make sure prospects understand how to use it.

Order cards also have to look important. A certificate border can sometimes accomplish this, but it isn't always apropriate. You can make your order card look important by organizing the copy, using large type, and making sue perfs have a heavy broken rule around them. An effective order card always carries the magazine's guarantee displayed prominently as a graphic element to enhance its official flavor.

Any price savings, respond-by dates and/or premiums should be stressed--with color, type or both. While it is accpetable to set housekeeping copy (foreign rates, the disclaimer on first issue shipping) in very small type, it is not acceptable to use 4-point type to restate the magazine's subscription offer.

Invest some time to work out the design flow of the order card. It's the most important component inside your package.

3. Well-designed packages are easy to read.

Good design means appropriate type and point size, and the right type in the right place. For instance, no direct mail designer worth his/her salt would ever set type for a direct mail letter. Typewriter type is the only acceptable "look" for this package component. If you don't have or can't locate an accurate repro typist, you can specify American Typewriter or Clarinda. We like Clarinda because it looks most like a real typewriter. Nothing in your direct mail package should ever be hard to read. Therefore, typefaces such as the Times Roman or Helvetica families are your good choices for body copy.

Upper and lower case type is easier to read than all caps. So, restrain the urge to have everything all caps. Save this technique for special emphasis only and use it sparingly.

Generally, the best designed direct mail packages use only two or three typefaces throughout the package. Within a family of type, it's fine to vary the type weight--bold, condensed and italic, etc. This technique adds interest and dimension to a package. Constantly jumping from one type style to another, however, destroys the prospect's ability to settle down and read your message.

It's a known fact that type reversed out of a dark background is harder to read than black type on a white background. Dropping out a large headline is fine--even dramatic and eye-catching. But dropping out a large block of body copy succeeds only in slowing down your prospect. Good designers understand that creatin a "mood" doesn't mean rendering copy unreadable.

The point size of type is very important to a well-designed package. Generally, the larger the type the easier it is to read. We like to keep body copy at least 8 point or 9 point whenever possible. Most people really have to struggle to read anything below 6-point type. So, if you want your direct mail copy to be read, don't use type that's too small. Frustration eliminates readership.

Finally, don't feel compelled to fill every inch of space in your package. Copy needs some room--some white space--around it to encourage prospects to get involved. If your copy looks difficult or intimidating, no one will want to pursue it.