Creative
Blog Category
The Johnson Box—What, Why, Where, and How
Before we dive into the value and inner workings of the Johnson Box, a little family history. The Johnson Box was invented by my great great great grandfather Eustice Aristotle Johnson, a pioneer in direct mail. This breakthrough in marketing occurred shortly after he created boxed cereal and sliced bread. I’m a little fuzzy on […]
Design for Multichannel Marketing Starts with Direct Mail
Not too long ago, my colleague, Marcus Johnson, shared his thoughts on writing copy for different marketing channels. Creative design also needs to be tailored for each element in multichannel marketing. When the IWCO Direct creative team designs multichannel marketing campaigns for our clients, we always start with the direct mail piece. Why? Because […]
How to Write Direct Response Copy in Any Channel
Staring into the abyss of writing direct response copy for a multichannel marketing campaign? Pull up a chair and let’s discuss. First, define the scope. Say you have direct mail, email, ad-like objects (think banner/display ads, including those for different online platforms like mobile, tablet, and desktop), and social media. We could go deeper, but […]
Six Direct Mail Don’ts
The usual focus of my wildly entertaining blogs (hold your applause until the end, please) is ways to improve your direct mail—writing, strategic thinking, presentation, etc. In other words, what to do. This month’s topic is based on one of my father’s favorite phrases, dating back to my youth. At some point during an average […]
Mail is for Memories
There’s nothing like a human connection. We can survive not being able to go to movies or eat out at restaurants; we can muddle through distance learning and working remotely. It’s another thing entirely to survive being deprived of human interaction. It’s a weird revelation that’s come out of the pandemic—for all our advancements in […]
3 Questions to Ask When Designing for Digital Printing
We talk a lot about the benefits of digital printing and how you can maximize your creative direct mail design through its benefits. What we haven’t touched on is a specific concern when designing for digital printing: how to stop yourself from overusing or maxing out on the features that make digital printing great.
What Should Your Outer Envelope Say?
You probably know the expression “the eyes are the window to the soul.” It’s much the same with direct mail: the outer envelope (OE)—with or without a window—gives insight into the inner contents. The OE is a blank slate for your direct mail package, and has the potential to telegraph what someone will find inside. […]
Communicating During the COVID-19 Outbreak
If you haven’t been sending out messages related to your COVID-19 response to employees, customers, prospects, and others, you need to start now. Consistent communications regarding how your business is dealing with this public health issue serve a broad range of purposes.
Avoid These Three Direct Mail Bad Habits in 2020
I’ve built a shiny metaphorical bandwagon, and I’m inviting you all to jump on and help me improve the quality and effectiveness of creative direct mail writing in 2020. At the same time, we’re going to—once and for all, I hope, although I know better—say a final farewell to a few nagging direct mail bad habits.
How to Use Color in Direct Mail to Drive Results
You might have heard through the grapevine that Pantone’s 2020 color of the year is Classic Blue. I see a lot of blue in my job; there are several studies showing blue is America’s favorite color, and approximately one-third of brands use blue in their logos.
