Direct Mail Design
Blog Tag
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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.
When it Comes to Response, Cookie-Cutter Direct Mail Templates Don’t Cut It
Not too long ago, a new client asked us suggestions to make their programs stronger. They scanned a bunch of mail samples we had on the table and leaned back in their chair, asking, “So, what templates do you suggest?” Our answer? “None.”
Give Your Direct Mail Marketing a Lift with Promotional Cards
You know from our reporting on direct mail response rates that direct mail works better than other channels for getting response. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to improve it even further. Today’s topic: using cards to captivate your audience …
There’s Nothing Like a Good, Old-Fashioned Whiteboard for Coming Up with Creative Marketing Ideas
Hands down, one of the coolest features in IWCO Direct’s Creative Services offices are our whiteboard walls. When we were redesigning some of our office space a few years ago, the Creative Services team got the opportunity to provide input into what we wanted and what would make the workspace more efficient [...]
