The January 2012 issue of our “Sample of the Month” case study newsletter features our client Guilford Press and their 12 version postcard campaign to generate interest in their course books. Ballantine handled the printing and mailing of this project.

 
Introduction

Guilford Press designates a handful of their book titles as Free for Adoption Consideration. This means that professors can get the book for free to examine it before agreeing to adopt it for use in their course.

 
Versions

This mailing consisted of 71,000 6×9 postcards, but this total quantity was spread out over 12 different course books being promoted. To help cut costs dramatically, we produced this job as one run of 71,000 postcards with 12 different versions. Always gang-run if possible.

 
Results

Guilford Press has been using this strategy for awhile because it works for them. That being said, tracking ROI accurately is difficult because they are giving out free copies that can’t be tied to a promo code. Instead, they look back 18 months later and measure:

• How are course adoptions doing for these specific titles?
• Did they get a spike in free copy requests after the postcard mailed?

 
Samples

If you would like a printed sample of this postcard, or have a project you want us to quote, please contact us.

The September 2011 issue of our “Sample of the Month” case study newsletter features our client Florida Travel + Life (Bonnier Corp.) and their successful test of a self-mailer with a tipped in BRE. Ballantine handled the printing and mailing of this campaign. Andrew Brown, Bonnier’s Art Director, handled the creative.

IMAGES: Front | Back | Inside

 
Quick Summary

Florida Travel + Life’s control package was a #10 package with 5 components: letter, reply card, buckslip, brochure and BRE. The offer was a 3 year subscription for the price of 1 for $19.97 (so 2 years free). The test mailer was a 6″ x 9″ 3-panel self-mailer with a tipped in BRE onto the inside center panel. The offer was the same as the control.

For this case study we asked Lisa Mohle, Bonnier’s Sr. Direct Marketing Manager, the following questions:

 
What was the strategy behind the self-mailer?

Our current control is a #10 sized 4 color package with several components, including a roll-fold brochure. In previous testing for this magazine, we’ve found the promotional package always outdoes a voucher style package. Still, we wanted to see if we could come up with a simpler package that still reflected the look, feel and content of the magazine. The self-mailer format also gave us a chance to imitate the style of a magalog — the front looks like a magazine cover and inside are brief samples of content found in the magazine.

 
How did the self-mailer perform?

We saw a 10% lift in response over the control. Also, the decision to include a BRE inside the self-mailer helped keep our credit orders even with the control, which is usually a challenge with a more promotional direct mail piece like this.

 
What should be the main takeaway from this case study?

Don’t be afraid to start from scratch. This idea came out of a meeting where we set aside our current control packages and what we know works and what doesn’t work. We shouted out ideas, wrote them on post-it notes, stuck them to a wall and then later went back and started to evaluate each one. We had a lot of fun with it and came up with some great ideas that ended up working — from this self-mailer to simple tweaks to our voucher packages.

The August 2011 issue of our “Sample of the Month” case study newsletter features our client Dr. Newton’s Naturals and their successful test of a mini-catalog. Ballantine handled the printing and mailing of this campaign.

CLICK HERE to enlarge the image to the right.

 
Quick Summary

Dr. Newton’s product catalog control was a 10-1/2” x 6” slim jim and they wanted to see if they could cut printing costs while boosting response. The test mailer became an 8-1/4” x 5-1/4” mini-catalog with a flip book design.

For this case study we asked Andrew Majewski, Dr Newton’s VP of Marketing, the following questions:

 
What was the strategy behind the mini-catalog?

Featuring over 100 vitamins and supplements in one catalog, the creative direction was to call attention to our hero products (that have our best margins) by giving the first 17 pages a “Customer Favorites” theme. Product descriptions were built around narrative-style copy blocks to present customer testimonials in an inviting way.

The catalog can then be flipped and rotated 180 degrees — allowing readers to browse the rest of the book by health concern. Quizzes, inspirational quotes, and health facts are peppered throughout the next 43 pages. The hope is that the piece retains value even after an order is placed; pulling double duty by planting the seed for multiple purchases.

 
How did the mini-catalog perform?

The new catalog outperformed the control in response and brought in nearly 10% more revenue. Also, our print costs where less than the previous control — even with a unique 4-page wrap (so that we could use more seasonally appropriate covers for spring and summer versus fall and winter).

Ballantine’s rates also included a free digital version of the catalog that we will be taking advantage of later in Q3 — to promote on DrNewtons.com, via email, the Google Display Network, social media, and an upcoming app based around our blog’s RSS feed of breaking health information.

 
What should be the main takeaway from this case study?

A simple refresh of existing creative can lead to questioning every assumption. Is bigger always better? Must a catalog always read left to right, “beginning” to “end?” Can a company’s or product’s unique positioning in the marketplace be reinforced by an orientation that truly stands out? For Dr. Newton’s Naturals part of the answer came from working with a team like Ballantine that allowed us to increase our results on a reduced budget.

 
Want a Sample?

We have some samples in stock and we’d like to share one with you. If you’re interested, please contact us.