Direct Mail

Digital

Legacy

Interval House – Fall House Newsletter Mailing

Interval House and Good Works Test a Provocative Direct Mail Package

This appeal consisted of a letter and newsletter package focused on the stark realities of women who have and are experiencing intimate partner violence. The reality is sometimes more shocking than what our imagination can conjure up and we wanted to make sure that this was plainly communicated.

Traditionally, this appeal has been soft on performance as it falls squarely between the first appeal of fall and the holiday mailing. We wanted however, to take advantage of the timing and develop a strong call to action by using hard hitting facts and designing a visually provocative package. Our premise was that if we could apply imagery that elicited a strong reaction, then we’d achieve a higher open rate and draw the donor in to the call to action.

"Good Works consistently delivers campaigns that are both fresh and strategic. They rise to Interval House’s desire for campaigns that stand out and engage our supporters boldly, taking calculated risks that are grounded in research and a breadth of experience. Our collaborative partnership allows us to be part of the process as we test new ideas and approaches to our fundraising."

‐ Rachel Ramkaran
Annual Giving & Communications Advisor, Interval House

Our plan to use a very visual outer envelope was a little risky as it was much more provocative than donors were accustomed to. We were concerned that if donors reacted poorly, that it could negatively impact results. However, with our goal of utilizing some edgier images during the program year, we decided to proceed cautiously.

In addition to the imagery, we had a UV coating applied to the envelope so that it would feel different and set itself apart simply on feel of the envelope if not for the look.

We tested the outer envelope by randomly splitting the donor file in half to see how donors would react to the provocative test versus the more traditional control package.

The overall performance was almost even between the packages. The total number of gifts was slighter lower than projected but they both exceeded our expectations in every other way. The average gift amount achieved 104% over projection and net revenue was 805% above projection. They were also both responsible for a significant reaction of lapsed donors.

We feel confident that with our test results to support the results that donors are ready for some more provocative imagery to be included in future campaigns.

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