Around the World in 11 Seconds
Posted on Tue, Mar 23, 2010
By Pete Carter, Principal & Senior Vice President
In case you haven’t had a chance to pour over all 196 pages of the DMA’s 2010 Statistical Fact Book there are a few interesting stats that demand our attention. For example – the average consumer received 24.7 pieces of mail per week last 
year. Sounds like a lot, but that’s the fourth year in a row that the average has fallen. But, our beloved direct mail now represents more than half - 52% - of total mail volume in the United States. This trend will surely continue as people send fewer and fewer personal cards, letters, etc. So the competition in the mailbox is in some ways more intense than in years past since a majority of those 24 or 25 pieces sent each week are addressed to “Dear Friend.”
So how do we make our Dear Friend message stand out?
With an average of 11 seconds to get our letter noticed, we need to be at our creative best. One place to look for inspiration and creativity: the rest of the world. They have some pretty good ideas out there, some of which are really different than our own. When I’m looking for a fresh idea I will often turn to SOFII, the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration.
This UK-based site is fantastic – easy to navigate, and chock full of great ideas. I especially like their “Best of the Best” showcase of fundraising campaigns from around the world. Every channel is represented here, including many of the most interesting direct mail and DRTV campaigns ever created.
I was especially impressed by two techniques that I saw recently on SOFII. Both ideas could be used by just about any nonprofit. The first, from Habitat for Humanity of Great Britain, is a “Money Back Guarantee.” Sounds risky, but it worked for them. HFHGB offered to return a contribution in the first six months of receipt if the donor did not feel it had been spent wisely and informed them about it in an appropriate way. When tested, the control and the money-back-guarantee version generated nearly identical response rates – but the test lifted average gift by 50%. And virtually NO donors asked for a refund!
The other I want to share with you is from Canada’s Ontario Nature. Ontario Nature is one of Canada’s oldest and most respected environmental organizations. They are testing an alternative to the final ask amount on their reply form.
Most groups leave this amount blank, or put the word “OTHER” next to the option. Nature Ontario is going in a different direction – their final gift amount says “SURPRISE US”. Nicely done.
The results will indeed be a surprise – a good one, I hope! What tests are YOU planning this year?