Mailstream: A Report on Incoming Direct Mail
Time for Me Offers Products for Well-Being
“Dedicated to the Art of Well-Being,” Time for Me is a new AmeriMark title targeting women with a variety of products to improve their daily lives.
The front cover of the 10-1/2″ x 7-1/4″ catalog features a photograph of a woman snuggled on a couch with a cup of hot chocolate and copy reading “Cozy up to winter.” This theme is reinforced by a short welcome letter from the catalog director Merrile Green who reminds readers “…taking care of others begins with taking care of ourselves.” Products offered in Time for Me allow shoppers to address their health, cosmetic and apparel needs. Customers who work out can choose from a variety of exercise equipment including a pilates ball with base and stretch tubes ($34), a pilates home studio ($49), a pedometer trainer ($34) or an assortment of exercise apparel and footwear ($24 – $54). Herbal supplements that aid nutrition, menopause, mood and sleep ($16 – $59) complete the health offerings. Helping women both look and feel good, Time for Me displays an assortment of cosmetic products designed to conceal, revitalize and enhance. Cosmetics range in price from $22 for eye contour gel to $84 for a Joey New York MediSpa skin booster system. A few clothing items round out product selections, including swimwear ($44 – $114) and slimming undergarments ($25 – $72).
Missionaries of Africa Seeks Aid for Children
Humanitarian mailer Missionaries of Africa recently mailed a dime package, stressing the needs of children in Africa who are living in harsh conditions and extreme poverty. .
According to the four-page solicitation letter found in the 4″ x 7″ promotion, children in Uganda and other parts of war torn East Africa have been struggling for survival as a result of years of conflict and now a devastating drought. Many of these children have been orphaned and are forced to “take on the role of adults… trying to care for the younger children who remain.” Images of children who appear to be malnourished bring this stark reality home to recipients. Selected text in the letter like “Will you share your ‘dimes’ with these suffering children who have nothing… not even clean water to drink?” is emphasized with bold font, parentheses or underline. The reasoning behind the dime is also spelled out in the letter from Catholic priest Fr. Richard Roy. He writes, “by itself a dime won’t buy much,” but when 150 of them are put together, “we can help provide clean water as well as food and medicine for a child for an entire month.” Supporters are encouraged to return the enclosed coin with donations, which can be made along the $15/$18/$36/$50/other ask ladder because “with your help, lives can be saved!”
Esquire’s Latest Voucher Offer
The latest subscription mailing from Hearst’s Esquire magazine departs from previous offers which have been tracked for the men’s interest title. .
Instead of containing a letter and numerous inserts, this recent 4″ x 7-3/4″ package is comprised of only a voucher-style reply form and a single insert. Employing personalization throughout the voucher, Esquire informs potential subscribers of the discounted 87% savings, as well as the benefits they will receive upon subscription, including revealing celebrity profiles, the annual “Women We Love” issue, spring and fall fashion issues, and access to an online article archive. An expiration date appears on both the voucher and above the address window on the envelope, adding a sense of urgency. The colorful insert, promising “Hot Style, Sex, and Entertainment,” features three cover images to gives readers a sample of Esquire’s content. The hard “professional courtesy discount offer” is set at $5.99/$10.99 for 12/24 issues.
The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.
