We recently conducted a couple of tests on a rollout mailing of a successful prospect (acquisition) direct mail package. The package has been mailed out several times now, and the tests were conducted to further build upon the success of previous mailings.
For this test, we mailed our control package rollout at a quantity of about 168,000 with two test packages at about 19,000 each.
The first test was to increase the size of the reply sheet from an 8.5” x 5.5”, non-folded, two-sided sheet to an 8.5” x 11” folded, two-sided sheet. The larger test reply sheet used all the same copy from the control reply, but it was spaced out more and formatted slightly differently. We tested this change to make the reply language easier to read, which we hoped would increase response rates.
The second test was a back end premium offer for gifts of $100 or more. The $100 ask amount was circled on the reply with a little note about the back-end premium item underneath. This test package also referenced the back-end premium in a note at the end of the letter. This $100 offer was tested in an attempt to increase the average gift.
The control package for this mailing produced a 2.69 percent response rate and an average gift of $23.09.
The first test package with the larger reply produced a 2.34 percent response rate with an average gift of $26.37. The lower response rate was the opposite of what we hoped this test would achieve, but the larger reply did account for a slightly higher average gift than the control package.
The second test package with the $100 back-end premium offer produced a 2.47 percent response with only a $21.93 average gift. Clearly, this attempt to increase the average gift was not successful.
Neither of the tests yielded the hoped-for results, but the information gained is still valuable for structuring future tests as we look for ways to further improve this already-successful prospect package.
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