Direct Mailers (Collateral)

 From Jonathan Splitlog: Digital mockup of the mailer I'm working on for A Capella Books. 

The idea is that ACB is having a "signing day" where a lot of famous authors are coming to sign books and conduct panel Q&A's. It would be a whole party at ACB with authors and food. To get a discount on your tickets, you present your signed "Your National Best Seller." You sign your books and get a discount to the book signing.

A Direct Mailer can be anything you wish to create for your client.

In it's most simply composition, the mailer can't be a sheet of 8.5"x11" paper with some information in it. It could be an invitation to an event or a coupon/sale that you get in the mail or possibly an announcement for an event or fundraser or just a "keep the date" announcement for forthcoming events with your client.

It must represent your client in such a creative and inventive way that even your client will be awed by it.It could be a pop out mailer or one that has a piece that tears off in order to mail back to someone or you can use die cuts or accordion folds or gate folds.....etc.

Another great tip when we think about sustainability is to think of ways to extend your mailer's useful life. Can it be or become something useful for the user? Maybe it can be a calendar, a mobile, a nutrition chart in the shape of a movable disk, a coupon book, etc? Whatever it is, make sure it will make the receiver hesitate to throw it away.

What is a Direct Mailer?
A direct mailer is a marketing or advertising piece that is distributed through the postal system. It can be a postcard, brochure or complex package that includes a letter, reply card, envelope and assorted inserts. Regardless of its format, the goal of direct mailers is advertising. The call to action may be to place an order, dial a phone number or visit a website. The ultimate intent is to raise awareness and generate sales. The sender might be a company offering products or services or an organization soliciting contributions.


A Direct Mailer can:
- Generate leads
- Increase store traffic
- Respond to competitive activity
- Generate customer loyalty
- Create new customers/referrals
- Improve sales force efficiency
- Improve customer service
- Increase customers' average purchase amounts - generate higher sales
- Announce store hours/sales/new locations
- Augment media advertising to top prospects and select customers

Specs:
It can be any size you wish. You can have this mailer fold and go into an envelope or can become the mailer/envelope all in one. You can create any format using any kind of paper you wish. Have fun with this.  It should contain the following:
- your client's logo
- real content (it can be anything from another resouce regarding text or you can write it yourself, but the copy must be real)
- real taglines (it must encourage readers to take action)
- you client's address/addresses & contact info

* Once again, I'll remind you of the margins. Leave some nice and decent breathing area around the copy.
** Avoid using the same typeface you used in the logo in the taglines and/or copy. Your designs must be consistent, coherent, but very rich at the same time.
*** Whatever typeface or typefaces you choose in your mailer (two are enough), remember that you should keep their use consistent.