One of the joys of the longer days and warmer temperatures that come with Spring is shifting the post-dinner activity in our house from puzzles or colouring to a daily walk to the mailbox. (Don’t worry, the colouring still happens and I have 50 Paw Patrol and Pokémon masterpieces on my fridge to prove it!)
It was after one of these lovely little treks that I heard an excited, “Mommy, we have green mail!”
The proclamation was shrieked by my 3-year old as she “helped” me sort through the bills, direct mail samples, and flyers that had graced our mailbox that day.
And why was she so excited? Because she saw something different. In a sea of #10, white, window envelopes, she found something truly amazing – a #10, green, window envelope.
It caught her eye – just as it could catch the eye of your donors – because it’s different, it’s unique, it’s dare I say…a bit weird.
In direct marketing, we know the #1 goal of the envelope is to get it opened. And to do that, you need to stand out. Here are just a few ways you can make that happen on one of your next pieces.
Make it bigger or smaller
In direct mail fundraising, and mail in general, the #10 window envelope is the standard as it’s readily available and inexpensive. But that also makes it pretty common. A slight change in size can make your OE stand out amongst a crowd of similarly sized envelopes.
Try a #9 (commonly used for BREs), a newsletter-size, or even an oversized 8.5×11 depending on what you’re sending. I love the latter for things like impact reports. For a 2-page letter? You might be better off trying one of the other suggestions below!
Make it colourful…or extra boring!
Take a cue from my daughter and add lots of colour. The envelope that caught her eye was a full-bleed, custom-made envelope. It looked fabulous! That kind of envelope can add time and expense to your mailing, but there are alternatives. With modern presses, you can get pretty full coverage even with an off-the-shelf envelope!
On the flip side, we’ve also seen totally boring envelopes work well. I’m talking logo only (or even address only!), no teaser, no pizzazz. It builds intrigue to the point where folks can’t ignore it. Is it a bill? A tax receipt? A special invitation? The only way to find out is to open ‘er up!
Make it totally unique
I’ve saved the best for last here because there are so many ways to do this!
Reverse window envelopes are some of my favourites because they allow a chance for amazing visuals on the non-window side. We recently did an OE for a client with a reverse window and a teaser in portrait orientation, rather than landscape – can’t wait to see the results of that one!
You can also let your envelope help you tease what’s inside. “But Alison,” you say, “…isn’t this what a teaser is for?!” Yes! But I’m talking about actually showing donors what’s inside. Double window envelopes are a super cool option that lets donors get a glimpse of the inside of the package to show something strategically placed inside; maybe a sticker, other small premium, or just powerful message on a Johnson box. Also, ever heard of vellum? This translucent paper can be used to make envelopes and might be a cool way to show something really unique inside your package.
You could also try sending in something other than an envelope – or at least something designed to look that way. One of my favourite unique packages is one we did for a client many years ago – an envelope designed to look like a brown paper lunch bag!
Word of warning, some of these super cool things aren’t cheap. But really, what is these days? When used strategically, weird OEs can help boost response and revenue and offset additional costs.