Our plan to use a very visual outer envelope was a little risky as it was much more provocative than donors were accustomed to. We were concerned that if donors reacted poorly, that it could negatively impact results. However, with our goal of utilizing some edgier images during the program year, we decided to proceed cautiously.
In addition to the imagery, we had a UV coating applied to the envelope so that it would feel different and set itself apart simply on feel of the envelope if not for the look.
We tested the outer envelope by randomly splitting the donor file in half to see how donors would react to the provocative test versus the more traditional control package.
The overall performance was almost even between the packages. The total number of gifts was slighter lower than projected but they both exceeded our expectations in every other way. The average gift amount achieved 104% over projection and net revenue was 805% above projection. They were also both responsible for a significant reaction of lapsed donors.
We feel confident that with our test results to support the results that donors are ready for some more provocative imagery to be included in future campaigns.
