Good direct mail design: let form follow function

via www.directcreative.com Good direct mail design is like good design in other fields. The best work results from a designer who understands how design is used to accomplish something. In other words, form should follow function. In the case of direct mail, the function is to deliver a sales message to a list of recipients to persuade them to take some kind of action, such as placing an order, requesting information, or going to a Web site. The wrong way to design direct mail is to come up with a “creative concept,” then force fit the copy into the design.

Another casualty of the recession

via money.cnn.com Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan, chief operating officer of the Direct Marketing Association, an industry trade group, expects direct mail to make a comeback over the next few years, once the economy as a whole recovers. “Do I see a good future for the Postal Service and direct mail?” he said. “Absolutely, but I think it’s going to be different.” Going forward, he projects that the direct mail industry will have less emphasis on credit and more on savings-driven spending, as consumer habits shift towards cash over credit.

How to bring together social media and e-mail marketing

via dmnews.com Savvy email marketers understand that campaign success extends well beyond traditional email metrics such as opens and clicks. Recent Epsilon studies such as the Email Branding Study and the Global Consumer Email Study show that email marketing is driving offline activities that are not being measured by open and click rates.