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Tough
on rhyme 2006 is the Year of Doubling Response Rates, and in recognition of this fact the Toppled Bollard (home to the marketing élite of the East Midlands) invited me to give a speech this month on the importance of language in direct mail. By way of explanation I told the story of my meeting last year with Mr Sydney Yendys – a man in whose presence I felt extremely edgy. In fact, so ill at ease did I feel that I eventually had to call a halt to the discussions and ask one of my colleagues to take over. I was deeply perturbed by this experience and consulted my GP who without hesitation told me that I had aibohphobia. By way of proof he turned to me and said, “Desserts I desire not, so long no lost one rise distressed,” which had me feeling both uncomfortable and bemused. Seeing my lack of ease the doctor calmed me but then said “Doc, note, I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.” At which point I left the room. Naturally as soon as I returned to the office I went to trusty Google and typed in aibohphobia and found to my astonishment that it was either a fear of palindromes* or a fear of mechanical dogs (Google can be a little imprecise in its definitions sometimes I feel.) On the issue of palindromes Google comments that, “if I had a hi-fi” I would play you one but sadly “Mr. Owl ate my metal worm”. So now you know. Thus my message to the assembled throng in the Bollard: words and phrases have effects. Get them wrong and the result of your advert can be utterly different from that which you intended in the first place. Of course you don’t have to write like this to sell things via direct mail – indeed most of my clients prefer me not to. Details of all the methods of writing direct mail that can double your response rate are contained in the report: “The four ways of writing direct mail adverts that will double your response rate.” The piece is on the www.mailing.org.uk web site, or if you prefer I can send you a copy of the article by email. Creative@hamilton-house will get you one.
Tony Attwood PS: If you’d like to have a second opinion on any direct mail you are considering sending out do forward it to me. I’ll call you back and tell you my thoughts. No charge, no obligation. “No lemons, no melon.” * For an explanation of what a palindrome is, or indeed the whole point of this letter, you may wish to take a peek at www.mailing.org.uk/palindrome.htm |