Elements and requirements of advertising letters

Marketing InstrumentsAKAD Stuttgart 11/2009

Nico Schuster

• What is an advertising letter?

• Requirements

• Elements

• Examples

• Summary

TOC

2

33

What is an advertising letter?

• „the nearest approach to actual, personal salesmenship.“( E. Sampson, Advertise!)

• “Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail”(Wikipedia)

• Any letter, personally dictated, sent singly or hundred lots in a printed form…(International Correspondence School 1918 (!))

44

• Know your product• Know your target group

- What do we intend to say?- What reaction do we expect?

• Use good layout• Choose the right time/season• Be honest and straight forward• Check, check and check for spelling mistakes

Requirements

55

More detailed:

• Use headlines (attract attention)

• Tell a story (like talking to a friend)

• Be personal (like talking to cu in a showroom)

• Use short sentences / paragraphs

Requirements

66

• Mailing Envelope• Letter• Brochure/Flyer• Miscellaneous Inserts• Response Piece• Reply Envelope• Self-Mailers • Information Request

Elements

77

• Mailing Envelope• Letter• Brochure/Flyer• Miscellaneous Inserts• Response Piece• Reply Envelope• Self-Mailers • Information Request

Elements

AIDA

88

Example

Derived from Vogele

• Letter

1. Who is writing to me?2. How is he addressing me? What does he want?3. Who has signed the letter?4. Should I read the letter?5. Of what benefit will the letter be for me?6. Why is he writing to me in particular?7. Do I need this?8. How have I dealt with this need in the past?9. What benefit does this offer me now?10. Who can prove this?11. How can I find out more?12. What should I do?

99

Examples

Tabelle nach Adler

• Self-Mailer

1010

Examples

from the 1960‘s

1111

• Planning is important(who‘s the target group, what do they expect)

• KISS - Keep it short and simple• Don’t expect too much (avg. response rate 1.5%-3%)

„I do not read advertisements - I would spend all my time wanting things“

 Franz Kafka

Summary

12Nico Schuster

12

Thank you for your attention!