September 11 Forces Direct Mail to Rethink Strategies

The Miami Herald online reports recent anthrax scares hit the U.S. direct mail industry particularly hard (November 11, 2001). Popular gimmicks like plain envelopes and "mystery boxes" with no logo or return address suddenly stopped being innocent junkmail and instead became sources for fear and concern.

In addition, the article reports that "powder from a doughnut, confetti in a card, and detergent samples" in correspondence have alarmed recipients. All this in turn has alarmed members of the $191.6 billion direct marketing industry.

The industry now faces hard choices for how to get messages to readers. After all, part of the allure of junkmail is the creativity of its packaging.

What can communicators do when the form of the message suddenly stops being appropriate?

"You" attitude suggests that sending a message in the form an audience finds comfortable makes sense. After all, that audience may never see the message if it comes in the wrong form!

Creative industries hire creative people--a solution is sure to be found for direct mail. Put on your creative "thinking cap" when deciding how best to reach your audience in unusual situations. Carefully analyze your audience to see what your options are. Where possible, think "outside the box."

Creative solutions come in many forms. The makers of the film "The Blair Witch Project" knew traditional advertising was beyond their means financially, so they turned to the Internet to help promote their film. The founders of clothing giant FUBU convinced star athletes and entertainers to wear their latest styles and reaped millions in "free advertising." Like them, let your imagination be your guide.