Mail Stream: A Report on Incoming Direct Mail

Uncommon Goods Highlights Recycled Materials
Uncommon Goods, a retailer of clever gifts and home goods, features an assortment of products made from recycled materials in its fall 2008 catalog. The 84-page, 8-1/4” x 5-1/2” book features a pair of Recycled Windshield Wine Glasses ($22 for two) on the cover with the text “slow down; dangerous curves ahead.” Just Inside, a note from the company founder asserts his dedication to eco-conscious practices, including the use of recycled and sustainably harvested paper for the catalog. A key indicates that a hand symbol next to a product means that it is handmade and that a recycling symbol means that components of the item are recycled. The opposite page is titled “Good to Be Green” and includes the cover merchandise as well as an "I Am Not a Paper Towel" set of dishtowels ($20), made of 100% organic cotton and printed with water-based inks. Other products range from the Memory Quilt Kit ($75), which allows customers to create a quilt with their favorite t-shirts to Aluminum Wallets ($49), Modern Design Watches ($95 - $145), and an Aerodynamic Senz Umbrella ($65). Orders can be made by mail, phone, or online at UncommonGoods.com. Customers are offered the choice of several nonprofits (including AmeriCares, Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), Defenders of Wildlife and Comprehensive Development) to receive a $1 donation from each sale.

The Trust for Public Land Personalizes Survey
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) recently mailed a fundraising appeal with personalized geography, a survey, and address labels. TPL is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving open spaces such as parks, gardens, hiking trails, and riverfronts. The rotated jumbo snap-tear package does not reveal the sender but alerts recipients to the enclosed survey with copy reading “(State) Survey Registration.” Inside, a four-page letter has a green box at the top with a message urging participation in the enclosed survey. The letter begins with the personalized salutation “Dear (Name)” and goes on to explain that TPL works with communities to strike a balance between conservation and development. A personalized yellow sticky note on the six-question “Survey on Land Conservation in America” informs potential participants of the survey deadline. Questions are posed to gauge the level of importance recipients place on land use (e.g., “What value do you place on open space and natural areas for children?”). The survey sheet also presents the $25/$40/$50/$100/$1,000/other ask ladder with $40 circled as the suggested amount. A freemium sheet of address labels is also included in the package as a thank you for participation.”

Free People Makes Notes on Fall Fashion
Free People, a hip women’s apparel brand from Urban Outfitters Inc. and sibling title to Anthropologie, highlights autumn looks in its August 2008 catalog. The cover of the 48-page, 9-1/2” x 7-1/4” book features a bohemian-looking model, clad in the Nomad Gentleman’s Vest ($88), Set Adrift Skirt ($98), Burnout Bandana ($24), and Tulip Bells Necklace ($228). Like the logo and date on the front cover, item descriptions and doodles throughout the book appear to be handwritten. Some pages are adorned with more abstract scribbles, while others feature sketches of animals, stars, and flowers. A bow-tie wearing rabbit accompanies the Tailor Made Jumper ($138), while a top hat drawing illustrates the Mad Hatter Fedora ($88). An eight page, 7-1/2” x 6” bind-in insert titled “Intimately Free People” includes undergarments such as the Dreamland Cami ($78) and the Cheeky Lace Bra ($48). The mail piece uses personalized geography to direct the recipient to the nearest retail store on the back cover. Orders can be made by phone or online at FreePeople.com.

The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and written up by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.