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The production manager (or perhaps creative director) of a direct mail package usually chooses the paper. Historically, it’s never been an easy decision. It hinges on weighing (with postal rates, I mean that literally) quality against cost, including the selection of paper stock/weight, grade, coated or uncoated, and so on.
Recently, that decision just got harder, with the now viable option of using more environment-friendly paper (groundwood/high-yield/nonvirgin-offset sheets, more post-consumer recycled content and environmentally certified) in all components of a mail piece.
Unless you’ve already done so, here are five choices you may consider adopting.
1. Go High-End (but not Necessarily High-Cost) with the Outer
If you’re going to spend money—or experiment with unusual paper (which may or may not increase cost)—choose the outer envelope. “I’ve had a lot of good luck using higher-end, or unusual paper with the carrier envelope. It’s been pretty clear that some kind of heavier or textured stock seems to improve response,” says Jeff Brooks, creative director at Merkle, a database marketing agency based in Lanham, Md.
To create an outer envelope with more texture, Brooks gives the example of taking normal paper and running it through a machine that scores it, putting parallel or diagonal grooves across it. “That adds very little cost but makes the envelope definitely different than other things in the mailbox,” claims Brooks, who says it appears that textured paper slows the prospect down.
“The caveat, of course, is: Is it enough of an improvement to justify the cost?” asks Brooks, who works in Merkle’s agency division that serves nonprofits. His agency hasn’t been able to justify the increased expenditure for acquisition mailings, where getting cost down is paramount to success. “You may get a great response but kill yourself because you sent 3 cents too much per package,” he explains.
2. For Buckslips, Brochures and Bookalogs, Keep Up the Quality
In the effort to lower the paper cost throughout the package, there are some components worth preserving to show off a brand, publication or organization properly, as well as create the right impression (visual- and touch-based) for the prospect.
Meta Brophy, director of publishing operations at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports in Yonkers, N.Y., gives a few examples. “We still use 50-lb offset for full-color components to show our publications off to best advantage, which a whiter, higher-end stock does. If appropriate, we may print buckslips or flyers on uncoated high bulk, whereas brochures are generally printed on 50-lb coated paper.” Meanwhile, she says that high-end stocks are used for magalogs, bookalogs, slim-jim covers and order cards.
Recently, that decision just got harder, with the now viable option of using more environment-friendly paper (groundwood/high-yield/nonvirgin-offset sheets, more post-consumer recycled content and environmentally certified) in all components of a mail piece.
Unless you’ve already done so, here are five choices you may consider adopting.
1. Go High-End (but not Necessarily High-Cost) with the Outer
If you’re going to spend money—or experiment with unusual paper (which may or may not increase cost)—choose the outer envelope. “I’ve had a lot of good luck using higher-end, or unusual paper with the carrier envelope. It’s been pretty clear that some kind of heavier or textured stock seems to improve response,” says Jeff Brooks, creative director at Merkle, a database marketing agency based in Lanham, Md.
To create an outer envelope with more texture, Brooks gives the example of taking normal paper and running it through a machine that scores it, putting parallel or diagonal grooves across it. “That adds very little cost but makes the envelope definitely different than other things in the mailbox,” claims Brooks, who says it appears that textured paper slows the prospect down.
“The caveat, of course, is: Is it enough of an improvement to justify the cost?” asks Brooks, who works in Merkle’s agency division that serves nonprofits. His agency hasn’t been able to justify the increased expenditure for acquisition mailings, where getting cost down is paramount to success. “You may get a great response but kill yourself because you sent 3 cents too much per package,” he explains.
2. For Buckslips, Brochures and Bookalogs, Keep Up the Quality
In the effort to lower the paper cost throughout the package, there are some components worth preserving to show off a brand, publication or organization properly, as well as create the right impression (visual- and touch-based) for the prospect.
Meta Brophy, director of publishing operations at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports in Yonkers, N.Y., gives a few examples. “We still use 50-lb offset for full-color components to show our publications off to best advantage, which a whiter, higher-end stock does. If appropriate, we may print buckslips or flyers on uncoated high bulk, whereas brochures are generally printed on 50-lb coated paper.” Meanwhile, she says that high-end stocks are used for magalogs, bookalogs, slim-jim covers and order cards.
Companies Mentioned:
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