On the face of it, this cold acquisition mailing from the UK’s number one Life Insurance provider, Legal and General, has a lot going for it. It arrived in a cost-effective plain white outer that clearly signalled who it was from (though a simple headline teasing the content would have helped it work harder).
Best practice direct mail content
Inside the envelope were three pieces, each focusing on a different element of the proposition, as is good practice. The duplex letter presents an ultra-low entry price point of £5 and a generous £100 incentive from a choice of two popular retailers, positioned conspicuously next to the call-to-action, to encourage action from the prospect. The promise that you could be covered in just 20 minutes is compelling.
A choice of incentives known to perform well
We know from experience creating direct mail for financial services brands that it pays to give the prospect a choice of offers. Giftcards tend to perform better than cashback, too, especially from popular retailers like Amazon, M&S and Argos. It’s worth noting that this mailing could make it clearer that the reader has a choice, so that they are not confused into thinking they receive one of the 2 gift cards at random.
Facts that boost the reader’s confidence
The letter concisely illustrates the large cash sum the prospect can expect to receive for their small monthly premium. It also underpins the proposition with several confidence-boosting facts, including the brand’s 5-star Defaqto rating, the thousands of families it looks after, and the hundreds of millions of pounds in life claims that it has paid out recently.
Good use of clear, Plain English
The leaflet serves to provide a clearer explanation of what’s on offer. Inside, the proposition – protect your family with cover from the UK’s number one Life Insurance provider from just £5 a month – is reiterated, and the prospect is encouraged to choose the type of cover that suits them.
There’s a useful, Plain English explanation of the various types of cover, as well as a cleverly positioned cross-selling of critical illness and children’s critical illness cover next to an image of an adorable-looking child. Overall, it appears to be a cost-effective acquisition mailing that offers plenty of reasons for the prospect to respond.
But here’s the thing…
The individual to whom this was sent has not lived at the address for 7 years, meaning she would never open it. Once I’d used it as the basis for this article, it was instantly condemned to the recycling bin – a direct mail fail.
As we explain in this video, the most important influence on the success of any mailing is how well it is targeted. Mail the right people, and even a poor mailing will perform. Get your targeting wrong, and even your best, most persuasive direct mail will be doomed to failure.
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