Case Studies
Proof in Action: Handwritten Personalization vs. Traditional Direct Mail
Case Study
Open Rate
Digitally Addressed or Hand Addressed Direct Mail: Which has the highest open and response rate?
TEST DETAILS: To determine the “true” open and read rates, we conducted a case study with 4,000 participants divided into 8 test groups of 500. Each recipient was mailed a FREE $25 check as part of the study. The number of checks cashed in each group served as a direct measure of how many recipients opened and read the mail.
Below are the actual results, showing the number of recipients who opened the envelope and cashed the check.
Open Rate Case Study, Hand addressed envelopes versus digitally addressed
Open Rate Case Study, Hand addressed envelopes versus digitally addressed
Results
Hand Addressed Envelopes
Hand Addressed
Open Rate
Trust-Building. Unexpected. Personal.
Computer typed envelopes
The difference isn’t cosmetic. It’s behavioral. Hand-addressed envelopes are opened and engaged with at higher rates than traditionally addressed mail—before the message is ever read.
Open Rate
46%
Financial Mailer
Open Rate
21%
Confidential Mailer
Open Rate
69%
Free Money Mailer
Open Rate
45%
Priority Mail
Open Rate
15%
Credit Card Mailer
Open Rate
30%
Official Mailer
Which would you rather open?
The envelope determines whether your campaign performs or fails. If it doesn’t get opened, nothing else matters.
A hand-addressed envelope is unexpected in today’s mailbox, creating a trust-building human signal at first contact—one that earns attention, increases open rates, and improves return per impression.
Something as small as the envelope has a dramatic effect on your ROI.
You want every marketing dollar to count—not end up in the trash. Think Ink Marketing’s innovative strategies ensure your message gets opened and seen by your target audience. The intrigue of a hand-addressed letter sparks curiosity, making it nearly impossible to ignore. The result? More opens, more reads, and more engagement.
Case Study
Handwritten Card / Letter
The Effects of a Handwritten Letter or Card in Direct Response Mailing
A high-end pool and landscape company, has long relied on direct mail to attract new customers. Their standard marketing package included a brochure and a typed letter, sent in a digitally addressed 6×9 envelope—a strategy that consistently delivered strong results for years.
To explore ways to enhance their response rates, we conducted a test. We swapped the standard envelope for a hand-addressed one with a live stamp, and replaced the typed letter with a handwritten card. The goal? To see how these personalized touches could impact engagement and drive even greater success.
The results were eye-opening!
|
|
Typed Letter
|
|---|---|
|
Direct Mail Quantity |
2,000 |
|
# of Calls |
17 |
|
Confirmed Appointments Booked |
11 |
|
New Sales |
5 |
|
Think Ink Marketing
|
Handwritten Card
|
|---|---|
|
Direct Mail Quantity |
2,000 |
|
# of Calls |
32 |
|
Confirmed Appointments Booked |
21 |
|
New Sales |
11 |
Case Study
ROI Performance Comparison
Digitally addressed VS hand addressed direct mail
|
TEST DETAILS
|
DIgitally Addressed
|
Hand Addressed
|
|---|---|---|
|
Direct Mail Quantity |
10,000 |
10,000 |
|
Response Rate |
0.39% |
1.19% |
|
Appointment Conversion Rate |
55% |
55% |
|
Gross Revenue Per Sale |
$4,200 |
$4,200 |
|
Unique Inbound Calls |
39 |
119 |
|
Confirmed Appointments Booked |
21 |
65 |
|
New Sales |
8 |
23 |
|
Total Revenue |
$31,500 |
$96,200 |
|
Direct Mail Open & Read Rate |
34.2% |
99.2% |
|
Mail Pieces Opened & Read |
3,420 |
9,920 |
|
Cost Per Mail Piece Opened & Read |
$1.90 |
$1.06 |
|
Gross Profit |
$25,000 |
$85,711 |
ROI |
385% |
816% |