Fidelity Investments Fulfillment Concepts
It's been said that the way to one's heart is through the stomach. Fidelity Investments Fulfillment Concepts Inc. hopes that this is the
path to one's wallet as well. An innovative new 9" x 9" package from the company offers responders a free lunch via a coupon for a large one-topping Domino's pizza and a two-liter bottle of Coke. The mailing acts as an introduction to Fidelity Investments Fulfillment Concepts 401(k) and payroll plans for small and midsize businesses. The sales letter and eight-page insert included in the package give a brief overview of the aforementioned financial services and prompt the recipient to call a toll-free telephone number or visit a customized Web site to request more information. With such requests, the free lunch premium is given.
Woodworker's Book Club
F&W Publications' Woodworker's Book Club is promoting a new introductory price of $9.99 for four books. While this price is down from its previous $15.56 for only three books (tracked some time
ago), this is still a rather high barrier to entry compared to other club marketers, but one that is justified given the highly specific nature of the product. Club marketers are typically known for their extremely loaded introductory deals, whether that means 12 free CDs from Columbia House Music Club or "Four books/Four bucks" from Quality Paperback Book Club. Woodworker's Book Club's sales copy positions the first three books as free, and the fourth book at $9.99 (plus $7.93 shipping and handling), for a grand total of $17.92. Although the customer ultimately chooses all titles, the "Jigs and Fixtures Bible" is suggested as the first book, and it is given prominent placement. The most atypical aspect of the club is that there is no commitment to make future purchases. In addition, two free gift booklets ("Bob Flexner's Finishing Facts" and "Measure Once, Cut Once") are offered with payment, for a total of five free gifts. Not surprisingly, the magic word ("free") appears the same number of times on the front of the glossy 6" x 9" package.
Brylane Home Kitchen
A mini-size special edition of the Brylane Home catalog, called Brylane Home Kitchen, was recently mailed to capitalize on the coming summer holidays. In anticipation of the Fourth of July, a
ceramic pie dish holding an American flag-inspired blueberry and strawberry creation is given cover prominence. Similar merchandise is highlighted in the "Picnic Perfect" and "Summer Fest" sections, alongside other catchy titles like "Toasty & Tasty" and "Pasta Party." In addition to mail and phone orders, the 6-1/4" x 8-1/4" catalog directs online orders to a new Web site. Despite the superficial changes, Brylane’s core marketing strategies shine through. As with all Brylane Home catalogs, deferred billing is offered for roughly three months for all shoppers paying by credit card. Accepted credit cards include the major ones (MasterCard, Visa and American Express) as well as the Brylane family of affinity cards (Brylane Home, Chadwick’s, Lane Bryant, Roaman’s, Lerner and King Size).
The direct mail pieces appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by ParadyszMatera, New York, through its online competitive direct mail and e-mail tracking tool MarketRelevance located at MarketRelevance.com
