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Case Study: Testing Purchasing Power’s New Direct Mailer

Graphic Design, Print

Purchasing Power is a voluntary benefit that allows employees to make large, essential purchases over time. People can sign up for the program through their employer.

Their original prospect mailer (the control) had been circulated to people eligible for the program for over a year at the time of project kickoff. Purchasing Power wanted to know if there was a better way to communicate the offer and drive sign-ups from prospects on their mailing list.

My job was to design and present a new direction of their trifold mailer that reworked how the offer was presented, without losing what already worked in the control piece.

At a glance:

+35%
Registration rate

+30%
Conversion rate

+52%
Average order value

The Old Creative

The previous iteration of the mailer featured lifestyle imagery that didn’t make it clear enough what Purchasing Power does, or who it serves. Readers would see the offer featured prominently, but there was a copy disconnect.

What We Kept
The client’s non-negotiables

“20% off your first order” had to be featured prominently,
“40k products to shop from”
Trifold mailer template formatting

What We Questioned
Places to push

How can we show the steps to get started in a clear and straightforward way?
Do we need to use lifestyle imagery when showcasing a program that helps people get products they need?
Should the copy tie more directly to the offer being showcased?
What brands and logos on the inside would encourage people to learn more and ultimately enroll?

Feedback from the client on reworking the existing creative:

“I think the outside panels are fine but we expected the inside panels to be more fleshed out. The interior panels need to be organized (possibly less copy) to tell the target audience the steps to get started and why should the take them (WIFM). That is what requires art direction and copywriting skill. I'm not sure the lifestyle images are helping? Why is she at work? Is she shopping on her phone? Brands are there but why?”

First Round of Options

Each of the first iterations represented a different mix of product and lifestyle imagery. The option showing real product imagery and the digital “storefront” aligned with the client’s preference and our recommendation. While working with my creative director, I was challended to push the creative showing for the versions that followed.

Second Round of Options

The mobile homepage in the interior spread was set, the next round was for figuring out the front cover in its folded and unfolded state. A main headline, the 20% offer, the “40k products” line, and initial call to action all needed to work together.

Option 1:

Headline
+
“20%” offer
+
QR code call to action

“40k products” revealed inside

Option 2:

Headline
+
“40k products” subhead
+
“20%” offer

QR code call to action revealed inside

Option 3:

“20%” offer
+
Headline and subhead
+
QR code call to action

“40k products” revealed inside

The Finished Product

The final iteration included a word-smithed headline, along with two smaller callouts of the updated number of 70,000K products. This was mentioned in the subhead and interior QR code call to action.

Testing Methodology

This wasn't a traditional 50/50 A/B split of the prospect file. Each client's prospect list received either the new version or the control — no split within a single client's audience. We mailed roughly 100K of the trifold test against a 300K control, which let us read results at the format level while keeping each client's own audience treatment consistent.

The test piece landed in-home with 90% in-home delivery achieved.

The Results

The trifold test outperformed the control across every core metric:

+35% registration rate — more prospects took the first step
+30% conversion rate — more of those registrations converted to funded accounts
+52% average order value — and the customers it brought in spent significantly more

What They Mean

I think this is a result a of series strategies in the creation of the mailer. People respond to what you show them, and the mailer showed them what they could purchase and how they could do it. The multiple CTAs, coupled with a simplified version of the steps to sign up made the process and Purcashing Power easier to understand.

Takeaway

A brand should lean on what it can provide to people, how it can meet their needs. There should be as little friction as possible after making that clear.

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