To: Pam OBrien

From: Becky Cribbs

Subject: Assignment 2
Date: October 5, 2015
I write to you to analyze and later assess the effectiveness of a piece of direct mail sent by the American
Heart Association. I will begin by discussing the pieces included in the package, and then I will go on to
analyze the direct mail based on the 11 criteria we discussed in class. I will conclude by giving my general
opinion on the overall effectiveness of the piece.
The American Heart Association (AHA) reached out to Mr. John OBrien with this direct mail most likely
because he donated in the past, and they hope he plans to continue to donate to their cause. The direct mail
includes:
Envelope The envelope prominently displays the organizations logo. By putting Mr. OBriens name
wit the address instead of Friend or Resident, the AHA shows that they specifically want to reach Mr.
OBrien, making a much more personal connection. Mr. OBriens name appears on the envelope twice,
further strengthening the presumed connection. The color red on the envelope attracts attention. One teaser
advertises 2 FREE GIFTS for you inside, and another adds to the excitement by warning the audience do
not bend. The alternate side of the envelope discusses common warning signs of stoke and heart attack. The
AHA strives to spread awareness of the warning signs, so placing them on the outside of the envelope
successfully shares this information with anyone who holds this piece of mail (USPS employees, family
members, etc.).
Personalized Letter (labeled Annual Appeal) The letter itself asks Mr. OBrien to donate to the 2015
Annual Appeal and explicitly states the organizations goal. I will go into more detail about the content and
format of the letter later. The back displays the same warning signs as the envelope.
Annual Donation Form and response envelope The AHA attached the 2015 Annual Appeal
Donation Form to the personalized letter. They probably did this to make sure that the recipient feels
compelled to donate because the process is simple. The response envelope also makes sending
money easy and quick.
Certificate of Appreciation The AHA personalized a 2015 Certificate of Appreciation to thank Mr.
OBrien for his past contributions to the charity.
2 Fact Sheets about Health Warning Signs Two wallet sized sheets display the warning signs of heart
related conditions and a request to donate. The AHA most likely intended these pieces to be reminders
placed on a refrigerator.
Bonus Gifts (Address Sticker Sheet and Blank Birthday Card) These items function to make Mr.
OBrien feel important to the organization. By making personalized return address stickers for Mr. OBrien
using his name and address, the American Heart Association asserts that they know his name. The blank
birthday card serves as free advertisement for the organization because of the AHAs logo and name on the
back.
I will now assess the direct mail based upon the 11 criteria we discussed in class.
1. Overline and P.S. The AHA wants to catch Mr. OBriens attention with the overline, so they place it in
a red box. It addresses the main argument to follow in the letterto entice Mr. OBrien to help achieve
their goal of saving lives. By mentioning the enclosed gift in the overline, the AHA ensures that Mr.
OBrien notices it. The letter lacks a P.S. The last sentence of the letter would make an extremely
effective P.S. because it talks about the gift yet again and how using the gift can help the organization.

2. Involve the reader. The AHA very effectively engages with Mr. OBrien throughout the letter by using
you and by including him as part of the we working to achieve the goal. Both the overline and the
salutation specifically address Mr. OBrien. They even go as far as to say, Youre the key to making
this a reality, in reference to saving lives. Placing so much emphasis on the responsibility Mr. OBrien
holds within the organization should guilt him into donating.
3. First paragraph. The AHA broke the letter into sections of two to three sentences to make reading
easier and to focus on their main points. The first paragraph, although only three short sentences long,
calls Mr. OBrien to action almost immediately. It begins, What if we could save hundreds of thousands
of lives? Together, we can. They include him in the mission to save countless lives, a goal much larger
than one he could make on his own.
4. Benefits. The main benefit Mr. OBrien can take from donating is the warm feeling of giving money to
an organization that saves so many lives. By repeating the idea that together, the AHA and Mr. OBrien
can make a difference, they stress the importance of his contribution. His continued donations will also
earn him Certificates of Appreciation in future years.
5. Details. Overall, the letter lacks detail. The details of this direct mail come in the form of facts. The
Association uses staggering numbers to provide incentive to donate. By including more details about
where the money goes and how only $15 could save the lives of many, the letter could be more effective.
6. Testimonials. The AHA neglected to include testimonials. As previously mentioned, they base their
campaign on the impressive number of the people they save and choose to focus less on individual lives.
This is not an ineffective strategy.
7. Provocative Questions. By beginning the first paragraph with a question, the AHA effectively engages
with Mr. OBrien. By asking a what if question, they push him to respond positively. If he could help
save hundreds of thousands of lives, why wouldnt he? By refusing to send in a donation, Mr. OBrien
now says that he does not care about the lives of others because of this one question.
8. Most Likely Complaint. This piece never directly addresses the most likely complaint. Since they
request money, people most likely would complain that they dont have the financial means to donate.
The AHA originally requests $15 or more, but near the end ask that Mr. OBrien donates any amount
[he] can afford. This acts as an indirect acknowledgement of the complaint he may make and offers a
solutionif he cant donate at least $15, they will appreciate a smaller amount.
9. Typographic Devices. The AHA designed the letter using many typographic devices. They broke up the
information into easy-to-read sections as to not overwhelm the reader with numbers and facts. They
wanted to make sure their goal was easy to find, so they bolded and centered it. They underlined their
final plea to ask for donations, and they used the color red throughout. The AHA strategically uses the
color red both to catch attention and to symbolize the blood used to save lives. On the donation form, the
AHA prompts Mr. OBrien to donate at least $15 by handwriting a circle around the checkbox for that
amount and handwriting, This amount would really help in the margin to guilt him into donating.
10. Word. The letter reads very conversationally. It actively involves Mr. OBrien and puts a positive
swing on gruesome facts about death by explaining how Mr. OBrien can help. By speaking to him as
part of their team, they frame their request in a way that shows that when he gives money, he gives life.
11. The Close. The closing of this letter wraps the message up in a warm, friendly manner. By closing with
a remark about the blank birthday card, the AHA shows how using it can help Mr. OBrien. People often
donate to charities to make themselves feel good, so showing off that he donates to this cause by sending
a card with their logo on it makes Mr. OBrien look like a charitable person. By signing the letter as
Chairman of the Board and Volunteer, the writer, Alvin L Royse, puts himself on the same level as Mr.
OBrien, showing that he donates time and money to the organization as well.
Overall, I feel that the direct mail achieved its goal, but wouldnt say that it blew me away. The repeated lists
of warning signs throughout became redundant. I stopped reading them after having read the back side of the
envelope, so the inserts had little effect on the overall effectiveness and could have been excluded. The lack
of a testimonial didnt lessen the effect because the campaign focuses more on numbers rather than stories. I
would rate this direct mail a 7/10 on effectiveness (10 being the most effective). Please refer to the attached
direct mail to see the specific elements I discussed in this memo.