Mailers

Social pressure: we’ve all heard about it, but does it really work? As humans, we care a lot about social norms. Our desire to be liked and accepted by our peers shapes our behavior more than we’d like to admit. Humans lie about their bad behaviors and exaggerate their better tendencies, all in the name of fitting in.

As we approach the upcoming primaries and mid-term election cycle, it’s time once again to take a look at the changes at the USPS and how they can impact your direct mail program.

We find it disheartening that as Democratic political direct mail consultants, the mail we see is often very undemocratic and lacks any direct response engagement tactics. Whether for politics or advocacy, it’s difficult to get real engagement from voters or constituents if you never  engage them. Political mail has traditionally been a one-way conversation With our political climate and media-saturated landscape, fostering engagement makes a ton of sense and is an overall good strategy. Here are some direct response tips on increasing voter engagement in your campaigns, fostering 2-way communication tactics/sign-ups, and making real democratic direct mail.

Direct mail may not sound like an exciting medium for your independent expenditure at first blush, but if used correctly it can be one of the most effective ways to make a difference. Research regularly shows that when it comes to persuading and increasing turnout in elections, direct mail is one of the most tried-and-true methods in the campaign toolbox.

Building a strong independent expenditure direct mail program isn’t that different from some of the tips and tricks we’ve included in other posts. At the end of the day, it’s about being strategic and finding ways to think outside the box. But there are a few key things to think about when you’re running a direct mail program for an independent expenditure:

In the last few years, unionization efforts experienced a surge of support in the public sector, from coffee chains to online retailers. It is estimated that in 2022 alone that more than 16 million people were represented by a union and 60 million workers wanted to join a union but were unable to do so (Economic Policy Institute). Public support for unions continues to grow in 2023.

Have you experienced post office delays? Beyond the current political dysfunction, USPS has fallen victim to inconsistent funding, under-capitalization, ill-timed cost cutting measures and a lack of respect for the system and its workforce. On top of the ongoing pandemic, USPS will be facing an unprecedented influx of absentee ballots.

Writing a campaign mailer for a judicial candidate presents many challenges. For most legislative races, it’s easy to say that you’ll “stand up for affordable healthcare” or “fight for a living wage.” But judicial candidates often can’t come out for or against a particular issue. If they do, they may have to recuse themselves in the event that they win and one of those cases comes before them as judge.

Political direct mail, even in the digital age is a critical part of any campaign’s communications program. Not only is it cost-effective and efficient, but it is also an impactful way to target and communicate with potential voters. Therefore, when hiring a Democratic direct mail firm, you want to make sure you choose the firm that will produce the best product for your campaign.

Political direct mail What does it cost? How can I do it for less? This is a question that is often asked but the answer is not always as clear as it should be. To answer the question, think about political direct mail cost drivers: printing, mailing and postage costs are the major driving factors when it comes to campaign mail costs. 

When it comes to producing political direct mail, it’s crucial to vet your copy before any piece goes out the door to avoid mistakes. As people in my life dating back to the second grade can probably tell you, typos are the bane of my existence (everyone has their thing). Minor mistakes in writing can sometimes warrant a laugh or be just momentarily cringe-worthy. We’ve all made errors in our spelling or grammar in final products at one point or another—famous authors, New York Times columnists, teachers, bosses, Barack Obama—and the stakes aren’t always sky-high. On the opposite end of the consequences spectrum, in some instances, something as seemingly small as a missing hyphen can set you back $80 million (I’m looking at you, NASA).

Advocacy mail does not always get the credit it deserves. Part I of this post takes you through the basics of putting together a letter package for your advocacy mail campaign. Part II walks you through making the most of a letter package that includes a reply device (buckle up!).