Why and How to Start Prepping Your Year-End Direct Response Campaign During the Summer
Take a note from the corporate conglomerates — when the summer heat hits, it is the perfect time to think about year-end.
During high school and college, I worked for a cosmetics company in a production warehouse. I didn’t appreciate it then, but not only did I learn the importance of getting and keeping a job, but I was also exposed to the process, obstacles,and logistics that are involved when bringing a new product to the market.
I was a seasonal employee, working from May until August every summer. That particular season was prime time for “international Christmas.” When early June rolled around, every production line would be running some type of gift set for any one of the companies this conglomerate owned. We would be wearing shorts and a t-shirt and putting holiday themed perfume bottles into holiday themed packaging.This unusual pattern caused me to realize how complex the production world is.
My father had a forty-year career in management at the same company, and from conversations I learned that planning for the Christmas season would start in January or February, including forecasting demand, deciding the marketing themes, ordering the necessary inputs, printing the boxes, and getting all of the pieces to the production warehouse to be assembled, boxed, and shipped in early summer.
I share that story not because I wanted to take a trip down memory lane, but to highlight the importance of what we do in the non-profit space. It’s really no different than what the for-profit space does in terms of planning, assembling, and shipping.
While most non-profit organizations do not have to worry about intricate manufacturing processes, early planning is essential to avoid supply chain issues and last-minute scrambling.
If you’re planning to have a direct response campaign — traditional print mail and/or e-mail — land in homes in late November or early December, think about beginning to put the pieces together over the summer.
I strongly encourage you to contact your vendors and discuss your needs for your year-end campaign today. Even if it seems to early, I assure you that it is not!
When determining your needs and planning for the coming months, consider the following items that may be impacted by time, capacity, and availability.
Envelopes
Vendors are experiencing delays and other challenges in this market. Buy your envelopes now, if you can.You will use them eventually — even if you order too many — and your vendor should be able to happily hold on to them until you use them, even if it’s not for this mailing.
Schedule
The end of the year is an incredibly challenging time of year for production, so nail down a timeline and ask your vendor when they need all of your details. Don’t forget about the time it takes to send traditional mail, which is typically longer during the winter months.
Appeal
If possible, write your appeal now. Yes, fresh stories are great, but if you can use a story in your appeal that happened recently, it’s okay to use it for the end of the year. The specifics of the story don’t matter nearly as much as the timely delivery of your direct mail piece.
Layout
As with the date that the story is written, don’t worry too much about the photos in the piece matching the time in which people will receive the story. If you’re using a story from May of 2022, use photos relevant from that time period as well.
Data
Data culling has to wait until the absolute last minute so that you have the most accurate and complete records. However, if you’re renting a list for a prospect mailing, start to think about what list parameters you will require and what you will do with the data you receive.
About the Author
Michael J. Buckley, CFRE is a career fundraising professional and Founder and Managing Partner of The Killoe Group. His firm assists nonprofit organizations increase revenue, exposure and capacity through smart, data driven, successive decisions and effective planning. Mike’s experience and passion for the profession of fundraising have made him a sought-after speaker, consultant and presenter. The Killoe Group’s broad experiences include annual campaign audits and management, capital campaign leadership, feasibility studies, interim program leadership, board governance, strategic planning and capacity building.