Marketing Is Hard: Yes, the Extra Effort is Worth It!

Let’s face it. Marketing isn’t easy. There are many things to consider — creative content, offers, lists, personalization, and more. Are those extra hours of investment worth it? To find the answer, let’s look at the results of a classic study from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Conducted in conjunction with Dr. Frank Romano, a professor emeritus at RIT, and one of his students, David Broudy, the study took a deep dive into the impact of various elements of a campaign on response rates. Elements included name, geographic imagery, and marketing message. This is an older study, but because of its depth and controlled research, it offers rare insights that every marketer should be aware of.

Romano and Broudy conducted a controlled study of 36 mailings in nine categories. Four thousand pieces were sent in each mailing. The team used a mix of direct mail offers to both businesses and consumers. All mailings were professionally designed and produced.

The research was designed to test the effects of three variables: color versus black and white, the addition of simple name personalization, and the integration of more complex data, such as demographics and interests. Variables were measured both in isolation and in combination.

Here are the results:

• Control mailing: (b/w with no personalization) Response rate: .46%
• Second mailing: (simple name personalization) Response rate: +44%
• Third mailing: (full-color, no personalization) Response rate: +45%
• Fourth mailing: (full color, name personalization) Response rate +135%
• Fifth mailing: (full-color, name personalization + more complex data personalization) Response rate +500%