Comments on: DIRECT MAIL HORROR STORIES BY JAMES E. SULLIVAN

By: Edwin Ramos

Edwin Ramos — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:44:00 +0000

Here is a good one, number one printer in USA sent the client a PDF proof of a 9 x 12 Special Window Envelope but with one major flaw. It was proofed out as an 8.5″ x 11″ and critical copy was omitted. Client gave their approval and the envelope vendor printed approx. 750,000 envelopes incorrectly. Get’s worse, job was mailed and the client question the missing copy. End result a $250,000 spoliage. Moral of story, when a major project is turned over to different shifts to continue follow up work, make sure your proofs are done to the correct trim size or it can bite you in the end!

By: Edwin Ramos

Edwin Ramos — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:39:54 +0000

Here is a good one, RR Donnelley sent the client a PDF proof of a 9 x 12 Special Window Envelope but with one major flaw. It was proofed out as an 8.5″ x 11″ and critical copy was omitted. Client gave their approval and the envelope vendor printed approx. 750,000 envelopes incorrectly. Get’s worse, job was mailed and the client question the missing copy. End result a $250,000 spoliage. Moral of story, when a major project is turned over to the different shifts, make sure your proofs are done to the correct trim size or it can bite you in the end!

By: Josh Charlie

Josh Charlie — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:58:33 +0000

I was wondering if you allow advertising on this site - because I’d be interested in talking to you!

By: groltz

groltz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:40:28 +0000

Hooray for your very neat looking blog! Bookmarking this one ^^

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:19:47 +0000

Two Stories:

- I sent a bank mailing to a massive database in France. The images on the mailing paper were plastic ducks floating in a swimming pool, all of them yellow, one of them being black. I received a call from a very angry customer: his name was “Mr Duck” and he was from African origins… He thought that this “personalized mail” was not funny at all and closed immediatly his account.

- Another very targeted mail in partnership with Club Med (a holiday resort for singles at the time) was sent to a selection of a database of “single male consumers aged between 35 and 45, living in rich area of the city. The printed material would shoul a very nice lady laying on the beach with a ver light bikini. The motto was “are you going to spend your hollidays alone again ?”. I had 20 priests and monks complaining about the mailing !

By: Lorana Price

Lorana Price — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:50:37 +0000

Unique, yes. But with so many creeps out there, I was thinking how other women would feel with this approach. I think there are other ways to accomplish the same without making your prospects feel like they are being stalked…

By: Michael Leander Nielsen

Michael Leander Nielsen — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:39:58 +0000

Interesting story .Thank you for sharing, Lorana. Have to ask you, though; as a marketer, didn’t you find that approach - in the least - to be very unique and creative?

By: Lorana Price

Lorana Price — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:30:12 +0000

Recently, I had someone send me a postcard, which I looked at and “filed.” A couple of days later, I received a crumpled up postcard in a 6×9 envelope with a post it on it that said “I found this in your trash and thought you might want it back.” It was sent from the original sender of the postcard. I spent 15 minutes feeling totally creeped out that this guy was rummaging through my trash and stalking me before I realized the postcard sent in the envelope was a different postcard. Needless to say, that company isn’t getting our business.

By: Matt Hanson

Matt Hanson — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:59:20 +0000

Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader..

Matt Hanson