Comments on: Deceptive direct mail or clever selling tactic? http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic Dean Rieck on Copywriting & Direct Marketing Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:12:35 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Robert McKiernan http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-60125 Robert McKiernan Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:10 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-60125 This kind of marketing is utterly sleazy. It suggests your product is so undesirable you have to trick your audience into thinking the letter is from the government. Its mainly out to take advantage of people too dumb or too old (poor eyesight) to read the fine print. These kinds of practices are the reason people hate marketing professional. Its that attitude of doign what ever it takes. It makes me sick to hear others defending these practices. Shame on you. This kind of marketing is utterly sleazy. It suggests your product is so undesirable you have to trick your audience into thinking the letter is from the government. Its mainly out to take advantage of people too dumb or too old (poor eyesight) to read the fine print. These kinds of practices are the reason people hate marketing professional. Its that attitude of doign what ever it takes. It makes me sick to hear others defending these practices. Shame on you.

]]> By: Sean Star/neoCaptiva marketing http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-3431 Sean Star/neoCaptiva marketing Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:01:49 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-3431 A lot of people consider this type of marketing as Guerilla Marketing, or Buzz Marketing. If you're advertising to youth, or entertainment, than you can get away with this edgy type of marketing. The Maxim magazine/youth culture is more forgiving and responsive to this type of marketing. A lot of people consider this type of marketing as Guerilla Marketing, or Buzz Marketing. If you’re advertising to youth, or entertainment, than you can get away with this edgy type of marketing. The Maxim magazine/youth culture is more forgiving and responsive to this type of marketing.

]]> By: jiimiona http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-3426 jiimiona Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:39:33 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-3426 I'm sold :)) +1 I’m sold :) ) +1

]]> By: Roy http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-3361 Roy Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:04:55 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-3361 Hey Dean, Great article! Thanks for sharing it with us. I am a firm believer in doing whatever it takes to get a response, but gross misrepresentation never works. I do like to "push the envelope" and get a reaction out of people, but I don't like using outright deceiving to accomplish it. People pick up on deception before too long. You will lose more business than you gain. It works like gravity. Whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report will always work in your favor. That's a rock-solid guarantee. Keep up the great work! Cheers, Roy Hey Dean,
Great article! Thanks for sharing it with us. I am a firm believer in doing whatever it takes to get a response, but gross misrepresentation never works. I do like to “push the envelope” and get a reaction out of people, but I don’t like using outright deceiving to accomplish it. People pick up on deception before too long. You will lose more business than you gain. It works like gravity. Whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report will always work in your favor. That’s a rock-solid guarantee. Keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Roy

]]> By: Bob Hill http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-3279 Bob Hill Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:10:46 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-3279 I get a lot of direct mail for mortgages.I have seen much worse in terms of deceptive or misleading advertising. A few small changes and I think it would be still very effective and not at or near the line of deception. The company's name and address needs to be in the main message body. Leaving company identification to fine print is shady at best. The use of the Government website address should be removed or explained. Maybe say something like "For more information on the new FHA loan programs, please visit the Government Website: www.hud.gov/fha. Using the word case # is probably not the best choice either. That should be changed to reference # or something along those lines. Just my 2 cents.. Other than that, it's a pretty good attention grabbing mail piece. It's very brief and to the point. I get a lot of direct mail for mortgages.I have seen much worse in terms of deceptive or misleading advertising. A few small changes and I think it would be still very effective and not at or near the line of deception. The company’s name and address needs to be in the main message body. Leaving company identification to fine print is shady at best. The use of the Government website address should be removed or explained. Maybe say something like “For more information on the new FHA loan programs, please visit the Government Website: http://www.hud.gov/fha.
Using the word case # is probably not the best choice either. That should be changed to reference # or something along those lines. Just my 2 cents.. Other than that, it’s a pretty good attention grabbing mail piece. It’s very brief and to the point.

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-2902 Dean Rieck Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:07:48 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2902 Suzanne: Those who follow the DMA ethical guidelines would probably agree with you. It fails on several points, including honesty and clarity of offer, disclosure of sponsor and intent, and most notably solicitation in the guise of an invoice or governmental notification. http://www.dmaresponsibility.org/Guidelines/ And with just two comments on this mailing, you can see the problem. Some will see it as okay and others will not. Despite DMA guidelines, there is no consensus for what is right even among honest and well-meaning people. Suzanne:
Those who follow the DMA ethical guidelines would probably agree with you.

It fails on several points, including honesty and clarity of offer, disclosure of sponsor and intent, and most notably solicitation in the guise of an invoice or governmental notification.

http://www.dmaresponsibility.org/Guidelines/

And with just two comments on this mailing, you can see the problem. Some will see it as okay and others will not. Despite DMA guidelines, there is no consensus for what is right even among honest and well-meaning people.

]]> By: Suzanne Obermire http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-2900 Suzanne Obermire Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:52:46 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2900 I find this completely deceptive. Sadly, it gives direct marketers a bad name (and we certainly don't need a worse reputation, do we?). Sometimes, even if something 'works', that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Suzanne I find this completely deceptive. Sadly, it gives direct marketers a bad name (and we certainly don’t need a worse reputation, do we?).

Sometimes, even if something ‘works’, that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
Suzanne

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-2828 Dean Rieck Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:34:23 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2828 Sean: That's a good argument for this style of marketing. Many people simply don't see it as wrong because if you end up with satisfied clients, it can't be unethical, can it? A similar approach is the pure "advocate" point of view. "I'll do anything to make money for my clients, if it's illegal or wrong, it's the lawyers' job to stop me." Lawyers themselves use the advocate approach. Excellent comment. Thanks. Sean:
That’s a good argument for this style of marketing. Many people simply don’t see it as wrong because if you end up with satisfied clients, it can’t be unethical, can it?

A similar approach is the pure “advocate” point of view. “I’ll do anything to make money for my clients, if it’s illegal or wrong, it’s the lawyers’ job to stop me.” Lawyers themselves use the advocate approach.

Excellent comment. Thanks.

]]> By: Sean Star/neoCaptiva marketing http://www.directcreative.com/blog/deceptive-direct-mail-or-clever-selling-tactic/comment-page-1#comment-2827 Sean Star/neoCaptiva marketing Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:26:53 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=85#comment-2827 I get a lot of clients in the mortgage and car refinance industry, and with all the competition, it seems everyone is trending towards this new form of "official government" marketing. We don't always agree with this, but clients always question, if this is deceptive, then why are the response rates so high? Isn't that what they are in business for? Good copywriting and design can help any campaign, but you can't expect the high return you get from the official government look. This is merely replicating a look that is guaranteed to get readability. If the prospect feels deceived, they wouldn't convert properly. I get a lot of clients in the mortgage and car refinance industry, and with all the competition, it seems everyone is trending towards this new form of “official government” marketing. We don’t always agree with this, but clients always question, if this is deceptive, then why are the response rates so high? Isn’t that what they are in business for? Good copywriting and design can help any campaign, but you can’t expect the high return you get from the official government look. This is merely replicating a look that is guaranteed to get readability. If the prospect feels deceived, they wouldn’t convert properly.

]]>