Award Winning Blog - Agitator

What’s On Your Envelope: Teaser? No Teaser? Both?

In direct mail the outer envelope—the carrier—has only one purpose. To get ripped open. The other day I received an announcement of a direct mail course offered by Tom Ahern, one of the best copywriters in our sector. His headline graphic perfectly raises the question every great copywriter often spends hours answering: “What intriguing thing […]

Learn More October 1, 2021

One More Way I’ve Probably Ruined My Kids

The echo chamber is getting louder, we tune out damn near everything that doesn’t match what we already believe and we’re much more likely to distrust anyone not like us. Partisan agreement between spouses was around 60% in the mid 60’s, it’s now closer to 85%. Pew research shows partisans have few friends from the […]

Learn More September 29, 2021

Brain Dead Fundraising

If Kevin had doubts about the quality of HP’s request for feedback on printer cartridges, he’d love what landed in my inbox. “Brain dead!” That’s how one of the best fundraisers I know described a digital appeal he received from the Democratic National Committee and forwarded to the Agitator . For those of us continually […]

Learn More September 27, 2021

It Was Just a Printer Cartridge…

I ordered and received new printer cartridges. I installed them and they worked. I did this over two weeks ago. I got this email survey from HP yesterday. I guess it’s asking about my purchase experience. I can only guess because it’s hard to decipher. This email created its own experience and if HP were […]

Learn More September 24, 2021

Fundraising: From Galaxy to Gutter

“Coincidence” is in the eye of the beholder. And coincidentally both my digital inbox and my television set conspired to deliver three visions of different– three distinctly different– channels and approaches to fundraising. Some lofty. Some noble. Some self-serving. Inspired by Inspiration4 Beyond flogging the future of “space tourism” the main goal of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 […]

Learn More September 22, 2021

Vest Size Fundraising

If you fundraise with merchandise – a vest for example – you have lots of sizes and you let the donor pick the size. You get lots of complaints about sizing after the fact. The size matters and one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Why does the fundraising that markets the premium fly in the […]

Learn More September 20, 2021

Award-Winning Blog

What’s On Your Envelope: Teaser? No Teaser? Both?