Avoiding mixed messages
Last week I received in the mail an appeal to support the World Wildlife Fund. This is an organization I generally respect. Its motto: “WWF’s ultimate goal is to build a future where people live in harmony with nature.”
Yet the mailing I received from WWF contained 17 pieces of paper. Every piece is bright white, none are noted as recycled or post-consumer, and most have four-color printing on them.
I’ve never given to the WWF, but I have a membership at the American Museum of Natural History, so I guess I’m a good target. To curry my favor, the WWF thought it best if it sent me
- an appeal letter
- a blow-in showing the impact of my donation
- five “occasion” cards (Thinking of You, etc.) for my use
- five envelopes for the cards, bound by a piece of gummed paper
- a sheet of wildlife stickers
- a sheet of personalized return address labels (attached to the donation form)
- and an envelope for sending in my donation
I know direct marketing works, so I’m not going to debate whether I should have gotten mail from the WWF. But that doesn’t absolve the mixed message this envelope sends.
How can an environmental organization send 17 pieces of paper, unsolicited, to potential constituents? How many envelopes did they send out–10,000? 100,000? This campaign could have used a million sheets of paper, or more–98 percent of which were summarily thrown in the trash (or, hopefully, recycled). All of which runs directly counter to the organization’s stated mission.
I actually came away from this mailing less inclined to support the WWF, not more. That’s a serious misstep for a marketing campaign.