Snap Pack Facts
From the expert, Marshall P. GouldWhether you call then snap “packs” or snap “paks” or snap “pacs,” this little direct mail print piece has worked wonders for businesses of all kinds! With a open ratio of 99.4% we think that it “just doesn’t get any better”!
This photo shows a fairly typical snap pack direct mail sample: outer envelope that opens with one or more perforated strips with letter, check, rebate, or coupon inside. It’s really just a direct mail package that looks extremely important and official.
While researching websites on Google and Yahoo for “Snap Pack Mailers, I chatted with Marshall Gould, with Media Print Solutions about the snap pack format. I thought it was so interesting that I decided to do a formal interview and share his know-how with you.
By way of introduction, Marshall Gould is the owner of Media Print Solutions which is a media placement and direct mail marketing company out of California. Marshall and his staff share over 34 years of experience in marketing, mainly focused on direct mail and shared mail services. Marshall not only is a creative wizard, but one who is analytical in his approaches to most everything. Marshall is one of the smartest guys in direct marketing I had every met and this is what he has to say about the Snap Packs.
Q: When was the snap pack invented?
A: To my knowledge, the Snap Pack was first tested by an automotive group out of Los Angeles, Ca. in 1971. It was so successful that the whole Dodge division started using it to create momentum and sales with using cash rebates as the offer when buying a new or used vehicle. The idea took off from there and never looked back! Then later, the IRS used these to produce official documents and then eventually used them for the Uncle Sam refund checks!
Q: Why do you think snap packs have worked so well over the years?
A: They looked like an official announcement by the government. The copy in successful Snap Packs also mimicked the well-known telegraph style with short sentences and factual information provided in the form of news or an important, urgent announcement. It was also like a special bulletin devoid of high pressures selling. Yet it was high pressures, because it sounded like something that was enacted by law.
Q: Are there certain types of offers well-suited to snap packs? Any that don’t work well?
A: Products that require high quality packaging and beautiful 4 color photography do not lend themselves to the Snap Pack sell. Basically snap packs are to invented to be taken seriously and not used for glamour.
Q: How economical are snap packs compared to other formats?
A: In quantities of 25,000 or more, only large postcards or single piece self mailers cost less. You get 4 in 1 piece for the price of a single self mailer, yet the pulling power often exceeds the classic envelope package.
Q: What is the typical call to action? Phone? Mail?
A: The action is the same as it would be for any offer made by the company. It can be every means available depending upon how recipients want to respond. We even associate a landing page for Internet response as we do for any other format.
Q: Do snap packs work well for driving response to Web offers?
A: Snap Packs work well to drive response, period. The challenge is to get noticed, then investigated, then immediate response. These packages work well as two-step or one-step. The flexibility is the same as any other direct mail format when it comes to the offer.
Q: I’ve seen snap packs used a lot for driving phone calls to hard-sell “get-rich-quick” businesses. Are there any negative associations with this format today because of this?
A: None that I know of. The proof is in the test results. And Snap Packs just win if they are created correctly. The heaviest users in the last few years were with banks, membership, fund raising and insurance companies.