Marketers can and should test every individual campaign to see where there is room for improvement.
By changing only one variable like product, target audience, offer, creative, or format with each test, you can figure out how to generate a higher return on investment with future mailings.
Each week, we will bring you the results of a different test.
This week’s test was conducted by G.A. Wright to see if a toll fee number would generate higher response than a local number when mailed to a local retailer.

The Test: Each campaign included a letter and a business reply card which featured a phone number to call to request a special offer. The control version had a local number that the respondent would be charged to call. The test had a toll free number.
The Result: The response to the control version was 16% higher than the response to the test group. This test was run multiple times.
The control featuring a local number outperformed the test version with a toll free number!
Conclusion: if you are mailing to a local area, test an 800 number vs. a local number. Consumers and businesses locally may perceive a local number as more responsive, closer to them, and better than a larger company.
Do you need someone to look over your current or planned direct response campaign? Call me at (310) 212-5727 or email me at [email protected].