How I Work
I write every word myself and I usually work with Roger Cazemage, my art director of many years standing. But I also work with my account management team to keep everything running smoothly, with my digital artwork team and my production team to get the formats and the technical stuff right. But, for good or ill, it's mostly me you'll be dealing with.
Step
1
Understanding
I need to genuinely understand what you're offering
A written brief is not enough. I need to talk to you, and I need above all to see, touch or experience the product or service or charity you’re promoting. It might be a site visit. It might be replying to your offer (anonymously) or getting my hands, physically, on the goods you’re selling. One of my most successful mailings, for The Salvation Army, was born directly from spending several hours at a homeless centre in Westminster. And I need a clear picture of your likely respondent. I’d like to listen in at the call centre if that’s possible. And I need as much information as you’ve got about previous mailings – what worked and what didn’t.Step
2
Offer/ask
Developing the right 'offer', or 'ask' is key
I will work with you to develop the right ‘offer’, or ‘ask’. It might be your existing one but I’m as likely as not to want to talk to you about stronger ones. This is key to a successful mailing: it’s as ‘creative’ as the copywriting and the art direction and always forms the focus of any mailing I produce.Step
3
Format
Making a pack mailable
Royal Mail has made life difficult with high postage charges and regulations on size…and for some organisations, VAT has an equally big impact too. Making a pack work has to take into account the economics of direct mail, so the format has become more important than ever before. I work with my in-house production team to liaise with printers here and abroad to find not simply the cheapest format, but the one that works hardest.Step
4
Creative
Copy makes the biggest difference
Once all this is done, the creative starts. I work closely with art director Roger Cazemage (we’ve worked together for more than thirty years) to produce the pack. Inevitably, my packs are copy heavy. Everything I’ve learned says that copy makes the biggest difference, and it’s not something I skimp on. And yes, long copy still works better than short! I’ll present you with a single pack. I don’t think it’s right to present multiple choice ‘concepts’. You’re paying for professional advice, after all. To make life easier, if you don’t like the pack at that stage I’ll bow out gracefully. Equally, if the pack has to go through endless rounds of amends and changes to get it acceptable, then it’s probably the wrong pack. In either case, you won’t be asked to pay.Step
5