Nonprofits and agency partners are struggling to save their direct mail campaign samples.
With remote work, distributed teams and limited space in offices and homes, organizing and archiving direct mail samples has become a real challenge. Many groups have decided to deprioritize “sample management” – sometimes eliminating sample sharing and archiving altogether.
Save the Direct Mail Samples! 
At PMG, we think archiving direct mail samples, and having a solid “Sample & Seed Management Strategy” are critical.
Direct mail is the work product of our nonprofit and agency partner fundraising teams. It’s PMG’s work product too. Together, we create and produce a work product with tremendous value and impact. Let’s save it!
Direct mail samples can be inspiration for future campaigns and help our teams optimize its amazing features like ink coverage, folds, paper texture and weight, insert order and so much more – which you can’t experience through a PDF.
Real samples can be shared with leadership and throughout the organization to socialize the great work we all do. Physical samples help differentiate the channel from less tangible fundraising media like emails, digital ads and telemarketing.
Real samples can be used for training new staff and creative audits (spread them out on a table or post them on a wall!).
A sample archive can serve as a historical record of your fundraising efforts, showing how your mission, brand and messaging have evolved over time.
Real samples can also be provided for industry awards competitions.
Direct mail seeds (client and PMG names added to each mailing) allow us to immediately examine each mailing for accuracy, quality and delivery timing. Seeds should be saved and easily accessible in case any problems are suspected with a particular mailing. This is simply good risk management.
Drifting away from the tactile and visual aspects of direct mail ourselves may cause us to lose touch with its unique attributes – limiting our ability to create the best possible donor, member and consumer experience with our mailings.
At PMG, we have the infrastructure and systems in place to produce and archive our clients’ direct mail samples and seeds. We consult with each client to determine their seed and sample distribution and archiving requirements and long-term storage needs, and then we take it from there.
We’ve been offering this service to our clients for 27 years and now it’s more important than ever. We love direct mail samples and will continue to save them!
