Graphics That Sell

Graphic Design Secrets of the World’s Greatest Direct Response Designer

How did Eugene Schwartz, the legendary

author of Breakthrough Advertising,

beat his 14-year old control by +58%,

without changing the copy, list, or offer?

Dear Marketer:

You won’t believe this.

Citibank didn’t believe it. Neither did Nightingale-Conant. Sports Illustrated nor Hume Publishing… not until they tried it and saw their response DOUBLE. But it’s a fact:

You can squeeze another +25%,

+50% even +100% more response

out of your current control simply

by changing its appearance.

My name is Ted Kikoler and I’m a graphic designer. In the early ’80’s I bet a newsletter publisher that I could beat his control by only changing the design — and not touching the copy or offer.

I was new to direct mail and didn’t know that it couldn’t be done. My redesign pulled +33% more responses and +100% lift in cash with the order.

How was it done?

It’s quite simple, really. My background as an industrial designer taught me that there are weak spots in all products. And if you methodically search for them, you’ll find them. Once fixed, the resulting improvement in performance can be significant.

Where’s the weak spot in your control?

Assuming you have the right list, it’s your copy and offer that sell — not the design. The sole purpose of design is to get people to read the copy. And to accomplish that, there are times when a less attractive design is best. Most people won’t believe it until they see the results for themselves. For instance:

• Citibank said my redesign of their life insurance mailing was unattractive and violated their corporate identity guidelines. My redesign lifted response by +97% — keeps on working — now in its 6th year.
• When Sports Illustrated received my design, they were very disappointed — saying it was not worth testing. It was shelved. A year later, someone stumbled upon my mockup and tested it. It beat the control +120% and is still being rolled out.
• One day, I attended a conference and watched in horror as one of the leading direct mail experts in the country showed a slide of one of my mailings — saying it was a failure. He knew nothing about it other than he received it in the mail and he didn’t like how it looked. I later informed him that I created it and it was in its 9th year as control —with 4 rollouts per year.
• Nightingale-Conant thought my redesign of their Tony Robbins’ ‘Unlimited Power’ control was unexciting. It beat the control by +30%, and cost $30/M less to mail.
• Hume Publishing thought my Successful Investing & Money Management redesign wouldn’t work because it didn’t look ‘designed’ enough. Then it pulled +86% — without a single change of copy or offer. I went on to do the same for many other mailings of theirs with lifts between +20%-53%.
• Direct mail pioneer Eugene Schwartz was skeptical but intrigued by my claims and asked if I’d like to tackle his famous 14-year old “Rub Your Stomach Away” control. My new design gave him a +58% lift without changing the copy or offer.

Here are some recent mailings that have seen response lifts from my design changes:

Canada Post………………………………….+50%

Citibank (Insurance Services)

• Term Life…………………………………. +93%
• Hospital Emergency………………….. +41%
• Hospital Emergency………………….. +85%
• Accidental Death………………………. +67%

Consumer’s Gas

• Water Heater………………………….. +130%

Daily Commercial News……………….. +140%

Dow Jones

• Barrons…………………………………..+100%
• Wall Street Journal: got a +18.5% lift trying
  to beat Martin Conroy’s famous control. But cost/M
  is on the high side and an improved version is planned.

MacInTax, Intuit……………………………………………………………………. +27%

Nightingale-Conant

• Psychology of Achievement………………………………………….. +100%
• Psychology of Winning…………………………………………………. +36%
• Tom Peters, Embracing Chaos…………………………………………. +60%
• Spiritual Awakening (I wrote & designed; one of the highest responses
  they’ve ever had to any mailing.)

Norman Rentrop Publishing

(Germany’s largest mailer:)

• Business Ideas……………………………………………………………… +66%
• Finance Advisor……………………………………………………………. +45%
• Financial Advisor………………………………………………………… +126%
• Investor’s Stock Analysis……………………………………………… +300%
• Mayo Clinic Leiter………………………………………………………… +66%
• Real Estate Investor…………………………………………………….. +215%
• Speech Advisor…………………………………………………………… +255%
• Small Business Management…………………………………………… +64%
• Vera’s Contest Letter…………………………………………………….. +20%

Target Mail……………………………………………………………………………. +36%

In addition to redesigning existing controls, I also work with writers to create new mailings. Thanks to working with people like Gary Bencivenga, Tom Gillett. Don Hauptman, Dick Jordan, Don Ranter, Ed McLean, Bob Matheo, Richard Potter, Joan Throckmorton and John Francis Tighe, I have learned invaluable lessons about creating direct mail.

And what about failures? 80% of my mailings work. The 20% that go wrong teach me what not to do.

With my track record, you can understand that I’m busy and find it difficult to take on new assignments. But some people are willing to wait. Citibank waited two years and my first project for them beat the control by 97%. Even Gene Schwartz patiently waited a year and a half for his 58% lift.

I can’t promise you anything. But if you’ve got something that I could be interested in, and you don’t mind waiting, maybe we can work something out.

Just so you know, I only work for the end user — the person who makes the final decision. No ad agencies, agents or consultants. I’m not interested in catalogs or magalogs, and I don’t send samples.

If what you’ve just read interests you. I’d love to hear from you. Or you can get my book “Graphics That Sell” and I’ll reveal a bunch of my design secrets. The link’s below.

                  Sincerely,