Direct mail consultant Mikki Wilder has a knack for turning routine mailings into attention-grabbing marketing tools — with help from the Postal Service.
“People who worry about mailing costs often don’t appreciate the response,” said Wilder, owner of Denver-based Wilder Ideas. “I design client mailings to be noticed and remembered. Consumers love them, and clients love the response rate.”
Working with Apple Inc. in the early 1990s, Wilder mailed a child-sized tennis shoe with a “Get Off to a Fast Start” message woven into the laces.
More recently, she helped attendees at a major bank’s beachside retreat send home personalized messages-in-a-bottle.
Wilder always keeps mailability requirements in mind, though some clients are willing to pay extra to send specially sized messages.
For example, when the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver held a groundbreaking ceremony in 1997, Wilder worked with organizers to mail customized shovels with a “Come Dig Some Dirt” invitation attached.
“They got the message,” said Wilder. “Many attended the groundbreaking with shovels in hand.”