Message to John Tate
I'm not one to be too critical and I'm certain that Mr Tate is sacrificing many hours to promote Liberty, so I'll keep this short. My concern has to do with the recent mailings I have received from the Campaign for Liberty. To be honest, they are morphing into a "rallying" pitch similiar to the Republican neo-con "anti-democrat, we need money" plea.
Now, I obviously don't speak for anyone else in the movemnet, but my hunch is, some are equally turned off by this approach.
What's my suggestion? Save the paper on the troop rallying. For me a 5 x 7 printed picture of Ron Paul and a contribution envelope would be more up my ally.
I hope this doesn't come accross as sour, but, it's just a suggestion.
I'm sure others will have some ideas also.
I agree
It's getting real old real fast.
I think the most relevant
I think the most relevant problem that you pointed out is the tone of the mailing; It sounds just like a newsmax or RNC mailing. Too much democrat bashing for my taste. I know they deserve it, but I get more fired up to donate over a good old fashioned free-thinking bipartisan bash. When I hear the names "Nancy Pelosi" or "Harry Reid" used to instill hatred by name alone, I feel like they are treating me like some talk radio brainwashed Rushbot.
Ventura 2012
Tone, style,and looks don't
Tone, style,and looks don't matter to a direct mail marketer. The only thing that matters is results. You guys are trying to fit your beliefs inside the box. If you have a better letter, write it up, submit it to CFL and ask them to test it. I guarantee you these letters have been completely tested. The letters you are reading are probably one of ten tests they ran. If short and sweet and to the point is what worked we'd all have our mailboxes stuffed with postcards. The reason we don't is because they suck at response. You guys really should be happy about these mailings. I've seen many of them since I signed onto CFL. This means they are making money. And when the organization is making money we can expand. Isn't that the real goal here? Not how you don't like the look of a marketing piece???
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower
exactly
I should of worded it as shortly and simple as you did
Before you criticize the
Before you criticize the mailings, you need to understand the direct marketing world. Yes, you may not like them but most likely they keep mailing you because they work. I have a background in direct mail marketing, and believe me, if it wasn't working it wouldn't be getting remailed. (those mailings are not cheap to produce) Direct mail marketing is very scientific. So the more you see them, the happier you should be. Really.
It's just like why Ron Paul stays away from the birther or truther arguments, because it wouldn't help and it would probably hurt our cause. We should always focus on what IS working. Ron Paul has been in this game a long time. He has been using direct mail marketing longer than a lot of people on this site have even been alive. He knows what he is doing. Let's focus on what we are doing that is working. CALL, FAX, EMAIL everyone!
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower
Yes your right.
Direct marketing's great and effective, but these letters would be more effective if they were kept short and to the point. Have one or two points underlined for a quick glance. Right now it's an incomprehensible blathering tirade with every other word emboldened, italicized and underscored. Luckily its just on paper otherwise I would bet it would be blinking rainbow colors and have pop up ads all over it. It looks sleazy and amateurish and puts a lot of people off that would otherwise contribute self included. Don't get me wrong I like the Campaign for liberty and think its doing a great job, it's just this one thing I feel strongly about and want to change.
If the point is to get people to contribute don't waste their time reading through pages of formatted gobbledegook, send a clear short message people will actually read. I'm sure a lot more check books will crack open with that approach.
I'm not going to argue with
I'm not going to argue with you about your beliefs. But all the reasons you just mentioned are why these direct mail pieces are working. Direct mail marketing is VERY scientific. Long copy usually outsells short copy. The more you tell the more you sell. Writing at an eighth grade level outpulls bigger words and important sounding phrases. The underlining, italicized and bold copy, keeps readers reading. Oh, and those first class stamps on the outside AND inside the envelope also raise response. The color yellow usually outpulls all other colors. The bottom line is the bottom line in direct mail marketing. Just because YOU don't like it doesn't mean everyone else thinks like you. I used to charge $15,000 to $25,000 to craft a direct mail marketing campaign and ALWAYS there was someone in the company that would complain about the tabloidish style, or the length, or the copy style. More times than not, after mailing the piece those same people had to eat humble pie. I can't tell you how many times I saved a VP of marketings butt with mere words, and this after he or she fought me tooth and nail. (Another reason why I commanded big up-front fees. It made the fight worth it) Again, do what you do best and leave the direct marketing to the pros. They really do know what they are doing, or they wouldn't keep remailing. The more of those long ugly letters you see the happier you should be because this means The Campaign For Liberty is GROWING!
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower
Well, I may be clueless
about the brilliance behind the marketing, but I can tell you one thing based on my intuition(which has saved my butt many times), it reaks of old guard stench. I put my GOP letter next to the C4Liberty's and the similarities are striking.
Direct marketers do what
Direct marketers do what they do because it is what works. If you don't like it, and a large percentage don't, you won't contribute. But in a business where 5 to 10% is a great response, 90 to 95 out of a 100 will trash it. It's just the nature of the business. But who knows, they may be getting a 30% response. It's a high percentage but it happens. Even then 7 out of 10 trash it. I love guns. Most people don't. Should I get all mad and huffy at the rest of the world because they don't think like me?
If you have a new way of making direct mail marketing more effective, go out there and test your ideas. Once you are successful you will be rich!
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower
Ira Freeman
Thanks for the clear explanation. I too share the aesthetic complaint about direct mail, but have been resigned to it. I currently get two copies from the C4L addressed to slight variations of my name, have notified them of same and concluded that they find it cheaper to ignore me (limited manpower?) than to drop one or more of my names.
I give when I give and generally ignore the pleas, but have long understood that they're doing their best to do what's best.
Gaia Vindice
LXXI BC: Ego sum Spartacus // MDCCCLVII: I am Dred Scott // MCMVL: Ich bin Anne Frank // MMX: Je suis Assange // MMXI: Ik ben von NotHaus
I feel compelled to explain
I feel compelled to explain this because these are the same arguments I used to get from marketing execs. The same execs that were killing their company. Then when the money was rolling in they'd forget about you, still laugh at your silly ways of marketing, and go right back to doing dumb things. I can't tell you how many times I'd get called back after they killed a mailing that worked time after time after time, just because they didn't like it anymore. I had one full page ad that ran in a magazine for five years. Even though the client begged me to write another one, I refused because it was making them (and me) money. I only want to see the liberty movement expand and complaining about something that is obviously working is suicide to our cause. And by the way, I made enough at what I did in my 20's that I semi-retired at 35. And now haven't had a "job" for over 8 years, all because of those damned ugly marketing pieces.
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower
yeah the fund raising letters kind of suck
They obviously spend too much money on color ink and / or colored envelopes. The verbiage on these multi-page tirades has officially entered "cheesy". And I don't like how they take the time to print up little letters / postcards to your senator or congressperson and want you send it back to C4L. If they really cared wouldn't they just print out the address of the elected official's office and all you'd have to do is stick on a stamp? They could include the C4L logo and everything so that the recipient knows who is behind the push. But I do see a lot of useless expense in these fund raising letters.
I agree. How bout a petition?
I like your idea Justcomehome, just a 5 x 7 printed picture of Ron Paul and a contribution envelope . Simple. Not a 5 page front and back mess of underlined BOLD and Italic hodgepodge we currently receive. It's impossible to read and is basically preaching to the choir. If these were going to people unfamiliar with Ron Paul then they might have a place (granted the letters are cleaned up and presented in a normal fashion). I've been meaning to write John Tate about this myself for quite awhile but decided not to as its really not that big a deal. But now I feel it has become excessive. It's wasteful and looks bad on the movement to use these particular methods, rhetoric and presentation, despite whatever degree of effectiveness they may have. We can do better. I thank John for all his hard work but this is something that's bothered me that I would like to see changed. Until it is I don't feel like wasting any more supporting these kinds of letters. I'll donate directly to the candidates and organizations that make better use of funds.
Indeed
One can't help but wonder how many people do as you were tempted to do. That is just ignore it and not say anything. How many have simply gone away?
I've voiced my opinion and it clearly was not recieved well at all. It's as if they (the leaders of Campaign for Liberty) learned nothing from the Ron Paul Campaign. It was an unconventional campaign about honesty, liberty and the importance of the rule of law under the constitution.
That's what drew people and what inspired so many people in the grass roots to set record breaking fundraising results.
The John Tate (fundraising as usual) method may work, but not with most people in the Liberty Movement. It's disgusting to them as if they are recieving fundraising crap from the RNC.
POG, send a donation to Rand Paul, it'll be used far more effectively than to send it to Campaign for Liberty so John Tate can send me more of what I don't want any more of. Especially if Rand Paul should win the Senate race in Kentucky.
That I have, I've been
That I have, I've been contributing to all the campaigns (Rand, Schiff, Kokesh, RJ, Clift, etc) but I am just as wary about contributing to them as I am of Campaign for liberty. Not that any of them are bad or that I disagree with them, I don't. But I only have so much I can contribute and If I see a pattern of continued misuse of my blood and sweat, they won't see another drop of it. I will find other ways to support the cause and allocate my hard earned resources. I will find other candidates and organizations. Like Ernie Hancock says, "where are the sign maker's?" Show me the sign makers. Show me the people who are on the ground doing things in real life in a determined efficient way and I will do my best to support them. I'm almost at a point to where I can join these people myself in person, but for now I can only support monetarily and through the blogs.
It's a matter of priorities!
Sucking up dollars at the same time one of the most important tasks that could be accomplished and one that would help Campaign for Liberty and the entire Liberty movement would be to see to it that Rand Paul is elected in Kentucky to the US Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Jim Bunning.
I find it interesting and discouraging that Campaign for Liberty is "reporting" very little on the Rand Paul Campaign.
Obviously there are others such as Adam Kokesh that are searching for funding, but no pro-liberty movement message could be louder than to make sure Rand Paul secures that Senate seat in 2010. That win would reap far more for Campaign for Liberty than anything they can squeeze out of liberty supporters between now the November 2010.
Of course Rand Paul must win a Republican Primary election in May 2010.
Is anyone's money better spent (in the long run) on Campaign for Liberty or the Rand Paul Campaign which if successful would reap ongoing rewards for years. Just think, Ron Paul in the US House AND his son Rand Paul in the US Senate!
www.runrandrun.com
www.randpaul2010.com
...
I think the C4L has to be careful in what they say so that they do not jeopardize their tax status.
But yes, perhaps Rand's campaign should be a priority.
Fundraising idea for C4L.
I could be way off here, this is just something I thought about a while ago:
Audio book of "The Revolution" read by Ron Paul.
I would easily pay $100, maybe as much as $500.
Look at how we hang onto his every word in the media.
Just my opinion.
Dan
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Lets face it, the average Amerikan is an idiot..
-Ira Freeman
...let it not be said that we did nothing.
-Ron Paul
oh that IS a good idea!
bump
I Third That Idea
I'd buy it especially since I haven't had a chance to read my copy.
The explanation we got at the Seattle Conference is
That the mailings really work to bring in funds, and because of them the C4L is in the black--so it is a good thing.
The mailings might also be the reason for the increased membership in C4L.
I am like you and would prefer to not receive pushy mailings--but some people must respond to them. :-)
Lots of someones are
Lots of someones are responding to them or they would never get remailed. When you don't see those letters getting mailed anymore, the CFL has lost their direct mail marketing mojo.
You Judge A Tree By It's Fruit, NOT its Flower