In 2018, after working at Victory and being trained in political communication for a few years, I had my first taste of what it really meant to write a direct mail campaign. Or, more accurately, what it meant to write 189 mail campaigns. Victory Enterprises wrote, designed, and shipped over 750 unique, customized mail pieces during the 2018 election and as the lead, mail copywriter that cycle, I had a hand in almost all of them.
Tears were shed. I questioned my own sanity. And I can’t wait to do it again in 2020.
Here is a truly inside look to the mail process as Victory Enterprises has perfected it.
At the beginning of 2018, we had one or two projects trickle in every couple of weeks. But then something happened around April and we went from a gentle stream to a firehose.
Because we are a nationwide consulting firm, we work with clients who have primaries at different times throughout the year. We must keep track of candidates in those races as well as the winners of previous primaries who are continuing on the campaign trail. We work with clients on both coasts and many states in between.
The needs and priorities of people in these vastly different communities often change race by race. People in Salem, Oregon don’t have the same problems as people in Charlotte, North Carolina. In order to compose effective direct mail, writers need to be very familiar with the district, the people, and their issues.
One of our priorities at Victory is making sure every client, no matter their budget or race, is given a unique and thoughtful piece that fits their needs. Each piece of direct mail starts from scratch and is completely customized to fit the client. With VE, there is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all direct mail campaign.
It isn’t always easy to start all over with every piece. At Victory, we prioritize getting to know candidates and their communities through research and polling, as well as our onboarding process of talking to clients about their history, family, and key issues. I almost always feel I’m friends with our clients when I’m done with their mail thanks to the sheer amount of time I have spent getting to know them.
Because writing almost two hundred unique direct mail campaigns can be kind of an overwhelming task, Victory Enterprises invested in a workflow organizer called Wrike that has enabled all of our creative staff, including our writers, designers, digital staff, and production crew to stay organized and on the same page. It helps us maintain a cohesive approach to every campaign.
I cannot imagine handling the volume of projects we do without Wrike anymore. Thanks to its built-in reminders, storage capacity, and improved collaboration on projects, our work is streamlined and significantly more efficient.
Victory Enterprises has been creating direct mail for over 20 years and seen it’s tremendous impact on the outcome of an election. That is why we are so invested in creating a unique, high-quality product that meets the needs of each client. Whether you’re a candidate, a corporation, or a cause in need of a thoughtful and comprehensive mail plan, Victory is ready to help you.
Once Election Day was over, we coasted through November, enjoying a well-deserved break. I thought I would enjoy the downtime, the different projects, and the slower pace. But now I’m itching to get started again. 2020 can’t come soon enough.
Want a direct mail campaign that will deliver real results? Let’s get started!