Phillip Smith

phillipadsmith / Phillip Smith

Phillip is the "Simplifier of Technology" at Community Bandwidth, a Canadian consulting practice that works with non-profits and social-mission organizations to explore the thoughtful use of technology toward creating a more just and sustainable society. You're currently reading entries from Phillip's blog on non-profit technology, social innovation, and independent media.

Can direct mail change the world?

Free Colourful Junk mail Inside

Probably not, no. However, if it’s incredibly candid and “self-absorbed yet socially aware” it can get written about in a national newspaper. And, what’s even more interesting — “unique” even? — about this campaign: the unusually high response rate after only two weeks (10,000 pieces started landing in people’s mailboxes on the 19th of October).

What was the secret in my opinion: pushing the envelope (literally) with “being yourself.” I’ve been working with the editor of Taddle Creek for over five years now and, if anything, he’s certainly comfortable with being himself. Lisa Whittington-Hill — a circulation specialist and the Publisher of This Magazine — was also involved in developing this campaign; she’s another one that’s pretty comfortable with being “real.” It’s like all those other folks doing DM campaigns — or as Conan likes to say “junk mail campaigns” — were so busy reading The Cluetrain Manifesto that they forgot about trying to figure out who they really were.

A unique direct mail campaign

Enough of all that: just go and and get yourself a subscription to “Canada’s most unlikely literary journal.”

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