Mortgage mailings.

• Author: Wachtel, George
• Position: THE LETTER CLINIC

HERE IS A FOUR-PANEL SELF-MAILER FROM EVERBANK promoting its jumbo mortgages that is as interesting from the marketing strategy as it is in the execution.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

1 The Bank and the Prospect: For starters, we have a Florida-based bank selling mortgages to prospects a 1,000 miles away in Connecticut. What bank managers surely must have done is select their mailing list for quality prospects in key markets around the country; and assume "the sophisticated buyer" will not be deterred by this long-distance approach.

2 Terminology: They also make the assumption that this "sophisticated buyer" is one who would be comfortable speaking in banking terms. They use "Jumbo Loan," "15-year fixed" and "5/1 Arm" as terms they feel the reader will easily understand. That is probably true only about half the time.

3 Headlines: For simplicity plus greater emphasis on the consumer benefit, I would rather that both the subheads were shortened to read: Pay off your mortgage faster and Improve your monthly cash flow

4 Layout: What is also interesting is that EverBank chose to make this an all-type marketing piece, with no photos or any other artwork. I agree with decision for two reasons: the use of stock photos (happy family standing in front of "Jumbo" house) would not speak to their sophisticated buyer as much as good financial examples do; and secondly, if they are mailing all around the country, they avoid the problem of having a regional look (with attractive Florida palm trees swaying in the breeze).

5 Charts: The two product and rate examples use the strange amount of $729,500 for their calculations. I wonder where this...