Selling the sizzle vs. the Steak.

• Author: Wachtel, george
• Position: THE LETTER CLINIC - Brief article

HERE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT MAILING PIECES both selling checking accounts with a $100 special offer. The choice bank marketers often face is whether to lead with the "sizzle" (the special offer) or the "steak" (the product features and benefits). And these two take opposite approaches.

1 Sizzle vs. Steak: American Eagle highlights "The Freedom of FREE Checking" on the front of its postcard; while the Webster Bank self-mailer really features the $100 bonus.

2 Graphics: Again, these two pieces couldn't be more different. American Eagle uses Ben Franklin and the smiling faces of a father and son on the front side (but why are they looking up and off the card when they should be looking INTO the copy?). And the Webster piece uses absolutely NO graphics anywhere in their layout.

3 Inside Effectiveness: While the American Eagle postcard wins with the graphics on the outside, their graphics get in the way on the selling side. The reader's eye does not know where to go with all the boxes and subjects. But the Webster Bank layout, while duller, carries the prospect through their selling points...