Front of Envelope Pulls You to Open

A 2010 US study commissioned by Pitney Bowes found that “What’s printed on the front of the envelope strongly influences when and whether people open it” [source: Print in the Mix]. Less so for the back of the envelope – maybe because it gets scribbled over by those famed restaurant calculations.

Colour Text & Graphics are Key

69% more consumers would more likely open an envelope with colour text and graphics than if it had black text and graphics.  But that is not all. Given a choice of colour graphics or black and white text on the envelope, a whopping 247% were more likely to open the colour graphics envelope.

Colour and Buying

The report cites prior research into why colour has such an impact. Two findings stand out.

1. When buying, visual factors are most important for over 90% of consumers.
2. Colour adds and additional memory tag thus helping people better remember the item.

So colour is a significant factor on front of envelope for direct mail envelopes that work.

Colour Envelopes are Increasingly Economical

Full colour envelopes have been expensive to produce until very recently. With the release of  digital presses such as the Ilumina Digital Envelope Press+, envelopes printed full colour in relatively short runs are available at a reasonable unit price.

[The report, Color Makes a Noticeable Difference, was produced by Leflein Associate for Pitney Bowes].