How Rosemere used print to deliver a 2100% return on spend through Direct Mail.

With a newsletter encouraging online donations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Rosemere Cancer Foundation achieved a staggering £21.36 return on every £1 they spent.

Here's how they managed to raise so much for critical medical work at such an uncertain time.

The challenge.

Many charities felt the full force of COVID-19's disruption. The Rosemere Cancer Foundation, which supports world-class research and treatment in Lancashire and South Cumbria, were no different. For years, they relied on community events and mailed donations, but since the overwhelming majority of their donors are elderly and were shielding, neither of these was safe any more.

Dan Hill, the foundation's Chief Officer, was already planning a shift to online contributions. The outbreak forced him to accelerate that change or risk losing the funding patients rely on.

We'd been brought on to handle Rosemere's printed newsletter through our direct mail service, as subscribers grew beyond a number they could manage in-house. Now we had a bigger task: helping the charity survive and thrive by putting the right message out there.

The Ribblesdale Ward is just one project funded by Rosemere's work. They raised £1,000,000 towards this world-class cancer project.

The strategy.

This special newsletter had to be emotive, so we kept the design minimal and let the words speak for themselves. Our strong relationship with Dan and his team, along with our affinity with their cause, meant we were trusted to express such a personal message in the right way.

By May, we had completed the first drafts. By June, we were ready to print and take care of all the distribution too.

Overseeing the mailing ourselves meant costs could be trimmed wherever possible, a huge priority for Rosemere. By keeping the price down on consultation, design and delivery, we helped them make the most of existing funds. Once the digital donation platform was in place, we sent the bulletin to almost 4,500 people in the region at a price they were very happy with.

The result.

The bulletin broke all expectations. In just six weeks, 10% of newsletter recipients made £28,000 in donations through the online portal. Previous response rates had averaged around 3%, meaning the campaign more than tripled their usual donations target.

Dan and his team could confidently say their print investment paid off. As mail campaign costs have to be approved from above, the results should give them more freedom with the budget for future newsletters, keeping interest alive among long-term donors.

It also paves the way for further communications that build the one-to-one relationships so key to sustained support. We're looking forward to continuing our work with Rosemere for many years to come.

Our relationship with Empine has grown from strength to strength over the past 3 years. Their professionalism, customer service and attention to detail are fantastic and without their support, our new approach to engaging our supporters and stimulating donations at this challenging time wouldn't have been possible. We look forward to continuing this development of our supporter communications in partnership with Empine and growing our income to underpin the essential projects and services we fund for local cancer patients.

Daniel Hill, Chief Officer, Rosemere Cancer Foundation

Want your next mailing to work harder for your cause? Get in touch with Empine.