Sometimes there are reasons for staying with the older ways of doing things, take a mail shot as an example. A well crafted letter or targeted sales pamphlet will elicit a much better response than an email, there are lots of reasons for this. With the protective algorithms used by the hosting companies, a sizeable percentage of emails don’t end up in the target inbox – they end up in the spam folder and don’t even get seen.
A physical letter is much harder to miss, I usually have a look in the spam folder before I empty it – but not always – sometimes I just click the trashcan icon but a physical letter that’s harder to ignore. Deliverability studies suggest that 10–20% of legitimate marketing emails get routed to spam, so you are already hobbled to some extent by the medium. Where lumpy mail loses out is cost, a 10,000 address email shot is effectively free – not so with physical letters.
But when it comes to small targeted and focused mail merges, things get very different. Send out 100 emails and 100 lumpy mails, with same content and it is a different game.
The target group that we are talking about here is Pilot Owners, they are passionate and affluent.
✈️ Sample Lumpy Mail Concept for Pilot Owners.
🎁 The Package
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Outer packaging; A slim, sturdy mailing box or padded kraft envelope. Branded subtly (not flashy like spam), possibly with a tasteful aviation motif like a compass rose, a propeller outline, or “Flight Log – Private Delivery”.
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Inside item – A Relevant Gift;
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Leather aircraft key fob stamped with a tail number motif (“N-XXXXX”) or your logo.
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Custom metal pilot’s checklist card (credit-card-sized, laser-etched with “Pre-Flight Reminders” + discreet brand logo + call-to-action).
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Miniature kneeboard pad with your brand subtly included (“Pilot’s Notes” style).
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Each is lightweight, aviation-themed, and feels too nice to throw away.
📄 The Message Insert
Printed on premium card stock, styled like a pilot’s flight plan or maintenance log entry.
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Headline;
“Pre-Flight Check: Is Your Aircraft Ready for Its Next Mission?” -
Letter Body (short, direct, benefit-driven);
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Acknowledge their passion for flying and pride of ownership.
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Highlight how your product/service (e.g., avionics upgrade, hangar services, insurance, fuel program) helps them fly safer, smarter, or with less hassle.
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Create exclusivity: “We only work with a select number of owner-pilots each year.”
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Call-to-action (CTA);
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Invite them to schedule a private consultation or inspection.
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QR code leading to a personalized landing page.
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Optional: incentive like “Book a call this month and we’ll upgrade your pilot’s kit with a complimentary [premium item].”
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🧠 Why it works
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Relevance; Every pilot immediately “gets” the checklist/kneeboard/aviation motif.
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Tactile & premium; The gift feels like something they’d use or keep.
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Exclusivity; Reinforces that this is a targeted outreach, not mass mail.
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Call-to-action ties in naturally; The gift is part of the message, not random swag.
📊 Expected Outcomes (100 owners)
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~95 open and notice immediately.
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~15–20 respond positively (15–20%).
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~8–15 convert to real sales leads.
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If even 1 owner buys (say a $15k–$30k upgrade/service), the campaign ROI is excellent.
Watch for the next blog post for more insights.