Ethan Allen Builds Anticipation With Direct Mail

Ethan Allen, the furniture retailer, used a direct mail brochure to tease an inspiring book.

Mailer Name: Ethan Allen
Date Mailed: September 2016

Ethan Allen used mail in 2015 to promote Muses, a 328-page book that marked an image makeover for the brand. That effort was a modest 6”x8” folded self-mailer.

This brochure supports The Journey of American Style, a 292-page “book of inspiration." Ethan Allen invites consumers to pick up a free copy of the book at the company’s brick-and-mortar stores.

Although the brochure is only eight pages, it measures 10”x13”. The larger size allows Ethan Allen to better show off a few items from some of its collections.

The front cover of the direct mail piece provides two additional reasons to consider shopping with Ethan Allen. First, it directs the reader to enter a sweepstakes in their visit. Second, it announces sales prices of up to 20 percent off both in-store and online.

The inside cover explains much more about both offers. It lists the types of items covered by the sales prices, and a block of text in reversed-out type details the sweepstakes.

The first right-hand page and following two spreads showcase some furniture from Ethan Allen's collections. Some copy gives a basic description of each collection’s style and original inspiration. Three large images appear on each page. Most show a chest, table and a larger piece, like a bed or sofa.

In addition, every page also calls out an example of “The Ethan Allen Difference.” Together with the brochure, Ethan Allen whets the prospect’s appetite to discover more.

You can see how Ethan Allen selects a few items from its massive book to promote a retail store visit. To download a free PDF of this mail piece, courtesy of Who’s Mailing What!, please click here.

The Takeaway
Stand out from your competition by positioning your merchandise in a way that both interests the customer and provides value.