“Growing with Gusto” Kit

Gusto, an award-winning HR, payroll, and benefits platform originally designed for businesses with 1-10 employees, was growing! As their capabilities grew, so did their audience – including companies with up to 100 employees. While we’d perfected the art of converting small teams with a hard-hitting letter package, we set out to evolve our strategy and creative to drive higher-value leads from large organizations.

We knew getting our message in front of this new audience wouldn’t be easy. They were even busier than our previous prospects, had more cluttered inboxes, and had gatekeepers screening their mail. To capture decision-makers’ attention, we needed to physically place our message on their desks with a meaningful mailing. We ventured beyond a simple letter.

We created a custom format that demonstrated our commitment to helping our audience achieve their goal: growth. Inside an oversized envelope sat a folder containing a “Growing with Gusto” kit – including an introductory letter, three cascading die-cut sell sheets, the business card of a Gusto specialist, and a branded packet of plant-able seeds. Crafted with response-driving best practices, the piece was clear in copy and scannable in design. Because of its size and tangible weight, we were confident it would stand out from the clutter. Takeaway elements like the business card and sell sheets also made it easy for prospects to keep our call to action top of mind.

Equally as important as the piece we delivered was the list of prospects to whom we delivered it. We built a look-a-like model based on the few large clients they had and did a profiling exercise to source even more data. We then split the audience – half got our “Growing with Gusto” kit and the rest got our control package for smaller business (1-10 employees).

We’re proud to say that our “Growing with Gusto” kit drove a 43% higher lead rate over the control package. Plus, those leads had a 28% higher average lifetime value. The campaign was celebrated as a success throughout Gusto and led to even greater direct mail adoption across the organization.