Case Study: The Morton Arboretum Expands Membership and Exceeds Goals with Fall Acquisition Campaign
Client: The Morton Arboretum
Year: Fall 2024
Campaign Type: Direct Mail Acquisition
The Morton Arboretum is a world-renowned outdoor museum of trees dedicated to protecting and celebrating the natural world. Each year, the Arboretum welcomes more than one million visitors to experience its ever-changing landscapes and seasonal events. The Fall 2024 Membership Acquisition Campaign was designed to acquire engaged, long-term members.
Challenge
The Arboretum sought to expand its membership base ahead of the busy fall and winter season. Building on strong prior-year results, the team set ambitious goals. The campaign also served as a testing opportunity to evaluate whether personalization in the letter—based on a recipients’ relationship to the Arboretum—would improve response.
Solution
The Fall 2024 direct mail campaign highlighted the beauty and excitement of the Arboretum during its most colorful season while showcasing the year-round value of membership. With the campaign landing in homes in early September, it captured the height of autumn appeal and aligned with key seasonal programming.
Creative and Design:
The campaign used a vibrant package featuring stunning fall photography and friendly, engaging copy. The campaign tested two versions of the letter: personalized with a call-out acknowledging the recipient’s connection (guest, neighbor, or new member) vs. generic version addressing recipients as “Dear Friend”—simpler and more cost-effective. Both letters had the same motivating offers.
Results
The campaign delivered excellent results, exceeding goals across key metrics, including 99% more gifts than projected and gross revenue 101% over projections, due to a stellar response rate.
The control package achieved a higher response rate for lapsed members, indicating that the additional personalization improved engagement for this group. For prospects, the test achieved slightly better results, confirming that the simpler, more efficient test package could be used for this segment moving forward.
Conclusion
The Morton Arboretum’s Fall 2024 Acquisition Campaign effectively turned seasonal interest into lasting engagement, surpassing every performance benchmark. By combining compelling visuals, strategic timing, and a smart testing approach, the Arboretum successfully expanded its member community and identified opportunities for more cost-effective outreach in future campaigns.
