The Challenge
In the 1980s, Apple Computer UK's Managing Director wanted to bypass the traditional dealer network and sell directly to consumers. It was a bold move — at the time, computers were sold almost exclusively through physical retail channels. Apple needed a direct mail campaign that would convince business decision-makers, educators, and consumers to buy directly.
Rob Palmer was brought in as the sole copywriter. Originally expected to supervise junior writers, he ultimately wrote the entire project himself — from the Managing Director's welcome letter to the customer support materials and three separate market-targeted packages for business, education, and consumer segments.
The Approach
Palmer insisted on rigorous A/B testing before the main launch. Three different offers were tested through initial mailings sent to carefully segmented groups just before Christmas, with the main campaign launch planned for January.
The results of the three-way test were stark:
- Offer #1: Got a tepid response — too low for the offer to be profitable.
- Offer #2: Performed better, with a small profit possible.
- Offer #3: The response rate was, in Rob's words, “just off the charts.”
The winning offer featured a case study approach, telling the story of a fictional graphic designer using Apple products to transform his business. At a time when most prospects were still uncertain about computers' practical value, this narrative approach resonated powerfully — showing rather than telling what an Apple could do.
The Results
Orders arrived “thick and fast” from the test mailings alone. When the winning offer was rolled out in the main campaign, demand was so overwhelming that inventory management became critical. Products had to be air-freighted into Europe to meet the volume.
The campaign expanded to three targeted packages across business, education, and consumer markets — and every segment performed.
The Campaign That Was “Too Successful”
The direct sales generated such massive demand that Apple dealers faced empty stores as their market was cannibalised. Despite Apple's assurances that direct customers would visit dealers for accessories, the opposite occurred. Dealer profitability collapsed, sparking heated meetings that nearly became physical confrontations, legal threats, and ultimately the campaign's cancellation. The campaign was not stopped because it failed — it was stopped because it worked too well.
Key Takeaways
- Testing is everything. Without A/B testing, the weak offers would have produced lukewarm sales and the campaign would have been written off as a failure. The tested offer enabled exponential revenue growth.
- Stories sell better than specs. In a market where prospects did not yet understand the value of computers, a case study narrative outperformed feature-led copy by orders of magnitude.
- Direct response can be too effective. A rare problem in marketing — but a powerful demonstration of what research-driven, properly tested direct-response copy can achieve.