The effect of personalisation on mailed questionnaire response rates

Personalisation has been cited as a means of improving mailed questionnaire response rates. In order to investigate this variable, a split-run test was performed on a survey mailed to retail location planning managers. One half of the sample received a questionnaire in a hand-written envelope with a standard postage stamp affixed, whilst the other half of the sample received the same questionnaire in a franked envelope with the addressee's details type-written. It was found that personalising mailing envelopes did not have a statistically significant impact on response rates.