For the event's invitation, letters were hand-delivered inside an official Microsoft envelope that had a broken seal. First impression was that the letter was already opened and read by someone else. Inside, the letter explained the real message and intention of the direct mailer - to drive home the importance of security. The key insight was that nobody wants to have their mail opened by someone else. When the target received the tampered letter, it certainly aroused their ire and anxiety. Thus the message was driven home in a personal manner, and made perfect sense when related to a real-world business situation.

The envelope that held the letter was unique. Upon close inspection, the flap appeared to have been tampered with. First impression was that the mailer had already been opened and read by someone else. Inside, the letter explained the message and intention of the mailer - to emphasise the importance of network security. Thus the message was driven home in a personal manner and made perfect sense when related to a real world business situation... the sensitive issue of IT network security.

Out of the 150 invitees, 47 responded. The 31% response rate was an improvement over previous efforts that netted less than a 20% response.