[ghaff]

I actually think a short handwritten note to thank someone for meeting with you or whatever is a nice gesture that stands out from the standard email and doesn't take much effort. Of course, that's real handwritten, not faux handwritten.

I do receive marketing materials from time to time that make a particular effort to stand out--sent FedEx or physical swag of some sort or gimmicky attempts at games/contests/etc. I admit they usually get me to at least look at the mailing though I'm probably no more likely to buy something.

[joshmlewis]

I agree handwritten notes or physical communication of some sort can be effective if people think it's genuine. The problem with making a startup out of this is you are inherently fighting virality because once you do go mainstream you lose the personal value of it.

An interesting comparison is how Facebook started charging to get into a strangers inbox. The intentions behind this seem to be the same. A world fighting for each others attention...

[ghaff]

Yeah. It only really works if it's not the norm, i.e. it stands out. If every donation thank you letter over $20 starts being sent out this way, then it becomes worthless in a hurry. The other downside is that it encourages outsourcing the personal touch. If you're a charity, you should individually reach out to your large donors, not outsource that to a faux handwritten form letter. (Though as others have noted, politicians use robo-signers a lot.)