Language Technologies has claimed its patented ReadSmart software makes text more compelling. Tests using a US non-profit organisation's campaign sent to 160,000 people showed a 54% increase in revenues and a 38% boost in the average size of contribution, it said. Students that use academic text books formatted by ReadSmart experienced 40% fewer failures, claimed the company.

The psycholinguistic algorithms have been 30 years in the making, developed by LTI founder, chairman and technical director Thomas Bever.

President and chief executive of Direct Group Don McKenzie  said: "We look forward to ReadSmart providing us with another unique way to help our customers improve response rates, affording them a marked improvement in their cost per response."

He told printweek.com that "ReadSmart can be formatted in several different languages, so it could be used for both standard English as well as 'King’s English' in the UK... Direct Group does not have any UK clients at this time."

The software integrates with existing pre-media technologies for the printing and personalisation of direct marketing campaigns, including Quark and other digital media software.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.