Direct mail marketing
Direct mail marketing is one of the most effective ways to create personal dialogue with your customers. There has been a recent shift to target customers on a more personal level, and direct mail is an excellent way to do this.
Now poor old direct mail does get bad press. Most people receive more email spam than junk mail, but letter boxes don’t have spam filters – so poorly targeted direct mail is not liked one bit. We think that direct mail is best used to provide information and offers to existing customers. Mailing cold-targets generally delivers poor response rates. When you look at the top 10 big spenders who spend massive amounts of money on direct mail - 50% of their activity is now aimed at existing customers. Indeed cold-target mail is likely to fall into non-existence as marketing departments demand better ROI.
Much of the criticism revolving around direct mail involves environmental issues. Millions of envelopes heading through the letter-box and into the bin makes great tabloid headlines. However, we make every effort to reduce wastage through complex segmentation/ targeting, list hierarchies and testing strategies. We do all the usual things like recycled paper, sustainably sourced this and that, and plastic free envelopes – however it’s a totally empty gesture if the targeting data is not robust.
Of course, it goes without saying that without a single minded and focused message you might as well just not bother with direct mail. The tangibility of direct mail offers some seriously cool creative options. From different shaped or 3D mail, through to the application of scents, textures and the inclusion of samples. Direct mail can be big time creative. (Good job you know about Brightenup really isn’t it?).
And please don’t get us wrong, direct mail is no dead donkey. There is still a very important place for it, but it is best used when you already have a relationship. As Kirsty here at Brightenup says ‘There is no such thing as junk mail, only poorly targeted direct mail’.
That's a brilliant idea
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