Member Article

Direct Mail Makes A Comeback

Move over email, the thud of direct mail landing on the doormat is making a comeback as research suggests consumers would rather rip open than click open.

Thanks to a revolution in personalised digital print technology customers are increasingly opting for ink over pixels to grab attention with research suggesting the most effective marketing campaigns combine letterboxes with inboxes.

Tony Kemp, who runs leading online direct mail, digital print platform, Hello Market, said: “We have noticed a definite trend back towards direct mailings, the sort which comes through the letterbox.

“Companies using direct mail techniques are ensuring they capture their market by supplementing emailers with personalised printed brochures. As inboxes fill, emails can easily be lost or junked; by using hard copy as well, businesses can speak to their customers in a way which makes sure their message gets across.”

According to the Royal Mail’s MarketReach research (1), direct mail is seen by consumers as being more authoritative and informative than email. They are also more likely to go online after considering a direct mail missive. Emails are perceived as being more informal and quick – but 70 per cent of respondents also said they felt they received too many emails.

And research has shown that 51 per cent of emails are deleted within two seconds (2) whereas 69% will open a letter from a company about a promotion or special offer. Furthermore, 60% will open mail if it’s from a company about a product or service they don’t currently have.

Add to this a poll of 9,000 people for CMS Ltd (3) which suggests that 83 per cent of people feel direct mail is easier to take in than email and it is becoming obvious that targeting doormats makes business sense.

Tony said: “We expected to see this research backing up our finding that direct mail is on the up. Thanks to the digital print innovations which we have pioneered, it is now so quick and simple to produce individualised direct mailings. Hello Market is unrivalled in its versatility and, as far as I know, it is unique in its field – nobody else offers personalised online direct mail options to this level.

“Companies can change pages, pictures, sentences and words in brochures to an individual level. They can alter images and text to suit individual clients – no matter what the size of the print run. And it can all be printed and mailed out in as little as 24 hours to a client’s uploaded list, or using our own 40 million strong consumer database.

“We are constantly expanding and developing the services we offer our clients by ensuring we stay at the frontier of technology and capability.”

Hello Market can be found at www.hellomarket.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by DMP .