In part 2 of the series, we look at the Power of Direct Mail. These are unique times we live in. With so much of our lives migrating to an online world and so many of our monthly billing commitments transferring to a non-paper-based delivery method, our actual post mailboxes are uncluttered. They have become primary untapped communication vehicles. Direct Mail has the power and ability to unlock this potential and take recipients on a brand journey.

There is such a unique consumer experience in the receipt of a personalised piece of direct mail. We are impressed that somebody has taken the time to make a personal approach and make us feel special enough to send a piece of mail. In the uncluttered world of our mailbox, it gets attention. The addressed mail piece shows you made an effort to communicate with me.

That tactile point of engagement offers brands the prime opportunity to engage the consumer directly and numerous others within the household as Direct Mail goes from your mailbox into the household. You have the ability to stimulate the senses with a proven medium, Print. The ability to create a Direct Mail piece that is inviting, personal and engaging is paramount to the success of this engagement journey. Last year, a Canadian neuromarketing firm conducted a sweeping study for Canada Post that compared the effects of paper marketing (direct mail pieces, in this case) to digital media (email and display ads).

The firm used advanced eye-tracking and high-resolution EEG brain wave measurement tools, along with conventional methods such as questionnaires to gather data. The study produced a key result: Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable. Further, consumers who received direct mail offers were able to recall the brand 75% of the time. For consumers who received digital-only versions, the brand was remembered only 44% of the time. According to the Forbes evaluation of this scientific research, “Science clearly shows paper can be more impactful and memorable than digital”.

This should be taken as hard evidence of the ultimate success of printed direct mail. But it is important that this is not viewed in isolation. Though Direct Mail is 33% more engaging than email & 35% more engaging than social media advertising, (Source: Royal Mail MarketReach, Neuro-Insight, 2018), the power of Direct Mail also lies in its ability to take consumers on a complete brand journey. Through the use of clever Calls to Action, brands can bring consumers into a digital world and continue the journey through online channels.

This though is a chosen consumer journey. We have through Direct Mail engaged the receiver, made them feel important, engaged their senses and taken them on a chosen online journey. There is the important link. The consumer journey is a chosen one. The use of Direct Mail has not been in isolation. It has been used effectively as part of a brand campaign as the strategic and primary adoption tool. Direct Mail has also the ability to transcend the age demographic. The appeal of direct mail is across all age groups. Brand engagement through direct mail is applicable across the age demographic band. From teens to pensioners the application of Direct Mail is boundless.

The sleeping medium. It is not dead, it is not forgotten, it is just dormant. The advantage for brands is in this fact. The mailbox is now underutilised, uncluttered and ready to deliver opportunity for brands who choose to engage with it. Receiving post has the allure of romanticism to it. Grabbing consumer attention through clever design. Engaging the senses of the receiver. Understanding your target audience and age demographic. Tailoring your message. Offering reciprocity. Using Direct Mail as part of a wider campaign strategy. Taking the receiver into an online journey.

Direct Mail is precisely that. Direct. It gets into the hands of the receiver. It gets into the household. It is generally read by others through its lifetime. It forms a relationship with the receiver. It is fully traceable to delivery. it is the catalyst for a consumer journey. Through the use of clever creative, it engages the senses.

Embrace the Power of Direct Mail.