Direct mail marketing is on the up. New research has revealed that consumers are opening and reading 500 million more direct mail items than they were four years ago – and as a result, the medium is worth an extra £1.6 billion. For years, forecasters have predicted that the rise of email would send direct mail into an inevitable – and terminal – decline. But the numbers speak for themselves. According to figures from the Royal Mail, direct mail marketing makes back £3.22 for every £1 spent, compared to £3.12 spent online. So what’s behind this unexpected renaissance?
Digital Fatigue
Over the past decade, consumers have started spending more and more time online – and marketing has followed them on a huge scale. Today, you can’t read an article online without being bombarded with adverts. There are adverts in newspapers, yes, but they aren’t nearly as distracting as pop-ups, videos or animations. Consumers are so used to online marketing that they filter it out. Non-digital marketing has the opportunity to really get their attention.
Improvements in Targeting
Direct mail marketing has always relied on postcode data, which is full of valuable marketing information. But new technology means postcode data can be overlaid with digital sources of data, making direct mail targeting even easier. Meanwhile, data protection can tidy up outdated mailing lists, ensuring high-quality marketing materials get to the right people.
Creativity
As marketers cotton onto the fact that direct mail is getting great results, they’re spending more time, money and energy to get it right. Research shows that 16-24 year-olds are the age group most likely to open direct mail – only 9% throw it away unopened – and this is a target audience many businesses are competing over. Direct mail marketing is getting more unique and creative, using artwork on envelopes and novel printing techniques to reach this young audience.
Direct mail marketing is going to be a big trend in 2017. Come to Colour Print and get ahead of the trend. Our expert print designers can create a campaign that’ll really stand out – and we can print and distribute it for you, too. To find out more, call 01603 488001 or email sales@col-print.co.uk.
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