Is direct mail dead?

Research indicates that the average person in the UK gets bombarded with roughly 5,000 adverts every single day. That’s around 3.5 adverts every single minute.

Consumers are utterly overwhelmed by all of this noise. And successful marketing is all about harnessing ways to effectively cut through that noise.

Direct mail stands apart from the constant onslaught of online communication, so offers a less competitive avenue for grabbing your audience’s attention.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Now we’re not suggesting that direct mail should be employed instead of digital marketing activity. Direct mail is quite simply a valuable addition to your marketing toolbox and should be used as well as digital marketing tactics. The two complement each other to ensure your message is reaching your audience, wherever they are.

This kind of layered marketing creates a seamless 'customer' experience. Digital marketing is great for building brand exposure while your audience is on-the-go. But direct mail is tangible and reaches your audience on a personal level to create a much more meaningful connection.

Direct mail is also tangible and physical, which means the creative possibilities are almost limitless. You can apply textures, incorporate scents and even tickle your audience’s taste buds with an edible offer. Most importantly, it offers your organisation the opportunity to do something unique and memorable that will capture your audience’s attention.

Take this example from Kit Kat, who used spoof parcel notification cards to encourage people to try their new Kit Kat Chunky. The company used a clever and humorous play on words to engage their audience, and then directed recipients to their local newsagents for a free product as the simple call to action. This unique twist on an already recognisable design delivered incredible results for the brand – with 87% of recipients going to collect the new product as a result.

At Eleven, we get a kick out of seeing our clients get great results from the direct mail campaigns we’ve helped create.

If you think direct mail could take your upcoming campaign to the next level and you’d like to work together, get in touch.