Direct Mail
Why Direct Mail Will Always Be In Style
In this very space I’ve written all about the demise of direct mail and how it’s grossly exaggerated…
Here’s some additional proof and reasons why direct mail will ALWAYS be in style:
#1. It’s more popular with the “younger generation” than you think… Research from ICOM’s 2010 study of North American consumers’ marketing communication channel preferences showed that the always coveted and desirable 18-34 year-old demographic prefers to learn about marketing offers via direct mail and newspapers rather than social media platforms.
#2. It’s the De Facto you… Neither rain, nor sleet and… well, you know the rest. But it’s all true. Direct Mail lets you put on your proverbial best face even when you can’t be face to face with your prospects and customers. 
#3. You can hit the moving target (Part 1)… Are your prospects and customers on Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? All or none of the above? The point is while social media is here to stay and should be a vital role in any campaign, the one place you can ALWAYS find your prospects and customers is their home.
#4. You can hit the moving target (Part 2)… With Direct Mail you can zero in on whom it is you want to be zeroed in on… say that 3 times fast. The point is you can target specifically by a psychographic, demographic, and geographic profile so that your message can go to who’s likely to be buy your product, service or ware
#5. Let’s get physical… Direct Mail allows the recipient to get all touchy and feely, if they want to of course… all kidding aside, nothing will EVER replace the feeling being able to hold something in your hands and refer back to it time and again without having to enter a user name and password each time.
I could go on… but want to hear from you.
Tell me why YOU think direct mail will ALWAYS be in style…
Examples of Great Direct Mail…
Yes, I said Direct Mail…
You remember Direct Mail, don’t you? Poll 10 people “What is Direct Mail?” and I will bet you a cup of coffee… Starbucks Coffee that at LEAST 6 will respond with something along the lines of “Isn’t that the junk mail I get in my mailbox every day?”
For those in the know, we realize that Direct Mail remains a viable marketing tool, especially when used in conjunction with other tools such as email, social media, mobile ads and on and on and on…
So with that being said, I wanted to share some examples of what I think are truly great uses of Direct Mail. I already shared one with you last week about ADT and their agency’s phenomenal idea to use what some consider “scare tactics.”
Here’s a few more for your viewing and reading pleasure…
MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT…
(Christmas card based on a cash register receipt)
THE SOUNDS OF CREATIVITY…
(A very unique record player)
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME…
(A different way to offer home equity loans…)
DOCTOR, DOCTOR…
(Alumni weekend invitation)
As a point of full disclosure, the last example is one we created ourselves. It’s something we are very proud of because we took an otherwise staid and common occurrence – Alumni Weekend – and “personalized” it by addressing each doctor by (last) name on the front of the over sized postcard/invitation.
The results spoke for themselves as our client had the biggest turnout for Alumni Weekend in 10 years.
What do you think of the above examples?
Do you have any to share? Please do!
Do you think Direct Mail has and will always have a role in marketing/advertising?
Direct Mail Scare Tactics…
For those that know me know that I always… ALWAYS appreciate and admire anything that is different from the status quo when it comes to advertising and marketing.
It’s with that I tell you about a recent campaign from ADT (think alarm company) that was executed by Chilean add agency DDB.
The intent was to promote and highlight the fact that Santiago condo and apartment owners were not as safe as they perhaps thought.
Here’s how the direct mail works… first a series of still images followed by a brief video…
I’ve read reviews of this campaign that range from “sheer briliance” to “terrifying brief moment of horror.”
You can probably guess which side of the aisle I fall on…
I think this was absolutely brilliant. Think about it… you’re out and about and you come to discover a box INSIDE your home with the words “Breaking into your apartment is easier than you think” next to the ADT logo…
You tell me that wouldn’t make you sit up and take notice and reevaluate your current security? I know it would get me thinking…always a dangerous proposition for sure but it would absolutely make me sit and take notice.
So what do you think?
Did ADT and its agency go too far?
Does fear advertising/marketing work or does it have the exact opposite effect meaning if you received this type of piece you would never do business with that company?
Chime in, share your thoughts…
Thanks!
Direct mail blogs…
As a public service to the millions and millions of people who read this here very blog on a daily basis, I want to share some of my favorite direct mail marketing blogs & sites... (it’s not really millions but a guy can dream, right?)
[[in no specific order]] 
Deliver
As per their website, they are “the companion Web site to the award-winning Deliver magazine, is the leading online information resource for marketing professionals.”
The magazine, which is very well laid out - is put out by the USPS and while I have on occasion taken some umbrage with what I’ve read on the site, it is overall a very valuable resource for marketers.
DM News
A veritable potpourri of information when it comes to direct mail and direct marketing. Whitepapers, Buyer’s Guides, Postal info, and much, much more.
Very could be the granddaddy of direct marketing sites…
PreSort.com
Much like DM News, this site is a fabulous repository of articles, news, event info, and much, much more. Also provides links to lettershops, printer and vendors.
Marketing Profs
No, it’s not just for direct marketers but it provides a wealth of information ALL marketers and advertisers can and should utilize on a daily basis.
The Gilbert Direct Marketing Blog
A a former Adjunct Professor, teaching Direct Marketing at Miami International University, Jim Gilbert has lots of insights to share and is more than happy to do so.
Joy of Direct Marketing
Lois Geller and crew offer some fantastic articles and blog posts and are not afraid to push the envelope… literally. A big plus in my book.
Guts of a Burglar
The title alone instantly drew me in and once there, I was not disappointed. A simply fantastic blog… hell a recent post was entitled “Why Direct Marketers should run the country.” Now if that doesn’t make you want to read, I don’t know what will.
Direct Magazine
Part of the Chief Marketer Network, this site covers everything from traditional direct mail to email to mobile marketing to lists and on and on…
As I mentioned initially, this is a list of “some” of my favorite DM sites and blogs. There are plenty more of course but I want to hear from you.
What are some of your favorites? Where do you like to go for News You Can Use re: Direct Mail Marketing? Could be your own blog… that’s fine. Just share it with the rest of us!
Direct Mail Alive And Kicking…
Let’s start this post off Jeopardy! style shall we?
I will give you the answer first then the question.
The answer is “About 8,610,000 results”
The question is what came back when I Googled the term “direct mail is dead” 
I’m actually surprised the number wasn’t higher. Go ahead and Google to doom and gloom term yourself as I did. About halfway down the first page of Google results you’ll see…
A Message for the Post Office: Direct Mail Is Dying
I realize it was posted over a year ago but something tells me they, along with many, many other “online marketing only folks” still believe this to be true… that Direct Mail is dead.
In what may or may not have been a publicity stunt of sorts, The HubSpot Inbound Marketing Team crafted a letter for Mr. Stephen M. Kearney, Senior Vice President of Customer Relations, United State Postal Service.
Yes, the “s” was missing from United States. Wonder if that were done intentionally, you know to imply it was all just a big joke. Or maybe the folks at HubSpot don’t employ proofreaders. Whatever…
In the missive, the Inbound Marketing Team writes…
“We know direct mail. We’ve sent flyers, post cards, one-time offers and more useless swag than you can swing a stick at. We know that it doesn’t work.
So it is with some authority that we can tell you: Direct mail ain’t comin’ back. Even when the economy improves.”
The ‘we know direct mail’ and ‘with some authority’ was surely said in jest, right?
Anyway, their reasoning for the demise of Direct Mail was four-fold…
- It’s too expensive
- No ROI
- People don’t like it
- Many cheaper options
I could spend the next 5-6 paragraphs explaining why and how these four points are beyond pointless but I will refrain because anyone with half a marketing brain… forget that… anyone with ANY sized marketing brain knows the truth.
So while I won’t hit you with chart after chart and stat after stat as to why Direct Mail is very much alive and kicking, I will share with you two recent articles I read that speak directly and fly squarely in the face of The HubSpot Inbound Marketing Team.
- A recent study conducted by Global Industry Analysts revealed that that global marketing expenditure through direct mail will reach $25.45 billion by 2015 thanks to the effectiveness of the channel as far as reaching the target audience is concerned.
- According to Experian’s latest research, those aged between 15 and 24 are “highly receptive” to direct mail. This younger generation are the demographic second most responsive to it, after those aged 65 and above.
How many times do I have to say it? At least once more apparently…
Direct Mail is not dead. Nor will it ever die. It will never be the be-all-to-end-all it once was but that’s because there are more options, more toys for marketers to play with. .jpg "image")
The key… THE KEY is integration. I-N-T-E-G-R-A-T-I-O-N…
- Direct Mail
- Mobile
- Video
- TV
- Radio
- Outdoor
- And yes Social Media!
You won’t find a bigger proponent of Social Media than yours truly but, BUT in order for it to be effective, truly effective, it has to work in conjunction with all the other kids in the marketing sandbox. If you rely on just one of the aforementioned tools, you are bound to fail.
You’re also bound to fail if you think you need ALL of the aforementioned tools or marketing mediums to be successful.
Maybe you will. But maybe you won’t.
The most important thing is to work with a company that will take the time to get to know you and your company and your customers. Yeah, remember them? The ones who ultimately pay your bills, your salary, benefits and all that good stuff?
So, where do you fall on the great Direct Mail debate? Is it dead? Is it alive? Is it somewhere in between?
For Those With ADD… Like Me
I love to write. Good thing I’m a writer, eh?And while I can write as much or as little as called upon, my personal attention span is just about infestimal. I think I’ve always had ADD, but in the past 3-5 years, it has become rampant… am thinking it has something to do with the informational overloaded society we live in.
I mean right now as I am writing this post, I have 27 different windows open on my PC.
Why? Well for one, it’s part of my job to stay abreast of many different topics, subjects, etc. But it’s also because I simply don’t have time to read every single story on every single website so I’ve convinced myself if I keep all the windows open, scan the headlines from time to time, I won’t miss much.
It’s a ridiculous exercise I assure you but…
It is with that knowledge I share with you, in as short of form as possible, some interesting, funny, and relevant stories I’ve come across recently.
Headline:
SMB Marketers Say Video Email Increase in Conversion Rates
From a recent survey of over 200 Small to Medium sized Business conducted by Get Response… 
- Over 80% plan to use video emails in 2010
- Over 90% plan to integrate Social Media into the email campaigns
- Nearly 64% of respondents claimed video emails delivered a significant increase in conversion rates
- Over 50% said video emails can increase click-through rates
- 33% believe video can improve brand image & increase customer loyalty
Now I abhor agencies that use their blog as a platform to sell. I think a blog should be a place to provide valuable, useful insight wherever and whenever possible.
However I will make an exception in this case as this speaks directly to our recent Press Release in which we announced the addition of full-service HD video capabilities at fmi.
Headline:
The Power and Importance of Mail
As is the case with many I’m sure, I came across a site quite serendipitously not too long ago. It’s run by a man named Terry Jukes, who as per his website is a Catalog company CEO and Consultant.
A recent post of his had this headline above which featured some facts and studies which came courtesy of “mailing related businesses like USPS and Pitney Bowes.” 
Some of the highlights:
- $295.32 was raised per thousand pieces mailed in 2009, up 16.3% from 2008
- 79% of all households read or scan the advertising mail sent to their home
- 31% of households made a purchase as a result of ad mail received
- 76% of Internet users said they were directly influenced by direct mail; 67% were influenced by TV; email 58%
- 75% of 25-34 year-olds have made a purchase as a result of direct mail
- 62% of 18-24 year olds purchased due to direct mail
- 55% of teens were direct mail influenced
Now, for the cynical side in all of us, a red flag can go up because of where this info is gleaned from: The USPS and Pitney Bowes. And I am certainly one with a few cynical bones in my body but I firmly believe that direct mail does and always will play a vital role in any marketing/advertising campaign.
It can never be the end-all-to-be-all it once was but to think that it will just go away completely is very short-sighted and for those marketers who turn their backs completely on it (Direct Mail) I would tell them they are making a very big mistake.
Here’s the full story if you’re so inclined…
Headline:
Time For Some Humor…
That’s not a headline from an article or anything… it’s just my way of saying, well, it’s time for some humor.
For those of you who’ve never heard of Beloit College in Wisconsin, each August since 1998, they have released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college this fall. The creation of Beloit’s Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and former Public Affairs Director Ron Nief, it was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references, and quickly became a catalog of the rapidly changing worldview of each new generation.
It is essentially a reality check for ALL of us but especially the teachers and instructors among us that each generation is different than the one before it and those of us NOT in a given generation are getting freakin’ old.
Consider The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014 
- Few in the class know how to write in cursive.
- John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.
- Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
- Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.
- Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
- Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.
- Czechoslovakia has never existed.
- The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.
- Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.
- It seems the Post Office has always been going broke.
Here’s the full Mindset List for the Class of 2014.
And now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my afternoon nap.
Slam Dunk Marketing Idea…
My hometown professional basketball team is the Philadelphia 76′ers. For the past several years, the word “professional” has been somewhat of a misnomer as they have played stepchild to the more popular professional teams in Philly: the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers.
On the court they have shuffled in player after player and coach after coach and with each passing year, their fan base has dwindled further and further into the abyss. With the economy being what it is, people couldn’t afford, nor quite frankly would want to, pay hard-earned money to watch this team.
Off the court, their marketing and advertising didn’t fare much better. Of course it’s hard to market and advertise a team that, well… stinks.
Obviously changes needed to be made. On the court they made a wise decision in bringing in favorite son Doug Collins to coach and having the 2nd pick in the draft surely didn’t hurt either.
And it would appear they’re “getting it” off the court as well by incorporating personalization… imagine that, into their marketing campaigns.
Yesterday a co-worker of mine received this in an email…
Underneath the “story” were details of 10 & 20 game season ticket packages and how to purchase them, etc.
What was brilliant was the use of personalization… love this line:
“when someone like Erik [Formica] is available, you have to do everything you can to bring them in.”
Now whether or not this kind of marketing approach works and gets people like Erik to buy tickets remains to be seen as the ultimate deciding factor, at least to me, will be price and if the team is any damn good.
But, what the 76′ers’ marketing folks realized where sadly many others don’t is that just by adding a few personal wrinkles to a campaign can go a long way to ensuring success or at the very least create a buzz.
So, are you taking full advantage of personalization in ALL mediums?
Direct mail.
Email.
Text messaging.
And on and on…
Or are you still of the “Dear Occupant” mentality?
USPS Doesn’t Think Much of Social Media…
I love reading magazines… always have.Could be anything from Chess Lovers Monthly to Time to The American Philatelist. Doesn’t matter if the issue is months or even years old… I’ll read it.
I tell you all that because the other day someone gave me a copy of Deliver… A Magazine For Marketers, as per their tagline. It’s published by the U.S. Postal Service. You know, the ones who want to raise rates again because, God forbid, they get their own act in order… nah, ‘let’s just raise the rates again.’
It was an older issue of Deliver, dated June 2010 and almost immediately the following quote jumped out at me like that alien jumping out of that guy’s stomach in that movie…
“Social media takes up more time than it does money.”
Now the wordsmith in me wondered aloud… “Isn’t there a word missing? Shouldn’t it read ‘“Social media takes up more time than it does generate money.” Or something like that?
Another line that got set my blood to boiling was this one…
“The real danger with social media is in marketers expecting too much from it.”
A few weeks ago I wrote a post for Social Media Today entitled “Find Social Media Sand, Insert Head.”
In the aforementioned article, I told of posting a query on LinkedIn in which I asked “What’s the first thing you think of when you hear ‘Social Media?’”
You can read for yourself the astonishing responses I got and it’s quite obvious that the good folks at the USPS have their collective heads in the Social Media Sand as well.
Still not convinced. Think the USPS is just defending its turf by merely asking folks if Social Media is worth it?
Well on the last page of this particular issue of Deliver was a full-page image entitled “Last Word > Found in the Trash.” It shows a crumpled piece of paper with a chart labeled “Percent of Adults Who Use Social Media, 2005-2009.” Above the chart is written “Why are we paying so much attention to this if HALF the population isn’t?”
The scribbled answer: ” ’Cause it’s the cool new thing.”
Yes, Social Media is the new, cool thing… although I would argue it’s not so new anymore… at least not to me. But to hang your hat on “half the population isn’t (using Social Media)” is incredibly short-sighted. It’s like… having your head in the sand.
I’ve written and said aloud countless times before, Social Media is not some panacea that will cure all your advertising and marketing woes. It has to be used wisely and in connection and conjunction with other mediums.
- TV
- Direct Mail
- Radio
- Outdoor
- Mobile
- And on and on and on…
There is no one single medium that will give you the desired results you look for… the key is to mix things up a bit.
Life’s too boring to do just one thing all the time, isn’t it?
Direct Mail Lives On…
“How DM can defend itself against media land grab”
That was the ominously-sounding title of a recent post on marketingweek.co.uk. In the piece the writer, Russell Parsons, speaks of how direct mail “will continue to lose out to online ads that can be cheaper and more accountable, condemning the medium to a lower position on direct marketers’ pecking order.”
He also brings up a potential new threat to direct mail… television. He cites a recent conference where attendees were urged to consider new television-based targeted and segmented advertising over direct mail.
Factor in the juggernaut that is Social Media and the quickly-becoming behemoth that is Mobile Advertising, and where will that leave poor ol’ direct mail? 
Um…
- 61% of consumers prefer direct mail over other types of direct marketing
- 85% – say they open, sort, process and read selected pieces from their mail everyday. 15% let it accumulate unopened for 2 or more days
- 75% of consumers say they are examining their mail more closely in recent months for coupons and special offers that save them money
- 40% of consumers say that they have tried a new business after receiving direct mail from that business
- 70% report renewing a relationship with a business they previously ceased patronizing, as a result of receiving direct mail from the business inviting them back
I’d say it leaves just fine thank you very much.
Look at this as a recipe… a recipe for success. Man, is that a cheesy line? But you get the idea…
You throw in a dash of Social Media.
A pinch of TV.
A smidgen of email.
A hint of print.
A touch of direct mail.
Combine all ingredients in your marketing/advertising campaign and voila… VICTORY!
Ok, maybe it’s not THAT easy but again, you get my point. You have to incorporate multiple mediums to reach your consumers.
It’s why they don’t just make vanilla and chocolate.
This just in from the USPS…price increase on the horizon
Release No. 10-064
Postal Service Proposes Price Changes
WASHINGTON —The U.S. Postal Service Governors recommended increasing the price of a First-Class stamp 2 cents to 46 cents and authorized the production of a pane of four evergreen tree branches as the newest image for Forever Stamps. The price of a postcard would increase 2 cents to 30 cents.
The Postal Regulatory Commission must approve the recommended price changes. The increases would not go into effect until January 2, 2011. It would be the first stamp price increase in almost two years.
Holiday Evergreen Forever Stamps will be available to the public in October at the current rate of 44 cents. Once purchased, the stamps are valid literally forever – despite any future price changes. No additional postage will ever be needed.
Faced with plummeting mail volume traced to the recession and increased use of the Internet, the Postal Service is projecting a deficit of nearly $7 billion for the next fiscal year. Despite eliminating 1 million work hours and reducing expenses by more than $1 billion every year since 2001, a budget gap remains.
The proposed price changes, if approved, will raise about $2.3 billion for the first nine months of 2011. Postmaster General John E. Potter said he does not want customers to bear the burden of dramatic price increases. Instead, Potter announced in March that pricing would be one in a series of solutions the Postal Service is pursuing to become financially sound.
“There is no one single solution to the dire financial situation that the Postal Service faces,” Potter said. “These proposed rate adjustments are moderate and part of a fair and balanced approach to insuring mail service for all Americans well into the future.”
Other actions outlined in March included changes to delivery frequency, restructuring prepayments of retiree health benefits, creating a more flexible workforce and expanding access to products and services to places more convenient to customers.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Complete details of today’s filing can be found on usps.com. No prices will change before 2011.
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