In an increasingly digital age, direct mail remains a relevant way to target, reach and influence shoppers. Certain aspects of direct mail resonate with individuals on a personal level. Krissie Krenz, director of print products for Vericast shares how marketers can use a variety of direct mail formats to enhance the efficacy of their existing campaigns, achieving win-win results for brands and consumers.
Q: How should brands view direct mail in a digitally dominated communication landscape, specifically in the context of their digital campaigns? How can they achieve symbiosis?
A: The key to success is leveraging both to build a successful campaign. However, direct mail is even more critical today for a variety of reasons. A recent Vericast study of nearly 2,000 consumers found that 82% of direct mail readers look at ads at least once a week. More than half (55%) said they pay more attention to direct mail ads, versus the 39% who say they take a closer look at digital ads. Despite a general heightened awareness of privacy, people find direct mail to be non-intrusive. Sixty-seven percent of direct mail readers agree direct mail advertising does not violate their privacy.1
Q: How can direct mail remain affordable for marketers? What are your recommendations for achieving the best return on investment despite rising postage costs?
A: As costs increase and postage takes an increasingly bigger piece of your budget, it is important to take every opportunity to improve efficiency. Companies should find a strategic partner to help ensure their dollars are not being wasted.
As the #1 marketing mailer with the USPS, one of our key differentiators is our full-service model. We have decades of experience in executing direct mail campaigns and we understand how important every detail is to ensuring success. Vericast is uniquely positioned to handle the details, saving you time and money, so you can focus on building loyalty with your new customers. The first step is making sure you are mailing to the right audience while balancing postal costs. Keep in mind there are times it makes sense to saturate a market and there are times it is best to only send to specific households — Vericast can identify and execute this type of mail mix.
Q: How can advertisers improve their targeting to deliver to the households/people that best match their offering?
A: Turning prospects into customers starts with identifying the right audience and delivering messages that will resonate. Understanding who your target audience is one of — if not the most critical steps — in building a successful marketing strategy. A marketer should make sure they select a partner that can work with them to determine the right audience and strategy, and has the ability to test, measure and apply learnings with speed.
Q: How can brands satisfy expectations for personalized messages while being mindful of people’s privacy?
A: Privacy should be top of mind for every marketer today. Brands require that partners be committed to consumer privacy and to staying updated on technology and policies amid industry changes. However, that does not mean a marketer should not personalize messages. In fact, our research reinforces that consumers want and expect personalized messaging. Vericast’s February 2023 Awareness-to-Action Study found that 45% of the people we surveyed are more likely to read mail addressed to them by name, and the study wave conducted in January 2024 noted 71% want to receive more ads personalized to their interests. So, make sure to incorporate elements of personalization in your next direct mail campaign.
Q: What about performance? How should direct mail campaign efforts be optimized?
A: If you are not measuring the effectiveness of your campaign you need to start doing so. This will help gauge the success of the campaign, where you might need to make tweaks to future campaigns and to learn what is working and what is not! For instance, by implementing methods such as unique phone numbers, trackable URLs, coupon codes and QR codes, a client can gain valuable insight into the effectiveness of a direct mail campaign. Our philosophy is test, measure and apply learnings to future campaigns for continuous improvement. This is critical to help you understand the results you are driving with your direct mail investment.
Explore how direct mail can work for you: Make real connections with your ideal consumer with direct mail. Learn more about why this matters in Vericast’s report, “How Do Consumers Respond to Direct Mail in the Digital Age?”
Krissie Krenz is director of print products at Vericast, specializing in direct mail and direct mail postcards. Krissie brings 20+ years of experience to her role in product development and strategic planning. She finds launching new products especially rewarding and takes any opportunity to spread the word about the unique benefits of direct mail to drive results for today’s marketers.
