Mail in the Digital Age – The Private Life of Mail

I have talked before about direct mail and its value in an effective marketing campaign. And now thanks to an 18 month research project we have some insight on what actually happens to mail once it enters the home.

In “The Private Life of Mail,”[1] researchers found, while we live in a fast-paced digital culture, humans still stop and smell the roses… or should I say mail.

Here are some detailed results.

39% of consumers display the mail.
Thirty-nine percent of consumers say they have a dedicated display area in their home where they put mail. This reinforces the value of great design. The takeaway? Design direct-mail vehicles in a creative and fun way, and they will get noticed. Aim high! Your piece could be displayed in the bathroom.

23% of mail is passed around.
An average of 23% of all mail is shared between people in a household. Twenty-one percent of promotions and special offers are shared. “If you give people a positive reason to share or discuss your mail, your brand will start being talked about, allowing your message to reach more people.”

Mail is kept in a household for 17 days, on average.
This depends on the type of mail, but on average, advertising mail is kept for 17 days, door drops for 38 days, and bills and statements for 45 days. “This means a single piece of mail can have a big impact and presents multiple opportunities to be seen, often over a period of days or weeks.”

People place 24% more value on something they can touch.
Human beings are highly visual, but people value something they can see and touch 24% more than something they can only see. “Send an offer by mail and recipients will perceive it as worth more than the same offer on screen.”

57% say it makes them feel more valued.
Anyone can send an email these days. Mail takes more effort and investment . . . and your recipients feel and respond to it.

Email, social media, and mobile are powerful forms of communication, but none of them match the staying power and impact of direct mail. Don’t miss the power of this highly cost-effective channel.

[1] “The Private Life of Mail,” U.K. Royal Mail, February 2015

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What's new with the USPS?

Who finds new offerings from the United States Postal Service exciting? I do! And maybe you do too if you are reading this blog.

This past week I attended an Open House at one of our preferred vendors and went to a seminar given by Marcia Sapien, a 35 year veteran of the USPS. Not everyone finds mail as exciting as I do but maybe some of these new offerings will at least spark your interest or give you some ideas to enhance your next direct mail package.

USPS QR Code Promotion for Postage Savings
The USPS is running a special  promotion to entice mailers to test mobile barcodes on their direct mail. The ultimate goal is to build awareness of mobile technology and demonstrate to mailers how mobile barcodes can increase the value of mail. The program runs from July 1, 2012 through August 31, 2012 and is available for First Class, Standard and Non-Profit Mailers who incorporate a two-dimensional barcode either on the face or inside every piece in the mailing that is designed to direct the user to a promotional website. Mailers will receive an upfront 2% discount on postage for mailings that meet the program requirements. There is a possibility that this promotion will also run in November and December of this year. I will let you know if this promotion gets approved.

Every Door Direct Mail
With Every Door Direct Mail® service from the U.S. Postal Service®, you can reach the market that matters most to your business: nearby neighborhoods. Postage is as low as 14.5¢ per piece – and you don't even need to know names or street addresses. You simply identify the neighborhoods you want to target, and your printed piece is delivered with the day's mail to every address.

Picture Permit Imprint Indicia
Mailers are now able to use the indicia area of their mail pieces — prime real estate — to advertise their brands — thereby attracting more attention and potentially improving the reading rate of their mail pieces. USPS has established requirements for embedding logos, trademarks, pictures or other images into the indicia. Mailers will have to submit sample mail pieces for USPS review and approval before implementation.

4-Color Digital Printing Just Took a Giant Leap Forward

Study after study shows that personalization and 4-color printing will improve quality and response of your print communications. In the “old days,” technology limited how cost-effective 4-color personalized printing could be for longer run applications like direct mail and other customized communications. Now things are a whole lot easier—and a whole lot more colorful.

With new roll-fed inkjet digital printers, high-run, complex, four-color variable printing is a very doable thing.

Multiple messaging. Tons of versions. Oodles of 4-color images, graphics and type. Different brands. Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Here are just a few ways the new capability will bring value to your organization:

• Increase response on direct mail by adding 4-color graphics/highlights
• Flexible graphics and message management
• Quicker time to market than traditional workflows
• No pre-printed web rolls to inventory and manage
• Co-mingle small runs with large runs for manufacturing and postage efficiencies – not to mention environmental friendliness

Whatever your area of focus, it can benefit from high-powered customized 4-color communications. For more information, check out the Canon Océ ColorStream 3500.