MARKETING | 5 MIN READ
A Loaf of Bread vs. Direct Mail
Written by Paul Strack
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Due to the pandemic and now a historic winter storm, mail volume is extremely low. Take advantage and get your brand noticed now. Direct Mail Works. Now. More Than Ever.
Which of the following, after being opened, has the longer shelf-life: Bread, fresh shrimp, email, milk, or direct mail?
According to a report by RetailWire, Direct Mail is the leader, with an average shelf-life of 17 days. Email, on the other hand, comes in with a lifespan less than seven seconds. (Bread is the next closest to direct mail with a shelf life of 3-7 days beyond its listed expiration date.) In other words, direct mail hangs around a bit. It doesn’t get stale. And usually, it doesn’t smell bad after sitting for a few days.
Due to the pandemic and now a historic winter storm, mail volume is extremely low. Take advantage and get your brand noticed now. Direct Mail Works. Now. More Than Ever.
Direct mail has taken quite a beating lately. Widespread mail delays have certainly been a cause for concern for many USPS customers, including marketers. And yet, we see this as a marketing opportunity for you. With declining mail volume, now may be the perfect time for you to get your message in the mailbox, and on the shelf.
While direct mail has a higher cost than many digital channels, it also has a higher response rate – up to 5.3% vs a high of 0.9% for digital. Yes, email does have the highest return on investment (ROI) – 122% – because of its low cost. This is obviously why you may be reading this in your inbox. But the ROI for direct mail (27%) is about the same for social media (28%). And that explains why you may be receiving a direct mail piece on this same topic.
Direct mail continues to have its advantages. Participants in a Neuromarketing research study showed that our brains react differently to printed materials than to digital media. While digital ads are processed more quickly, the participants spent more time with physical ads. And physical ads triggered the areas of the brain that correspond to value and desirability. As you can see, direct mail is like the comfort food of marketing channels.
And believe it or not, young adults do read mail. In a study conducted by the USPS, 84% of millennials took the time to look through their mail. They enjoyed the Mail Moment.
Direct Mail Works – So how do you make direct mail work for you? Here’s a few tips to get you started:
