Direct mail is dead! Long live direct mail!

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I chuckled when I saw this headline on a recent Valpak mailer “Think direct mail is dead?  Think again.  As a new mover, let me tell you I seem to be on every list imaginable.   There is no lack of direct mail in my household, between the move and our natural catalog and online shopping behavior.

But the tongue in cheek ad reference to Google and Amazon using direct mail isn’t lost on me.  Many marketers for the last 10 to 15 years have talked about the demise of print as if it was a foregone conclusion with email, SMS, social media and all other “digitally superior” methods taking its place.

According to a recent PRIMIR study “Trends and Future of Direct Mail through 2020,” direct mail volume actually increased a bit in 2015 (reversing the decline between 2010 and 2014) and is projected to continue increasing slowly through 2020.

What happened?

Results happened.  In a world where any combination of print, digital and experiential marketing is acceptable, multi-touch campaigns that use clever outreach and sequencing are proving effective.  Direct mail is often part of that mix.

One of our marketing portal clients recently commented that several people recently attended her last marketing event bringing in the postcards we sent help prove that point.   This client also uses social, email and other tactics along with direct mail but was impressed with the physical evidence.

Based on the clients’ needs we recommend a multi-touch campaign strategy that often includes email, direct mail, social, remarketing and outbound telephone – all working together in sequence throughout the purchase process.  So “think again” as the headline says, and keep testing to perfect the right multi-channel campaign approach for your brand.

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