Every so often, the perfect ad message hits you at the perfect time with the perfect pitch and you just have to stop and notice it.
Unfortunately, that’s happening less and less with digital marketing.
But that’s happening more than ever with (surprise!) direct mail.
As marketers clog up apps and screens and podcasts with digital marketing litter, direct mail is re-emerging as a space where buyers are amused by the tactile nature of mail, its retro vibe, its creativity and the way it feels so “real.”
Yes, direct mail is the comfort food of advertising.
And as modern targeting solutions merge with old-fashioned mail, the results of direct mail are getting too good to ignore.
Taylor, a leader in direct mail marketing solutions, wanted to understand why modern digital marketers are opening up to direct mail campaigns, what’s getting them results and how this old-school tactic is being reborn into something creative and fresh.
Taylor hired an independent research firm to survey a random sample of 150 marketing leaders to learn what’s next for direct mail marketing.
The study’s margin of error is +/-8% at the 95% confidence level.
Here’s a sampling of the study’s top 15 takeaways:
Direct Mail is Growing as a Campaign Outcome Driver
66% of marketing leaders want to run direct mail campaigns, and 73% have high confidence they know how to effectively manage one.
Direct Mail Offers New Creative Open Space
92% of marketing leaders say their creative teams get excited at the new challenge of working on direct mail campaigns.
Direct Mail Spend is Increasing
55% of marketing leaders expect to spend more on direct mail in the next two years.
Mail is a Green Field of Opportunity While Most Marketing Remains Digital
91% of marketing leaders say direct mail is a competitive advantage.
Positive Direct Mail ROI is Almost the Rule, Not the Exception
42% of marketing leaders who started running direct mail campaigns say they always see a positive ROI.
Direct Mail Fulfillment Vendors Boost ROI
Organizations that work with a direct mail fulfillment vendor are five times more likely to say they always see a positive ROI.
Marketers are Confident Writing for Direct Mail
More marketing leaders know how to write a great direct mail piece than a great blog post.
Financials Services is the Industry Turning Most to Direct Mail
The top industries in which marketing leaders are turning to direct mail:
- Financial services
- Education
- Consumer products
- Hospitality and travel
- Restaurant
Marketers Lack Visibility in Targeting
Only 42% of marketing leaders are sure about which demographic groups are reading their mail.
Mail Boosts Overall Campaign ROI
Marketing leaders report a 13% increase in campaign ROI when direct mail is part of their ommnichannel communications strategy.
Phishing and Scams Stifle Email Success
64% of marketing leaders say that phishing attacks and scams are diminishing the effects of their email campaigns.
Marketers Suffer While Managing Email
31% of marketing leaders would rather give up chocolate for one week than have to manage yet another email campaign.
Marketers Don’t Feel Like “Spammers” With Mail
50% of marketers feel a stigma of being labeled a “spammer” when they launch email campaigns, but only 21% worry about that with direct mail.
Targeting is the #1 Key to Direct Mail
The most important attributes of a successful direct mail campaign:
- Targeting
- Graphic design
- Creative approach
Related blog: Top 3 Trends in Direct Mail for 2022
List Building is Direct Mail’s Top Challenge
Top 3 challenges of direct mail for marketers:
- Finding valid addresses/names
- Tracking ROI
- Tracking response rate
Marketing, like fashion, goes in cycles.
Just like that old pair of acid-wash jeans, direct mail has once again rotated back into vogue as marketers try to avoid media clutter and “me too” campaigns. But then again, maybe direct mail never really went out of style and we’re just falling in love with it again after forgetting how good it can be.
