By Erwin Busselot, Director Business Innovation & Solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe
In an era dominated by digital strategies and communications, direct mail’s tangibility, creativity, and engagement, are among the reasons it remains relevant.
It is why Keypoint Intelligence recently found it continues to play a vital role in generating meaningful interaction as brands and marketers adapt to shifting customer expectations.
Its study reported that 16% of respondents always use direct mail in their marketing while 56% frequently incorporate it. Direct mail was very relevant for almost three-quarters of respondents. It was heavily favoured by mid-size utilities, with larger utilities adopting a mixed approach of frequent use and occasional campaigns.
Statista agrees that physical direct mail continues to hold significant value in the face of increased digital advertising. Projected ad spending in Europe’s direct mail advertising market is set to reach E12.78 billion by the end of 2024, with a modest CAGR of 0.22% to reach $12.93 billion by 2029.
Key to ensuring the relevance of direct mail strategies are the following four approaches:
Integrating with digital channels – Direct mail should complement digital campaigns, creating a seamless, multi-touchpoint experience for customers. For example, QR codes, personalised URLs, NFC enabled paper, or augmented reality elements can bridge the gap between physical and online engagement.
Harnessing clean data -Accurate, well-maintained customer data, from diverse sources that go beyond demographics – incorporating real time and behavioural insights to deliver more meaningful customer experiences – is crucial for targeting preferences. It will help tailor messaging that resonates with audiences.
Adapting to macro trends – As ecommerce grows, direct mail can support this shift by offering personalised promotions, loyalty incentives, or product highlights that align with consumer buying behaviours. Further, DM can help to recover abandoned online shopping baskets. If connected through an API interface with ecommerce software, modern VDP tools can dynamically create the appropriate print output; such as a postcard to remind the consumer to return to shopping.
Focusing on creativity – Innovative designs, interactive formats, and visually appealing layouts make direct mail stand out. Using textured materials, fold-out elements, or other engaging features such as digital embellishments captures attention.
In a world of fleeting digital impressions, direct mail provides a physical, lasting experience. It breaks through the digital clutter, offering something people can hold, explore, and remember.
Well crafted direct mail resonates with recipients, fostering a stronger connection, unlike digital ads that can feel impersonal. This is particularly true when campaigns are creatively designed and strategically timed, or when they lever insights into market changes, such as e-commerce growth, to provide relevant messaging. It gets results as I discussed here.
By positioning itself as a vital component of an integrated communications and marketing strategy, direct mail can continue to offer businesses a competitive edge, even in a digitally driven world. We know this for ourselves. The multifaceted mailer, pictured above, with all its different engaging components, was an integral part of our very successful launch of the RICOH Pro™ C9500 digital colour sheetfed press.
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