15 Aug 2007


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Integrated digital and direct mail campaigns win consumer vote


Direct mail

Source : Royal Mail
Integrating digital advertising with direct mail campaigns can increase customer spend by almost 25 per cent, new research revealed today.

Royal Mail’s consumer study to understand the best uses of different advertising methods also revealed nearly seven in ten people believe that direct mail supports online advertising.

And those who prefer to engage with both direct mail and online advertising spend on average £105 a month on goods and services after receiving a combination of the two - £19 more than those who like online ads only and £34 more than those who would choose only direct mail.

The research, carried out by Quadrangle, identified specific circumstances in which it makes sense for companies to use DM and online when communicating with customers:

• More than half of confident web users (55 per cent) prefer to be contacted by a combination of DM and online
• Nearly three times as many web users think direct mail is more personal than online communications and 50 per cent more said it was more professional
• Only 14 per cent of consumers mostly or always click on online advertising
• Whilst 50 per cent of people were found to rarely, if ever, look or interact with online advertising

The research also revealed compelling arguments for a combination of email and direct mail:

• 84 per cent of people agree that there is a place for both post and email from companies
• 69 per cent feel that email is best used for supporting or clarifying the mail they receive
• Six in ten agreed that they would prefer a company to approach them first by post, than by email
• Over half of respondents (52 per cent) believe that DM gives a better impression of a company than email
• Eight in ten believe that email is best for communicating brief messages
• 66 per cent prefer to receive detailed information by direct mail
• 69 per cent prefer to receive important or sensitive messages by direct mail
• 71 per cent would rather receive vouchers, brochures or catalogues by mail

Antony Miller, Head of Media Development at Royal Mail, said: “Royal Mail’s consumer study uncovers the best ways for integrating direct mail and digital activities to maximise the effectiveness of a campaign.

“Consumers recognise the benefits of online, email and direct mail for different types of communications and how they work well together. Companies who understand how their customers want to be communicated with for different promotions or messages will benefit through increased sales and loyalty.”

The research also sounds a loud warning bell for anyone using email only to communicate with their customers. Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of consumers surveyed claim to have started ignoring their emails as a result of the huge amount of spam they receive.

Antony Miller added: “It is important that companies take notice of consumers’ feelings about spam as it is turning them off to the point where it could undermine the benefits of digital as a communications tool.”

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