What do you think a good direct mail response rate would be? How about 100%? Would that be good enough for you?
While people have been mourning the death of direct mail for years, it just ain’t so. According to the Direct Marketing Association, 65% of consumers have made a purchase as a result of direct mail. *
Traditional direct mail can be great, assuming you have a defined target, good list, and take advantage of personalization and timing based on buying triggers. But that’s not what this blog is about.
Think big.
My first experience with a high impact mailer came addressed to me from a freelancer I used who was on vacation in Florida. He blew up a giant beach ball, Sharpied a note thanking me for the work that allowed him to jet off to a beach, and sent it to me. That was nearly 20 years ago, and I remember it vividly.
High impact mail has been a favorite tactic of Spoke for a long time for one simple reason: it works. We’ve sent GIANT posters, custom bobble-heads, cardboard chairs, Mad-Magazine-style fold-ins, and bricks to name a few. Sure, the cost is higher per unit, but the results are always worth it.
With ‘traditional’ direct mail, we’re thrilled if we get over a 1% response rate (thrilled). While that is a good number, and depending on what you’re trying to achieve – can have a substantial return on investment. With high impact mailers, we’ve seen responses that range from 5% to (literally) 100%.
They’re called high impact for a reason. These items don’t get thrown away, they don’t get trashed by a gatekeeper, and they make a lasting impression. Plus, thanks to Big Data, most marketers know precisely who their target is, and what marketing action they want them to take (i.e., make a purchase, visit a landing page, request more information).
Next time you have a chance, trust me. Think outside the envelope.
*DMA Factbook, 2013
