02/06/23 // Uncategorized
Why Direct Mail Will Continue to Make an Impact in The Digital Age
Written by: Simon
In this blog we explore why direct mail continues to be a valuable media channel and how it can help you to grow your brand in a media landscape that is becoming increasingly digital.
The Media Landscape Today:
With the rise of new social media platforms and connected TV, in the past decade there has been a clear shift in UK consumer behaviour, whereby time spent with digital media has surpassed time with traditional media (source: Insider Intelligence). Now, over 60% of UK media ad spend is ‘digital’, and digital advertising revenue accounts for nearly 70% of the total advertising revenue in the UK (source: Statista).
Latest Data on Direct Mail:
However, direct mail appears to be continuing to make an impact in the digital age based on the latest Advertising Expenditure Reports, as Q1 2022 saw UK’s ad spend on direct mail rise by 15.6% YoY, while mail volumes grew by 30% YoY and reached their peak level since Q1 2020 (source: Advertising Association, Print Week). Strong results were also recorded in H1 2022, as ad spend grew by 9.5% YoY, thereby indicating a positive outlook for the year ahead (source: Advertising Association). Hence while direct mail remains underutilised when compared to digital media, the latest data signals that confidence in the mail channel has been increasing, with many reasons why it could help your brand to stand out in today’s highly saturated marketing environment.
Why Direct Mail Will Continue to Make an Impact in The Digital Age:
That said, we have collated a few views on why we believe direct mail will continue to make an impact in the digital age:
1. Direct Mail is Tangible
Advertising in paper format has proven to be one of the key strengths of direct mail, given that 95% of direct mail was engaged with in 2022 (source: Market Reach). The latest data from neuroscience research shows that paper-based content, such as leaflets, can be easier to process mentally when compared to digital media content, such as emails (source: Forbes). Thus, direct mail can enable brands to come into contact directly with their target audience and engage consumers through the physical experience.
2. Innovations in Direct Mail
Direct mail continues to evolve together with digital transformation, as demonstrated by the rise in popularity of Quick Response (QR) codes and Augmented Reality (AR) experience capabilities (source: Market Reach). Innovations such as these have enabled consumers to seamlessly integrate and navigate through both physical and digital media channels to communicate with brands in new and creative ways, while marketers can now measure the impact of direct mail in real-time by tracking consumer online responses (source: The Drum).
3. Using Mail More Sustainably and Meeting Consumer Expectations
In response to the climate crisis, the UK’s advertising industry has introduced the Ad Net Zero initiative, which encourages marketers to cut carbon emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2030 (source: Advertising Association). In our time, it is essential to ensure that advertising production and consumption incorporates the best industry standards, particularly as 80% of consumers are more likely to consider making a purchase from a brand that demonstrates a positive commitment towards environmental sustainability (source: Market Reach).
Key Takeaways:
To sum up, direct mail continues to make an impact in the digital age as it enables brands to reach their target audience directly in their homes and engage through the physical experience. Innovations, such as QR codes, have also made this medium more interactive by enabling consumers to navigate between physical and digital media, meanwhile marketers can benefit from data insights in real-time. The Ad Net Zero initiative is another factor that has played a key role in transforming standards and improving consumer attitudes towards direct mail, as nowadays people are more likely to consider making a purchase from a brand that demonstrates a positive commitment to the planet.
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