…but not when it looks like this:
According to ChoosePrint.org, a recent survey yielded some great stats for the print world – basically saying that smart direct marketing (in the form of direct mail) is still effective. I would go as far as to say it may be even more effective now than it was 10 years ago.
Why? We get about 8 million emails in our inbox each day (I may be exaggerating a wee bit). But long gone are the days when our mailboxes were bursting with printed mailers in all forms, from letters and cards to full-on heavyweight catalogs. So where will you stand out? It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Plus, we can’t just funnel direct mail (at least at home) into a spam filter. We have to physically touch it and throw it away.
But here’s what ChoosePrint.org is missing: the mail must be effective, otherwise it will get tossed. And that direct mail piece is most certainly more expensive than the email that may or may not get noticed.
Want to keep those printing presses moving? Hire a real ad agency to take on the cause, create some spectacular marketing (which will include direct mail but may also span other new and traditional channels), and break through with your messaging. Or do nothing and save your money. But whatever you do, please stop sending me these horrible mailers that make me wonder if I should rethink my championing of print as a viable part of a current marketing strategy.
~ @AdvertGirl
