Direct mail still has reach.

Though the Internet is rapidly changing how
we communicate, direct mail remains a vital component
of many marketing programs. Sending out a piece is easy. Sending out a piece that avoids the trash bin, not so easy. How many of yours survive?

Everybody hates junk mail.

Direct mail pieces are by default considered junk mail. Much of the time, the brochures and postcards and letters that come in the mail are unsolicited, meaning they’re unwanted. The Direct Marketing Association recently released open rate trends for 2010. So far this year, letter-sized envelopes have had a response rate of 3.42 percent for a house list and 1.38 percent for a prospect list. A one to two percent response rate is typically what you can expect. That’s not very high. And if your responses are not even getting that high, you’re in trouble.

Direct mail is still viable.

Even with such low response rates, direct mail can be a smart marketing decision. The key is to remember that the cost of the pieces shouldn’t exceed the profit the mailing might generate. Many companies spend a lot of money creating fancy direct mail thinking the nicer pieces or small gifts will increase the response rate. When that doesn’t happen, they lose money on the mailing. Just like in life, throwing money at a problem doesn’t always fix it.

Strategy helps you beat the odds.

Direct mail works when the strategy behind it works. A good idea has much more selling power than a useless trinket. Consumers don’t want more junk. They want value. If your direct mail program isn’t getting you the numbers you want, you need to go back and look at your idea, not your piece. The problem lies in the strategy. How good is yours?

We’re idea people.

We work with you to develop a strategic direct mail program that makes sense. We like ideas. We live for ideas. And our ideas have been delivering optimal returns for our clients. Plus, we’re happy to share our ideas with you.