An open letter to Direct Mail

Dear Direct Mail,

Sorry it’s been a while. Please don’t take it personally. We’ve been so preoccupied with digital and Big Data, some of us may have neglected you a little.

But all that’s changing. We’re ready to harness your power once again. To talk to people on the printed page. You know, like we always used to.

Digital is great. It reaches people anywhere, fast. But does it really reach them where it counts? In their hearts and in their homes? That tangible, tactile thing that lives on the sideboard or the coffee table. That hand written address that provokes a prickle of wonder and a jolt of excitement.

Who receives letters these days? 220 emails a day, yes. But a personal letter? That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Direct Mail is even proven to be more effective than digital ads. So why have so many marketing agencies forgotten this fierce medium? Trend-chasing rather than trendsetting I’d imagine. Or just keeping up to date with the ever-evolving digital landscape. VR marketing and augmented reality have captured our interest and imagination. But now’s our chance to make amends.

DM is the original form of personalisation. You know, that thing that’s really, really important in the digital space right now.

“Make the emails personalised” our clients chime.
“Of course”, we say. “And how about a piece of DM to accompany that?”
“DM? Nobody really does that any more, do they?”
“No. But that’s the point”.

It’s time to take a step back and re-examine the resources and channels available to us as advertisers and marketers.

Direct Mail is not dead. The creative possibilities are truly endless. Take a look at these award winning DM campaigns from the past 11 years for starters. Or, you could always send another email.