As spinach is to Popeye, digital technology is to direct mail.

Yes, you read that right. From augmented reality to QR codes, and most recently, high-speed, variable data printing, digital technology has transformed the mail—much like spinach transforms Popeye.

How, you ask? Read on.

Let’s Get Personal

We all know that, when it comes to clothing, one-size-fits-all is not one-size-fits-all. And neither is direct mail!

As leaders in the direct marketing industry, we know that the success of your program depends on personalization—relevant, targeted messaging to each customer. Thanks to highly personalized mail, establishing the all-important, one-to-one relationship with your customer has never been easier.

I’m not just talking about name and address here, folks. I’m talking about supercharged personalization: using the data you have so carefully gathered and mined to create messaging that is personal and pertinent to every customer.

Four-color inkjet technology eliminates the need for costly plate changes and enables personalization of each mail piece with variable data—name, gender, buying habits, etc.— and images, like maps or pictures of the customer’s closest Dunkin Donuts.

That means you can (and should) speak differently to Mary than you would to Larry. Remember, each and every one of your customers is unique; treat them that way!

Check out the video below to see four-color variable data printing in action: white paper goes in and four-color, fully personalized mail comes out.

Super Mail

In the world of instant everything, it’s tempting to toss all your proverbial marketing eggs into the social media/e-mail/Internet basket. But overlooking direct mail could be a costly mistake.

And don’t just take our word for it. Study after study has proven the merits of direct mail:

• It’s a joint effort. You know how we said direct mail was the superhero of your multi-channel campaign? When direct mail is used in tandem with web, email, and mobile, it yields a 45 percent increase in Response Rate.¹ With the advent of QR codes, Near Field Communication, and other drive-to-web technologies, building the bridge between offline and online engagement has never been easier; 44 percent of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail.²
• The numbers don’t lie. According to Direct Marketing Association research, personalized messaging through variable data printing can increase your Return on Investment —anywhere from two times to a whopping 15 times the normal return.³ Echoing that, a study by InfoTrends and CapVentures indicates that personalized mail yielded a 36 percent increase in response when used in place of static mail.⁴ Superhero, indeed!
• The brain buys it. Printed material like direct mail, “leaves a greater footprint” on the brain, according to research commissioned by the Royal Mail UK.⁵ The study indicates that because the mail has a meaning and place, our brains have a stronger physical reaction to it than if the same information were to be presented electronically.⁶ A separate study by Private Life of Mail found that 80 percent of people said they can remember advertising mail sent to them in the last four weeks.⁷ The longer the customer remembers, the more likely you are to get a response!

So, why personalized direct mail? It works—and now, better than ever.

Make mail the superhero of your next campaign with Polaris Direct!

Stay tuned for tips and best practices on inkjet four-color variable data printing.

About the author: Melanie Gray is Creative Supervisor/Copywriter at Polaris Direct, a nationally acclaimed high-volume direct marketing services company in Hooksett, NH.

¹InfoTrends: Understanding Vertical Markets: Enterprise Communication Requirements, available at http://www.infotrends.com/public/Content/FreeDownloads/pages/bdsverticalmkts.html
²10 Print Marketing Statistics You Should Know, available at http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/10-print-marketing-statistics-know/
³Direct Mail Facts & Statistics You Need to Know, available at http://badgergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DirectMail.pdf
⁴ Original post available at https://www.polarisdirect.net/insights/direct-mail-makes-a-comeback-becomes-more-like-digital-partner-voices/
⁵ “Using Neuroscience to Understand the Role of Direct Mail,” Millward-Brown, 2009, p. 2. Available at http://www.millwardbrown.com/docs/default-source/insight-documents/case-studies/MillwardBrown_CaseStudy_Neuroscience.pdf
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Private Life of Mail, available at http://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2015/01/private-life-mail