It took more than two years, but the day finally came.
April 10 marked a momentous occasion when the 4.3% surcharge on postal rates was rolled back—if I listen closely, I can almost hear sighs of relief from direct mail marketers all over the country.
Suddenly, there’s room in the budget where there once was none. Now, what are you going to do with that extra money?
Sure, you could put it in your piggy bank and save it for a rainy day. Better yet, you could re-invest it in a way that makes it grow.
This year, invest in mail that is:
- Data-driven. Let’s face it. In today’s world, if it’s not data-driven, it’s not direct mail…it’s junk mail. And while most companies aren’t lacking data (more often than not, they’re drowning in it), they may need help determining how to use it, when to use it, even which data to use, which to ignore. These are all questions we can help answer. Which leads me to my next point—investing in mail that is:
- Personalized. Personalized mail is relevant mail, and if you listen to the data, relevant mail is exactly what you’ll get. An InfoTrends study revealed that 84% of consumers said personalization made them more likely to open a direct mail piece¹. A separate study by Infosys showed that 86% of consumers say personalization has at least some impact on what they purchase². But if you’re struggling to determine how to personalize effectively, our Strategic Marketing Services team can help you develop a more robust plan for personalization.
- Creative. Creative direct mail doesn’t always mean mail that is splashy. Yes, there are times when the bigger and brighter the outer envelope, the better. But real creative direct mail comes from thinking outside the box, when data guides the creative process. Before worrying about what the package will look like, you must first understand who your audience is and what they will respond to, then design around that message. Now that’s creative direct mail.
With room freed up in the budget, it only makes sense to re-invest in areas that have an impact on your bottom line. If you’re looking for ways to expand your data-driven direct mail efforts, we can help.
It’s an investment that can’t be beat. To talk about how we can help turn the gift of lower postal rates into an even greater gift, call us today at 603-626-5800 or email info@polarisdirect.net.
About the author: Melanie Gray is Creative Supervisor/Copywriter at Polaris Direct, a nationally acclaimed high-volume direct marketing services company in Hooksett, NH.
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¹ “Direct Marketing Production Print & Value-Added Services: A Strategy for Growth,”InfoTrends.
² “Rethinking Retail,” Infosys. https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/press-releases/Documents/genome-research-report.pdf
