The Social Media Shutdown and Print Advertising – Two Sides

A Powerful Force

By coincidence, in the same week that Facebook was experiencing one of the worst shutdowns in its 17-year history, a report was released that stated that direct mail is now “one of the most powerful forces in marketing”.

The new study from WARC and Royal Mail MarketReach found that 70% of consumers have been driven to an online activity by direct mail, while more than a third (35%) of campaigns that use direct mail recorded an ROI benefit. That compares to the UK average of 23%.

Titled ‘Driving Effectiveness with Direct Mail’, the report highlights the physical nature of mail, which results in it grabbing both sensory and mental attention, delivering an average engagement rate of 95%. Since it can be highly personalised and targeted, it can also keep consumer attention for longer than digital channels, which is further increased with the use of personalisation. These effects are particularly relevant for Generation Z, who have grown up with digital messaging and for whom mail presents something unique.

“From building brands, cutting through the clutter and eliciting a direct response, to nurturing powerful connections with customers and amplifying digital channels in the mix, it’s clear mail delivers effective business outcomes in a variety of ways, across a variety of categories to engage all audiences,” says Dan Jury, Senior Media Planner at Royal Mail MarketReach. “Direct mail is alive and well. It has undergone significant digital transformation of its own, remains the third largest media channel in the UK, integrates powerfully with other channels to support full-funnel strategies, is a proven driver of business growth and ROI, and is highly trusted – particularly with Gen Z.”