An uncomfortable marketing truth: Most digital marketing goes unnoticed.
Offline media channels (TV, print, OOH) have one big advantage over digital: they are harder to ignore.
(Ex: The chart below from JICMAIL shows the most attention efficient channels)
And if your category doesn’t traditionally invest in a certain channel, it’s another way to stand out. (Ex: Direct mail for B2B brands)
But sending a mail piece doesn’t guarantee it gets opened or kept. So what makes a direct mail campaign actually work?
Turns out there’s some research on this!
This week on The Marketing Architects Podcast, we cover the study « The Effects of Mailing Design Characteristics on Direct Mail Campaign Performance » by Dr. Sebastian Feld, Heiko Frenzen, Manfred Krafft, Dr. Kay Peters, and Peter Verhoef. They analyzed 677 direct mail campaigns to determine what works.
What increases open rates:
-Teasers with questions
-Heavier envelopes
-No sender name
What reduces open rates:
-Bright, colorful designs
-“Postage paid” stamps
-Long letters (for categories other than non profit)
While this study didn’t include B2B brands, I’m a big believer in direct mail for them. Better to battle for a spot on someone’s desk than their email inbox.
Link in the comments to the study + the podcast episode. 👇