The Mail ‘Habit’: Why Consumers Like Mailing Campaigns

9/24/2018

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A recent observational study commissioned by Canada Post aimed to understand how people interact with their mail. The results are eye-opening for marketers who may have questioned the value of traditional mailing campaigns in our highly digital world.

Here are just a few of the findings that may have you thinking twice about your customer communications and postal mail:

1. Mail inspires. Reading the mail is part of the “coming home” routine that’s engrained in everyday life. Researchers found the routine has become a ritual for many, taking place at the same time, in typically the same space and tapping into feel-good emotions. Reading email, on the other hand, tends to be much less routine-oriented and can happen on multiple devices throughout the day. Triggers to check email can be having the free time or just being bored.
2. Mail gets noticed. The study showed consumers are more likely to notice, open, read and enjoy mail than other digital forms of advertising communications. Canada Post says 81% read their mail the same day they receive it, and 85% will open mail if it looks interesting. Supporting data from the Direct Marketing Association’s 2015 Response Rate Report shows direct mail outperforms all digital channels combined when using either a house list or prospect list.
3. Mail persists. Some of the power of mailing campaigns lies in its physicality. Canada Post’s neuromarketing study revealed that because physical media is more easily understood, “it is more likely to be encoded into memory.” And in the case of coupons, for example, mail is often kept for extended periods of time, giving it immediate and deferred value.
4. Mail persuades. The ultimate question is, “Does a mailing campaign prompt purchases?” According to research, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Canada Post data shows 50% purchased a product in-store over the past six months as a result of a direct mail ad. Whether an impulse decision or one considered over time, mail is positioned to influence both.

Planning your marketing mix for 2016? Mailing campaigns may be the missing ingredient to help you cut through the clutter. Let us know if you need support to source mailing lists or design, print and mail your campaigns. We’re here to help!