Direct Mail Trends During COVID-19!

Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog.  Today's post, "Direct Mail Trends During COVID-19," demonstrates how direct mail marketing is trending under the pandemic, and why brands should consider leveraging direct mail marketing in conjunction with their digital marketing strategies.  There has never been a better time to leverage variable digital printing (VDP) than now.  That's because the brand and consumer interaction has changed significantly, thanks in part to the historic pandemic of 2020, along with a deluge of texting, tweeting, and all things internet, mail seems very normal, about as normal as we will ever be again.   Besides normalcy, consumers expect brands to engage with them on a deeper level than mass communications.  Woke or Intelligent marketers are rising to the occasion with the power of variable digital printing.  Exactly, what is VDP?   We've covered VDP in multiple posts; VDP is short for Variable Data/Digital Printing.  The terms data and digital are interchangeable; however, the term data will most likely replace digital in the near future.  In short, VDP releases data points that are fed into commercial digital printers that can output print collateral for individuals, groups, or specific demographics, regions, zip-codes, and other data points.
 
Quote of the Day: "Print encourages a sense of closure, a sense that what is found in a text has been finalized, has reached a state of completion." - Walter J. Ong

VDP Takes Off

VDP is a tool. Specifically, marketing and technology tools are grouped into one, allowing the brand to accomplish mass communications on a singular scale.  One envelope, per person, per preference.  That is to say, each recipient of a variable printing piece will receive a customized direct mail advertisement.  The advertisement could feature personal details and the personal preference of color, images, and any other factor that the brand deems viable for the recipient.  That is what makes VDP so powerful!  Each recipient receives a direct mail piece customized with a name, body text, images, even special offers.


Benefits of Variable Data Printing

Marketers are utilizing variable printing technology more than ever before. It's easy to understand why when you consider the benefits:


Leverage the Data: You likely have a lot of customer data on hand.  Be sure to use that data.  Variable data printing takes advantage of reporting software, redemption rates, and other analytics.  With this information, you can create tailored campaigns that have a significant impact and higher engagement.

Unlimited Customization: Everyone is unique, and variable data printing allows you to create unique campaigns for each person, thereby effectively segmenting your entire market. 


Automated Integration: Marketers can execute automated marketing campaigns based on variable data printing triggered by specific customer actions and events.


Fast Turnaround: The speed at which you can execute each variation is phenomenal. You can create and print hundreds of unique pieces in minutes, making mass production fast and simple.

Improved ROI: Your ROI will improve by 4 points. Whereas non-personalized mail pieces average a 2% response rate, personalized pieces have a 6% response rate. That's an increase of 300%!

Digital is essential during this pandemic. However, direct mail marketing is equally crucial if brands want to realize the power of personalized marketing in a 24/7, work-from-home universe.


The Power of Personalized Marketing

Frankly, we can't say enough about the power of personalized marketing. Gone are the days of mass marketing as if we live in a homogenous society. We live in a world of one, and each one expects each brand to know that and thereby market to the individual. If you do, you can realize the power of personalized marketing.

• 96% of retailers believe that personalized content influences what consumers buy. (Source:  Infosys)
• 94% of marketing professionals across industries said personalized content is "important," "very important," or "extremely important" for meeting current marketing objectives. (Source:  Conversant Media)
• 86% of shoppers say that personalized marketing impacts their likelihood of purchasing.  (Source:  Infosys)
• 85% of brands base their efforts on broad segmentation while personalized content is a part of their current marketing strategy.(Source:  Infosys)
• 67% of shoppers who've experienced personalized marketing are highly in favor of personalized offers based on past experiences.  (Source:  Infosys)
• 77% believe real-time personalized content is crucial to marketing efforts, although 60% of marketers say they struggle to personalize content in real-time. (Source:  Adobe)
• 74% ​of marketers say targeted personalization increases customer engagement. – Source:  eConsultancy) ​
• 53% ​of marketers say ongoing, personalized communication with existing customers results in moderate to significant revenue impact.  (Source DemandGen)
• 42% of the 75 million millennials in America are Multicultural and that percentage only increases with gen Zs.  (Source:  Nielsen)​​
• 40% of consumers buy more from retailers who personalize their shopping experience across all marketing channels.  (Source: Market Cube
• 39% of retailers currently send personalized product suggestions via email.  (Source: Certona)​
  
• 31% of shoppers wish their shopping experience were more personalized.  (Source:  Infosys)​
• 30% of brands send personalize direct mail, although personalized messages deliver six times higher transaction rates. (Source: Marketing Land)​

The Net-Net

We don't know how 2020 will end!  It has already been a historic year on multiple levels.  However, one thing is clear.  To reach more people, you should personalize your brand's message for each customer.  You don't have to create new, individualized products like customized Nike's; however, you should address each recipient by name and with personalized content. The bottom line, direct mail marketing, will raise your engagement rates and boost your ROI. If you're unsure where to start, contact Dove Direct. We're here to help. Thanks for reading "Direct Mail Trends During COVID-19!"

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