Cutting through the clutter

In the digital age, it seems everyone is glued to their phones or tablets, and sometimes even multiple devices. People have become addicted to social media, email and texts. For many, it’s the first thing they do before getting out of bed and the last thing before going to sleep.

Being constantly connected certainly has advantages and disadvantages. But one thing is certain, people are becoming desensitized to the digital marketing messages inundating them online. SPAM filters are blocking many email messages from even reaching the inbox, and if it does get through, many fear a dreaded virus.

As a result, there’s an unprecedented amount of noise and clutter in the market. So how does one get any marketing attention? How about the tried and tested direct mail? With less competition in the mailbox, even millennials are responding to direct mail at record rates. With less noise and clutter in the consumer’s brain, your message can hit home. According to the 2017 DMA Statistical Fact Book, the rate at which consumers responded to direct mail rose by 43% over the previous year.

While many marketers gravitate to the creative aspect of direct mail because it’s more stimulating and sexy, it’s only one part of what makes direct mail a success. Ed Mayer, a marketing legend from the 60s, developed the 40/40/20 rule––and it still holds true today. The rule was designed to help marketers focus their efforts on developing successful direct mail campaigns:

• 40% of your efforts should focus on targeting the correct audience
• 40% of your efforts should aim for appealing offer, and
• 20% goes to the creative

Getting the right message to the right person at the right time is key to creating successful direct mail campaigns. While all three ingredients are critical, some have greater importance than others.

At Creative Solutions, we provide full service marketing—from offer development and list procurement to creative execution and data analytics. We can help you cut through the clutter so your business services and products can generate incremental revenue. Call us at 302.543.8533 or email us today to explore how we can help your business.