Direct mail marketing remains a staple of measured media. It fulfills strong calls to action, builds brands and sells products through the frequency of impressions. The aim is to synchronize offers, creatives and lists to maximize memorability, mindshare, and ultimately, response. That said, the medium has evolved little over the decades. As in other media, it is not without some spoilage that adversely impacts optimal effectiveness.
John Wanamaker, the famous nineteenth century Philadelphia retaileronce said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”
Well, we have the answer to that age-old question. In today’s world, we typically find that most direct mail marketers are not wasting 50 percent of their spend but more like 20 to 30 percent. The good news is that we can help you pinpoint that percentage of your direct mail that is sub-optimized!
Our proprietary artificial Intelligence (AI) technology helps marketers determine the segments and combinations of media to increase desired outcomes. Utilizing new omni-data, we can identify which segments should continue to receive direct mail; who is currently not receiving direct mail, but should be, based on new signals in the data; who would better respond to digital vs. direct mail; and who should be suppressed overall.
A recent client was mailing approximately two million pieces of direct mail every month. Through our direct mail optimizer approach, we determined that 73 percent of the prospects were in fact, the right audience, and that direct mail was the most effective channel; 27 percent were sub-optimized.
The analysis determined that 13 percent should be switched from direct mail to digital and the remaining 14 percent should be surpressed altogether. The change in strategy resulted in a 50 percent increase in return on investment (ROI) and 30 percent lower cost per account.
Let Creative Solutions optimize your direct response efforts. Call 302.543.8533 or with us today to explore how we can help you.