Direct Mail: Leaves a ‘deeper footprint’ in the brain

Recent findings by Millward Brown, a leading global research agency, revealed “physical media – AKA direct mail – left a ‘deeper footprint’ in the brain.” In other words media that consumers can touch and feel resonated and touched more emotions than those of the digital variety.

And those consumers that are affected by “physical media” are not just the older demo, as many marketers believe.

“Direct mail surprisingly transcends the age demographic, with younger consumers (the 18- to 34-year-old demographic) preferring to learn about marketing offers via postal

mail rather than online sources, according to national survey research from ICOM,” said Lisa Formica, president of FMI, a direct mail marketing and advertising firm.

What about ROI? According to a recent survey conducted by TargetMarketing magazine, the channel that delivered the strongest ROI for customer acquisition for B2C marketers was direct mail. Direct mail also scored the highest among B2C marketers for customer contact and retention.

You can read the entire article here: 

Direct Mail: Alive And Kicking

Small Business Week & Anniversary Celebration @ PostNet Asheville

From our friends Bill and Eydie Merwitzer:

PostNet of South Asheville is hosting a special event, Wednesday, June 19 at their business center to thank the local small business community.

Join them while they celebrate the contributions our businesses make every day, and the power we have to drive America's economy forward.

PLUS...



HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!


WEDNESDAY
JUNE 19th 10am - 6pm

Still like to flip pages? Digital version of our magazines available

Making a digital version of the Hometown Value Guide available has never been easier thanks to services such as www.issuu.com. However, research into Paper vs. Screen effectiveness for magazines continues to shed new insights in to why and how these seemingly opposing media effect us. 

I recently read an article which delved into an important question: How exactly does the technology we use to read change the way we read? Reading on screens differs from reading on paper and is relevant to just about everyone who reads. Even though e-readers and tablets are becoming more popular as such technologies improve, research suggests that reading on paper still boasts unique advantages.

Take a look at this fascinating article from Scientific American:
The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens

4 Direct Mail Statistics You Can't Ignore

http://themoreyouknowbandb.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/4-direct-mail-statistics-you-cant-ignore/

SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING MANY HAVE OVERLOOKED…STATISTICS!

1.  Major corporations like Disneyland, Bank of America and Time Warner Cable love direct mail! “Direct mail ranked as the number one (88%) planned marketing channels..., followed by web/micro-site, email, and social media.” 

2.  Direct mail, compared to other marketing endeavors, has the highest rate of gaining new customers. “For customer acquisition, direct mail (34%) topped email (25%), search engine marketing (10%), and affiliate marketing (8%), with 23% of respondents citing a variety of other channels.” 

3. Direct mail has potential for huge returns on investment. “US advertisers spend an average of $167 per person on direct mail to earn $2,095 worth of goods sold, giving them a 1300% return.” 

4. The paper used for direct mail is green. “Nearly 80% of U.S. paper mills use recovered fiber to make some or all of their products. About 140 mills use recovered paper exclusively.”

How do I know direct mail works?

From time to time our advertisers will write a note and tell us their experience of getting new customers from their investment in the Hometown Value Guide direct mailed magazine program. This always makes us smile, reminding us of one of the reasons why we love what we do :)