Still consumer demand for so called junk mail
Added: 26/08/2011 Reporter: Peter James
Recent research has revealed that consumers like to receive door drops (advertising mail) more frequently from retailers than any other sector.
A new study for Royal Mail Door to Door revealed:
Nine in ten people are happy to regularly receive unaddressed mail from retailers
81% said their preferred frequency was up to twice a month. One quarter said they are happy to receive unaddressed mailings a few times a week or more from retailers
Door drops from FMCG brands are the next most popular with consumers. Nearly three quarters (74%) are happy to receive mailings up to twice a month
This was followed by restaurants where the score was 50% and local services on 46%
The study, conducted by FreshMinds Research, explored the attitude of consumers to receiving unaddressed communications through the letterbox. It also revealed the strong cut through delivered by door drops. 89% of consumers remembered receiving a door drop communication in the previous two weeks. This is more than any other marketing channel. Only 80% of those surveyed reported recalling a TV or radio advert.
And the research revealed the place of door drops in many people’s everyday lives with 45% keeping leaflets on a pin board or in the kitchen drawer.
Philip Ricketts, Royal Mail’s Head of Strategy, Marketing and Sales for Door to Door, said: “This research demonstrates the numerous strengths of door drops. Key is the fact it is a physical and tactile media, making it highly memorable. It is also very popular with consumers who can keep it in a visible place and refer to it when required. This is particularly important when you consider we are all becoming increasingly adept at filtering information via screen media.
“We also found through our conversations with consumers that certain kinds of door drops, particularly those advertising discounts at local supermarkets, are regularly anticipated and retained and used by consumers - in many cases forming an integral part of their weekly routine.”
“Unaddressed communication is proving to be a particularly import method of delivering information that is locally relevant. It is a form of advertising that is set to play an increasingly important role in local communications with the footprint of local newspapers in decline.”
Royal Mail Door to Door recently launched a solution, in partnership with Digital Space, to help businesses make their post interactive using digital watermarking technology. A digital watermark can be embedded into pictures on leaflets and mailings enabling marketers to integrate their print and online material without the need for barcodes or QR codes.
Combining state-of-the-art technology with history and heritage enables people to link from their post to a company’s online content, such as a website, video or Facebook page, in seconds. People receiving the digitally-enhanced post simply scan the mail with their 3G phone to start an online journey.
