There has seldom been a time when cutting-edge technological advancements in the direct mail industry have coincided with consumers spending unprecedented periods at home. Yet this is precisely what we are currently experiencing.
From heightened personalization and variable data printing (VDP) tools to advancements in augmented reality and interactivity, associated possibilities and innovations are ascending to new heights. Increased time at home predisposes consumers to embrace what the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) dubs the “Mail Moment.”
Now is therefore the perfect time to launch a direct mail campaign and maximize such extraordinary opportunities.
The coronavirus pandemic has spurred a marked pivot to working from home—at first by necessity, now by choice.
Nearly 70% of surveyed full-time U.S. employees worked remotely at some point in the last few years, and 71% said they wanted this to continue after the pandemic, as well, according to the 2021 “State of Remote Work” report by video conferencing device company Owl Labs.
“Consumers were home,” Avrick said during the 2022 Inkjet Summit, an annual symposium of 100-plus growth-minded business leaders throughout the industry. “They were working from home…and they were more apt to enjoy, as the post office calls it, the ‘Mail Moment,’ whereas they took their mail and they actually looked at it, and they were around in their homes, and the B2C response rates increased. So, we saw a big push in that area.”
The U.S. Postal Service further describes this incredible marketing opportunity:
“From sorting and organizing to allocating and reading, the Mail Moment defines the highly interactive daily ritual that consumers devote to bringing in their Mail and discovering what it offers."
Upon the coronavirus pandemic’s onset, Avrick maximized this, connecting with clients via intermittent direct mail, email, and social media updates.
“We got so much positive feedback from our clients,” he continued during the panel. “We want to let our clients know that we’re still working and we never stop. And that communication has continued forward. They started to welcome it and started to expect it.”
Such additional time home creates prime conditions for marketers to leverage direct mail campaigns that “get their messages noticed and their offers considered,” the USPS continues. So do the numerous cutting-edge advancements in interactive and personalized technologies within the industry.
Fifteen years ago, if someone were to suggest a mailpiece could transport customers to an augmented digital reality, they might be met with disbelief.
Now, interactive mail advancements such as these are simply a way of the times.
Augmented reality (AR) capabilities, for instance, enable customers to enter online worlds via their smartphone cameras and virtually sample products, customize items, simulate product use, and so much more.
Interactive mail “excites customers’ senses” and revolutionizes modern direct mail marketing campaigns, explains the U.S. Postal Service’s 2022 “Tactile, Sensory, Interactive Promotion” report.
These pieces might contain scents or eye-catching varnishes, make a lasting 3-D impression, easily connect to online shopping, deliver customized content based on online activity, and so much more, according to the agency’s Irresistible Mail gallery.
Coupled with the sheer entertainment value of these head-turning designs, interactive mail drives already significant brand recall, engagement, and media effectiveness even higher.
Marketers willing to invest in specialty papers, inks, tech features, and other products are likely to experience the payoffs of memorability at the mailbox.
Whether customized contact names or eye-catching graphics, personalization is a campaign mainstay in the direct mail industry—and its capabilities have only improved in recent years.
Take HP’s newest PageWide Web Press T250 HD, for example. This top-quality production inkjet printer delivers the highest-caliber quality across the most versatile range of media on the market. Its latest upgrade boasts unparalleled enhancements to Color Vision, HP Brilliant Inks, and aqueous post-coating capabilities—all enabling marketers to personalize with unprecedented efficiency.
Through utilizing techniques such as variable data printing (VDP), marketers are empowered to personalize large quantities of direct mail pieces with stunning imagery, promotions, and customized text—without breaking the production flow.
Amid the battle for attention, such modernized advancements enable marketers to leverage the best personalization methods, create meaningful impressions, and stay ahead of industry trends.
Few direct mail solutions boast the cutting-edge innovations and decades of seasoned expertise of Design Distributors.
From its T240 to T250 HD inkjet printer upgrade to its highlight as an industry leader at the 2022 Inkjet Summit, Design Distributors embodies the hybrid of maximized technologies and expert industry experience.
Contact us today to discuss launching your direct mail campaign with the latest innovations in personalization and interactivity.