With so much attention being paid to new digital channels and the emergence
of RTB, it's easy to overlook advertisers' sustained reliance on direct mail,
which last year accounted for more than $51 Billion across catalog and
non-catalog spending. A primary reason for brands' continued fondness for
direct mail is that it has traditionally outperformed
most (if not all) other channels and advertisers' know that consumers are
increasingly wary of online display ads, which are often perceived as intrusive
and annoying,
whereas many find direct mail to be more convenient and easier to digest (or
ignore) on their own terms.
However, while direct mail's resilience during the digital marketing era is
worthy of attention, it remains a blind spot for many marketers looking to understand
the impact of all marketing efforts. This is particularly true as it relates to
their ability to quantify the impact direct mailing has on conversions, both
online and in-store, and how much conversion credit it deserves relative to
other marketing touchpoints. With the push towards data-driven marketing
decisions, personalized media, granular audience targeting, and real-time
budget optimization this lack of understanding limits advertisers' ability to
identify the right mix of marketing levers—messages, media, and channels—and
often leads to overvaluing, or overspending, on other channels.
