Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Reaching C-Suite Execs With Direct Mail," sheds light on how and why savvy marketers use direct mail to reach busy executive decision-makers. Before we get to the nuts and bolts of this post, we want to congratulate the world-class athletes that participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Most notably, their dedication, hard work, and perseverance during a pandemic are especially noteworthy. A special congrats to the USA Olympic team for bringing home the most Gold and overall medal count awards during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. We salute you all! Excellent Job!
Now, onto the C-Suite, where direct mail marketing is making inroads. For the last several years, the AMA (American Marketing Association) has provided several surveys and reports that acknowledge the rise of direct mail. And today, with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the vaccination conundrum, and adherence to medical advice and policies, digital communications have risen to a degree where the digital environment is overloaded. Thus targets are missing a lot of digital communications.
Our Quote of the Day: "We've moved from digital products and infrastructure to digital distribution and Web strategy to now into more holistic transformations that clearly are based on mobile, social media, digitization and the power of analytics and we think it's really a new era requiring new strategies." —Saul Berman, Chief Strategist, VP & Global Digital Business Strategy Practice Leader
Direct Mail has Evolved
Gone are the days of bulk direct mail, where direct mail purchases were part of a large batch of mail sent to "Occupant," "Customer," "Consumer," or "Homeowner." Today's direct mail is not your grandparents' version. Marketers have become much more sophisticated and realize that direct mail campaigns provide better engagement and response rates while supporting digital marketing initiatives. Therefore, whether it's an omnichannel or multichannel marketing strategy, both of these digital environments will yield better results when direct mail is the catalyst.
A recent study reported that 75% of the marketing community state that direct mail is the best channel for reaching the C-suite audience. This 75% number is interesting. Why? The AMA recently reported that car drivers make more purchases, or 78% base their purchasing decision on direct mail marketing materials. Could it be that 75% of the marketing community is driving 78% of the buy?
A huge reason behind the comeuppance of direct mail's value lies in the physical touchpoint that serves a human requirement, that is to say, a switch from the on-screen digital environment to the real world. That is because people continue to crave real human interaction, and direct mail is the closest form of direct human interaction in a socially distanced world.
This idea of targeting the C-suite execs also includes transactional and transpromotional documents. Glenn Toole, VP, sales & marketing, MCS, Inc., divulges that the annual revenues related to transactional mail measure into the tens of billions of dollars.
"The USPS alone measures revenues of approximately $25 billion in 2019 related to first class mailings—which is heavily dominated by transactional mail." Besides, a minimum of 80 percent of the transactional document market is fully digital. And with the personalization requirement, many transactional documents can now implement personalization, requiring digital printing technology.
Other Direct Mail Integrations
Automated marketing platforms provide brand marketers with additional flexibility, including changing or updating data points, retargeting, and suggest other items for up-sell opportunities. Transpromo opportunities are a reflection of how far personalization has come. Direct mail marketing is so much more than simply changing the first name on print collateral. Since automation relies on data, the engagement and purchasing history provide a mechanism to address consumer pain points, buyer needs, and ways to achieve their goals, all of which elevate direct mail collateral to an integrated level of personalization.
Another issue centers the discussion around digital's abandoned shopping cart scenarios and the ongoing challenges for marketers. Both B2C and B2B marketing can now integrate direct mail with a variety of digital destinations. In the abandoned shopping cart, the technology can automatically produce a personalized direct mail piece, thus incorporating the tactile side of marketing. Further, the communication can be creative to introduce other re-engagement tactics to move any abandoned cart to a completed purchase.
Touchpoints are still critical for any marketing strategy. It is essential to reach people where they are, which increases the percentage of purchasing converts. Meanwhile, most events are now virtual, and many experts see this trend continuing. Future marketing strategies will continue to include inviting prospects to join a virtual event, which many marketers attest to being one of the best methods to reach the folks in the C-suite. However, if you want to gain traction for participation in an event, we recommend placing a direct mail piece in the hands of decision-makers.
One method would be to send a personalized direct mail video. Once a prospect interacts with a webinar registration, an email, or an event, the brand can automatically send a personalized direct mail video, complete with personalized areas of concern, to encourage movement along the sales funnel. Recently, some organizations state that approximately 73% of direct mail recipients found inspiration to visit a digital destination with a 40% jump in bookings for any meeting. Direct mail automated response has proven to be a game-changer whether it's an in-person, closed, or digital event destination.
Proof is In the Pudding
Nick Runyon, the recently promoted president at PFL, recently stated, "Tech companies like Zoom, Salesforce, Proof-point, and Paycor are using direct mail, orchestrated with digital channels, as an integrated, automated, intent-focused solution. Direct mail, triggered through digital intent signals, is creating the up-and-coming category of tactile marketing automation. And, the meteoric growth in the category is already underway with significant funding rounds, new entrants, and substantial year-over-year growth."
The Net-Net
Both B2C and B2B, including, more importantly, the C-Suite community, are all benefitting from direct mail marketing initiatives. Since the pandemic continues to expedite new variants, rest assured that the digital landscape will remain crowded, with users failing to see all those digital ads and paid promotions. The direct mail marketing collateral ensures that all recipients can receive and examine the marketing message, hold it in their hands, and evaluate the call-to-action without the interference of digital clutter on a monitor, cell phone, or PDA. Any executive who can digest new information in the comfort of their home on their own time generally allows for a more focused review while positioning an offer in the most trustworthy and comfortable surroundings. Thanks for reading "Reaching C-Suite Execs With Direct Mail!"
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