14-06-2011
Research among marketing students at University of Hertfordshire underlines the role of unaddressed mail in future communications strategies
The next generation of marketers, which has grown up in a digital media landscape, recognises the valuable role of traditional door drops in marketing campaigns, a new study has found.
Nearly half (45 per cent) of University of Hertfordshire Marketing students surveyed said they believe that door drops have a valid role to play in the media mix.
The study by Royal Mail Door to Door also found that over one third (35 per cent) believe that current marketing directors underestimate the value that unaddressed mail can add.
One fifth of the students said they plan to use the door drops in their future campaigns. This is an encouraging statistic for the future growth of the medium as door drop spend currently accounts for 4 per cent of total media spend .
The Royal Mail study also highlighted the key benefits of the Door to Door channel. Respondents identified its ability to deliver product samples directly to the hands of the consumer, reach, and tangibility as key strengths for the channel.
This insight into the door to door channel comes after the DMA’s annual Door Drop facts and figures announced the first annual rise in door to door expenditure since 2005 .
Phil Ricketts, Royal Mail’s Head of Door to Door Strategy, Marketing and Sales, said, "Understanding how the next generation of marketers perceives the marketing mix provides valuable insight into how the media landscape may develop in the coming years. It is clear that their recognition of the tangible and targeted nature of the door drop means that this traditional channel will remain relevant in an increasingly digital age."
The survey comes after Royal Mail became the world’s first postal company to help businesses make their post interactive using digital watermarking technology.
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.
The solution, launched by Royal Mail’s Door to Door unit in partnership with Digital Space, provides a digital watermark that can be embedded into pictures on leaflets and mailings. The watermark enables marketers to integrate their print and online material without the need for barcodes or QR codes.
Source: Royal Mail