Editorial: Mail down but not out

by Hugh Filman, Direct Response 05-Sep-07

You can almost hear the bandwagon-jumpers in the industry already starting to count direct mail out.

With the long-expected announcement by the Benchmarking Hub of the Direct Marketing Association's Email Marketing Council that the electronic missive has finally overtaken good old-fashioned post in terms of volume (page 4), there will be those who say this signals the beginning of the end for direct mail.

So many marketers, agencies and suppliers seem to be convinced that digital channels will completely eclipse all other traditional direct routes to market, that one wonders why those involved in direct mail and telemarketing even bother to still go into work.

And certainly the perception that much direct mail is simply seen by too many members of the public as "junk mail" - that is, not environmentally friendly and generally annoying - does not help the case of those who argue that post will remain a useful, relevant channel. And, to boot, it's more costly than email to send.

We see a textbook example of what companies are doing in the Data Clinic case study this month (page 16). Harvey Nichols has scaled back direct mail and boosted email to better communicate to its customers. And who can blame it? There is no doubt many consumers today want to be communicated to via email or other new channels. Many are indeed sick of getting marketing mail.

Direct mail is likely to continue to decline to the point that it is just one element in the direct marketer's arsenal and no longer the primary weapon it once was.

But what's wrong with that? Marketing channels are evolving. That, however, doesn't mean it is the end for paper-based communication with prospects and customers. As Anthony Miller, Royal Mail's head of media development, argues - and backs up with a survey - email works better when used in conjunction with post.

Even William Cooper, chief executive of TradeDoubler, which just spent a lump of cash on the UK's leading search engine marketing agency, points out that search works better in conjunction with direct mail.

So, to paraphrase Mark Twain, perhaps reports of direct mail's impending death have been greatly exaggerated. It may shrink at its advanced age but there's life in the old postbag yet.