Newspaper inserts 'beat door drops'

Newspaper inserts provoke a better response than door drops, finds a study on how inserts are retained and used.

The research, carried out by TNS last month on behalf of Mirror Group Newspapers and Robert Dyas, compared the effectiveness of inserting a leaflet in a national newspaper against doorstep distribution.

The survey's findings show that, while overall awareness of the media is similar, newspaper inserts offer significantly greater levels of engagement across a variety of measurements than does doorstep distribution.

For example, the insert was more likely to be kept for future use and advertised products provoked a more powerful response.

Charlie Hands, head of inserts at Mirror Group, believes the industry lacks awareness about the value of inserts.

"While actual levels of response are the primary measurement for inserts, you need to consider how the consumer engages with them. It's clear that a well-created, targeted insert has a life beyond the media carrying it."