Royal Mail boosts its digital hand with Sony CD solution

by Holly Wright, Direct Response 06-Jun-07

Royal Mail is boosting its digital credentials with the launch of a product that promises to fuse traditional post with online media.

The move is a key element of Royal Mail's fight-back to ensure that direct mail remains relevant as marketing spend continues to shift in favour of online channels.

The new solution, Personalised Integrated Media (PIM), enables companies to create a bespoke CD - developed in partnership with Sony DADC - which is mailed to customers and contains information specific to their needs. It has already been trialled by Audi in December last year for the launch of its Q7 model, generating a 10 per cent response rate, 24 per cent of which went on to request a test drive.

"This isn't a small tactical move by Royal Mail but is part of a major objective to become more embedded in the whole digital arena," said Anthony Miller, head of media markets at Royal Mail. "Every other channel from TV to radio and press is currently working out where they fit with digital, and we are doing the same."

PIM works by inscribing each CD with a unique code. This enables companies to track exactly how recipients engage with the CD and whether they carry out specific functions such as booking a test drive or requesting further information.

It also gives businesses that only hold postal data on customers the opportunity to solicit opt-ins and gather email data.