Why I love direct mail

Guest blog from Howard Graham, CEO and Founder of The Made Simple Group and member of the BBC’s Small Business Panel of Experts. All opinions stated are the author’s own.

Perhaps it’s just me - but I seem to be getting a lot less junk mail through my letterbox. What was once a steady stream of letters, fliers and offers has slowed to a light trickle. You may think this is something to be celebrated, but for me it represents a lost marketing opportunity.

I was trying to figure out why no companies seemed to be targeting me anymore and came up with three explanations:-

1. The current economic malaise has made people think twice about expensive mailings.

2. The digital revolution has impacted on the frequency and popularity of old style direct mail campaigns – online marketing is now seen as the way ahead.

3. That I have been blacklisted because I didn’t respond to enough offers.

My feeling is that it’s probably a combination of all three - although I very much doubt number 3, as I am always on the lookout for a good deal!

If my instinct about this is correct, and direct mail is falling, I have to say that I am going to miss it. There was something almost alluring about receiving a mailshot - even if you weren’t interested in the product or service being offered.

As a businessman, I know that people had probably worked their socks off devising a particular offer, focusing their creative energies, honing the database of target customers, organising the mailing then watching the follow-up.

It was possible to marvel at some of the creative marketing produced and also admire the variety and extent of offers made. Indeed, there was often much amusement to be had where addresses or names were misspelt.

I have always been someone who subscribed to the notion that if someone put all that work into produce the direct mailing, I almost had a duty to read it. And so I did! Believe it or not, I can honestly say that every single direct mailing sent to me over the last 20 years has received my attention.

Of course sometimes, where it was clear that it wasn’t something of interest, it would be discarded, but I still looked at the images, the offer, the layout etc. Be it a wine offer, holiday or subscription to the Economist, I often took them up.

Now everyone’s attention seems to have turned to digital direct mail or ‘spam’ as it is derogatorily called. Once again, the abundance of spam filters, firewalls and other devices has meant that the amount of spam I receive is considerably reduced.

While I know this means I am avoiding harmful email viruses, the sex and Viagra offers as well as other dodgy marketing offers, the truth is, I feel I’m now also missing out on some really good genuine offers and information.

Just like my feelings towards direct mail, I am somewhat disappointed that the IT industry’s aversion to spam means that the good stuff doesn’t get through to me either.

Surely there must be a more effective way of making sure that both the traditional offline and online filters we have in place to ‘protect’ us, don’t treat all direct marketing with the same fear and disdain?

Howard Graham is CEO and Founder of The Made Simple Group, featuring Companies Made Simple.