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Navigating Uncertainty with DM

By |2024-10-22T14:01:19+00:00October 22nd, 2024|

The latest IPA Bellwether Report offers a detailed look at the UK marketing landscape in Q3 2024, showing a significant pause in total marketing budgets. With economic uncertainty surrounding the Autumn Budget, many businesses have opted for caution, leading to a net balance of 0.0% between those increasing and decreasing their marketing spend, down from +15.9% in Q2. However, direct marketing continues to shine, outperforming other channels and demonstrating its value in a volatile environment. Direct marketing, including direct mail, saw one of the strongest upward revisions in three quarters, with an increase of +9.7%, up from +8.9% in Q2. This boost underscores the channel's ability to deliver measurable results and maintain customer engagement even when budgets are tight. While [...]

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Totally Mailed It: Marketreach Amplifies Direct Mail’s Enduring Impact

By |2024-10-21T09:19:47+00:00October 21st, 2024|

Marketreach has unveiled a new campaign: "Totally Mailed It which is underscoring the relevance of DM in today’s marketing mix. Whilst it isn't revealing any great secrets, after all we all know direct mail works, it is arming us with fresh ammunition to reinforce that message to our clients. In a world where digital spend dominates, this campaign reminds us why direct mail continues to be a powerhouse in the marketing mix: Tangibility: Physical mail creates lasting impressions, with 33% better recall than digital ads. In a sea of ephemeral content, something you can hold stands out. Personalisation: It's not just about adding a name - it's about relevance. The campaign highlights how tailored messages drive significantly higher engagement rates. [...]

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Why DM is a cocktail party in an envelope

By |2024-10-02T06:37:26+00:00October 2nd, 2024|

In a world where consumers are bombarded by countless messages every day – in fact recent estimates suggest that the average person is exposed to 4,000-10,000 brand communications per day!! So for marketers, cutting through the noise can seem like an impossible task. But there’s a psychological principle that can help your brand stand out: the cocktail party effect. The Cocktail Party Effect: Why It Matters The cocktail party effect refers to our brain’s ability to zero in on relevant information even when surrounded by distractions. In a noisy room, you might not hear every conversation happening around you, but if someone says your name, your attention is instantly captured. The same principle applies to marketing. When a message feels [...]

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Mail Volumes Surge again in Q2 2024!

By |2024-09-17T08:10:25+00:00September 17th, 2024|

The latest data from JICMAIL's Q2 2024 release paints a bright picture for direct mail once again, with a significant increase in both mail volumes and consumer engagement. Mail volumes experienced a 12% rise compared to the previous year. Political parties preparing for the General Election contributed 10% of this overall volume, representing a massive year-on-year increase of over 343%. But political mail was not the sole contributor to this growth. Sectors like retail and travel also capitalised on the mail channel, further reflecting the broad-based recovery and confidence within the industry. Alongside volume growth, consumers responded positively, with mail engagement metrics improving across the board. Direct Mail, Door Drops, Business Mail, and Partially Addressed Mail all saw increases in [...]

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Effective audience targeting and direct mail

By |2024-09-01T08:47:56+00:00September 1st, 2024|

According to the 2024 Direct Mail Benchmarking Report, effective audience targeting is now the top advantage of direct mail, a significant leap from its fourth-place ranking in 2023. The study suggests that this change highlights the increasing reliance on direct mail by both B2B and B2C marketers for prospecting and reaching potential customers. Direct mail's ability to utilise offline data is proving invaluable in delivering high-potential audiences. By leveraging high-quality permission data sources, marketers can build predictive models that target prospects resembling their best customers. This precision allows for the creation of hyper-targeted campaigns that often yield higher returns on investment compared to many digital channels. Moreover, direct mail's audience reach isn't confined to the physical world. By integrating offline [...]

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Ensuring Data Accuracy in the Age of AI: A Lesson from AI-Generated Mistakes from across the Pond

By |2024-08-07T09:55:32+00:00August 7th, 2024|

In recent months, significant incidents have highlighted the pitfalls of AI when it comes to maintaining data accuracy in public records. These events serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of data hygiene, particularly for organisations that rely on precise data processing. The Incident: Pregnant Woman Wrongly Accused One notable incident involved a pregnant woman in Detroit who was falsely arrested based on AI-generated evidence. Porcha Woodruff, eight months pregnant at the time, was wrongly identified by an AI system as a suspect in a carjacking case. This led to her wrongful arrest and detention for 11 hours, causing her significant emotional distress and physical complications leading to hospitalisation. This case is part of a broader pattern, with several [...]

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61% of Marketers Increased Direct Mail Automation Investment in 2024

By |2024-07-23T11:19:50+00:00July 23rd, 2024|

Recent research by SeQuel Response reveals 61% of marketers increased their investments in direct mail automation over the past year​. This trend underscores the transformative power of automation in enhancing the efficiency, personalisation, and effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Here are six ways automation is enhancing direct mail: Optimised Personalisation Through Data-Driven Insights The era of generic mail pieces is over; now, campaigns are leveraging sophisticated algorithms to analyse customer data, tailoring messages to individual preferences and behaviours. This approach involves more than just addressing recipients by name—it’s about creating content and offers that resonate deeply with each unique recipient. The result is a significant boost in response rates and customer engagement, driven by the precise alignment of marketing messages [...]

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A Data Protection Update

By |2024-06-04T08:32:56+00:00June 4th, 2024|

Last week marked the sixth anniversary of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a landmark in data protection that revolutionised how personal data is handled across Europe. However, as many people reflect on GDPR's impact, the future of data protection regulation in the UK hangs in the balance following the recent mothballing of the Data Protection & Digital Information Bill (DPDI). The Demise of DPDI The Government’s decision to exclude the DPDI from its “wash up” process, a fast-track mechanism for essential legislation before Parliament is dissolved, has led to significant uncertainty. Initially introduced in 2021, the DPDI aimed to modernise the UK's data protection framework. However, it was still navigating the committee stage in the House of Lords when [...]

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Unlock the Power of Precision with The Software Bureau’s Data Cleansing Solutions

By |2024-05-21T10:10:00+00:00May 21st, 2024|

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date customer contact information is not just a necessity—it’s a competitive advantage. The Software Bureau’s data cleansing solutions stand at the forefront of this essential service, hosting a staggering 450 million records, the most extensive collection in the industry. This vast database, combined with our robust software, ensures your business can operate with the highest level of data integrity and efficiency. Comprehensive Data Coverage Our data sets encompass a wide range of essential updates, including home mover relocations, goneaways, and deceased records. These data sets are sourced from industry-leading providers such as Royal Mail, Experian, Sagacity, MiExact, The Ark, Shine CK, and DBS Data. This extensive and diverse array of sources guarantees that our clients receive the [...]

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Response rates, ROI, AOV and CPA of DM revealed!

By |2024-05-08T18:04:18+00:00May 8th, 2024|

The latest JICMAIL Response Tracker insights reveal that DM is still very much a marketing channel that achieves results…. Warm direct mail—mail shots sent to existing customers—command on average an 8% response rate. This level of engagement is not only on par with but often exceeds the effectiveness of other media channels. Warm direct mail's success, particularly notable in sectors like medical where it reaches a whopping 26%% response rate, underscores its potential in targeted communications. This method proves especially effective in maintaining and enhancing customer loyalty, offering personalised content that resonates well with the audience. The high response rates are indicative of the trust and rapport that brands have built over time with their existing customer base. Cold Direct [...]

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