Royal Mail arm to offer direct response advice
Royal Mail is to launch a consultancy service to provide advertisers
with advice on how to use direct response media as part of a brand’s
marketing mix. The service, to be unveiled next month, forms part of the
Consignia-owned company’s attempts to woo advertisers and their
agencies by offering services beyond its traditional mail delivery
operation. The issue is a sensitive one because of Royal Mail’s investment in
the Postal Preference Service. The service, a lifestyle data
operation aimed at advertisers, drew complaints of Royal Mail
abusing its monopoly from the DM industry when it was announced last
year. Aimed at the UK’s top 500 advertisers and their agencies, the direct
response project will involve the creation of a dedicated mail media
centre with specialist consultants and an account management
structure to service advertisers’ and agencies’ needs. Royal Mail will approach agencies to offer advice on the place
direct response media can occupy in the marketing mix. It is likely
to appeal to the UK’s biggest mailers, which include credit card
issuers and telecoms firms. Royal Mail will undertake research based on industry sectors and the
likely effectiveness of media such as DM and responsive advertising. A Royal Mail spokesman said: ‘This project supports our aim to help
advertisers understand the uses of mail media as part of their
integrated marketing strategies.’ However, he insisted that the service did not represent an attempt
by Royal Mail to compete with direct marketing agencies. ‘The media
centre will be open to them to use to plan campaigns,’ he said.
‘There is no question of us treading on their toes.’ According to Royal Mail, the initiative will dovetail with a
separate service called Insight, which gives more general
information to advertisers about the effectiveness of mail media. The project will be headed by Tim Rivett, Royal Mail’s director of
media activity, and Adam Novak, managing director of the Media
Markets unit.
Copyright 2001 Marketing.
Source: World Reporter (Trade Mark) – FT McCarthy.
MARKETING, 09th August 2001
