The first DMNews/Pitney Bowes survey on direct mail and the environment suggests that consumers greatly overestimate the environmental impact of direct mail, a fact that likely colors attitudes toward the medium. Nonetheless, the survey shows that people enjoy their mail and do not want to stop receiving it — even if doing so were to benefit the environment — and that they are open to industry efforts to police itself.
Read MoreJunk mail may at best sound like something to toss, but to companies like Xerox Corp., Ocè NV, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Eastman Kodak Co., the stuff smells like money.
Makers of high-production printers and systems have the direct-mail marketing industry in their sights, promoting the use of high-end digital printers with software tools to help advertisers personalize marketing content. Personalized marketing is advertising directed to an individual that’s sometimes based on past activity and elicits a response that can often be tracked.
Mailboxes across the country are filling up with personal messages from advertisers that can have intimate knowledge of a person’s insurance rates, car payments, favorite vacation spots or hobbies. Some even send coupons for favorite stores and products on a person’s birthday. Such personalized advertising typically generates significantly greater response than an advertisement meant for a general audience.
As such, it’s also the fastest-growing form of advertising off the Internet, and is projected to drive sales growth by 5.3 pct a year from between now and 2012, according to data provided by Direct Marketing Association, a trade group offering direct-marketing tools. By comparison, television ads are seen driving sales growth by 5pct , newspapers by 0.9pct , magazines by 3pct and radio by 3pct over the same period of time.
Altogether, the U.S. direct-mail printing business is a USD 62.2 billion market that’s expected to grow around 6pct, or 7 billion pages a year, data from marketing consultants Winterberry Group and Universal McCann show.
Read MoreIn line with earlier forecasts this year Dutch budgets for SM activities will increase this 4th quarter of 2007.
The DM barometer of Adforesult and Mailmedia foresees an increase of 14%.
Biggest increase is Internet: almost half of the budget is expended in that area.
In the use of communication channels is hardly anny difference with respect to the target group.
As well to clients as to target group internet (own website, e-mail, search engine, banners, buttons) is the leading channel ith 50% of exopenditures.
Concerning the effects of e-activities 36% of e-newsletters sent to own addresses are opened and 26% clicked.
There is significant difference if an e-mail is sent to own of thrid parties lists:
1/3 is opened in the case of own adresses, 25% only for external lists.
Respondents had to answer three questions:
1) emailings should be less dull and impersonal: 90% said YES
2) 87% agrees that not enough known about the effects f crossmedia direct marketing
3) 70% shares the opinion that mobile payment is a fact in the Netherlands in the year 2008.
The Dutch governement proposed a legislation aiming that B2B email should also be covered by an opt-in regime. This legislation will enter into force in 2008
In 2002 the EU Directive Electronic Communications was launched.
The Directive takes an “opt-in” approach to unsolicited commercial electronic communications, i.e. users must have given their prior consent before such messages are addressed to them. This opt-in system also covers SMS text messages and other electronic messages received on any fixed or mobile terminal.
This Directive primeraly aims at relations between companies and consumers (B2C) but offers Member States also an opportunity to regulate B2B email in the same sense. Some Member States have taken that opportunity:
In October 2007 the Dutch Dialog and Direct Marketing Association (DDMA) adopted the code for business e-mail. The code introduced an almost similar provision of prior consent for B2B email as for B2C email. An important reason for drawing up this code is to reduce in this way spam and to keep the channel open for legitimate business communication. For this reason the recipient of B2B email needs to give prior consent before receiving publicity. There are some points on which the B2B code has been adapted to the practice of businesses. For example no consent needs be asked for supplying addresses to third parties.
A clear communication is sufficient. The same applies to the promotion of own products within the company’s activities.
Diana Janssen, director of DDMA, welcomes the code: “It is a sign from DDMA members that they attach great importance to communication of high quality. By introducing prior consent for B2B e-mail, your database will automatically be much more valuable. Moreover it is an important indicator to our politicians that the sector is very
well capable to take responsability.”
As of 1 October 2007 this Code has already been incorporated within the Dutch Advertising Code.
In other countries of Europe exists already a statutory regulation with respect to B2B e-mail, particularly in France, Germany and Austria. In other countries the opt-out system with respect to e-mail business still applies, in which case the recipient has to state Whether he or she wishes to receive unsolicited emails.
December 2007 – W&P
Read MoreUK Research: Internet and direct mail remain key to financial services
Internet and direct mail are the most popular source of information to UK consumers to find out about financial products. Over 50% claim to use the internet while a quarter say that they respond to personally addressed direct mail
Mortgages are the only financial product where an IFA is the dominant source of information. The top reason for purchasing a product directly, as opposed to using an IFA or buying through a bank or building society, was due to price – a perception that it was cheaper to go direct – across a number of products.
The findings are all part of a new research project undertaken by the DMA UK Financial Services Council in conjunction with NMG, to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of associated offers in the financial services sector.
The research also demonstrated that unsurprisingly price and the way information was made available prior to the application were key purchase decision influencers when buying life protection and income protection insurance whereas the brand of the provider is a significant influencer when buying private health insurance and personal accident insurance.
The tendency to switch products is very low with the majority of respondents not having taken out or switched providers for any financial products in the last 12 months. Of those that had switched, the most common product to be changed is motor insurance followed by home contents. With the exception of mortgages, the majority tend to purchase or switch providers by telephone or by applying online or in the case of home contents, direct mail appears to be very effective. However, nearly three quarters of respondents claim that they were not considering taking out or switching providers for any financial services in the next 12 months.
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