News

Royal Mail is to launch a cross-media direct marketing service under the brand ‘Dialogue Mail’ in a tie-up with the US marketing firm Vialuna.

Hybrid marketing involving print, websites and SMS messages is a growing sector in the UK, but Dialogue Mail marks Royal Mail’s first serious entry into the market and highlights its determination to meet the threat from online marketing.

Royal Mail said in a statement that the new service will allow its customers to have more “engaging conversations with prospects or existing customers”.

Through Dialogue Mail, an initial mailshot is sent out which drives interested recipients to a website where they are registered. Texas-headquartered Vialuna then creates personalised web pages, tailoring a marketing campaign to fit each individual customer.

Customers can then be contacted through telesales, further direct mail or email.

Royal Mail is hoping that the service will be attractive to users because it will provide more information about its customers, allowing it to tailor future marketing more precisely.

Martin Pang, managing director of Vialuna UK, said: “Our approach gives marketing people the opportunity to measure the effectiveness of their direct mail campaign.

“We have done a lot of work in the B2B sector in the UK, but we see this contract as a chance to use it in the business to consumer sector.

“It is a new way to market, in that it is not just direct mail or online, but rather a joined-up approach.

St Ives, Royal Mail’s print manager, is understood not to be involved in this service at present.