Print Buying
Direct marketing more effective at driving online traffic, new research claims
Direct marketing applications such as direct mail are more than twice as likely to drive UK customer traffic to company websites as digital marketing, according to new research.
Pitney Bowes surveyed 10,000 people as part of a pan-European study that took in such as the UK, Germany, France and Scandinavian countries.
According to the report, 60% of those interviewed felt that marketing such as addressed mail was more effective in prompting a visit to a company's website, compared with 24% who felt an e-mail, website advert or sponsored link was a stronger means to inspire a first visit.
On a more in-depth level, direct marketing was seen as being more effective at creating consumer traffic than digital advertising across all the age groups surveyed.
Of those questioned, 67% of consumers in the 35-44 age bracket were most likely to visit and consider a purchase following receipt of an offline message.
Gareth Stoten, general manager of Pitney Bowes DMT in the UK and Ireland, said: "These figures demonstrate how critically important it is for businesses to find the right marketing mix.
"Online channels such as social networking are a hot topic, but it is the traditional print and mail channels that are driving people to make web purchases."
Comments
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Chris Milligan - 13 July 2009
"Direct marketing more effective at driving online traffic, new research claims"
And the research was carried out by ..............
Pitney Bowes
Is this research valid and reliable? Or are the trying to ensure business retention within their franking department???
Edna Bag - 13 July 2009
[quote user="Chris Milligan"]
"Direct marketing more effective at driving online traffic, new research claims" And the research was carried out by .............. Pitney Bowes Is this research valid and reliable? Or are the trying to ensure business retention within their franking department???
[/quote]This looks to be a trend and not from just Pitney Bowes. Online recognises that to get the best results for online campaign DM has to be part of he mix. It seems that people need a prompt to think to search, also it online campaigns are harder to gauge response its thought 3 times as much data is required to hit the same results as printed DM. Spam filters also mean targetted email doesn't get read with most ending in the bin without being read.
So Chris before you have a knock do some research first, the article may not be a desperate as you think.
Chris Milligan - 14 July 2009
Edna. I agree fully with the point you made that it needs to be part of the communication mix. A marketer should include all forms of media "if" relevant to your business and customers. My point even thought not quite covered in my last statement is that Pitney Bowes is a well respected company. When they do research some people will listen blindly. This as I am sure you will agree is dangerous. Marketers should carry out their own research because what may be correct for some customers may not be the right blend for your existing or potential customers.
Direct Mail is as much at risk of meeting the trash can as an email. The only difference being that the customer has to take the time recycle direct mail. But it's just as likely to be un-opened. I do fully believe that direct mail has its place. But I think it needs to be used with caution. People who may be looking for the golden egg of marketing in the current climate may end up spending money they do not have. And as you have said people should "do some research" of their own, rather than listening to research carried out by someone else.
Edna Bag - 14 July 2009
Chris there is still a difference between the two trashcans. Provided the marketing message is strong and well presented even the most ardent recyclers will sneak a peak because of curiousity. How many campaigns succeed at getting the message over?
Mick Hart - 14 July 2009
It makes you wonder doesn't it. You both argue that most direct mail, either on-line or printed ends up in the trash can. Doesn't this mean that the marketing people have simply got it wrong, and there is an important place for carefully positioned advertising within printed publication? It is true that this also applies to on-line - but without stopping reading this, think about the adverts on this web page you are reading and name them without looking - I'll bet you didn't even notice what they were. Printed adverts are much more difficult to miss, because they are solid and immovable, can display much more content, and can pass on the message with a glance. Hopefully marketing people and advertisers will realise this, and won't throw away the opportunities print can offer in the future (assuming there is one!)
Chris Milligan - 15 July 2009
I agree with you Mick. Marketers need to have "carefully positioned" communication. But it should be communication, not neccesarily advertising. In the modern age, what will work better as an example is an article about Pitney Bowes which people talk about. If this is reffered to and becomes a respected discussion, then it will be more powerful than any form of direct mail, email or advert.
We all know the problems with all forms of communication including print adverts. But the issue which was suggested by myself at the start is that people need to test, research, test and do more research. If people listen \(and they will) blindly to something they read without trying it with their own market place, they would be better advertising their print services in Fisherman monthly. \(or other non related publication) Or to use an example closer to the topic. It is known that direct mail sent to "the ocupier" is more likely to be ignored. Or even if DM is sent to Mrs when you are clearly a man. Statistics are great and can give people a starting point, but nothing is as good as researching your own customers. Give them a call, and ask them what they prefer.
I agree Edna most "sneak a peak because of curiousity". But the end result is what counts. Do they sneak a peak and recycle, or do they sneak a peak and respond to the call to action? I think that people need to be looking more toward using direct mail as a function of direct marketing. Rather than sending tons of bulk mail, you should be smarter and make offerings customers actually need. Then rather than sneaking a peak, they actually want to read the mail. This is the only way i believe that marketers will increase th ROI on marketing campaigns.
Matthew Parker - 15 July 2009
It's all about creating the right channel mix for the target audience. I would argue that a multi channel approach with a mix of print, e-mail and potentially sms is always going to achieve a better ROI. However, the print parrt of the mix will have to continually evolve and become more sophisticated. Lets not forget that there are plenty of marketing campaigns where e-mail creates a demand for print.
Matthew Parker
www.printandprocurement.com
Mick Hart - 15 July 2009
Advertising as a part of a successful communication is bound to be most effective, as communication is by definition a two way process, so the advertisement will not be 'trashed' unless the communication process fails. If the advertisement is 'carefully positioned' within a communication piece (be that a piece of useful or essential information, or a reply generating piece, of perceived value to the reader) it will prevail. This cannot be achieved on-line in the same way, as once the original purpose of the 'piece' has been met, the image is gone. I agree that a 'mix' is even better, as one 'noticed' advertisement will lead to quicker recognition and notice of further adverts within different media, especially if continuity and visual similarity is used. This surely is where print is the natural 'lead' advertising media though, as it is more likely to instil the original message in the reader's mind, making the secondary advertisements more noticed and therefore of better value than they would otherwise be.
Edna Bag - 15 July 2009
Mick lot of time for you, your Mrs must be proud of your opinion and would be if she knew what PW was.
As was pointed out earlier online advertising can be ignored or even be a damn annoyance, even reading around adverts does not mean they are seen they are just there. At the risk of playing old school, I know what works for me, yes I am online most of the day and not technically disadvantaged but as wondrous as the net is it doesn't hit the mark on impulse unless you know what you want.
Print and Online are mutually dependant, you would have to have an impressive crystal ball to predict online will kill off print anymore than we are closer to being a paperless office.
Mick Hart - 16 July 2009
Thanks for that Edna - we seem to talk the same language, missus doesn't listen to my opinion, and she's proud of it. PW could be 'Practical Woodworker', and best kept that way!
The Mighty Wind - 17 July 2009
EDNA
You are very perceptive, Brands are very important on the net and the net is infinite imagine opening your front door and being able to view the entire world in headlines of a few words. Fantastic but in a short space of time daunting through information overload, how do you find a particular pin in a box of pins? Directing traffic is going to be one of the most important features of a world of infinite possibilities, google takes you there but what makes you type the search string? Google finds it but you first decide what you want it too find, thus there is the opportunity to influence what people look for. There is a perfect relationship waiting
By the way don't dismiss the paperless office, Xerox researched this idea and through that research gave us adobe, apple's big idea, GUI's, Ethernet, networks and so much more
Edna Bag - 17 July 2009
Thanks TMW, I do try, prapps we should re invent the internet directory a yellow pages for the web.
Matthew Parker - 20 July 2009
TMW,
Great post! I also think it neatly sums up thechallenges facing print sales teams.... How can the buyer easily find
the perfect relationship? (And, by that, I don't mean the cheapest
price!) And how do printers help customers understand what they will
benefit from so that customers create the right search criteria for their suppliers?
Mick Hart - 21 July 2009
Unfortunately the print industry never got round to realising, that even as a marketing tool itself, it has to market itself now as a media in order to benefit from these new opportunities. Simply sending reps out on the road will never achieve this, it is the general perception of print which needs to change, both in the eyes of the public and in the new media industries, and quickly. Hands up anyone who knows how we should tackle that one ................
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