Recycled Material And Pack Size Key To Direct Mail

Aligning mailer size to customer value, as well as the use of recycled materials in direct mail, are regarded as the two key DM priorities for the next 18 months by UK marketers.

Aligning mailer size to customer value, as well as the use of recycled materials in direct mail, are regarded as the two key DM priorities for the next 18 months by UK marketers.

That is according to the findings revealed by research from direct mail company Corporate Mailing Matters.

The survey, conducted amongst the UK's top 1,000 company marketers, revealed that 60 per cent regarded achieving the next round of government targets for the use of recycled materials in direct mail as a key priority over the next year.

That provides a positive perspective on the likelihood of direct mail achieving the government target of 55 per cent recycled materials by 2009, added Corporate Mailing Matters.

Even more important was aligning the size of a mailer with the value, or potential value, of the customer or prospect.

This - in tandem with the introduction of Royal Mail's Pricing in Proportion - shows a strong move in the UK marketing fraternity towards targeting, even within the physical nature of the mailpiece.

The company added that that is something that follows on naturally from the targeting improvements made since 2001 that have brought average campaign volumes down from over 170,000 to below 90,000.

In 2003, an unrealistic target for the use of recycled materials in direct mail was set by government, believes Corporate Mailing Matters.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) managed to talk the government down and the renegotiated target for the end of 2005, of 30 per cent, seems to have been achieved.

However, this target jumps up to 55 per cent by the end of 2009.

Yolanda Noble, the chief executive of Corporate Mailing Matters, commented: "We celebrate the refinement of targeting and segmentation by the industry, even now down to the physical size of the mailing piece.

And this is doubly pleasing in being matched by a major drive from marketers themselves towards greater use of recycled materials.

If this latter goal is to also be realised, then responsibility lies not just with the direct mail industry, but also with those marketers and agencies who commission direct mail campaigns." She continued: "The findings from this survey indicate that top UK marketers are, indeed, taking this issue very seriously - second only to that of addressing different value customers in more diverse ways.

This should be heartening for the marketing industry, government and the concerned consumer alike, in that it gives a very positive view of the likelihood of recycling targets being accomplished." In adding that, in her opinion, there was no excuse for the industry not to promote recycled and recyclable materials, she explained: "Today's printing and mailing technology, along with the huge improvement in recycled products, means that the former image of poor quality and machine failure is very much something of the past.

We should be embracing the recycling drive wholeheartedly." She added that the agreement between the DMA and the government also included a waste strategy, which aimed to improve the targeting of direct mail and promotions.

And Noble concluded: "Our study also found that marketers believe the forthcoming launch of Pricing in Proportion will encourage more targeted, lower volume direct mail, which will go a long way towards fulfilling this strategy.".

Back to top