Direct Mail

How to Design a Retail Direct Mail Piece Your Audience Will Love
September 27, 2023 at 9:51 am

As we move towards Q4, retailers are gearing up for the most exciting shopping season, including Black Friday deals and holiday shopping campaigns. With such high traffic, the fourth quarter is crucial for marketers looking to maximize brand awareness and drive purchases. In today’s digital age, the mailbox may not be the first place you…

Direct Mail Strategies for Increasing Retail Sales and Customer Loyalty
July 11, 2023 at 10:56 am

Since 1872, the retail industry has witnessed the power of direct mail firsthand. Aaron Montgomery Ward's revolutionary mail-order business, Montgomery Ward and Company, kickstarted a retail revolution. A modest one-page "catalog" marked the beginning of a transformative era for retail direct mail, igniting the immense potential of reaching customers through their mailboxes. In today's highly…

What Retailers Must Keep in Mind This Holiday Season
December 5, 2022 at 12:40 pm

It’s no surprise this year’s holiday season might look different, arriving during a time of historically high inflation mixed with ongoing recession fears. But despite pandemic-related challenges and supply chain disruptions creating concerns during last year’s holiday spending, it was a record-breaking season for consumers. Still, due to so much economic uncertainty, 63 percent of…

Where Some Marketers See the Demise of Print, Others See an Opportunity
July 26, 2022 at 6:46 pm

For the past several years, the phrase, “print is dead!” has been ringing in every marketer’s ear and often echoes in the background of post-pandemic marketing articles. The apocalyptic, knee-jerk reaction to the explosive growth of digital channels is understandable, with staggering statistics such as continued projected double-digit growth through 2023 for the e-commerce retail…

Sleep Number CRM and Loyalty Leader: 'Direct Mail is a Huge Differentiator'
July 26, 2022 at 6:31 pm

In episode 359 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lisa Erickson, senior director of customer relationship management and loyalty at Sleep Number, the leader in sleep health, science, and smart bed innovation. Erickson discusses her professional background and current role, how Sleep Number is differentiating itself by transitioning to a well-being brand that sells sleep, and how its loyalty program drives long-term customer engagement and education.

How Do Postcards to 'Website Abandons' Fit Into a Cataloger’s Marketing Mix?
July 19, 2022 at 4:43 pm

My experience with postcard programs is that they're profitable. Their potential scale is set by the size of the profitable universe of website abandons that a company’s website traffic generates each month. Therefore, the good news is that sending a postcard to a website abandon is profitable; the bad news is that these programs are…

A CX-Friendly Way to Approach and Engage New Customers
May 3, 2022 at 2:58 pm

The first touchpoint — it’s the gateway to a unique customer experience (CX). It’s also integral to adding another consumer into the sales pipeline. Yet it can be tough to break through all the clutter and encourage potential buyers to engage with a brand. How much noise distracts consumers from taking the first step and…

NaviStone Exec Shares the Opportunities in Web-Powered Direct Mail
February 2, 2022 at 7:21 pm

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jude Hoffner, vice president of product management at NaviStone, a data-driven marketing technology solution turning website visitors into direct mail buyers. Hoffner discusses his career experience in direct marketing, NaviStone's offerings that combine digital retargeting with direct mail, and key takeaways about how direct mail…

Understanding What Direct Mail Is
August 5, 2021 at 4:15 pm

What is direct mail? It's unsolicited advertising sent through the mail to existing customers and prospects. Examples include postcards, solo mailers, catalogs, self-mailers, etc. Unlike mass media, direct mail is targeted so that you're reaching your most desired audience. It’s a rifle vs. a shotgun approach to marketing effectively. In this post, I'll discuss the…