Door drops are building blocks for brands, says WDMP's Gavin Wheeler

​More of the UK’s best business minds have come together to discuss the role of door drops in the modern marketing mix.

Does the channel have a role in today’s advertising landscape? Can they help make campaigns successful? Should you be using them? I’ll be taking a closer look at what our experts have to say over the next few weeks.

I’m going to start with Gavin Wheeler, CEO of direct, digital and social agency WDMP. You can read his full thought piece here. He begins with a compelling assertion.

Gavin argues that in an age where people’s attention is becoming increasingly fragmented and reaching a large audience is getting harder and harder, door drops stand out for their consistent ability to target effectively.

He draws our attention to the fact that technology is adding increasing power to door drops. For example, visual discovery apps like Blippar can act as a response device right there in the home, delivering an immersive digital experience.

It’s not the only place where Gavin sees technology playing a major part in the medium.

He’s keen to push things further. When door drops are followed-up with an email, he notes, the overall response increases by 50%*. So what would happen if companies served targeted digital advertising to recipients?

This is something I’m certain that companies will soon test, and I look forward to seeing encouraging results.

He expands on this point with another convincing observation. Gavin argues that data can be used to target door drops with precision and do so in real time. For example, social listening can be used to identify if people are dissatisfied with a service in a certain area. A savvy competitor brand could use this information to deliver a message to people that responds to their needs.

While he has one eye on the future, Gavin hasn’t lost sight of the spark that has to be at the heart of all good communications – an idea. When you have a simple, creative way of capturing someone’s attention, you get a better result. And I think that’s a good reminder for us all.

My takeout

Gavin’s vision and enthusiasm for the future of door drops are a testament to its potential, and I’d like to thank him for sharing his thoughts with us all. His focus on engaging with people at the right time using strong, simple, creative ideas will come as no surprise to anyone close to the industry, but it’s still something that can be overlooked.

Another important point to note is that if you’d like to use door drops in your own campaigns, we have some valuable offers available including a New User Scheme. To find out more, give my team a call on 0800 014 2365.

You can find many more inspirational ideas from our Mailmen at mailmen.co.uk/doordrops