GDPR. The Moment For Mail.

It’s now five months since the GDPR came into force and changed the rules for marketers. But go deeper and it is clear that the climate in which marketers operate has also fundamentally changed. Loss of trust in digital media powered by personal data has influenced this shift.

At Royal Mail MarketReach, we see the GDPR as a positive force. That’s because it puts customers’ personal information at the heart of any brand’s communication strategy. It encourages brands to see customers as individuals, not as a series of aggregated data points.

Brands whose communications earn and respect the trust of their consumers are the ones that will succeed in this new era. Those that don’t will risk seeing them opt out, potentially losing both them and their data. A customer lost is hard to win back, especially if you can no longer use up-to-date first-party data.

So how do you show you are treating your customers with respect when you communicate with them? First, your data is accurate and up-to-date with customer preferences. Second, your messaging shows an understanding of their relationship with you. And third, it is timely, relevant and valuable to them.

To manage the transition to this new era, you may need to re-evaluate your media mix.

This is where mail comes in. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has confirmed marketers don’t necessarily need consent for direct mail and can rely on legitimate interests.

With mail, you therefore have the confidence of knowing you are operating within a secure and settled legal framework. Whereas in 2019, possibly 2020, the new ePrivacy Regulation will demand a further rethink of digital strategies.

And mail, of course, has many enduring strengths that make it ideal for one-to-one communications.

Let’s start with the fact that, while many consumers will have multiple (and some lapsed) email addresses, they generally only have one postal address. There is a high certainty, therefore, that you are reaching the right person.

Better than that, however, when mail lands on the doormat, it is a trusted, proven and effective medium.

Consumers welcome and trust mail: 70% say mail makes them feel valued, and 87% say they believe it - compared to 48% for email.

It makes a lasting impression. It is read and re-visited an average of four times, and 27% stays in the home for over four weeks where it may be seen by more than one individual.

It is remembered. Independent research shows that long-term memory encoding is 49% stronger for content delivered by mail than email.

And it works: 45% of mail recipients have made an enquiry or requested information by phone after receiving mail; 32% have bought something; and 29% have visited a store.

The customers you can contact now are the ones you should be investing in.

We’ve just published our latest guide - GDPR. The Moment For Mail – which shows the different ways you can use mail in your customer journeys right now.

Download the guide at www.marketreach.co.uk or call us on 0800 030 4483