The Digital Revolution has Empowered Paper

For this week’s foray into the world of door drops, we’re picking the mind of Melanie Welsh, Executive Planning Director at marketing agency Havas helia.

You can read Melanie’s full thought piece here and see the full story of how she believes the best results come from the right mix of data and creativity.

Melanie has an interesting insight into how a brand’s own structured data can be mixed with unstructured data – from social media for example – to develop unusual insights into customer activity that can then be used to target an audience.

The results from this kind of insightful thinking have revolutionised how door drops can be used. It’s certainly far removed from how things were done even a few years ago.

As I’ve already mentioned, Melanie firmly believes that better results are achieved when the creative execution is fully explored. I wholeheartedly agree with her on this point.

She points to the fact that if the same campaign is reproduced using a more inventive format and message, the consumer outtake will be very different. Even something as simple as using a die-cut leaflet rather than a square one is using the medium creatively and can capture attention more effectively.

Melanie makes a solid point when she highlights the holy trinity of door drops: the creation of something useful, relevant and informative. When it is achieved, it will have a big impact with consumers and earn a coveted place on the fridge.

Melanie isn’t getting complacent though. She’d like to see even more experimentation from brands and wider acknowledgment of door drops as a brand building tool, not just a means to drive sales in the short term.

After all, with door drops able to stay in the home for 38 days on average*, it’s an amazing opportunity to get and keep consumers’ attention.

My take out

Thank you to Melanie, who has an inspiring vision of the future of door drops. The evolution from direct response mechanism to brand building vehicle is one that I am pleased to be seeing. It’s a role they’re well suited for – after all, very little stays in the home longer.

Don’t forget you can find many more inspirational ideas from our Mailmen at mailmen.co.uk/doordrops

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.

*Royal Mail MarketReach, The Private Life of Mail, 2015.