The recent Print Power direct mail campaign to 2,200 UK brand owners has proved an astounding success. So far the mailing has been sent out in the UK, Spain, France, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Portugal and Italy with remarkable results. The UK has received just over a 10% return rate with replies still coming in. Portugal, Finland and Norway report a 13% return rate and Belgium and Italy score 15%. France has reported a 10% return and Spain a whopping 25%.
Martyn Eustace, country manager for Print Power UK said: “In a world where online and social media channels are every much the focus of the media buyer, print is staging a comeback for its special sensory qualities.”
In mid-September, direct mail pieces that comprised an envelope, which was actually a folded-up poster holding a personalised letter, a chalked blackboard card, a reply card, and a reply envelope, were sent out to chosen recipients as part of a European initiative to demonstrate the high degree of response which can be obtained with creative, sensory, direct mail.
The blackboard card contained a hidden message that becomes visible once the chalk is wiped away. Leaving a print of their chalk-covered hand on the reply card allows the recipient of the mailing to obtain a personalised Moleskine notebook. The handprint is then scanned and printed on the cover of the notebook. The sense of touch is exploited to its extreme as even the handprint is printed in relief.