In a multipage ode to direct mail, DMNews goes over the top. I'm not
going to disagree with many of the points. Sure, DM is a great way to
get a physical offer in someone's hands, it is highly targetable, and
it continues to be cost effective for many marketers.
However, the article is difficult to take seriously. The Kool-Aid drips
from every page. For instance, consumer 'enjoy' reviewing direct mail just
as much as email. But wait, a recent study flagged email spam as the
MOST annoying marketing format, with DM and other email not too far
behind. So what does the comparison really represent? Do we 'enjoy'
it, or is this a relative comparison between two evils, spun into a
positive?
Another of favorite observation here: direct mail is delivered at no
cost to the consumer, while we still pay for internet access. Sure,
but there is nothing in the data that shows this is a problem for
individuals. And given the share of people that watch online video,
play games, or use social networks, they aren't paying a flat internet
bill for access to email. Often their email isn't even provided by
their ISP.
Can direct mail work for marketers? Sure. However, this article didn't
convince me it was an unbiased look at DM, and I'm not even one of the
ones that needed convincing.
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