In 2021 retail e-commerce sales amounted to approximately 4.9 trillion dollars worldwide, according to Statista, a company that provides analysis of markets and trends. This figure is forecast to grow by 50 percent over the next four years, reaching about 7.4 trillion dollars by 2025.
Shopping from home is bigger than ever. People are still shopping in stores, but we’ve all gotten comfortable getting our necessities and more dropped at our front door the next day and even the same day. Brands must assume that shoppers are visiting the retail space a lot less than they did before. So how do marketers stay top of mind as at-home shopping continues to take hold? In short, take full advantage of and expand the role direct mail plays in your marketing mix.
When consumers become active at-home shoppers, they now rely on multiple channels to understand and learn about their options. While online product research and comparison is on the rise, direct mail’s role in this equation has changed to accommodate this new reality. By using innovative techniques that drive more personalized messaging into the mail piece, marketers are finding mail can effectively capture attention within the household and directly drive sales OR drive shoppers online to efficiently continue or accelerate the sales process.
More specifically, we’re seeing brands succeed by combining postcards and self-mailers with individualized offer coupons, discounts, or QR codes that drive consumers to their online stores. These techniques are very effective at rising through the clutter in the mailbox, while the nimble formats allow marketers to save on production cost and push more product details online. Get more insight on these approaches in our recent Marketing Spark Series.
SPC offers a range of advanced technologies designed to optimize response. From QR codes, dynamic store maps and augmented reality to 100% variable and personalized messaging. Its no surprise the use of QR codes has surged since the beginning of the pandemic. For example, we’ve all experienced a growing number of restaurants that have permanently replaced physical menus with QR codes. More broadly, it’s a smart strategy to use direct mail imbedded with these online bridges. It serves to help establish an online connection with consumers so brands can continue building the relationship and share information. A recent study by Salesforce concluded that “63% of Millennial and 58% of Generation X consumers are willing to share data with companies in exchange for personalized offers and discounts.” Being able to deliver timely information that reflects a consumer’s interests reinforces the notion they have a special relationship with your brand.
If you are looking to refresh your marketing strategy to improve results, reach out today to see how we can best apply these innovative techniques for your benefit.
Ryan LeFebvre
EVP of Sales & Marketing
Sources:
1 https://www.oberlo.com/blog/online-shopping-statistics
2 https://guruscoach.com/multichannel-marketing-statistics/
3 https://www.martechalliance.com/stories/qr-code-stats-trends
