Imaginative direct mail pieces have today been sent to 2,200 leading UK brand owners and media decision makers as part of a European initiative to demonstrate the high degree of response which can be obtained with creative, sensory, direct mail.
Martyn Eustace, Country Manager for Print Power UK, says, “in a world where online and social media channels are very much the focus of media buyer attention, print is staging a comeback. Its special sensory qualities, particularly touch, just can’t be emulated on-line and, linked with a well targeted and imaginative mail campaign, will deliver impressive results and, importantly, high ROI.”
The TouchedByDM mailing has been developed by Ogilvy’s Red Works office in Brussels and is printed with four different printing technologies (offset, screen-print, digital and UV printing). The campaign consists not only of a mailing, but also features cases and examples of sensory print on the Print Power website, a video on the production of the mailing, a presentation with inspiring cases and a reminder mailing using Augmented Reality.
Martyn Eustace, UK Country Manager for Print Power, says: “In a multi-channel world that offers marketers an array of choice on how best to interact with their customers, many brands are looking at how to appeal to the five senses. While channels like television, radio and Internet have a different combination of sensory triggers and are often restricted in the number of senses they can reach, it is print media that uniquely offers a combination of triggering vision, touch and smell. Certain brands have also experimented with creating taste and hearing sensory experiences in print.”
Gerd Trimmal, Marketing Director Petcare at Mars adds: “Print can deliver to senses which can’t be reached by digital – taste, smell, touch”.
So far the mailing has been sent out in Spain, France and Italy with remarkable results.
France has reported a 9% return rate on the mailing, while Italy scored 14.7% and Spain an astonishing 23.5% return rate. The normal return rate for this kind of mailing is between 0.5% and 1.0%. Over the coming months the mailing will be sent out to a further nine countries across Europe.
The Print Power mailing consists of four elements: the envelope, which is in fact a folded-up poster, holds a personalised letter, a chalked blackboard card, a reply card, and a reply envelope. The blackboard card contains a hidden message which 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 as 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 hand print is printed in relief.
Source: Print Power
About Print Power
Print Power is an initiative by companies from the Graphic Communication Value Chain including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, pre-press, press, finishing, publishing, envelopes and printing. Our common goal is to maximise the share of Print Media in a Multi-Media world by promoting is effectiveness in building Brands and delivering high returns for advertisers and print users.
Notes to editors
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Print Power UK: t: +44 1327 262920
