GDPR is still getting it’s feet under the table and plenty of businesses have avoided the apocalypse many feared. Of course, these are still unchartered waters in some ways but for the most part, it’s business as usual. After all, any business worth it’s salt will have already been safeguarding their customers data to the very best of their abilities.
In light of the recent regulations however, some confusion still remained over consent and what that looked like. This was thankfully cleared up by the ICO with regards to postal marketing, who earlier in the year declared:
“You won’t need consent for postal marketing”
ICO, 2018
It was a clear and concise statement that contradicted much of what had previously been reported in GDPR articles and discussions. If you are treating your data with the same care and diligence as you hopefully had done previously, you can continue to contact your customers and prospects via Direct Mail in a post GDPR environment.
From Door Drop campaigns to highly targeted mail campaigns, Direct Mail is one of the most impactful channels you can communicate with. Often Financial Services mail campaigns are informative and text driven, but the opportunities to engage with your target audience are huge. A little creative thinking lead by profiling your target audience can see you creating eye catching campaigns that both deliver your message and increase brand awareness.
Lets look at some of the finer points in more detail:
Direct Mail by numbers
- A recent study by Jicmail found that 72% of recipients opened addressed financial post, a percentage higher than any other sector with the exception of utilities. In those terms, not utilising Direct Mail as part of your marketing strategy would be a huge miss.
- A closer look revealed that the average mailing is read 4 times, whilst 1 in 5 financial services mailings remain in the household for one month after arriving.
- Direct Mail is the third largest advertising channel, with an estimated annual expenditure of £1.7bn.
- 23% of mail is shared with other members of the household
The opportunities here are huge. Direct Mail is a channel that is seen, read and kept for longer on average than any other channel. It’s personal, it’s trusted and it works.
GDPR may have forced many of us to go back to the drawing board and assess how we continue to communicate with our target audience, but that can only be a good thing; More creative, targeted campaigns that really engage with your recipients. For too long some financial services direct mail campaigns have been about information and text with very little else. Direct Mail allows you the space to not only deliver your message, but also tell a story about your brand, curating the recipient on a journey from offline to online with eye catching imagery and bold & bright colours. In the post GDPR era, revisiting your direct mail strategy may be the best piece of business you do this year.
As always, good luck with it all.
Thanks for taking the time to read this piece on Direct Mail in the healthcare sector. If you need any further info or would like to talk to us about your Direct Mail campaigns, feel free to contact us on 0118 474 888 or enquiries@heraldchase.com.
