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AI, Direct Mail and Some Common Sense

“AI will change marketing as we know it”

“AI will transform Direct Mail”

AI is here and it will change the way we look at Direct Mail, there is so much hype around AI that at times it’s hard to make out the genuine advances from the tech driven BS.

A lot of the current AI trending content out of the web really is just noise at present.

It’s designed to make it appear that the new tool, as with every other industry will change our lives for ever.

Yet the more I spend time looking at AI and learning about its capabilities. The more I feel that the human touch is more needed than ever before.

I am purely focused on the creation of Direct Mail here and not the production by a mailing house and or printer. It’s clear AI can provide production and automation benefits for any centre producing the actual physical work.

No, my point is around the actual campaign creation. I read so many articles about platforms and ease of sending out so much collateral, which the system can generate quickly. They can tie into your web pages and shop fronts and pick up trends so quickly.

Perfect you may say, just keep hitting the punters with more and more uber targeted Direct Mail pieces. What a winning strategy, however is that not doing exactly what all the digital channels do already?

What is the big USP of print, its only main party trick?

The fact you have a physical piece, an actual item, something to do something with, even if it’s just fold it in half and prop up the wobbly old desk.

So, if you take away the physical decision making at the beginning of the campaign creation, how are you best placed to use the main USP of the channel.

Get hands on with your marketing, touch it, feel it, smell it, bend it, stroke it. Be picky, be thoughtful and be aware about the reaction that the printed item will elicit when it’s in somebody’s hands.

Paper is such a fantastic material; it can promote such a wide range of emotions. If we close off that opportunity and just rely on AI to choose a stock and format, dictated by whatever logic already exists, you shut down a core part of Direct Mail’s appeal

Get up close with your printed materials, challenge the status quo and use the opportunity that the physicality of print gives to make your Direct Mail stand out.

Article written by Richard Morrow, CMS Director.

About Richard Morrow

Richard has been involved with print for over 20 years, building vast experience and knowledge across the postage industry. Over these years Richard has helped thousands of clients get the very best return on investment (ROI) from their investment in print, fulfilment and postage, not only for mailings in the UK, but worldwide.