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Mailed Catalogues and Brochures on the Increase

We have noted a very interesting trend recently in the Direct Mail Market Sector.

There is a noticeable increase in the volume of catalogue and brochures being printed and mailed, as companies seek to make the most of the upcoming Christmas Period.

Printed catalogues and brochures are enjoying an upturn in success due to 90 per cent of them being read the same day it arrives and 68 per cent being read straight away.

The reason for this? Mail is personal. We’re biologically designed to get excited when something drops through the letterbox, in fact 65 per cent of mail respondents considered direct mail more personal than email.

There is still a very real benefit to a customer receiving printed material, rather than a company relying on a digital catalogue. It is far more accessible, how many people will share the printed catalogue or brochure with other family members, work colleagues or friends. It can lead to impulse purchasing, as people flick though the item, instead of opening just the website. Agreeing with this is Nigel Swabey of Scotts & Co who said “Only 4% of new customers originate online, so our websites are simply a convenient way for our customers to place orders. It’s true that almost 20% of our customers place their orders online, but we know that the trigger for over 80% of those orders was a catalogue mailing!’

A simple offer leaflet Mailshot or voucher letter mailing following up a catalogue or brochure can also pay real dividends in terms of success. It can impart so much more information than the subject matter line on an email, all too easily deleted or treated as spam.

As part of a coordinated campaign, the mail piece; be it catalogue, brochure or the simple letter still has a very important role to play. With 80 per cent of successful businesses agreeing that regular mailings help build customer relationships, we look forward to seeing increase.