2020 Direct Mail Outlook Reveals Combining Print and Digital is Crucial

For years now, the so-called common wisdom was that “print is dead” and electronic media will make applications, such as direct mail communications completely obsolete. But print is still very much a vibrant and exciting industry, and direct mail is making a comeback.

“The direct mail space continues to evolve as marketers fall in love again with mail’s tangible, measurable attributes that provide a welcome distraction from screen-based ads and offers,” Jim Andersen, executive chairman of Chanhassen, Minn.-based IWCO Direct, notes. “Some are referring to it as the ‘tactile’ component of omnichannel marketing.”

That tactile component is the key element that is swinging marketing back to the realm of print and direct mail, agrees Jessica Eng, VP of marketing for Alliance Franchise Brands Marketing & Print Div. She points out that direct mail and digital communications aren’t an all-or-nothing proposition, and the best results are being seen when brands find creative ways to combine the two into a seamless campaign.

The Pendulum Is Swinging Back to the Usage of Print

“We are seeing the pendulum swing back to print and direct mail as integral parts of a multichannel campaign versus an all-digital strategy that gets attention,” Eng says. “While there’s no silver bullet to direct marketing, neuroscience studies show that it’s easier for your brain to process information, recall it, and take action when it is presented in a print format such as direct mail.”