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Is this the revival of direct marketing?

The ability to send personalised direct mail to potential customers who have abandoned an online basket or browsed particular pages is motivating many brands.

Direct mailing, which had fallen out of favour with most marketers, seems set to make a comeback of sorts.

After a period of decline, direct mail ad spends rose 5.9 per cent year on year during the third quarter of 2017, according to the latest data from the Advertising Association and Warc. It is the third largest media channel in the UK after online and TV, with annual ad spend standing at 1.7 billion in 2016, and while spend was down 9.1 per cent between 2015 and 2016, it is predicted to rise 0.9 per cent in 2017.

The introduction of the general data protection regulation (GDPR) in May could be good news for direct mail. As both processors and controllers of personal data, direct marketers need to be aware of how GDPR will affect them, but there are many who are convinced that it provides opportunities for brands to be more innovative with data. Door drops are already proving a useful way to get consumer permission

Will 2018 prove to be the watershed year for direct marketing?

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