It’s undeniable that digital channels have become a more preferable communication platform for their immediacy, value and trackability.
Then you have the data protection laws which have made it harder to send comms to prospective customers or clients.
However, for the right audience, at the right time for the right reasons there is still a very justifiable use for print via direct mail.
In one role, I pretty much single-handedly managed and produced a glossy magazine which was sent out to a few thousand clients and prospects. Designed with a coffee table aesthetic and aimed at senior decision-makers, it was a bold way to get evidence of recent case studies and opinion pieces a prime spot on their desks.
Prestige Magazine was a labour of love, no doubt about it. It took up a lot of time to gather all of the content ideas, write the articles, source the photography and arrange design, not forgetting the print and distribution process at the end.
I’m proud of how the design evolved during my tenure, including the use of a lovely gold foil effect on the masthead – a bit of a splurge but it really elevated the look and feel. I also managed to reduce the cost of the project by about a third by moving suppliers and changing processes.
I’ll always remember a key client at one of our sites remarking to me how she loved receiving her issue every 6 months and how interesting it was to see the range of work done across the venues.
So although you can’t exactly put a tracking transponder on a piece of posted print, it can have stand out, but you do need to put the effort in and make sure it’s worth noticing. Focus on making the content relevant, educational and engaging and it will land beautifully.
