Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Is DVD Direct Mail A Good Bet For Consumers?

By Esme Spence


If you wonder what that DVD direct mail package is, it quite possibly is the first time that you have received one. For some, that media fast mailer is completely foreign. Don't worry; you are not the only one who feels slightly confused or even hesitant. But before you make a judgment about what it is, and probably more importantly what it isn't, maybe take a few minutes to learn more about the contents before throwing it immediately away.

DVD direct mail has steadily gained momentum in the past few years. Many of the new studies in direct mailing support that people, just like you, prefer to get something a little out-of-the-ordinary in their mailbox. It might just be the simple joy of finding something unexpected and new, but it appears to be getting the attention of those consumers that would otherwise not have taken the time to open the mailing. How effective is this new form of direct mail? Why is this means of direct mail proving to be so effective? Could it even be remotely cost effective?

DVD direct mail is very effective according to numerous studies conducted in the past five years. One such study, conducted by DiscMail, reported finding that 91% of respondents that received a DVD in the mail opened the mailer to find out more. Over half, 73%, actually went to their computer and played the disc. And 89% of respondents indicated that they were as likely to spend the same amount of time, or even more, with a DVD then standard direct mail. As you can see, each of these percentages are well above 50%, meaning that more than half of people mailed to (at least per the findings of this study) felt that receiving a DVD was worthwhile and warranted a little of their time.

Why does sending a DVD direct mail work? All the reasons might be unclear, but it seems plausible that the population as a whole gravitates towards technology whenever that option is presented. The above-cited study also seems to support this, finding that 85% of respondents actually preferred a CD or DVD to receiving even an email from the same advertiser. 59% of respondents, more than half, indicated that they thought it was safer to view a DVD than to open an email. Because even though technology provides many opportunities, it also poses the potential for viruses and other harmful spyware downloading to your operating system. Many people are of the opinion that the fewer the ties to the internet, the better as far as security is concerned.

You might wonder if sending a media fast mailer is even cost-effective for businesses, especially because of recent trends in the economy. Surprisingly, it can be more affordable than you might originally think. In fact, it might even save costs if businesses only have to submit a mailing list, pay postage for their mailings, and a reasonable fee to the service provider. Since many direct mail companies now provide the drafting, sorting, and mailings the man-power necessary to pull off this type of mailing may actually save money over traditional mailing methods. These types of mailings vary in cost for individual projects, but generally average between $500 - $1,200 for a mailing of 1,000 to 5,000 discs.

So the next time you receive a DVD direct mail or see that media fast mailer, give it at least a second glance before you immediately dub it junk mail.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment