3 Businesses that Made a Fortune with Mailers
In this digital age of instant messaging, Google search and Yelp reviews, a growing narrative suggests that direct mail marketing is going the way of the dinosaur—a thing of the past. But tell that to the thousands of businesses who still generate five, six or seven-digit profits per year through effective direct mail marketing campaigns.
When 94 percent of American households still use coupons they received through the mail, we can easily say the days of direct mail are far from over. To prove the point, let's look at three businesses, including some you'll easily recognize, that have generated huge profits through direct mail marketing.
Harry's Use of Direct Mail Marketing
A modern-day online startup company using direct mail advertising? Absolutely. Harry's, the subscription-based service providing high-quality shaving products, has found direct mail campaigns to be very effective even in the digital age. The reason, ironically, is that they have a better chance of reaching people in the direct mail space that in the email space. Pete Christman of Harry's explains the situation to Vox: "People our age get hundreds of emails a day, but they only get ten pieces of a mail a day, if that many. From a numbers perspective, email is a much noisier environment."
Burger King's Use of Direct Mail Marketing
This national chain has built huge brand awareness over the years through television advertising, but when it comes to getting bodies into their stores, they still rely heavily on direct mail. Through a combination of techniques like in-store opt-ins and surveys, they've accumulated a substantive mailing list to which they send coupons as incentives to bring in more visitors.
Google Uses Direct Mail Marketing
Yes, we said Google. One of the largest and best known online companies in the world—the masterminds behind AdWords, one of direct mail's biggest competitors—still allocate a significant part of their marketing budget to direct mail. And what do they try to sell via direct mail? Ironically...AdWords. For years, the tech giant has targeted business owners with coupons in the mail offering up to $150 in AdWords credit. (Perhaps you've gotten one or more of these mailers.) Why do they do it? Because even Google knows direct mail gets the message across more efficiently than their own digital channels. (Remember this tidbit the next time you're tempted to use AdWords.)
If these companies, including some of the most profitable tech companies in the world, still rely on direct mail to generate revenue, what can direct mail marketing do for your business?
