Direct mail has been one of my passions since my first job as a copywriter at a direct marketing agency in Washington, D.C. I'm always on the lookout for trends that affect this channel and creative mailings that grab prospects' attention and demand response.

So, what's new and what's working in direct mail these days? Here are seven interesting direct marketing trends I'm seeing as a marketing consultant who often recommends direct mail in a smart marketing strategy:

1. Oversized mailings

When there's a glut of mail, very large pieces command attention. Despite the significant postage savings from mailing smaller-size pieces that fit USPS standards for automated processing, I'm seeing many direct marketers mail huge, oversize postcards and envelopes.

2. Adding a soft-touch varnish to increase tactile appeal

Another clever way to make your direct mail stand out is to apply a soft-touch varnish coating to the carrier. The soft-touch coating literally makes the paper feel soft, which makes you want to touch it.

Doug Mack of Duke Print & Mail Solutions in Cleveland says financial services marketers like using soft-touch "to create an impression of prestige or a high profile status. It's also great for annual reports and many colleges use soft-touch varnishes for their first-impression pieces or view-books."

3. Luxury marketers who are doubling down on direct mail

Luxury product marketers have never given up on direct mail. In fact, they seem to be boosting their use of this channel, with very high-end mailings that support their brand exclusivity and feature stunning product photography.

4. Loyalty program support and acceleration

Name any customer loyalty program you belong to and I'll bet direct mail is integral to that marketer's relationship with you. Casinos are extremely savvy at using data from gamblers' activities to reward customers and promote future visits. I get at least three targeted promotional mailings a month from the Horseshoe Casino here in Cleveland as part of my Total Rewards program membership — and I'm not even a high roller.

(Image: Thinkstock)

5. Power use of direct mail by selected market segments

Nonprofit fundraisers, political marketers and colleges are the direct mail power users, relying much more heavily on this channel than other marketers. I see no sign of this letting up, despite the proliferation of social media:

A Cleveland nonprofit I work with says that direct mail continues to be their best fundraising channel.
Political candidates and causes are already ramping up direct mail for fundraising and driving voter preference ahead of next year's presidential campaign. I guarantee our mailboxes in Ohio and other swing stages will be deluged.
Colleges are sending nearly every college-bound high school a huge volume and variety of direct mail. In fact, if you're looking for samples of the most creative use of data in personalized direct marketing, check out what college direct marketers are doing.
For example, the Rochester Institute of Technology sends postcards to high school juniors, using the most basic data — name and address — to create a clever mailing with an image of a car heading down the highway passing a sign that shows the distance from the junior's home to RIT. The car also is adorned with a personalized license plate featuring the junior's name.

6. The vanishing reply form

Reply cards and printed response forms are going missing from more and more direct mail packages, especially mailings for high-end products. In a previous Smart Marketing Strategy post, I wondered if this would be a trend — and it is. For example, a promotion for Nordstrom's Trunk Club has a web-only response mechanism. Look at the next five catalogs you get in the mail and see how few include printed reply forms, which used to be ubiquitous in direct mail catalogs.

7. Smaller quantities

Every client we work with that's using direct mail is reducing mail quantities through better targeting, especially our business-to-business clients. This is good news for our industry; people who consider direct mail "junk" are usually looking at mail they never should have received in the first place because it's not relevant to their needs. It's also a smart marketing strategy: Mailing fewer pieces gives you the budget flexibility to increase the quality of your promotion, which could produce higher response.

To read the original blog post see, 7 Trends to Watch in Direct Mail Marketing.

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7 trends to watch in direct mail marketing

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