USPS logo LINK — USPS employee news Printable

Direct hit

Companies using data to improve mailings

Data and technology work with direct mail, Brand Marketing Director Chris Karpenko writes in ANA Magazine.
Data and technology work with direct mail, Brand Marketing Director Chris Karpenko writes in ANA Magazine.

Businesses are using data and technology to produce better direct mailings, Brand Marketing Director Chris Karpenko writes in ANA Magazine’s latest issue.

Mailings can now be “personalized” based on geography as well as spending habits, recent purchases and product usage.

These precisely targeted mailings help businesses get their marketing messages to the “right people, at the right time, with the most relevant content,” Karpenko writes.

Fifty-four percent of marketers have started incorporating data into their mailings, according to the Direct Marketing Association.

One example of the marriage between technology and mail: Ikea’s catalog. Consumers can use a smartphone to scan the pages and activate an app that allows them to visualize Ikea furniture in their home.

Karpenko calls it “the ultimate personalized shopping tool.”

The Postal Service offers a Marketing Impact Calculator to help businesses see how direct mail can add to their marketing strategy.

The calculator can even estimate the sales bump from combining direct mailings with other forms of marketing, Karpenko notes.

ANA Magazine is published by the Association of National Advertisers.

Post-story highlights