iLove Letters - A Millenial's Love for Direct Response

I read an article this week on the longevity of Direct Mail as marketing technique, a notion we often hear disputed by digital marketing pros who assure us that "snail mail" is a thing of the past. For those outside the professional realm this may seem like the logical assumption with the recent postage hikes and all. However, there are many factors to consider. The article hypothesized that most millennials likely enjoy receiving mail because it's a change from their usual digital information platforms which according to research has been proven to be ineffective in the terms of long-term memory processing. First hand as a millennial I would say this hypothesis is accurate!

I remember my start in direct mail...my first big assignment was to assist my supervisor at the time, in conducting an info-session entitled The Magic of Direct Mail .  I have to admit after her presentation I didn't find direct mail to be all that magical (she was a bit nervous, so I'm sure that's where the issue lied). I didn't get to actually see that "magic" until I became involved in the production process. The idea of analyzing a target audience to construct an appeal that peeks their interest at sight, pulls on their ego at touch; developing copy that grabs at their hearts or minds and pictures that tug at their emotions and getting to see the fruits of your labor; now that's magical!

As a millennial, I have to admit that receiving mail in my mailbox is as exciting as when I was a kid looking for a birthday invite. I miss holding the envelope and admiring the texture, the feeling of anticipation while reading the teaser on the outside. I feel special when I get a beautiful appeal on high-quality stock and don't let it be personalized, fugghetaboutit! The truth is, I am constantly inundated with e-mails, some I subscribe to and some I don't. I don't know about you but opening the inbox on a smartphone can be quite overwhelming. Confession: sometimes I refuse to check my inbox and on occasion have missed important e-mails due to them being mixed in with other stuff that lacked urgency. The ease of being able to overlook things is my biggest issue with digital marketing. Meanwhile, I can't miss those pesky bills that show up in the mailbox every month...no matter how hard I try. So until I can get Mr. Spacely popping up halogram-style, I prefer to get my important and special messages via good ole "snail mail"!