Direct mail’s ‘glorious comeback’ dissected in detail on the Croisette

As moderator for the discussion I was joined by Stuart Britton, executive creative director, BrandFuel; Matt Hancock, managing director, BBS; Stephen Maher, chair, The Gate; Quianna Maw, senior executive for international business, UKAEG; Nishma Patel-Robb, chief executive officer, The Glittersphere; Phil Ricketts, commercial director, Marketreach; Lucy Swanston, managing director, Nutshell Creative, and Stephen Woodford, chief executive, Advertising Association.

The discussion pulled out key points as to why mail is increasingly being seen as an important and effective consideration in any media plan:

Creativity without borders

At the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, it was perhaps no surprise that mail’s ability to offer ‘creativity without borders’ was the first benefit discussed. As a blank canvas without the restrictions found in other channels, participants praised mail’s ability to be playful and surprising, allowing brands to grab attention and appeal to all the senses, from touch to sight and smell. An example was given of a campaign for Skin Cancer UK which exposed the mailing to the amount of UV you get on a sunbed to highlight the damage done by sunbed use.

The alchemy economy

But beyond creative potential, the discussion hinged on the impressive effectiveness of one of our oldest channels. With mail’s ability to cut through the mass of marketing noise, mail was proposed as part of the 'alchemy economy' focusing on engagement quality, rather than just attention duration.

Millennial and Gen Z audiences show the highest engagement with mail, at a 90%+ open rate, explained by one participant saying, “People are craving connectivity and that in-person piece. And that’s why I think the planning of it must be in lockstep with other platforms, other media. I work with a lot of the YouTube creators and they’re all desperate to do in-person, real life events. They want touch, whole products, merch, all of it. Because everyone’s trying to cut through.”

Data-driven, digital precision

Participants also highlighted how mail blends into modern marketing; it can be integrated on a programmatic basis with digital campaigns, so that specific actions trigger automated, targeted and personalized mail items. As one contributor pointed out: “I think the underpinnings of the resurgence of mail is this combination of digital precision, and data driven techniques with the creative canvas that mail allows.”

The halo effect

Another reason highlighted for mail’s popularity is that it brings a trusted channel to the media mix, lending a halo effect to brands that use it. Amidst digital trickery and deep fakes, messages delivered by mail feel more authentic and personal, “deep real, not deep fake.” One participant gave an example of her mother who gets a birthday card from the People’s Postcode Lottery and displays it alongside her other cards, while financial or utility companies can communicate complex messages that give consumers time and space for consideration.

Serious sustainability

Finally, conversation turned to sustainability. Thanks to PrintGreen’s Mail Carbon Calculator, mail’s environmental impact can now be measured and compared to other media. This allows brands that use mail to take sustainability seriously, with production innovations meaning they can choose from new tech such as eco-friendly inks, and using mail’s high open rates and precision targeting to avoid wastage.

One speaker summed up the shifts in planning, with brands now better at understanding the ability to utilize different channels at different times to create different responses. “Brands are not interested in channels; they’re interested in outcomes. And it’s about finding the right mix for this.”

Mail plays its part with its own unique attributes and by amplifying those of other channels.