Direct mail boosts post-lockdown footfall

Direct mail and door drops helped drive UK consumers back into brick-and-mortar retail stores as lockdown restrictions eased in Q2, new research suggests. 

Why it matters

Rising direct mail (+51% year on year) and door drop (+181%) volumes were driven in part by local elections and COVID-related messaging from the NHS, but JICMAIL data (diary-based and captured from a panel of 1,000 households every month) also notes a significant growth in the effectiveness of mail in driving consumers into stores.

At a time when more people have been working from home and supporting local businesses, direct mail can play a unique role in directing consumers towards particular stores.

Key findings 

• 1.4% of all mail had a footfall effect in Q2 – representing a year-on-year growth in effectiveness of +71%. 
• 2.1% of all mail prompted a voucher redemption (+28% year on year).
• Mail’s effectiveness at driving consumer traffic to advertiser websites was sustained at a level nearly six times greater than its footfall effects.
• The average piece of direct mail was interacted with 4.4 times on average in Q2, and shared with 1.14 people per household – boosting mail campaign reach by 14% and generating ad impressions over four times greater than the mail volumes delivered. 
• Door drops recorded an average frequency of 2.99 and item reach of 1.06.

Sourced from JICMAIL