Direct Mail on the Brain

Well, it happened again.

I was sitting in a doctor’s office the other day, reading a book while waiting for an appointment, and I overhear the person next to me on their phone quickly switching from some furious texting to a voice call, then to checking their email or texts, and then finally watching a movie. (Note: I wasn’t nosy enough to see what it was, but I have observed folks watching Marvel movies).

I see this kind of thing a lot at the airport when I’m waiting for a flight or standing in line at the supermarket. We have only so many hours a day, but the time we spend multitasking all of the functions carried out by our devices continues to grow. Three and a half hours every day, according to one source.

Neuroscience studies may not provide clear evidence that smartphones have a long-term negative effect on the brain, at least for adults. But some research says that all that scrolling and staring each day is bad for cognition.

Related story: How a Childhood Hobby Plays Into My Career in Direct Mail

What this means is that we gather and process information by using our senses: listening, talking, reading, watching, and feeling. We also draw on our experiences to form an understanding of a brand, a service, or a product.

As I often point out when I speak at an event, an email, website, text, call, video, app, podcast, popup ad, or social media ad are all somewhat different experiences. But they each have to fit the same size screen on the device that we carry around with us.

Now don’t get me wrong. A lot of the time, I love that convenience. But that only goes so far.

With the glut of digital messages we receive every day, hundreds of them across multiple channels, are many of them really memorable? Do you remember the last five commercial emails from your inbox?

The Value of Print

Print is a different story, isn’t it?

It provides a lot of choices for how to connect with customers in a tangible way. When you or your client sends a direct mail piece to a customer or prospect, it automatically has the power to interrupt whatever they’re doing or thinking when they go through that daily (or whenever) ritual of sorting their mail.

The “mail moment” — the experience that they have when they hold a mailer in their hands and look at it — can be a powerful way to engage with them.

In neuroscience studies conducted in 2013 and 2019, researchers at Temple University’s Fox School of Business found that print ads were more influential in affecting consumer response than digital ones. Through methods like surveys, biometric monitoring, eye tracking, and functional MRI (fMRI), the results showed:

• Print keeps readers engaged for longer periods of time.
• It activates the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with recall and emotional response, even a week after first exposure to an ad.
• Print triggers activity in the ventral striatum, the area responsible for rewards and desirability.

Print has an impact simply because it’s ink on paper. You magnify its effect when you include verbal and visual cues to a good design that results in action.

As I mentioned before, digital channels all have to conform to the size of that little screen. But direct mail gives you so many options. Consider formats: envelopes, self-mailers, brochures, and postcards come in many sizes and shapes. Take a good long look at the amazing variety of paper grades, inks, embellishments, and finishes. Depending on your budget, goals, and timelines, you can test and roll out campaigns that will easily stand out in the mailbox. And all of those mail pieces will be larger than a smartphone.

With more real estate, your client’s mail can engage a customer longer, maybe a few minutes, or even days in your home or business. Or get passed along. There’s no rush, because it won’t get lost in the eternal scrolling of your inboxes. This physical presence also builds credibility in the minds of consumers.

Now I want to be clear: direct mail shouldn't be a silo. You can use today’s technologies on a mail piece to connect customers to online experiences. This creates additional touchpoints and message impressions, builds your brand recognition, and boosts response. An omnichannel campaign that integrates mail with other channels drives conversions more easily.

Here are two parting questions: Do you remember the last five commercial (or nonprofit) mail pieces you received?

What was it about them that caught your attention — or didn’t?

Being tactile in a digital-first world gives you an extra set of tools to cut through the clutter that your customers are probably tired of, but resigned to every day. Stand out from your competition with an extra dimension. Give them a way to engage their brains with your message through print!