Direct mail campaigns have officially had a digital makeover. With thanks to QR codes, the enduringly popular media channel has been souped-up through digitisation to improve customer response rates, overall engagement, and sales. Direct mail now officially has digital superpowers.
Digitising direct mail, QR Codes & Connected Experiences
Direct mail literally takes a brand’s message to its customers offering a multi-sensory experience that receiving an email on your laptop simply doesn’t deliver. It provides opportunities to evolve what customers expect of physical mail, and now using the power of connected experiences, accessed via QR codes, direct mail combines the existing high-quality standards of postal mail with industry-leading digital technology.
New digital services give business customers infinite possibilities to tailor existing media channels and tap into new digital ones, harness data and insights, and get closer than ever to their customers. It offers portability combined with accountability, two-way conversation with customers and real-time data collection.
Adding a personalised QR code onto a direct mail letter or parcel is easier than ever before and gives potential customers instant access to interactive branded content, immediately driving engagement. By scanning the QR code using a smartphone camera, users are taken to a browser-based app connected experience, offering product information, discount codes, competitions and interactive games or augmented reality (AR) experiences, and the data collected is all trackable in real-time.
Working with the Royal Mail
At Appetite Creative, we’ve recently been working with the Royal Mail to create a new digital direct mail service for its business customers. Designed to deliver trackable and interactive experiences, the new service looks to reinvent direct mail advertising for the digital age.
While retaining the trust and security of physical mail, the new connected app experience can be accessed on any mobile device via the unique QR code found on any leaflet, parcel, or letter. Typically used as an advertising channel by the postal delivery service’s business customers, direct mail is now trackable and interactive, with branded content no longer restricted by size or weight.
Unlocking limitless opportunities for UK businesses and optimising direct mail advertising, the app can be adapted and branded to meet the needs of any business customer. It can give users access to discount codes, offers, fun games, and product or services information and inspiration.
The app can be tailored to track who receives and engages with the mail in real-time. Other trackable data includes specific direct mail QR code scanned, average engagement time, location, scan rate, number of visitors, return visitors and social media shares. The GDPR compliant personal data collection can enable businesses to optimise marketing and better understand customers.
Taking direct mail campaigns to the next level is a great way to attract new customers. It shows an innovative use and combination of both traditional and digital marketing channels, gives brands a competitive edge, and demonstrates a willingness to invest in this supercharged media channel. Superpowers have never been easier to harness for your business!