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Snail Mail With some states reinstating stay-at-home orders, connecting with end users and clients while they work from home is a constant challenge. According to data from the U.S. Postal Service, 98 percent of people check their mailboxes daily. Instead of making another call or sending another email, marketers should rely on what 69 percent of people say is more personal than the internet: the mail. Distributors can utilize direct mail campaigns to deliver promotional items to employees, virtual event attendees and end users. In July, the United States Postal Service, ravaged by the coronavirus, appealed to Congress for an $89 billion bailout. The recent plummet in mail volume, down nearly a third compared to this time last year, presents a unique opportunity for marketers as the competition in the mailbox disappears. According to the American Marketing Association, the volume of mail going through the USPS decreased by almost 30 percent between 2006 and 2017. But according to the Data and Marketing Association’s “2017 Response Rate Report,” response rates to direct mail marketing have significantly increased despite the decrease in mail volume. Although digital purchasing has risen, about a third of U.S. adults are still making purchases through direct mail and catalogs. With more people responding to marketing messages received through the mail, the effectiveness of direct mail marketing is attributed to the design of the mailed item. If a recipient feels they are being marketed to as a collective or if the item looks “spammy,” they will be more likely to throw it away. However, if the direct mail piece looks like a genuine letter from a brand that personally addresses them, and sincerely seems to know their wants and needs, then end users can begin to feel like they have a personal relationship with the brand or client. For example, distributor Run2Promotions created this promotional box to recognize and congratulate high school scholar athletes in the state of Ohio. Formerly an in-person event, this year’s event went virtual, and the ceremony was broadcast on July 11 where the scholar athletes were announced. Each student received a box with a video congratulations from former football running back Archie Griffin and a custom, personalized molded medal on a full-color ribbon. A video screen was mounted on the inside cover of the box, and the box also contained a yard sign and a gender-specific event poster. Premium items with sponsored logos such as a power strip, a four-port hub charging cable and a mask completed the gift. I ncen t i ve And Pr emi um Pr oduc t s Boris Rabtsevich / Shutterstock.com 50 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | GROW