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3 innovative direct mail technologies to look for in 2015

What's the incentive for direct marketers to embrace greater innovation in their campaigns, especially with mail? The U.S. Postal Service is one organization giving businesses a reason to invest more into making their marketing campaigns more impactful and engaging among consumers. Target Marketing Magazine highlighted the fact that companies using quick response codes, near-field communication technology and augmented reality are already able to take advantage of USPS discounts. However, the government agency is seeking even heavier involvement among marketers in embracing new technologies to make direct mail more exciting.

Emerging technologies
Beginning in 2015, direct mail marketers who seek to integrate new types of media, materials and digital content will likely benefit from USPS incentives for technology. A recent report from the USPS Office of the Inspector General outlined the various proposed items.

1. Connected mail: This first category includes some of the technologies already in use, such as QR codes, augmented reality and near-field communications. However, another category involves Webkeys, which include the use of USB drives to provide customers with a new experience in the way they access mail. According to the study, Webkeys direct mail recipients to a specific location, whether it's a website or offline files like PDFs or videos contained on the USB drive.
   
   

   Innovative direct mail technologies help marketers grab consumers' attention.

   
   One of the biggest advantages of this kind of technology resides in the fact that marketers can gather a significant amount of analytics, including the location of the access point, the number of times the consumers uses the Webkey and user behavior tracking. At around $3 per mail piece, this technology can be expensive when performed on a large scale. Accordingly, mailing software is a critical part of a campaign integrating Webkeys because it can significantly reduce the amount of undeliverable mail, thereby decreasing overhead costs and waste.
2. Electronic mail: While most people would recognize this technology, the USPS is using it in a different context. Instead of e-mail, this category involves the use of electronics in physical mail. One example is using video integrated with a direct mail piece. Marketers can select a variety of screen sizes, but it's important to keep in mind that a mailer featuring a 2.4-inch display will cost around $20 per item when ordered in bulk.
   
   

   "An advertisement for a TV show that integrated video content into a direct mailer was able to achieve a 98 percent recall rate."

   At the same time, the return on investment can be significant. One company was able to achieve a 98 percent recall rate with an ad for a television show. Another international telecommunications company was able to achieve a 19-minute average view time among recipients. Because the mailers have Wi-fi connections, marketers can monitor how often a customer views the video ad, which helps to measure ROI. Other types of electronic mail include mobile-in-print items and conductive ink.
3. Dimensional mail: The third category outline by the US OIG begins with an explanation of how direct mailers can use ink more effectively. There are a number of ways businesses can get creative in this design element of direct mail campaigns. First, there are leuco dyes that change color depending on the temperature. These are often used in ticketing situations where a company wants to prevent fraud. However, it can provide a unique esthetic experience for mail recipients when they discover hidden promotions when the mail piece reaches a certain temperature. Similarly, hydrochromic ink changes color when it comes into contact with water. Photochromics are affected by ultraviolet light, giving marketers the chance to create a more interactive experience using the sun.
   
   The last two kinds of dimensional email are customized MarketMail and 3-D mail. The former is recognized as an item that is in unique shapes and sizes, or incorporates alternative materials. The latter is designed to attract consumers' attention with aspects that pop out.

New technologies integrated in direct mail campaigns are often more expensive than standard marketing materials, such as post cards. This means address validation and verification software are a necessary part of any campaign integrating innovative design features.