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What tactile customization can do for your business
Regardless of the recent achievements in the technology responsible for digital communications, online interaction, especially for advertisers, will forever lack a certain benefit that is undeniably important to consumers, whether they are aware of it or not: having a tangible correspondence in one's hands.
When a customer first receives a parcel in the mail, there's a moment when they open the package or letter and realize its contents. Businesses should be working to maximize that moment. From the color scheme to the stock of paper, every aspect should be carefully thought out. Customizing a piece of marketing mail can increase brand awareness and customer enthusiasm.
"Physical mail has a unique advantage of being 'sensory'- its tactile nature means you can use touch, sound, smell and even taste to create cut-through and engagement," says Jackie Shaw, New Zealand Post's manager of direct marketing campaigns.
There are countless ways to improve how a customer views a piece of mail. For instance, a thicker stock of paper can give a business a more premium feel. But no stimuli are more effective in altering customer perception than color.
The power of color
In a recent infographic prepared by KISSmetrics, 93 percent of customers list visual appearances as a primary driver behind purchasing decisions. Of that group, 85 percent admit color is the most important aspect of a particular product's aesthetics.
Across the world, customers' purchasing habits are influenced by colors, and what colors say changes from location to location. For example, research from KISSmetrics shows that in North America, customers associate the color blue with a "sensation of trust and security," which is why banks often use variations of the color on logos and literature. As another example, customers associate the color red with a sense of urgency. Businesses often use red to indicate a clearance sale because customers will understand the sale is immediate and may end soon.
Additionally, color can influence the type of shoppers a business attracts. If a company is hoping to entice shoppers on a budget, the colors navy blue and teal should be employed. And if a brand is looking for impulse shoppers, such as fast-food restaurants and outlet malls often do, it may use red-orange, black and/or royal blue.
If companies already customize their direct mail to capitalize on the benefits of color and other sensorial improvements, the next step to further savings is to invest in mailing software.The solutions provide companies an easy avenue to consolidate postal operations and, as a result, reduce costs and redundant labor.
