How can direct mail be used during a crisis

Communicating during a crisis is something that many organisations have had to learn the hard way over the past couple of years. The pandemic caused many businesses to go digital, and this created a wealth of oversaturated markets where it was difficult to be heard or to create messaging to stand out. Direct mail offered an alternative – in many ways, a much more effective one to digital means – and the positive impact is still being felt widely today.

Direct mail has been found to have more impact than digital

In fact, one study by Royal Mail established that physical mail stimulates the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory encoding 49% more than email. A different study found that not only does mail make more of a long-term impact when we are interacting with it, but people are more likely to give mail, rather than email, their full attention. Digital messaging is gone at the click of a button, while direct mail sits physically in the home where it can be repeatedly interacted with.

Alternatives to screen time are essential

Especially during the pandemic, excessive screen time became draining and exhausting for many people. Zoom fatigue was real, and communications that didn ‘t involve devices had the potential to be significantly more effective. In a crisis situation, direct mail provides the opportunity to offer a more distinctive message without the use of a screen. This can not only feel more effective but a kinder and less exhausting form of communication too. During the pandemic, email inboxes bulged, and we often felt overloaded with digital communication, while physical communication, like direct mail, offered a different way to interact. You don ‘t have to look far to see how print like this has been used in some of the most significant crises in history. During WWII, for example, leaflets were used to help keep morale up and to support recruitment drives. The government also used leaflets to help people with everything, from making the most of their rations to digging for victory. So, direct mail in a crisis is an obvious first choice.

CDP Print Management

CDP Print Management is a communications, design and print company with more than four decades of experience supporting businesses through events. The team is focused on helping organisations to use resources such as direct mail to create a real buzz around a product or business, and to generate options even in the current economic climate where there is a constant need to reduce costs. The business delivers award-winning services to clients across communications, design and print. It has also grown as an organisation with deeply held ethical and social values and a commitment to delivering high-quality expertise. Crucially, the team approaches any situation as problem solvers, looking to help businesses design solutions that work. And engaging CDP Print Management is like adding to the team, as opposed to working with an external supplier.