Direct mail as advertising media

1. DIRECT MAIL
AS
ADVERTISING
MEDIA
BY
SMART LEARNING WAY

2. FLOW OF PRESENTATION
 DEFINATION OF DIRECT MAIL
 FEATURES OF DIRECT MAIL
 FORMATS OF DIRECT MAIL
 FORMS OF DIRECT MAIL
 ADVANTAGES OF DIRECT MAIL
 DISADVANTAGES OF DIRECT MAIL
 DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING VS DIRECT MAIL
SELLING
 CONCLUSION
 BIBILOGRAPHY

3. DEFINITION
Direct mail is the letters to customer. The letters
can be crafted with a personalized formats and
approach. They sometimes take the role as the
chosen media, especially in high value personal
products like digital diary, PC, and service
industry offers like from the hotels; airlines etc.
care should be taken to ensure that the direct
mail letters look like a normal business
communication, otherwise there are chances that
the letter is put in waste paper basket. With a
excess of mail received by executives, they read
only ones which look business- like and are
readable.

4. When printed matter is delivered directly to the
customer, it is called direct mail. These could be
offered at the following locations
@ At homes
@ At retail shops
@ On the streets
@ Sent by mail

5. Direct mail gives the reader the best possible
way of knowing about the product, with all the
colour, graphics and data given in the direct
mail.
In direct advertising the advertiser has several
options like size, costs, formats, that could be
used.

6. The cost of direct mail can be quite varied on the
basis of quality of material and size of mailing
list. Since direct mail is targeted at only real
consumer with no aberrations, they can be
focused and personalized, making the readers
feel important.
Care should be taken to ensure that even from
the envelope the mailer gives the impression of a
personal letter. Else the direct mail has the
possibility of being consigned to the readers
waste paper basket.

7. As most corporate buyers get hundreds of direct
mailers daily, they have to select just a few for
their examination. Hence even with its close
contact with the customer direct mail remains a
back seat media.

8. FEATURES
Direct mail offers pinpoint selectively. It can be
directed to specific individuals or markets with
greater control than any other medium. Direct
mail does not have to compete with another
advertisement, or with other editorial or program
content for reader’s attention. People like to
receive mail. Most people read each piece of mail
thoroughly. The advertiser has a wide choice of
formats.

9. Direct mail offers unique opportunity for
experimental research. With split-runs and split
mailing you can test different offers, different
formats different copy and illustrations, different
timings among matched samples of recipients.
Direct mail that elicits inquiries or request for
additional information is an effective device for
developing sales leads, thereby increasing the
efficiency of the sales force.

10. FORMATS
In direct advertising the advertiser has several
options like size, costs, formats, that could be
used. Different formats commonly used as
follows:
A leaflet This is a small printed paper, which
could be printed on both sides, in color and with
as much details about the products as possible
while keeping the aesthetics in mind.

11. A booklet is a small book which gives a lot of
information about the product.
Brochures are better made leaflets in colour
and mostly they are glossy. It can be in booklet
format also as it gives a good impression

12. FORMS OF DIRECT MAIL
 LETTERS
 SELF MAILERS
 CATALOG
 FOLDERS
 BOOKLETS
 MAILING CARD
 POST CARD
 MAGAZINES

13.  SALES MANUEL
 INFORMATIVE MANUEL
 PRICE LIST
 CHARTS
 POSTERS

14. Letters
Letters are the most personal and intimate of all
forms of advertising. You address your customer
or prospect individually by the most important
word he knows-his name. The letter can be warm
and friendly or businesslike and authoritative. If
it address the prospect’s self interest.

15. Self-mailers
Self-mailers do not require an envelope. The
address of the recipient and the postage are
placed on the mailing piece itself. The simplest
self-mailer is a postcard. Or it can be a single
sheet of paper folded once or more times, a folder,
brochure, or catalog.

16. Direct mail is an advertising medium but mail
order (or direct response) is a form of distribution
that is, training by mail whatever medium is
used for advertising sales offers. Consequently
direct mail is not limited to direct marketing: a
retailer can use direct mail to attract shoppers to
his or her store.

17. ADVANTAGES OF DIRECT MAIL
The medium offers a variety of formats and
provide enough space to tell a complete sales
story.
Because Direct mail has little competition when
it is received, it can engage the reader’s
attention.
Because of the use of data base it is now possible
to personalize direct mail across a number of
consumer characteristics, such as name, product,
usage, purchase history and income.

18. Direct mail is particularly conductive to
marketing research and can be modified until the
message design matches the needs of desired
target audience.
Direct mail allows the marketer to reach
audiences who are inaccessible by other media.

19. DISADVANTAGES OF DIRECT MAIL
The main drawback of using direct mail is the
widespread perception that it is junk mail. About
46% considers them an invention of privacy.
Direct mail has a higher cost per thousand than
mass media. A great deal of this high cost is a
result of postage.(however it reaches more
qualified prospect with less wastage.)Another
cost factor is the maintenance of the database.

20. To deliver an acceptable response rate, the
quality of the mailing list is critical. It must be
maintained and updated constantly.
Because of changing nature of mailing lists, as
well as the difficulty of keeping relevant data in
the database, the response rate can be as low 2 or
3 %. Even with that low response, however
database, markets can still make money.

21. DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING
VS
DIRECT MAIL SELLING
Direct mail advertising is often refered to as
direct mail selling . the actual difference is that
the former makes known through advertising
literature and the later actually gets the order
Direct mail actually covers all forms of sales
literature booklets, leaflets, catalogues, folders,
letters, etc. designed to create goodwill or affect
sales.

22. The best method of selling is by sending
salesman and sales selling by word of mouth.
The best method is the written word.

23. The most effective form of direct
mail advertising is the letter
personality is dictated and
separately typed. The sales letter
need not be clever. It must be sincere
and must attempt to sell.

24. It should convey a message and be concise
as well as simple in language. Sales letter
are generally used accompanied by other
literature which completes the appeal or
story.

25. The AIDAS formula or the 5 p’s can be used in
drafting the sales letter
AIDAS FORMULA
ATTENTION
INTEREST
DESIRE
ACTION
SATISFACTION

26. 5 P’s
PICTURE
PROMISE
PROVE
PUSH
PREVAIL

27. The letter should be drafted in such
a style as to hold the attention of the
recipient at the outset arouse his
interest by giving interesting facts ,
create a desire in him to possess the
article by stressing the selling points
or advantage and end by bringing
the desired action.

28. If these steps are taken and
throughout the benefits are
emphasized to customer, the final
step of satisfaction will be
automatically reached.

29. CONCLUSION
By presenting this topic today we covered many
aspects of direct mail. We understood that direct
mail means the letters of advertisement that are
normally sent to our house. We have also seen
the benefits and disadvantages. The various
forms and formats of direct mail have also been
discussed.

30. BIBILOGRAPHY

31. THANK
YOU