Keeping up its campaign to illustrate the advantages of direct mail, the U.S. Postal Service has singled out Ohio-based branding agency Mlicki for a direct mail campaign that garnered a 10% response rate. Of greater interest to online marketers is the fact that this particular direct mail campaign was integrated with social media, a microsite and email marketing. Print advertising was also part of the mix. The USPS has been beating the drum of the success rate of direct mail, but increasingly studies are suggesting that when direct mail is coordinated with online marketing tactics, the response rate is even greater.

The campaign was to launch Blue Octo, a line of industrial waste-water pumps manufactured by Gorman-Rupp, based in Mansfield. The Blue Octo Classified Dossier direct mail piece was sent to 3,000 prospects and received 300 sales.

Mail Works

Recently USPS won permission to pilot a project in which it would refund companies’ direct-mail advertising costs if they were not successful. Called The Mail Works Guarantee, 16 companies that spend at least $250 million a year on advertising, but have a limited direct mail spend, are going to participate.

It will begin May 16, Direct Marketing News reports. Assuming the Post Office is right with its premise - direct mail does pay greater dividends for companies than realized - marketers will have new considerations as they plan budgets: namely, a better coordination between direct and internet marketing to take as much advantage as possible between both channels. There is some correlation between the two, but few studies have captured it.