GDPR Prompts Marketers to Reconsider Direct Mail

In an article published by Fourth Source, Mark Roy, Founder and Chairman of REaD Group, discusses why the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) makes now an ideal time for marketers to rethink their channel mix and take a closer look at direct mail.

While email has become one of the most popular marketing channels for businesses over the past decade, many industry experts suggest that consumers may have reached a state of email fatigue. Now, with the onset of GDPR in 2018, Mr. Roy points out that, “there has never been a better time to use direct mail.” GDPR includes strong guidelines for electronic marketing that require businesses to revamp their existing email marketing processes, sometimes quite significantly.

Mr. Roy points out that, “unlike other channels, direct mail can be used under legitimate interest under GDPR.” Consequently, marketers who have shifted away from direct mail would benefit by reinstituting this channel into their mix.

Not only does GDPR give marketers solid motivation to take another look at this channel, but research has also shown that direct mail is quite effective, especially with the millennial audience. Direct mail also allows brands to express their creativity and stand out in the crowd by experimenting with colour, shape, and size.

The article goes on to discuss how email marketing has demonstrated weaker open rates than direct mail over time, with the DMA’s 2017 email benchmarking report indicating 14.2 percent of marketing emails are opened by consumers, yet a study by Infotrends reporting that 66 percent of direct mail is opened, illustrating the enduring effectiveness of traditional mail.

For the full article published by Fourth Source, check out Why it’s time for marketers to recalibrate their channel mix. Mark Roy’s article provides a solid foundation for the argument that direct mail is not only alive and well, but is a channel not to be ignored in the wake of GDPR.