The “Old [Direct] Way” Retains Its Appeal for Everybody

Epsilon research released yesterday “…shows the preferential attitudes about the trustworthiness of mail strengthened for consumer respondents of all age groups from 2008 to 2010."

Translation: People trust direct mail more than other marketing channels.

The survey was conducted by ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting. Research focused on attitudes of 18 to 34 year-olds in the U.S. and Canada. Results indicated that even this digital, Facebook-addicted demographic prefers to receive marketing messages by mail and newspapers.

What’s the appeal of direct mail?

• Direct mail is perceived to be more private than either email or online sources.

• Direct mail is more trusted than online information.

More significantly, trust is growing, with 20 percent of U.S. respondents in 2010 saying saying they trust information by mail, compared to only 12 percent who loved mail in 2008. Canadians had similar attitudes.

ICOM Vice President Warren Storey said, “A key takeaway from this research is that marketers targeting coveted 18-34 year olds who are tempted to invest solely in social media could be missing a significant portion of their audience.”

Actually, the message is bigger than that. In this era of eJunk, a letter or postcard to home – especially one that nails the recipient’s interest through the use of research and targeted lists – gets noticed.

--scrubbed by Marketing Brillo

Seven Tricks That Made THIS Survey Experience Top Drawer

This morning, the ACLU emailed a survey asking me to “share my thoughts.” This turned out to be a top survey experience. Here's why:

1. Easy. The survey looked simple to fill-out (roomy, with broad margins and generous white space) and it was. I finished in 7 minutes.

2. Relevant. They had me at the first question -- the "three areas of civil liberties" most important to me.

3. Genuine. The choice of survey questions appeared to really want my opinion because: a) there was no apparent “assumption” of my views or questions leading me to water; b) the multiple choices were comprehensive; c) the survey offered the “I don’t know” option at strategic points.

4. Serious. The serious nature of the questions implied that – collectively -- responses actually will guide the activities of the organization.

5. Informative. In seeking to determine the ways (if any) in which I might be willing to get more involved, I learned about volunteer options.

6. Non-intrusive. The survey had only two personal questions (gender and age).

7. Helpful. At the end, the survey featured links to the ACLU Blog of Rights, showed how to follow the ACLU on Twitter (did that immediately), become a Facebook Fan, or sign-up for YouTube videos (bookmarked that).

-- scrubbed by Marketing Brillo