Destroying the Trust: The Top 50 Mailers

I don’t know if it’s just my cynical nature or that I haven’t got enough sleep lately but the article “The Top 50 Mailers” in Target Marketing got my attention.   I was struck that only 9 of the top 50 do not rent lists.  Now I’m happy that someone is making some money in this economy, but I’m beginning to see why so many people are keeping the free email market alive by using bogus or SPAM avoiding  gmail, hotmail, and yahoo accounts when giving out their email addresses to organization they don’t trust or think they will sell their information.

Anyways, just wanted to send a shout out to the companies that took the time to create their own lists and making money with them: (in order of sales/revenue) Citigroup, Procter & Gamble, Mutual of Omaha, The Salvation Army, ALSAC/St.Jude Hospital, AARP,  AAA, Gerber Life Insurance Co., Suarez Corp.

Good Hunting.

Top 50 Mailers measured by volume

Direct Mail is Dead!

The ROI Hunters recently reviewed an article that stated Direct Mail is going to have a big comeback and that companies should invest heavily in this area of their marketing budget. We sat down and talked about this idea and wondered: What was this guy smoking? After all, Hunting ROI should only occur with an unaltered mind.

Check the Source

Well, we understand the statement. It came from the CEO of a large direct mail marketing company who was asked what the future held for his company. Really, what is he going to say. “Please don’t call us anymore, the conversion rate is so dismal we are embarrassed to even talk to you about it.”

All he could say was that companies are going to send out even more SPAM and they are investing heavily in larger curb side post box manufacturers so that all that dead tree material can fit in the new “super size” boxes between daily deliveries. (OK, we used the word SPAM, he would never admit to that … oh … and we made up the part of investing, but we think it is a strategy they should think about.)

My Solution

I think people would pay to have their snail mail filtered. (Just look at email SPAM filters) I want to start a company that will filter away the SPAM. The post office would deliver the mail to my handling center and all SPAM would be sent to the recycler. The client would then pick up the essentials. (Sorry direct mail marketing companies, that ticking you hear is not a clock)

We still think search engines strategies are more effective in most cases. Direct mail might be used, but it is too expensive to gain new clients. Direct mail is much for effective for retention activities. Good Hunting.